Today, most high school curricula focus on the math, reading, history, science and writing skills of every student. Just a few generations ago, this was not the case. Sure several of the students still retained this focus, but nearly half, particularly the female half, learned more ‘practical’ skills such as cooking, sewing and home decoration. Though many schools still offer such courses, to both male and female students, they have largely been dropped from the core curriculum. While equality is most definitely progress, one thing that has not progressed is the sewing skills of much of the next generation of young people. The amount of sewing done in the home or by the local seamstress or tailor has declined along with the roster for home economics and etiquette courses. Virtually every store bought textile, from tote bags to skirts to tablecloths, is produced not by the grandmother hidden in the back room, but by sewing contractors.
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