Sometimes when we get to the middle of the year and don't feel like we want to do
any more "school," we try to study something DIFFERENT! This unit study is not only
interesting and FUN but also allows you to accomplish many skills.Last year we studied
several American History topics and Colonial Times was one of them. We decided to
study the American Revolution later that year and I wanted to sew some costumes...because
you know that in order to be considered the BEST homeschooling mom there ever was,
you at least have to sew or make one costume! Whalla...this went perfectly with
our clothing unit and so we expanded it to include sewing as well - even with our
9 year old son, Samuel. I was first inspired to teach this topic by a stack of books
I had been collecting. Many of them are sweet old school books about clothing!
How to get started:
Go to the library and check out books on these topics:
clothing J 640
costume J 391
weaving J 746.1
sewing J 646.2
shoes J 391.41
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This is one of the costumes I made in between our Colonial Unit, Clothing & Textiles
Mini Unit, and our American Revolution Unit. Ah ha! Alas I can now go down in history
as one of the best homeschooling mothers in history - I made a costume!
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Recommended Books:( I have not listed the "old" books
because they may not be available)
Read aloud s or silent reading titles:
Mr. Blue Jeans - a story about Levi Strauss by Maryann N. Weidt
Shoes for Everyone - a story about Jan Matzeliger by Barbara Mitchell
The Hundred Dresses by Elanor Estes
The Season Sewn - a year un patchwork by Ann Whitford Paul
Juvenile Literature:
The Emperor's New Clothes by Riki Levinson
Bruno the Tailor by Lars Klinting
Charlie Needs a Cloak by Tomie de Paola
Puss and Boots by Steve Light
Nonfiction books:
I Can be a Textile Worker by Christine Maloney Fitz - Gerald
Why Do We Wear That? by Trish Cole
It's Easy to Sew with Scraps and Remnants by Carol Inouye
Salvaged! Art from Fabric by Gillian Chapmans & Pam Robson (746) Projects
Dressed for the Occasion -what Americans wore 1620-1970 by Brandon Marie Miller
Shoes - their history in words and pictures by Charlotte and Davie Yue
A World of Shoes by Della Rowland
The Weaver's Gift by Kathryn Lasky
Costume by L. Rowland ~ Warne (Published by Dorling Kindersly) The history of costumes
from ancient loincloths, Roman togas to bustles, bonnets and haute couture
Movies and Audios:
The Tailor of Gloucester (music by The Chieftains - Told by Meryl Streep)
The Emperor's New Clothes read by John Gielgud (music by Mark Isham)
The Wizard of Oz AND Cinderella (both about shoes!)
Things to Learn:
Natural Fabrics- wool (alpaca,angora, blanket, cashmere, felt, flannel etc.) cotton
(batiste,broadcloth,calico, canvas,corduroy, denim, gingham etc) silk (brocade,chiffon,
crepe, satin etc.) linen (checks, damask, dress linen)
Synthetic Fabrics - ( nylon, acetate, rayon, acrylic,polyester, etc.)
SEWING: grain of the fabic fold, selvage and bias
simple stitches choosing a simple sewing project
cutting out a pattern parts of a sewing machine (see your owner's manual)
sewing tools and notions
OVERVIEW/ Acitivities for this unit:
Read books about textile factories, types of thread which are used in the looms
Learn about the history of clothing - leather and animal hides used for clothing
and shoes, silkworms, the fur industry (sparks discussions about animal rights activists.),
growing cotton and so on.
Do a biographical sketch on inventors: Eli Whitney (the cotton gin), Singer and
Howe (the sewing machine)Use Dover's coloring book of Inventors for pictures and
information.
Learn the parts of a man's dress shoe (see page 3 of "Shoes - their history in words
and pictures") Pull one from Dad's closet for a prop.
Read "A World of Shoes" and locate countries on a globe. Using a reproducible world
map write the type of shoe near it's country. Decorate your page with drawings of
those shoes (Mexico / huaraches)
Teach the parts of a sewing machine and make a copy (may need to be enlarged) from
your owner's manual for notebook. If you don't own a machine, visit a friend who
does or plan to go to a sewing machine shop. Label.
Teach sewing notions and draw pictures of pins, needles, seam ripper, measuring
tape etc.
Teach students how to do simple hand sewing stitches: hem stitch, backstitch, blanket
stitch, running stitch. Their "sample" stitches can be done on a scrap and kept
in the notebook.
After reading about Levi Strauss, make a little book out of blue construction paper
in the shape of pants. Show them how to draw on pockets, belt loops, zipper flap
and stitching lines. Make sure you cut out a front and back and also liner paper
for the inside where you can write facts about Levi Strauss. Staple at the top.
Brainstorm stories in the Bible that have to do with clothes: Joseph and the coat
of many colors, John the Baptists camel hair clothing, Gideon and the wool fleece
etc. Teach them to look up scriptures and use for handwriting practice.
Read the book A Season Sewn (good for "history") and then sew your own simple quilt
square
FIELD TRIPS:
Visit a fabric store and look for different types of fabric - purchase samples and
label in notebook
Visit a shoe repair
Visit a shop or farm where they process yarn from sheep or other animals
Visit a farm and watch the sheep shearing procedure
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