My mother started teaching me sewing, knitting, and so on when I was age 10. She also taught me to clean and do my own laundry and ironing. Her reasoning was that "No bloody woman's going to get her hooks into you just because you can't take care of yourself!"

I have kept it up, and added embroidery as well, so when I stitch up a wound it's a work of art! 😆

Farmgal,

You are making me feel like an old has-been. I used to sew, knit, crochet, quilt, embroider, appliqué, darn and even re-upholstered some ditch retrieval easy chairs but haven't done any sewing in many long years now. I did buy a treadle sewing machine at an auction yesterday, and now hubby is giving me grief because he says I don't have time to use it. Granted we moved overseas and I got into endurance racing and spent every waking moment on a horse but now back at the farm I simply don't have time. It is however, a really good skill to have. Sewing used to be taught in school, but being an old dinosaur, I wouldn't know about that now. I just taught my daughter in law how to thread a needle, knot the thread to and sew on a button. Now that is scary. I always assumed everyone knew that.

As to the men, myl son and daugters all cook and do basic sewing. My husband has to hem his own pants and sew on his buttons. He learned how to iron a shirt the first time he complained I didn't do it as well as his mother did.

OddDuck,

Do you want me to own up to the fact that when I took home ec, I had to make a outfit for half of it and the other half a meal.. is that showing my age LOL

I have been thinking that its been a very long time since I did a knotted rug and even longer since I made a hook rug, I will see if there is any chance of at some point finding a treadle sewing machine to buy..

Lucky girl on the machine!

As for the teaching of the butten sewing, well at least she has you to teach her and it sounds like her hubby could do the same, my big brother is the same on that one, he does alot of the sewing in his own family and its taken years for his wife to learn how to cook and he still does alot of it.

Yes it should be a required skill. I can't tell you how many co-workers have come to me to fix a shoe, sew on a button, fix a zipper, etc all because they know I have a "sewing" kit in my bag that I take to work. I usually just try to give them the kit to fix the item themselves but not one of them has taken it as they have no clue how to fix what needs to be fixed. Out of the 120 women I work with, not one of them can sew clothes.

Some times it can be one of those skills you don't want to advertise. Years ago, when your rank was still sewn onto your sleeve, in the army. I bet one of the guys $20.00, I could sew on his rank with white thread, without it showing, big mistake. Don't get me wrong, the $20.00 was nice. Having everybody and his dog coming to me for sewing after that was a pain in the rear. Now I keep that skill hidden. Even my wife of ten years doesn't know that I can sew (anyone who tells her had best be able to run faster than 2800 feet per second). 😆 😆

Taz - I think you could appreciate this: A certain male relative of mine was once serving in the Black Watch Regiment of the Canadian Army (for others, this is a now retired branch of the service that was one of a few that had kilts as part of the dress uniform and a reputation for fierce fighters). While he had the basic sewing on a button type skills while in the services, upon retirement, he actually learned to sew kilts as part of his retirement hobby. But if you know any of that branch, you know you would NEVER tease him about wearing a skirt or being able to sew one (he would respond with some comment about the general size of male anatomy not fitting into pants as a common trait of all those in that branch of the service 😆 )

Needless to say, both he and I have good needle skills, as does many members of my family (especially the ladies). We were saying the challenge is the younger generation. With the removal of the old fashioned Grade 7-8 stage of all girls and boys taking Shop and Home Ec, there is a whole generation that, unless they are taught by family or others in the know, will lack some of these basic skills. 😕 I'm making mine all learn the basics of both, but would you folks expect any less of me!? (Look out, Mom's got the Pursuasionator out (you might refer to it as my trust mallet 😀 )

The fact is, is that I do most of the sewing in the house. I'm not the greatest, but at least I have the ability, (self taught) to be able to attempt it. My sewing kit is greater than my CL wife. I even have a darning egg so that I can repair my winter socks. So people, you will only reap what you sew (sow).

I started to sew a few weeks ago building dresses for my girls and a bag for my bow and arrow but I use a machine does that count or just cheating

Weeell, Every one should learn how to sew buy hand, there are some basic stiching that every one should know and the type that was used for tailoring before the sewing machine. If you can get hold of a treadle type sewing machine, and learned to use it properly, a person could make a living as a seamstress or a tailor. This type of sewing machine can also sew light leather. Be sure to obtain extra belts, oil and needles.

sure -
sew up bullet holes
sew up knife wounds
sew up wounds due to working on vehicles and equipment

sew up tarps
sew up tool bags

I'm OK (not a whiz) with a sewing machine, but I can't hand-sew at all. I'm just starting to teach myself, with the help of blogs and youtube. I've been learning which stitches are which on an embroidery blog and then how to do the stitches on youtube (youtube is really helpful because I can pause and repeat -- a lot!)

In case anyone is interested, here's the blog: http://www.embroidery.rocksea.org/ The stitches, grouped in families, are on the right.

and here's the video for the most basic stitch, the running stitch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4nhj8kMpAI (The same person has videos for many more stitches.)

Actually, i just picked up a pair of knitting needles yesterday so that I can get started.
I already have some basic sewing skills, enough to do repairs on clothes, bags, etc.
The knitting goal is to be able to knit wool socks. The older generation in the family has been doing this for years, but as they get older, the skill is being lost.
Not wanting to give up those warm winter socks, there is but one choice...learn to do it myself!
Wish me luck!

You don't need luck Denob, you've got the hutspa to start in the first place and that's 90% of the battle. 😀 Be sure to share a pic of those socks when you're done.