Looking towards the end of the year and into the start of the next year

If you are anything like me you are on the downhill slide of school. We have 6 weeks left until summer is in full swing. But I am already thinking of next year and how to make things better.

This year was hard, since I was given 5 preps at  the last minute. One which I had not taught in 5 years. it has been a struggle this year. I feel like I have been treading water most days. But I in the final countdown. It looks like I will have the same classes next year: Fashion, Nutrition, hold Development, Principles of Human Services and Principles of Hospitality. And I know that I will spend the year working on some great projects and ideas to make these classes not quite as watered down as they sometimes get.

Ice Dyeing

I tried something new this week with my fashion kiddos. We dyed fabric with ice and made them into pillows. The results have been out of this world! I just had to share to show all those out there that they can do fun things in class!

So the first thing I did was get plain muslin fabric and treated it with soda ash before the students arrived. Each student was given 1/2 a yard to dye.

Then I created this lovely contraception. I used a tub, buckets, and hangers. All items I already had in my classroom. The students placed the fabric wrapped up and covered it with ice. the students then used Tulip Fabric Dyes to sprinkle the dye over the ice. I then left the fabric alone for 24 hours. Students then came the next day and rinsed their fa


bric out and we hung them to dry. Students were able then to iron their fabric, and create pillows out of them using a pattern that I created from poster board.

The fabrics came out so beautifully. I want to make my own and plan to this weekend!

Planning for the FCS classroom

If you are like me, you are "blessed" with more than one, two or even three preps per day. Most FCS teachers I know have upwards of 5 or 6. I have grappled with different ways to plan- and every year of my 6 year FCS treating career I have used a different way of planning. Last summer I was at the local teacher supply store and found this:

I picked it up, since it was only $7.95- I wouldn't be out $20-30 for a planner that I may or may not have ended up liking.  This last year I had three preps- so this particular planner with 8 spots worked best for me. I was able to have a space for the lesson and a space for the materials I would need. I find this to be especially useful teaching FCS, as we always needs LOTS of materials. Those materials might be food for recipes, or poster board and construction paper for a project, or even, literal material for a sewing section. If I am planning at least a week in advance (and I try to plan more than that out) I can look and make sure I have all materials I might need for that day to keep me from needing to run to the store at the last minute. 

This is a picture that I took of my first week planning from last year. Last year I taught Principles of Human Services/Principles of Hospitality, Fashion Design and Problems and Solutions. The last box was used for FCCLA info- to attempt to help me stay organized. As you can see, I was pretty well planned. I do not use the large, page long per lesson, forms that we were given in class to fill out per lesson. My brain does not work that way. I need a day by day process, not a lesson by lesson process.  

At the end of the year I got a little more lax- not nearly as thorough. But I knew what I was doing every day. But the idea was still there!

My school requires us to input lessons online as well- but for my actual lessons that I can pull out and look at- I use this. And I loved it enough last year to use it all year and plan to purchase a new one for the incoming year. 

Beginning Sewing/Monkeys!

So, I have begin sewing in my beginning FCS classes in the last week. The best idea I ever found on in the internet that I stole and made my own is this:

I completely stole the idea from http://www.facsclassroomideas.com.

I place in a baggie 4 buttons, a needle on a piece of patch, a bobbin filled with thread, a small piece of white felt, a larger piece of white thread, a large piece of gray thread, an oval pattern and a pattern of a monkey.

I first have the students cut the oval pattern out of the paper. They then trace the pattern o the larger white piece of felt. Students then cut the oval out.  This is a simple, effective way to have students learn to use a pattern. they don't even know they are learning while they are doing it. Next I teach them how to sew buttons. The students will sew the four buttons onto the white oval however they wish using the buttons and the needle and thread I placed in their baggie.

Once they have completed the button sewing the students cut the monkey pattern out. I got this pattern from "The Cute Book: by Aranzi Aronzo. I found it not to be in my local Barnes and Noble and had to order it from Amazon. But have loved using it in both this class and my fashion design class. Once they have cut the pattern out, I have them choose 2 additional buttons from my large button collection and use those as eyes so they are using their skills immediately. they sew the monkey's face on and then sew the monkey together. I teach in 45 minute classes and this usually takes 6 days to get everyone to complete both the buttons and the monkeys. I love having the "stuff" in the baggie. Keeps everyones items together and the classroom clean at the end of the class.

Here is two of the completed monkeys:

The kids love this project and are excited and eager to complete the project- even during the end of the year slide.

Trash Bag Dresses

In my freshman level course I am required to teach some very basic sewing skills. To start this unit (which I save for nearly the end of the year due to testing) I have the students create trash bag dresses. To begin we watch an episode of Project Runway, to help the students understand what I am after. Fashion made from unusual materials.  

I provide black and white trash bags and clear packing tape. Any other materials, the students will be required to provide them for themselves. I used to only allow 4 trash bags- they could choose how many of each color, but only 4 total. Well, I still have trash bags I bought 6 years ago, so this year I allowed students to have as many as they would like. They still only used 6 at most.  Students work in groups of 3 or 4.  One of the group members is the model. The remaining group members create the dress on the student. I usually give students 3-4 days to work on their project. On Friday, we have a runway show. Depending on what’s happening in the school, I sometimes invite any teacher to bring down her class to watch the event or we keep it a small affair and only present in front of the class. There is music and pictures to help the event feel more “real.”

The kids always really enjoy this project. I enjoy seeing where the kids take it. Sometimes they really blow me away! 

Make Up Bag Tutorial

One item that I have my Fashion (sewing) class create is a simple, zip-up make-up bag. I want the students to make something that they are actually going to use/like. I don't want my students to have the story that I have heard so many times. "I took sewing in high school. I had to make this horrible (fill in the blank) item that I never would actually wear because the teacher made us make that exact item." So a few years ago I got to thinking about what the girls in my class might actually like to make that I could use to teach them about zippers. I found this really amazing tutorial through Pinterest and gave it a whirl. Make Up Bag tutorial I used the open mouthed tutorial that is found on Noodlehead. The tutorial is so well done and easy to follow that I whipped one up during my planning period! It was easy to do and was super cute upon completion. I used some old giraffe fabric I had laying around from a previous project and here is my final project.

This is a project that I usually plan for the second semester, so that students have a little more experience with the sewing machine before we get started on this project. My students have enjoyed making this bag and many of them are still using it to carry their make up or other items months later. And that is how I know it is a win!

First post

Well, here it is. I am going to start a blog, because I like to think that us "Home Ec" ladies or FCS gals like to share our info. I like to beg, borrow and steal any idea I can find out there. I take any idea I can find, twist it a bit and then make it my own. And there are so few great FCS blogs out there, wait. No that s wrong, there are so few FCS blogs out there. Good or bad, there just is so very few of them.

So I hope to post once or twice a week. Ideas, thoughts, projects- anything I think might help someone, somewhere can use.