Sherry Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 I got DH one of those for Christmas. He says they also hold a charge a lot longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesterfieldzoo Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 In 6th grade, all students had 6 weeks of art, 6 of home ec, 6 of shop. Art was equal. Home Ec, the boys stood around and just ate, but in shop, the boys got to play power tools and the girls could only make clay ashstrays. I have my revenge though. I now have almost every power tool under the sun and I know how to use them better than all the men I know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bree1978 Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 I graduated in the mid 90s from High school and boy times change. We were required to take Wood Shop in Middle School where we learned to use power tools and all kinds of fun things, and Home Ec where we had to sew and cook. Everyone, boys and girls were required to take both. We had to take it for 2 months every year. I loved Shop until 8th grade when they determined we couldn't be trusted with tools that young and changed to it mechanical drawing. In High School we had a few girls take wood shop, and metal shop was also available, but not many took it. I regret it now. I wish I had taken woodshop. I still have an end table my brother made when he took it. Yeah I graduated the same time and we had to take a drawing/industrial arts class in middle school and in high school you had to take so many electives that were either Art or Woodshop....I opted to take one year of art and one of woodshop. I was one of two girls in the class of twenty. I wish that I had taken two years of it looking back. I learned more in it than art. I made a basket, a napkin holder, a cd holder, a cutting board and a small shelf (I used scraps that others threw away instead of buying most of my wood, I've always been thrifty) My mom still has everything I made. I can't remember anything I did in that art class. I also took home ec and made a pillow. Kind of quilt style. I don't remember how to sew though....I think it is one of those things you loose if you don't use. I can still sew buttons on my husband and kids clothes when they fall off! Only problem is, that the school just had the coolest best tools...I'll probably never get to use anything that good again. S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bree1978 Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 I am definitely going to get my son to teach me how to use the lathe! But I really want us to get a mini one. I was asking my DH for a mini lathe and he started laughing! He said "Do you need mini hands for your mini lathe?" he was clueless....! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doogster Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I don't think WalMart jumped the gun, they don't offer classes, and if they did it's likely they'd get few people. Obviously material just wasn't selling. Places like Joann's and Michael's have the rep for that stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I don't think WalMart jumped the gun, they don't offer classes, and if they did it's likely they'd get few people. Obviously material just wasn't selling. Places like Joann's and Michael's have the rep for that stuff.It's a matter of availability, and the majority of home sewers don't live in cities large enough to have JoAnn's, Hobby Lobby (Michael's doesn't carry fabric, at least none of the stores I've ever been in, and I've been in Michael's stores everywhere we travel), etc. Wally World comes roaring into smaller market areas, undercuts the prices and forces the local businesses out of business, and then phases out their various departments. Bainbridge, GA, got a Super Wal-Mart and threatened to close their fabric department and all the area home economics teachers sent a strongly worded petition to Wally World HQs telling them that if there was nowhere for their students to buy inexpensive fabric they would lose their jobs, and they would make sure the national media heard about it; and they still have a nice selection of fabrics in that store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I don't think WalMart jumped the gun, they don't offer classes, and if they did it's likely they'd get few people. Obviously material just wasn't selling. Places like Joann's and Michael's have the rep for that stuff.Small cities and rural areas that aren't blessed with JoAnn's & Hobby Lobby (Michael's carries fabric where you are? They sure don't in any of the stores I've been in, but I've not been more than 100 miles West of the Mississippi), etc. Unfortunately what has happened in most areas of the country is that WalMart builds a store, offers competitive merchandise and undercuts all the local stores' prices, forcing them out of business and then phasing out the fabric & craft departments. Since the majority of people adversely affected by WalMart's cavalier attitude live in small cities to rural areas, they're the ones most affected. The home economics teachers in & around Bainbridge, GA, got together and petitioned the company HQs to retain their Wally World's fabric department because if their students had nowhere to buy inexpensive fabric, thanks to forcing the local stores out of business, they would make sure to let all the media know, loud & clear, why they had all lost their jobs; so when I need fabric I can go to Bainbridge, since JoAnn's fabrics $ell for a lot more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookmarm Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 we used to have wonderful 'adult ed' evening classes here at the schools. You could take anything from cake decor/tatting/smocking/art/steamer trunk restoration to financial planning. The cost was minimal and you brought your supplies with you. I think most of these moved to the publicly funded parks and became tennis/basketball/ and afterschool care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I had the rather dubious honor of being the first girl in my school to sign up for shop classes. Lemme think........I was in 8th grade so that would have made it in '74. I didn't want to take Home Ec again because I'd been cooking since I was 8 and sewing since I was 4. There wasn't a whole lot more they could teach me and shop sounded fun so I signed up for it. Little did I know the fuss that was going to cause! After a great deal of debate at school board meetings, they finally let me take it. The shop teacher handed me a broom on the first day of class and said all I'd be allowed to do was sweep the floor. <cackle> I took the broom down the hall to my Dad (the high school chemistry/physics teacher) and told him about my new assignment. I think it was all of about 10 minutes before the Principal was in the shop class and after that I got to play with all the tools. I got in my first fist fight in that class but that's another story. Deb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heidiiiii Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I was in 8th grade so that would have made it in '74. In 1974 I was 5 years old eating fluffernutters and watching Electric Company on PBS.. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I got in my first fist fight in that class but that's another story.Well, one more proof that we're twins (although my fistfight was in our neighborhood, not at school), Deb; how bad did your opponent look? Mine had a black eye... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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