Red Bay Consumer Science students stand with their completed quilts. Students completed their projects over a course of several weeks.

by Brandi Miller for the FCT

Ask teenagers today how many of them know how to sew and more than likely you will receive a blank stare.  In years past, sewing was something that was a popular hobby, pastime, and/or necessity for many teenagers.  In the days of smart phones, tablets, and electronic devices sewing has become a rarity among people, especially teenagers.  Red Bay High School Family and Consumer Science teacher Sherry Hutcheson is doing her best to change that.

“As a teacher and parent, I think it is important for students to know basic skills,” said Hutcheson.

This year, one way Hutcheson is making sure her students know basic skills is by doing a quilt project.

“The students are required to demonstrate basic sewing techniques and how to use sewing equipment in a safe and correct manner,” said Hutcheson.  “I would prefer that the students construct a quilt as their project because it is something that they will keep and be proud of for years to come.”

The project lasts for several weeks and is a highlight for the students in the class.  Daniel Lindsey, a junior, said that finishing the quilt was rewarding because it was something he had worked on for a long time.

The students get to choose the design for their quilt and Hutcheson says she saw everything from Hello Kitty to Marvel comic book characters.

“The students begin to understand the amount of time that is required to do a project like a quilt and how much work their grandmothers and great-grandmothers put into keeping their children warm during the winter months a long time ago,” said Hutcheson.

While working on the quilts was fun and definitely a learning experience, it wasn’t without its challenges.

“The hardest part for me was sewing it all together,” said freshman Abby Montgomery.  “It gets difficult trying to put a full size quilt in a little sewing machine.  All in all it was a fun learning experience.

Sophomore Cameron Patterson agreed saying that making a straight stitch was the hardest part for him but seeing the final product made it all worth it.

Whether they enjoyed it or decided they would rather go buy a quilt instead of making one, the experience of actually constructing a quilt on their own is something the students will never forget.  It is also a skill that will more than likely serve them well in years to come.   Hutcheson says she is proud of each and every one of her students that finished their project.  The satisfaction of a job well done is something everyone can appreciate.