Needlework. An excellent (and money-making) skill!

Why, oh why, didn't I pay attention during my needlework classes at school? At least the local tailoring economy is getting supported exceedingly well while I am here. It's a good skill to have, and particularly here where not only pre-made garments are expensive and not necessarily available in different sizes or styles but the fabric that is made here in Tanzania (kanga and kitenge) is just beautiful, so you want to buy that. The thing is - for me, at least - then using those stretches of metres to make something from it, designed by yourself, which I can't do but I imagine would be very rewarding. I haven't nurtured the creativity there though, let alone the skill. Not enough patience! There are some fantastic designers at our school (OLC): I loved looking in to Ms Daly's and Ms Nye's classrooms to see the beautiful garments the students had designed and made, and then the final displays at the end of the GCSE and A-level year!

Let's play a little game: I will describe to you a needlework task, and see if in your mind you come up with the same thing I do. It has to be using a few, simple words so there is limited instruction. Don't scroll down to the pictures just yet!

Picture in your mind a sheet, and a mattress. The mattress is big, and the sheet is small. Picture each corner of the sheet, and imagine sewing elastic on to each corner to solve the problem of the mattress being too big and the sheet too small.

What do you come up with?

The tailor I went to came up with an interesting answer which I had not foreseen. Did your final version also look like his?
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The elastic is attached all the way along: not just at the ends.........

.....creating a somewhat gathered appearance on the sheet. Interesting. Would someone really want such an effect on each corner of their sheet? Isn't it lost once you try and tuck the sheet in?? Maybe I am missing something here.

It might have helped if I looked up and used the verb 'to hook'. Maybe that would have made all the difference. Elastic on each corner to HOOK over the mattress. That was what I was visualising. Pretty limited of me, I know.

At least I know how to unpick stitching. Had to do that many times :-)