TEACHING RESOURCES |
Case Study – Sacred Heart College
The life of a sewing machine at Sacred Heart College Sacred Heard College fashion and design teacher Amber McIntosh tells School News she has been using Bernina sewing machines since she started her teaching career more than 25 years ago, and she recently had the opportunity to participate in a demonstration session. “I am constantly amazed at how much they can take with students learning how to sew,” she quickly explained. “There are 30 Bernina sewing machines available in the fashion and design classroom at Sacred Heart College. They range in age and include models 1008 and 1011. We also have (two) electronic Bernina sewing machines – B330 and B380. “Last year, we were lucky to purchase an embroidery sewing machine 580 model. “I contacted Bernina to meet with Julie Veck and discuss which model would best suit our needs and I had the opportunity to participate in a demonstration session with Anna Hicks at Nancy’s Stitch Studio, giving me the confidence to introduce this machine into my senior courses. I was very excited about letting the students see what you could do on this machine to decorate garments and textile items.”
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schoolnews Term 1 - 2018
Students’ reaction to the machines Amber told us that high schoolers prefer durable machines that aren’t too easy to break. “They get worried when they break a needle in Year 9, as they are horrified that they may have seriously ‘broken’ the machine! The students really appreciate how reliable the Bernina sewing machines are,” she said. "I often have students ask me if any of the sewing machines are for sale or enquire about buying a Bernina sewing machine themselves and which model I recommend for them. Previously, I have sold school sewing machines and they sell straight away to both staff and students. I have a waiting list at the moment
for the next round of sales!”
Maintenance issues? “These sewing machines are very resilient and cope with intensive daily use for sometimes up to six hours a day every day of the week. To keep them in good working order, I believe it is important to look after the machines, giving them a clean and an oil each term and then have them serviced annually,” Amber said. “I also made a new set of covers for the sewing machines last year, which helps to keep the dust off and also give the classroom a whole new look. The sewing machines are all set up permanently in the classroom, so they don’t have to be carried and moved a great deal.”
The life of a sewing machine at Sacred Heart College Every Year 9 student at Sacred Heart College participates in fashion and design for a term. “This provides students with the basic skills to use the sewing machine and simple fabric decoration techniques, such as applique and embroidery. Students learn how to adjust the sewing machine dials to create decorative stitches to use when making simple textile items such as pencil case, lunch bag, or softie,” Amber said. “From Year 10 through to Year 13, students can choose to study fashion and design and the techniques learnt increase in their degree of difficulty as the students
