This is a chance to tell a story of how my connection with Extension has truly come full circle in my life.  I had not been long a college graduate in 1981 when I was contacted by the FCS Agent at that time to teach a Sewing Class for adults in Robertson County where I was raised. It was quite an undertaking for me as I felt ill equipped to teach ladies the same age as my mother, a very competent seamstress herself, the basics of sewing! I didn't feel myself yet far removed from the 4-H'er learning to sew that straight seam under the watchful eye of my Extension Agent.  It did not take long for those very ladies to build my self confidence as they assured me that they wanted the knowledge I possessed, and age did not matter to them. It was a real opportunity to learn by teaching for me and I can only hope those ladies got as much out of that series of lessons as I did!

Today in 2018, 36 years later, I have come full circle to be the FCS Agent in Robertson County, with the completion of my first year in January 2018. With the many changes in school curriculum, most FCS related skills such as sewing and cooking are no longer taught in schools. I knew the popularity of 4-H Sewing Project from a previous agent, who made the project so popular they even incorporated an annual style show into the Activities Schedule at the local nursing home. Beginning with an outreach into the school to determine interest, I managed to secure 5 intrepid young people and their parents, as well as one Homemaker, a Master Gardener who also incorporated quilting and other related skills in her repertoire. Our first meeting included a discussion of what our goals were, as well as instruction on how to thread a machine.  I later had a report from one participant that she had taught her father how to thread a sewing machine, saying, "For once I knew something Dad didn't!"  We took a trip to a fabric shop in a neighboring town. None of the 4-H'ers had been in a fabric shop before and were fascinated with everything there. We chose fabric for their project, a drawstring backpack, and they learned how to check the bolts of material for cost and fiber contents of the fabrics, as well as how to care for them. 

Since then they have learned how to pre-treat their fabrics prior to construction, including washing their yardage and ironing it. Only one child had ever handled an iron before, when her grandmother had taught her how to do so. When I told her I was probably the same age as her grandmother and we used to iron everything, even when we got away from home to college, I received many puzzled looks from the project participants and nods of remembrance from parents. Next they ventured into cutting out patterns and, at last, the actual construction of the Backpacks began! After picking out a few seams they learned what it meant to really focus and get everything just so, to be ready for that competition at the county fair - and who knows, maybe even the State Fair!

As I watched the pride they took in their new-found skills and confidence begin to grow, I have come to believe that here is a group of winners, whatever ribbons they may receive at any fair. This varied group of youngsters - from my one male participant (who looks on his project as an engineering task, and whom I have filled with tales of the men like Bill Blass who run the "fashion biz"), to my two home school children, to the girl who "learned something Dad didn't know" - I believe that the new knowledge and focus they have gained from this project will serve them into the future. I think they will return to the Sewing Project next year, and bring others with them. Again, as a new FCS Agent just building her customer base, I have come full circle from the 4-H'er that sat under another FCS agents eye when I was a Sewing Project member. I feel certain that the confidence and pride learned from making something of their own will carry into other projects as well as other facets of their life.