Saturday, September 08, 2007

A yard & a half

A yard and a half of 36

I know exactly what that means

I can feel it, see it, as I hold it up, arm outstretched, & let it unfold - it stops short about a foot from the floor

Whether its a soft wool, polyester jersey, lumpy linen, bog standard cotton, or gorgeous beaded brocade

I know exactly what sort of garment it could make. How it will feel when I wear it. Where it will fit, touch or not touch, my body

We are talking textiles & home dress making

I know, even though I cant remember when I last made myself anything to wear, or even when I last got the sewing machine out

Im making the point that theres an awful lot more to learning than just reading writing & calculating. You learn with your whole body & all senses - just like a baby on a bus

I will never understand metric measurement of cloth in this way

And I am saying that education fails badly if it does not take account of this. Not by dividing children into those who learn best in one way & those who learn best in another way. We all need to learn in all possible ways