A class that would have attracted the pioneers is being taught at a facility more often associated with today’s cutting-edge workplaces.
The Jackson County Learning Center recently began offering nontraditional classes, including one that might have drawn interest from people 150 years ago.
That class teaches people how to make a dress from a pillowcase and the finished product can be donated to an organization that distributes them through orphanages, churches and schools in Africa.
Josephine “Josie” Engleking of Seymour, who taught the class for the first time Wednesday at the center, said she learned about making a dress from a pillowcase a few years ago while watching a television show.
“I’d never thought about doing it,” she said of the idea.
The pillowcase dress pattern, however, has been around since the pioneer days when dresses were made of potato and seed sacks, according to the Little Dresses for Africa program.
They’re easy to make, even for an amateur seamstress, Engleking said.
Amy Heideman, director of the learning center on Seymour’s east side, said discussions about conducting nontraditional classes at the center began last fall as part of a larger project that led to the creation of the Learning Enrichment and Fun, or LEAF, program.
That program is a collaboration of the center, Jackson County Public Library, Jackson County Purdue Extension, Indiana University School of Public Health, Indiana University Purdue University-Columbus, Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana and Ivy Tech Community College.
The program’s purpose is to encourage lifelong learning opportunities, Heideman said. A monthly brochure of courses is available online at jclearn.org/General_Interest.php.
The learning center’s main areas of focus are helping students complete high school and postsecondary education and providing workforce training.
“But we’re trying to encourage learning at all levels,” Heideman said.
Engleking, who is employed at the center through Experience Works, said Heideman approached her with the idea of teaching people how to make the dresses from pillowcases, which are readily available.
“I do a lot of sewing, and I do a lots of things for charity,” Engleking said. “This goes along with my work for the Lord.”
The class and the pillowcases were free, and Engleking said she borrowed the sewing machines from her son.
Participants in the program had the option of donating their dress to Little Dresses for Africa, a nonprofit organization formed in 2008 by Rachel O’Neill. It is based in Brownstown, Michigan.
Judy McMillen of Brownstown found out about the class and thought it would be a good addition to her efforts to teach her granddaughter Janessa Reiser to sew.
“I thought it might be a good project for her after she goes back to school,” McMillen said of Reiser, who lives in the Lafayette area and is visiting her grandmother for two weeks.
“She’s already made a table runner, and she’s making pajamas,” McMillen said.
Reiser said she was glad to have the opportunity to learn something about sewing from her grandmother.
She and her 16-year-old sister, Jessica Reiser, may attempt to make some more dresses for Little Dresses for Africa, Janessa said.
More than 2 million dresses made by people in all 50 states and Australia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada and Mexico have been shipped to countries across Africa at a cost of about $2 each.
Lorraine “Granny” Davenport of North Vernon said she heard about the class and decided to come over and see what it was all about.
“I was just curious,” said Davenport, who added she isn’t much of a seamstress.
“I like to cook,” she said.
She said the learning center offering nontraditional classes is a good idea, and she would consider attending such classes if they are offered in the future.
McMillen agreed.
“I think it’s wonderful,” she said. “It should be a community learning center.”
Engleking will teach the class again Wednesday.
“And we’ll see how it goes,” she said, when asked about the possibility of her teaching additional classes in the future.
Heideman said the center is trying to come up with other ideas for lifelong learning opportunities and plans to offer some of those courses at other locations around the county.
“We don’t want to duplicate what others are doing,” she said.
Willard Shouse, another Experience Works employee at the center, is helping explore more nontraditional classes the center could offer, such as photography.
The goal is to offer the classes for free or keep the cost under $10, Heideman said.