* * * * * * *


And with the last of the stragglers in the classroom, Kay promptly shut the door. It was time to begin and being on time was something she always took pride in. “Welcome to another lesson, everyone! I trust that you all have had a great morning thus far and are ready to learn all about sewing machines and fashion in the muggle world.’’ Here, she paused briefly to survey the room. “This lesson will lead up to a very interesting project but you’ll have to wait until the end of the lesson to hear more about that.’’ There was an impish grin on her face. There was nothing like suspense to keep the kiddos interested.

“The first thing I will like to cover before we get started is to give you a few fun facts about the sewing machines. For those of you not familiar with what that is, it is that white and purple apparatus you on your tables.’’ Never fear though! She wasn’t about to spew out a whole lot of facts, just the important ones. Kay moved to the trusty whiteboard.

“It was a cabinetmaker by the name of Thomas Saint of England that secured the first patent for a sewing machine in 1790,’’ she told the class while making a note of it. “But it was Singer and Elias Howe that gave us our first modern machine. The latter’s machine allowed persons to cover about 14 hours of work in approximately one hour. It wasn’t until 1899 that the electric sewing machines were invented.

“Today, I will be guiding you through the process of setting up your machines. Everything that you will need are there. Now, the first step is already covered which is situating your machine on a flat surface. The next step is inserting the batteries.’’ During this time, Kay had moved to her desk. There was a machine there as well where she would be demonstrating. “The batteries look like this.’’ Hers was held up. “Please note that electricity can also be used.

“Next, connect the foot pedal to your machine by inserting the end of the pedal into the designated jack on the sewing machine. If you look closely, there are two jacks. The uppermost one is where the foot pedal connects. The lower one for when electricity is used.’’ The professor demonstrated then waited for everyone else to catch up. “Is everyone following so far? If you have questions or are unclear about the instructions, you may raise your hand when needed.

“Moving on. Place a spool of thread onto the thread spindle which is located on the side of the machine. Then grab the end of the thread and insert it through one of the top holes in the bobbin spool. The end of the thread should now be coming out of the top of the bobbin. Place the bobbin onto the bobbin winder. It should be located near the thread holder that is holding your spool of thread.’’

Kay paused, waiting for any questions and for the kiddos to finish.

OOC: So, we have officially started so it’s up to you if you would like to post late comers or not Beware the IC consequences if you do. For this lesson, I’m doing a change to the usual format so we’re actually on the mini activity right now This shall last for 3 days. HOWEVERRR, I’ll be posting everyday instead of giving you lot all the instructions at once. That is, some of the instructions are given now, some tomorrow and some on the third day If your charrie needs help, simply title your header with ‘Professor’, ‘HALP’ or something of the sort
PS: If you wish to have a visual of how to set up the machine, then you may watch this short clip.

Alessandro knew a bit about muggles and muggle living. His maternal grandfather was a muggle and his own halfblood mother was always trying to engage him and his younger sister, Giselle, with their muggle heritage. Giselle was a far more enthusiastic student than Alessandro was when it came to muggle studies.

He liked muggles. Muggles were fine. He just preferred his magical side. Magic was the string that connected him to his father’s side of the family.

With all of his somewhat rudimentary knowledge on muggles (most of it went back to cars, to be perfectly honest), he was unfamiliar with sowing machines. Even his mother, that often preferred to do things by hand, did not have the patience to sow. She had magic for that.

The machine looked ridiculous to Al’s eye, but he respected the authority of this professor and did as he was bid. First, he inserted the batteries into the machine to make it run. He was familiar with batteries. Some of his toes as a kid ran on them. Then, he connected the foot pedal to the machine, sticking the jack into the back. Next, he attempted to place the spoil of thread onto the spindle. It took a few ridiculous tries until it finally locked. And then, he struggled with the bobbin.

The bobbin holes were small and the thread was thin. He missed completing the directions several times before he began to suspect that his gloves were not helping with threading the machine. If he could get the traction of his bare hands the last step would be easy.

Alessandro did not remove his gloves. Instead, he opted to struggle. Only a step away from completely the initial task.

Muggle fashion? Shera knew that she already liked it. Mainly because it gave her jeans, and she always found their clothes better than wearing robes. So, from the very beginning the lesson was intriguing her. And then there was also the fact that there was a project they would be starting?

Too much was going on in her head.

"Isn't it weird that a cabinet maker would invent a sewing machine?" it seemed like he wouldn't have much use for it. Not that she new much so maybe Shera and her observations should just better be ignored.

Still, it was Professor Stewart's demonstrating of setting up this muggle machine that kept her going. Her fingers fumbled as she started trying to get the batteries in, struggling with the first one before she realised there were markings in the battery spot and on the batteries. Doing it that way and pushing the spring down first was clearly the way to go.

Her eyes glanced over to see if she could catch a glance of Emmalyn and Night. Both of them were muggleborns, would they have done this before? Would they have finished the whole set up in the time that she struggled with the batteries.

Instead of focussing on others she knew she should probably move onto the next step. Attaching the foot thing to the upper "jack" as described by Professor Stewart. Ok, that was done...

Eyes back on the Professor. Who looked like she had done this a million times and Shera still had no clue what she was doing. Thread on the thread spindle, that was easy enough. Getting the thread through the bobbin. Now that was something that shouldn't be underestimated.

After 25 attempts Shera still hadn't managed to get it through. Was there a spell for this? Because she was feeling more positive about that, especially as Professor Kay began waiting for them to finish. Slowly she raised her hand in the air. "Professor, I can't get the thread through the... thing."

She wasn't feeling too confident in her ability to correctly say the new word.

As the Professor informed them all of the history of the sewing machine, Maxton leaned over his parchment and began quickly scribbling down everything she said. He wasn't sure when he'd ever need to know anything about sewing but if it came up in the homework the notes would be handy so he tried to get down as much as he could.

As instructed, the Slytherin started by inserting the batteries into the little compartment and then he found the wire for the foot pedal and slot it into the relevant hole on the side of the machine.

The urge to press the foot pedal was strong but Maxton refrained. For now.

And then things started to get very confusing. Bobbin ... spool ... thread ... HUH?

The fourth year adjusted his glasses on the end of his nose and peered around the room to see if he was the only one who was confused.

"I’m glad you’re here."

LOL. Well that made one of them. 'Cause Zoryn was definitely not glad to be here. Definitely not. If anything this was actually the last place she wanted to be. Stupid parents sending stupid howlers making her go to stupid lessons. Having helicopter parents was the WORST.

Zoryn didn't pay any attention to the brief history of the machines, as it was totally irrelevant to her life and not anything she would ever wish to remember. She'd have to borrow Derf's notes after class, which is what she typically did anyways. Life was grand when you had awful lessons but good friends. Y'know?

She only semi-brought her attention to the front of the room when Professor Stewart actually began doing stuff that MIGHT have mattered in the long run. She was taking a suuuuuuper long time to explain batteries. It may have been helpful to other people, but more than anything it was just a big ol' drag to Zoryn Spinnet. Right. Insert batteries. Check. What NEXT? Foot pedal in jack. Cooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool. Professor Marchand already taught sewing, it was so unfair that they had to learn again !!! If there was ever a moment when Zoryn would have to use a sewing machine in the real world, she'd just settle for tape. YUP.

Thread spool cool cool cool.

Did anyone else think that 'bobbin' was a funny word? 'Cause that was the only amusing part about this whole lesson so far. WHY DID HER MUM THINK THIS WAS NECESSARY??????

The way the Professor had been watching the door at the time of her entrance had been enough to convince her skipping wasn't an option. Stuck was stuck, she'd have to hope the next time she walked into Muggle Studies the reaction wouldn't be the same.

The approach of the Slytherin pulled her from her regrets. "Hey Nat.' Company was always good, friends were especially great in lessons you were entirely sure you didn't need.

As far as she could help it, Jessa tried to look attentive while the Professor delivered the information regarding the sewing machine. Having already hit this topic in her own study, the appropriate notes had already been made. Sitting and listening was doing enough to keep her memory fresh and constitute "studying" in some sense of the word. At the very least this was revision and saved her from having to do so again in the immediate or near future.

Huh. Maybe there was some purpose for staying in this lesson afterall but then....

"Did she just hint at us having to do this year long.....?" As in, tell her this woman wasn't about to give them some assignment that would be completed overtime with sewing. She could write on essay explaining the time she didn't have. Would that work? Was getting a 'T' an option? She didn't mind, you know.

Also, was it sad that she actually knew what she was doing? A muggle grandmother that despised magic and judged everything under the sun somehow managed to come in handy and Jessa was lowkey awed. All those weekends forced to sit with her at her sewing machine while she worked, sometimes forced to do more than watching.

The Ravenclaw took nudged her battery into place then connected the pedal. Nothing hard about that. She was sure to avoid the jack for electricity, not hard considering there were differences between the two. That done, she added the thread to the spindle and moved on to getting the thread through the bobbin spool. That bit wasn't HARD per say but it did take some concentration and a couple misses that nearly had the Ravenclaw reaching for her wand to animate the thread through the hole....until she remembered this was Muggle Studies....and that sort of thing wasn't allowed.

"Hi!" Freja replied, squinting her eyes slightly at the boy. Would it be cool to make boy friends? MEH, she was kinda hoping for some girl friends but he would make do. "My name's Freja." Just in case he didn't know. Of course he wouldn't know, she wasn't Queen Bee just yet. She beamed at him, then averted her attention back to the machines in front of them. "Nope... but they look kinda... dangerous, don't they? I mean I forgot to bring my gloves... do you think we'll need those?!"

ZOMG, she would be DOOMED.



FASHION!! Freja's mouth fell open slightly and she glanced to her new Gryffindor friend with an 'oh-em-gee' kinda look upon her face. She watched the professor set up her machine as closely and carefully as she could, but soon began to worry that she was going a bit too fast for her. Oh, she should probably be doing this too rather than just gawping at the professor, right?

Freja placed her machine flat down in front of her, and it was heavy, then studied each side and corner before moving onto the next part. She had a weird feeling that something was going to poke her if she wasn't careful. Batteries in hand, Freja managed to pop those into place without any issue. Cue her quick smug glace around the room.

The next part was where she was beganto scratch her head a bit. The word 'electricity' gave her the creeps for some reason, especially around unfamiliar machines.

The top jack. Easy. Freja chucked it into the top jack, flinching a bit as it went in as if she was expecting it to EXPLODE or something. But it did not. Thread.... bobbin... Freja missed ALL of the next instruction so she looked around towards her classmates to totally copy what they were doing. Hopefully she'd figure it out soon or there'd be an imminent freakout.

Eager to get started, Emmalyn quickly inserted the batteries, checking to make sure the connection was clean, then connected the foot pedal into the uppermost jack. She giggled, wondering how many of the other students would know what the foot pedal would do. She glanced around to see if anyone nearby needed help getting the first two steps completed.

Next, she placed the spool of thread onto the thread spindle at the side of the machine, grabbed the end of the thread and inserted it through one of the top holes in the bobbin spool. Seconds later, she had her bobbin thread wound, and the thread ready to be fed through the tension dial and pulling bar. She paused before completing those steps, not knowing if she should jump ahead or not.

“If anyone would like some help, I’m happy to assist.” She offered to those sitting around her. Finally, there was something she was good at. Sure, it was a muggle sewing machine and had nothing to do with magic, but it felt good to be reminded that she wasn’t a failure at everything.

Text Cut: Jessa and Instructions

Quote:

Originally Posted by FearlessLeader19

“Today, I will be guiding you through the process of setting up your machines. Everything that you will need are there. Now, the first step is already covered which is situating your machine on a flat surface. The next step is inserting the batteries.’’ During this time, Kay had moved to her desk. There was a machine there as well where she would be demonstrating. “The batteries look like this.’’ Hers was held up. “Please note that electricity can also be used.

“Next, connect the foot pedal to your machine by inserting the end of the pedal into the designated jack on the sewing machine. If you look closely, there are two jacks. The uppermost one is where the foot pedal connects. The lower one for when electricity is used.’’ The professor demonstrated then waited for everyone else to catch up. “Is everyone following so far? If you have questions or are unclear about the instructions, you may raise your hand when needed.

“Moving on. Place a spool of thread onto the thread spindle which is located on the side of the machine. Then grab the end of the thread and insert it through one of the top holes in the bobbin spool. The end of the thread should now be coming out of the top of the bobbin. Place the bobbin onto the bobbin winder. It should be located near the thread holder that is holding your spool of thread.’’ [/SIZE]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaniDiNardo

The way the Professor had been watching the door at the time of her entrance had been enough to convince her skipping wasn't an option. Stuck was stuck, she'd have to hope the next time she walked into Muggle Studies the reaction wouldn't be the same.

The approach of the Slytherin pulled her from her regrets. "Hey Nat.' Company was always good, friends were especially great in lessons you were entirely sure you didn't need.

As far as she could help it, Jessa tried to look attentive while the Professor delivered the information regarding the sewing machine. Having already hit this topic in her own study, the appropriate notes had already been made. Sitting and listening was doing enough to keep her memory fresh and constitute "studying" in some sense of the word. At the very least this was revision and saved her from having to do so again in the immediate or near future.

Huh. Maybe there was some purpose for staying in this lesson afterall but then....

"Did she just hint at us having to do this year long.....?" As in, tell her this woman wasn't about to give them some assignment that would be completed overtime with sewing. She could write on essay explaining the time she didn't have. Would that work? Was getting a 'T' an option? She didn't mind, you know.

Also, was it sad that she actually knew what she was doing? A muggle grandmother that despised magic and judged everything under the sun somehow managed to come in handy and Jessa was lowkey awed. All those weekends forced to sit with her at her sewing machine while she worked, sometimes forced to do more than watching.

The Ravenclaw took nudged her battery into place then connected the pedal. Nothing hard about that. She was sure to avoid the jack for electricity, not hard considering there were differences between the two. That done, she added the thread to the spindle and moved on to getting the thread through the bobbin spool. That bit wasn't HARD per say but it did take some concentration and a couple misses that nearly had the Ravenclaw reaching for her wand to animate the thread through the hole....until she remembered this was Muggle Studies....and that sort of thing wasn't allowed.

Natalie sat patiently through the beginning of class, but as soon as Jessa commented on what seemed like a year-long sewing project, she gave her a wide eyed look. "I think so," she whispered back. Muggle fashion was interesting, yes, but... did they have to MAKE it?

Perking up when the instructions began, Natalie sat up taller to see what the professor was doing. Batteries, right. Natalie knew what those were. She picked them up and wedged them into the right spot, adding a little smack to get the last one in just right. Perfect.

Then there was the foot pedal... into the.. jack? Jack? What a weird word for something. If only she knew what that looked like. Natalie pursed her lips and tried jamming the cord into a few different places until it finally fit into the right one. There. Nice. Then there was something with thread on it and a whole bunch of other words that didn't mean anything to her. Shouldn't they have learned vocabulary first???

Natalie managed the easy part of putting the so called "spool" onto the so called "spindle", but getting one little strand of thread into the bobbin was proving difficult. Natalie worked on it for what seemed like ages, and when she looked up she found that Jessa had already finished. She gaped. "How did you do that?!" She didn't even know what a bobbin was!

Put the thingy in the... other thingy. Right. Katy had got to about the part of 'put it on flat surface' (which was done for her) and then inserting the batteries, which was standard for Muggle devices, and now she was just hoping desperately that the professor would stop using jargon to explain.

Welp, the plug goes generally... there. Sure. It fit. Katy popped the end into the jack and realized she was getting behind. Thread on the bobbin... bobbin winder... thingy through the whatsit and...

Could she go home now, please? Maybe just a small case of death to complete the afternoon? Katy glanced around wildly, hoping someone near her knew what they were doing. Was it mortifying that the first year Puff nearby knew exactly what to do? Katherine Toussaint could brew a mastery level potion. She couldn't thread a thingy on a thingy. Whatever.

For Night (and, she noticed, Emmalyn), operating the machine was easy. Others seemed to be struggling a lot more. For instance, Shera, the girl she had met in the muggle entertainment room that one time earlier on.



Shera had been watching her and Emmalyn, trying to figure out what to do by watching her classmates. Night knew what that was like.

"Hey, Shera," Night said, making her way over to the girl. "You look like you could use some help. It's like this" She showed her how to insert the thread the correct way, making sure to stress the placement of her hands and the objects.

Garreth was clearly eager to begin, but as the professor explained how to set up the machine, his enthusiasm slowly morphed into dread. This sounds so complicated! he thought to himself, doing his best to follow along with the professor's instructions. He was familiar with power cords and batteries, but it was still a good thing that the port for the foot pedal was labeled, or else he would have had to bother the professor with it, and that wouldn't do at all!

Come on, Garreth, you can do this. You don't have to ask for help... You can do this!

"Er... Professor?"
Well, shoot. He was in a right mess now. He'd done his absolute best to follow along with that whole threading process, but wow! He thought muggle machines were meant to make things easier. He tugged at his string and found that it was snagged in four different places and beyond the first step, it wasn't even close to being set up correctly. There was nothing for it at this point but to raise his hand.

"I'm sorry, I tried to follow along, but I must have missed a step or two..." the boy pouted, clearly disappointed with himself and more than a little embarrassed. He raised a hand up towards the machine to try to untangle his mess, but realized he'd probably just make it worse. He gave a thought to using magic to untangle and reset, but decided against it. This was muggle studies after all.

Learning about sewing machines and fashion in the muggle world? That sounded awesome! Plus... there was a project? Hanna was looking forward to hearing about that one. She knew what sewing machines were, living a lot in the muggle world, but one thing she was always very interested in was how muggles explained things that were very common in the muggle world, and how wizards explained things that were very common in the wizarding world. So, hearing Professor Steward explain sewing machines was actually very interesting. How WOULD someone explain something so (potentially) common, that someone else had never heard of or seen?

Hanna watched and listened as Professor Steward explained the sewing machine, and even though she knew WHAT a sewing machine was, she... didn't actually know much about them. Certainly nothing of the history, and she'd never set one up before, so that was new.

The first one was putting batteries in the machine. That was a simple step, and one Hanna completed easily. The foot pedal was also pretty easy, too. She connected the jack into the right spot, and put the pedal on the ground near where her foot would press. The third step, however... the bobbin and thread. She looked for the spot Professor Steward was talking about and found it, but wasn't quite sure how to put the bobbin IN there. Hmm. It took a few tries, it was a bit fiddly... and she dropped it a few times. THAT was annoying, because it meant re-winding some of the thread back onto the bobbin.

Bel had slipped in just before the professor shut the door, not having time to really take in the set up in the room since she was practically diving for a seat before Professor Stewart could start talking. And once she had sat down, the words 'sewing machine' and 'fashion' were quick to follow. Bel only noticed that she was indeed sitting in front of one. Noooot something she was familiar with.

She got her books and paper out, and her biro, and started scribbling down notes about the history and all that stuff in case they would be tested on it later.

As for setting up the machine.... woaaaaah slow dowwwwwn professor. Flat surface. Check. Batteries....? That was easy. She could do batteries. Bel lifted the little cover and stuck the batteries in the right way and then clicked the cover back in place. There. Batteries.


What was the end of the pedal? The cord thingo? And was a jack... the hole? She had to look around to check and well... it had to be. Bel pulled the length of it and shoved it in its little hole in the machine, making sure it was pushed in properly. Then she looked around to see what everyone else was up to, just to make sure she was doing things right so far.

And....... the rest was nonsense to her.

Spool? Spindle?? Bobbin???

Nope.

Bel stuck her hand up.

"Uhhmmm Professor? I'm real sorry, but I got no idea what any that stuff you just said is or how to do the things we are supposed to do with them." Bel said apologetically, with no shame about it whatsoever.

Dorian had been one of the stragglers as always and just as the Professor was about to close the classroom door, he sped up and entered just in time. Panting and covered in sweat from running, his dark hair sticking to his forehead, the Ravenclaw flashed a bright smile and quickly sat down at an empty seat.

Because he was more occupied with himself, he did not notice the machines in the room until he had sat down and was staring at one of his desk. As the professor talked about the things in front of them called sewing machines, Dorian felt a bit sad towards the muggles. Did they have to make clothes like this everyday? Without magic?! He quietly clapped his fingers under his table ' cause he was impressed. Despite being muggleborn, he had been adopted in to a halfblood family most of his life. And the ones he stayed with all used magic.

Batteries... What on earth were batteries?

Dorian looked over the heads of his fellow students to see what the Professor was holding up and it was then that he remembered that he knew those things. He had seen them before inside of a remote that controlled a thing called a VT...or TV...which? At his friends house.

Was everyone following? Eh no. But he did not want to show that he found it difficult to follow the instructions so he stayed quiet, trying to figure out the machine by himself. Foot pedal meant it had to be on the ground at foot height right? He looked under his desk and smiled when he had found it and he connected it in to the jack before coming back up.

The next few steps were even harder than the first step. Place a spool of thread in to a ...what? Spindle? What was a spindle? Did it ...spin? Scratching the back of his head, the second year looked around to see what his neighbours were doing. Maybe he could copy them?

Muggle studies was always fun. She knew she didn't really need the subject. Her mother was a half-blood, and so she knew a lot about the muggle world. But it was nice to have a stress free, easier, and less subject. So, she enjoyed the subject, and was looking forward to seeing what they had to do. She smiled, getting her parchment, and getting her correct ink out. She had special ink and quills dedicated to each lesson, just so that all her notes made sense for when she came to use them next year. She did not want to have a repeat of her stressful 5th year. Or so she was hoping it wasn't going to be that bad anyway.

Ooh. They were starting with an activity. That was fun. She made a few notes as the professor spoke, wanting to make sure she had something to follow when it was their turn to have a go. She was no stranger to setting up a sewing machine. She had used a machine a few times to express her creative side. So this should be pretty simple. Firstly, she began with the batteries. She lifted the battery flap up, and then inserted the batteries, making sure that they were in the right way. There was no point putting them in the wrong way, the machine would just not work then.

Next was the foot pedal. To be honest she could probably do this in her sleep, but she went slowly, allowing herself to carefully listen to the professor. She picked up the jack end of the foot pedal, and carefully inserted it into the correct, upper, point in the sewing machine. She double checked to make sure it was in the correct position. She really did not want to do anything wrong.

The next step seemed pretty confusing. Or maybe it was just how the professor was saying. She had no clue, but she did blink a little, as she watched the professor doing it. Hopefully it wasn't as hard as it sounded. The blonde placed the thread spool onto the spindle, and then grabbed the end of the thread, and began to try to insert it into the bobbin spool. This was a little hard, and she had to lean in close to get it done. She could tell it was going okay, since thread was coming out of the top of the bobbin. At least sh was doing is right. That made her happy. After completing this, she placed the bobbin onto the winder. Perfect. Was she done for now? Good.

She did look around, to see if anyone needed help though. She may as well try to be useful. That was what a good older student did right?

SPOILER!!: Shera! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pucki

Muggle fashion? Shera knew that she already liked it. Mainly because it gave her jeans, and she always found their clothes better than wearing robes. So, from the very beginning the lesson was intriguing her. And then there was also the fact that there was a project they would be starting?

Too much was going on in her head.

"Isn't it weird that a cabinet maker would invent a sewing machine?" it seemed like he wouldn't have much use for it. Not that she new much so maybe Shera and her observations should just better be ignored.

Still, it was Professor Stewart's demonstrating of setting up this muggle machine that kept her going. Her fingers fumbled as she started trying to get the batteries in, struggling with the first one before she realised there were markings in the battery spot and on the batteries. Doing it that way and pushing the spring down first was clearly the way to go.

Her eyes glanced over to see if she could catch a glance of Emmalyn and Night. Both of them were muggleborns, would they have done this before? Would they have finished the whole set up in the time that she struggled with the batteries.

Instead of focussing on others she knew she should probably move onto the next step. Attaching the foot thing to the upper "jack" as described by Professor Stewart. Ok, that was done...

Eyes back on the Professor. Who looked like she had done this a million times and Shera still had no clue what she was doing. Thread on the thread spindle, that was easy enough. Getting the thread through the bobbin. Now that was something that shouldn't be underestimated.

After 25 attempts Shera still hadn't managed to get it through. Was there a spell for this? Because she was feeling more positive about that, especially as Professor Kay began waiting for them to finish. Slowly she raised her hand in the air. "Professor, I can't get the thread through the... thing."

She wasn't feeling too confident in her ability to correctly say the new word.

“It may seem that way,’’ Kay responded to Shera’s question, not bothering to wonder if it were rhetorical or not. “But inspiration can come to anyone at anytime. I reckon Mr Saint was simply struck by inspiration one day.’’ She watched Shera carry on with the instructions for a while then observed the others. Most seem to be getting along just fine. Though the Ravenclaw before her was having a problem. “Oh, that’s fine. Here. Let me help.’’ She took the end of the thread. “The bobbin spool is what its called. Here’s what you do.’’ Kay carefully and slowly demonstrated the way of inserting the thread. “Think you got that? You’re welcome to undo what was done and try on your own.’’ Practice made perfect, after all.

SPOILER!!: Freja! Nat! Kathy! Annnnnd… *in the Grinch’s voice* Oh, MAAAAAAAAAAAAX!! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waterloo

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moriarty

"Hi!" Freja replied, squinting her eyes slightly at the boy. Would it be cool to make boy friends? MEH, she was kinda hoping for some girl friends but he would make do. "My name's Freja." Just in case he didn't know. Of course he wouldn't know, she wasn't Queen Bee just yet. She beamed at him, then averted her attention back to the machines in front of them. "Nope... but they look kinda... dangerous, don't they? I mean I forgot to bring my gloves... do you think we'll need those?!"

ZOMG, she would be DOOMED.



FASHION!! Freja's mouth fell open slightly and she glanced to her new Gryffindor friend with an 'oh-em-gee' kinda look upon her face. She watched the professor set up her machine as closely and carefully as she could, but soon began to worry that she was going a bit too fast for her. Oh, she should probably be doing this too rather than just gawping at the professor, right?

Freja placed her machine flat down in front of her, and it was heavy, then studied each side and corner before moving onto the next part. She had a weird feeling that something was going to poke her if she wasn't careful. Batteries in hand, Freja managed to pop those into place without any issue. Cue her quick smug glace around the room.

The next part was where she was beganto scratch her head a bit. The word 'electricity' gave her the creeps for some reason, especially around unfamiliar machines.

The top jack. Easy. Freja chucked it into the top jack, flinching a bit as it went in as if she was expecting it to EXPLODE or something. But it did not. Thread.... bobbin... Freja missed ALL of the next instruction so she looked around towards her classmates to totally copy what they were doing. Hopefully she'd figure it out soon or there'd be an imminent freakout.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarahlooo

Text Cut: Jessa and Instructions

Natalie sat patiently through the beginning of class, but as soon as Jessa commented on what seemed like a year-long sewing project, she gave her a wide eyed look. "I think so," she whispered back. Muggle fashion was interesting, yes, but... did they have to MAKE it?

Perking up when the instructions began, Natalie sat up taller to see what the professor was doing. Batteries, right. Natalie knew what those were. She picked them up and wedged them into the right spot, adding a little smack to get the last one in just right. Perfect.

Then there was the foot pedal... into the.. jack? Jack? What a weird word for something. If only she knew what that looked like. Natalie pursed her lips and tried jamming the cord into a few different places until it finally fit into the right one. There. Nice. Then there was something with thread on it and a whole bunch of other words that didn't mean anything to her. Shouldn't they have learned vocabulary first???

Natalie managed the easy part of putting the so called "spool" onto the so called "spindle", but getting one little strand of thread into the bobbin was proving difficult. Natalie worked on it for what seemed like ages, and when she looked up she found that Jessa had already finished. She gaped. "How did you do that?!" She didn't even know what a bobbin was!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cassirin

Put the thingy in the... other thingy. Right. Katy had got to about the part of 'put it on flat surface' (which was done for her) and then inserting the batteries, which was standard for Muggle devices, and now she was just hoping desperately that the professor would stop using jargon to explain.

Welp, the plug goes generally... there. Sure. It fit. Katy popped the end into the jack and realized she was getting behind. Thread on the bobbin... bobbin winder... thingy through the whatsit and...

Could she go home now, please? Maybe just a small case of death to complete the afternoon? Katy glanced around wildly, hoping someone near her knew what they were doing. Was it mortifying that the first year Puff nearby knew exactly what to do? Katherine Toussaint could brew a mastery level potion. She couldn't thread a thingy on a thingy. Whatever.

As the Professor informed them all of the history of the sewing machine, Maxton leaned over his parchment and began quickly scribbling down everything she said. He wasn't sure when he'd ever need to know anything about sewing but if it came up in the homework the notes would be handy so he tried to get down as much as he could.

As instructed, the Slytherin started by inserting the batteries into the little compartment and then he found the wire for the foot pedal and slot it into the relevant hole on the side of the machine.

The urge to press the foot pedal was strong but Maxton refrained. For now.

And then things started to get very confusing. Bobbin ... spool ... thread ... HUH?

The fourth year adjusted his glasses on the end of his nose and peered around the room to see if he was the only one who was confused.

“Do you need help, Mr Carden, Ms, McKinley, Ms Toussaint Ms Simm? I’ll be more than happy to show you both what you don’t understand.’’ Because there was confusion written all over the fourth year’s face. Plus Kay was more interested in ensuring every student understand all that needed to be done.

SPOILER!!: Lyn and Night! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Birchwoodmom

Eager to get started, Emmalyn quickly inserted the batteries, checking to make sure the connection was clean, then connected the foot pedal into the uppermost jack. She giggled, wondering how many of the other students would know what the foot pedal would do. She glanced around to see if anyone nearby needed help getting the first two steps completed.

Next, she placed the spool of thread onto the thread spindle at the side of the machine, grabbed the end of the thread and inserted it through one of the top holes in the bobbin spool. Seconds later, she had her bobbin thread wound, and the thread ready to be fed through the tension dial and pulling bar. She paused before completing those steps, not knowing if she should jump ahead or not.

“If anyone would like some help, I’m happy to assist.” She offered to those sitting around her. Finally, there was something she was good at. Sure, it was a muggle sewing machine and had nothing to do with magic, but it felt good to be reminded that she wasn’t a failure at everything.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hermionegold

For Night (and, she noticed, Emmalyn), operating the machine was easy. Others seemed to be struggling a lot more. For instance, Shera, the girl she had met in the muggle entertainment room that one time earlier on.

SPOILER!!: Shera

Muggle fashion? Shera knew that she already liked it. Mainly because it gave her jeans, and she always found their clothes better than wearing robes. So, from the very beginning the lesson was intriguing her. And then there was also the fact that there was a project they would be starting?

Too much was going on in her head.

"Isn't it weird that a cabinet maker would invent a sewing machine?" it seemed like he wouldn't have much use for it. Not that she new much so maybe Shera and her observations should just better be ignored.

Still, it was Professor Stewart's demonstrating of setting up this muggle machine that kept her going. Her fingers fumbled as she started trying to get the batteries in, struggling with the first one before she realised there were markings in the battery spot and on the batteries. Doing it that way and pushing the spring down first was clearly the way to go.

Her eyes glanced over to see if she could catch a glance of Emmalyn and Night. Both of them were muggleborns, would they have done this before? Would they have finished the whole set up in the time that she struggled with the batteries.

Instead of focussing on others she knew she should probably move onto the next step. Attaching the foot thing to the upper "jack" as described by Professor Stewart. Ok, that was done...

Eyes back on the Professor. Who looked like she had done this a million times and Shera still had no clue what she was doing. Thread on the thread spindle, that was easy enough. Getting the thread through the bobbin. Now that was something that shouldn't be underestimated.

After 25 attempts Shera still hadn't managed to get it through. Was there a spell for this? Because she was feeling more positive about that, especially as Professor Kay began waiting for them to finish. Slowly she raised her hand in the air. "Professor, I can't get the thread through the... thing."

She wasn't feeling too confident in her ability to correctly say the new word.

Shera had been watching her and Emmalyn, trying to figure out what to do by watching her classmates. Night knew what that was like.

"Hey, Shera," Night said, making her way over to the girl. "You look like you could use some help. It's like this" She showed her how to insert the thread the correct way, making sure to stress the placement of her hands and the objects.

Kay couldn’t be anymore proud of her students, especially when they volunteered to help another. “Three points for being so considerate, Lyn. Regardless if anyone takes your offer or not. Three points to you as well, Ms Dixon.’’

SPOILER!!: Bel, Dorian, Garreth! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tegz

Bel had slipped in just before the professor shut the door, not having time to really take in the set up in the room since she was practically diving for a seat before Professor Stewart could start talking. And once she had sat down, the words 'sewing machine' and 'fashion' were quick to follow. Bel only noticed that she was indeed sitting in front of one. Noooot something she was familiar with.

She got her books and paper out, and her biro, and started scribbling down notes about the history and all that stuff in case they would be tested on it later.

As for setting up the machine.... woaaaaah slow dowwwwwn professor. Flat surface. Check. Batteries....? That was easy. She could do batteries. Bel lifted the little cover and stuck the batteries in the right way and then clicked the cover back in place. There. Batteries.


What was the end of the pedal? The cord thingo? And was a jack... the hole? She had to look around to check and well... it had to be. Bel pulled the length of it and shoved it in its little hole in the machine, making sure it was pushed in properly. Then she looked around to see what everyone else was up to, just to make sure she was doing things right so far.

And....... the rest was nonsense to her.

Spool? Spindle?? Bobbin???

Nope.

Bel stuck her hand up.

"Uhhmmm Professor? I'm real sorry, but I got no idea what any that stuff you just said is or how to do the things we are supposed to do with them." Bel said apologetically, with no shame about it whatsoever.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DuckyLinJi

Dorian had been one of the stragglers as always and just as the Professor was about to close the classroom door, he sped up and entered just in time. Panting and covered in sweat from running, his dark hair sticking to his forehead, the Ravenclaw flashed a bright smile and quickly sat down at an empty seat.

Because he was more occupied with himself, he did not notice the machines in the room until he had sat down and was staring at one of his desk. As the professor talked about the things in front of them called sewing machines, Dorian felt a bit sad towards the muggles. Did they have to make clothes like this everyday? Without magic?! He quietly clapped his fingers under his table ' cause he was impressed. Despite being muggleborn, he had been adopted in to a halfblood family most of his life. And the ones he stayed with all used magic.

Batteries... What on earth were batteries?

Dorian looked over the heads of his fellow students to see what the Professor was holding up and it was then that he remembered that he knew those things. He had seen them before inside of a remote that controlled a thing called a VT...or TV...which? At his friends house.

Was everyone following? Eh no. But he did not want to show that he found it difficult to follow the instructions so he stayed quiet, trying to figure out the machine by himself. Foot pedal meant it had to be on the ground at foot height right? He looked under his desk and smiled when he had found it and he connected it in to the jack before coming back up.

The next few steps were even harder than the first step. Place a spool of thread in to a ...what? Spindle? What was a spindle? Did it ...spin? Scratching the back of his head, the second year looked around to see what his neighbours were doing. Maybe he could copy them?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Compootor

Garreth was clearly eager to begin, but as the professor explained how to set up the machine, his enthusiasm slowly morphed into dread. This sounds so complicated! he thought to himself, doing his best to follow along with the professor's instructions. He was familiar with power cords and batteries, but it was still a good thing that the port for the foot pedal was labeled, or else he would have had to bother the professor with it, and that wouldn't do at all!

Come on, Garreth, you can do this. You don't have to ask for help... You can do this!

"Er... Professor?"
Well, shoot. He was in a right mess now. He'd done his absolute best to follow along with that whole threading process, but wow! He thought muggle machines were meant to make things easier. He tugged at his string and found that it was snagged in four different places and beyond the first step, it wasn't even close to being set up correctly. There was nothing for it at this point but to raise his hand.

"I'm sorry, I tried to follow along, but I must have missed a step or two..." the boy pouted, clearly disappointed with himself and more than a little embarrassed. He raised a hand up towards the machine to try to untangle his mess, but realized he'd probably just make it worse. He gave a thought to using magic to untangle and reset, but decided against it. This was muggle studies after all.

The fact that quite a bit of the students were unable to follow all of the instructions did not discourage Kay quite the least. It just made her more determined that they learn it all. “I’ll go over the instructions once more for all of you,’’ she told them.

Back at her desk, she cleared her throat. “I’m pleased to see that some of you have managed to complete the instructions and for those of you who could not, don’t worry about it. I’ll go over the steps for you. If you’re still unclear, I’ll help you personally or you can ask your peers. Now, make sure to pay keen attention.’’

Quickly she undid all that she had done on her own machine. “Like before, I’ll do this in steps. Meaning, I’ll complete a step then give you a minute or two to complete the said step before I move on to the next one.’’ She would have given them some more time but they were working with a time constraint here. She had to get the lesson completed by the end of the allotted period.

Making sure to point out what each part of the machine was as they went along, Kay began. “Insert your batteries. This is what they look like.’’ The batteries were held up before she appropriately installed it after which she waited two minutes before proceeding. “Connect the foot pedal to your machine by inserting the end of the pedal into the designated jack on the sewing machine which is the uppermost one.’’ Pause.

“Finally, place a spool of thread onto the thread spindle which is located on the side of the machine. Then take the end of the thread and insert it through one of the top holes in the bobbin spool. The end of the thread should now be coming out of the top of the bobbin. Place the bobbin onto the bobbin winder. It should be located near the thread holder that is holding your spool of thread.’’ Kay made sure she delved into this part at a slower pace, taking great care to give the visual.

“Go on. You may give it another try.’’

OOC: Soooo, we did this over again for your charries Don’t worry about them not getting everything right on the first time because it’s expected, especially the part with the bobbin winder and all Anyway, I’ll post the next set of instructions in a few hours.

The battery and foot pedal part he had managed no problem whatsoever. The next part however, was definitely proving more tricky and Maxton was still peering around at his classmates hoping to pick up a tip or two. This was waaaay more fiddly than he had been expecting. But surely there was NO WAY this could be more difficult than some of the muggle aircraft models he had built.

He wasn't the only one having problems apparently. He saw a couple of other kids asking the Professor for help but he really didn't want to have to resort to that.

His confusion must've been obvious though, as it wasn't long before Professor Stewart was calling him out. There was nothing worse than being called out in the middle of class.

Max's cheeks flushed a bright pink and he tried to sink lower into his chair.

He took thread spool and put it on the spindle like the Professor had done. So far so good. It was fiddly, but Max then took the end of the thread and managed to feed it through the little hole at the top of the machine. He had another look around to make sure he was doing it right.

What next...? Bobbinmawhatsit...? Ehhhhh.

"I - I might have to take you up on that offer, Miss."

He said it so quietly he wasn't even sure if she'd hear.

"I'm Daniel," he told the girl he'd seen around the common room, but supposed the two of them had never gotten the chance to introduce themselves before.

Gloves?! As soon as Freja had mentioned it, he glanced again at the weird machine in front of him, and couldn't help but agree that it looked rather dangerous. He did carry his favourite, old pair of dragon hide gloves with him everywhere because it was quite an unpredictable thing when he stumbled upon some untouchable creature that he wanted to pet and snuggle anyway, but he prayed that they wouldn't need any protection gear against those machines. "I sure hope not..."

Just then, he'd spotted Jessi who greeted him, to whom he'd waved with a smile across his lips as professor Stewart started the class.



... why was Freja looking at him with that amount of excitement on her face?

Oh. Fashion.

... yay.

He supposed he could thank his lack of fashion sense, though, since it led him to meeting Shera for the first time back in Diagon Alley... but he was still worried about that lesson. With another look at all the things spread on the desk, and now that he knew what the scary looking machine was... he got a pretty good idea about what their task would be, and may the greater forces have mercy on his soul fashion sense.

Following professor Stewart, he'd surprised himself by keeping up with her instructions. He'd started by inserting the batteries - whatever those were for - with a little bit of difficulty until he'd figured out which way they needed to be inserted to actually stay put, and then he connected the foot pedal as shown. Next he added the thread on the side of the machine, and stuck the end of the thread through the first hole on top of the machine, and finished by setting the bobbin on the winder.

Phew.

Maybe he'd be good at using the sewing machine. Maybe he could make clothes from scratch. The only problem would be the actual style and size and... the things that mattered.

SPOILER!!: Max! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waterloo

The battery and foot pedal part he had managed no problem whatsoever. The next part however, was definitely proving more tricky and Maxton was still peering around at his classmates hoping to pick up a tip or two. This was waaaay more fiddly than he had been expecting. But surely there was NO WAY this could be more difficult than some of the muggle aircraft models he had built.

He wasn't the only one having problems apparently. He saw a couple of other kids asking the Professor for help but he really didn't want to have to resort to that.

His confusion must've been obvious though, as it wasn't long before Professor Stewart was calling him out. There was nothing worse than being called out in the middle of class.

Max's cheeks flushed a bright pink and he tried to sink lower into his chair.

He took thread spool and put it on the spindle like the Professor had done. So far so good. It was fiddly, but Max then took the end of the thread and managed to feed it through the little hole at the top of the machine. He had another look around to make sure he was doing it right.

What next...? Bobbinmawhatsit...? Ehhhhh.

"I - I might have to take you up on that offer, Miss."

He said it so quietly he wasn't even sure if she'd hear.

Kay offered Max an encouraging smile. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of, you know. Not everyone’s expected to get everything done correctly the first, second or even the third time. The main thing is that you keep trying and seek help when needed.’’ Yes, she had observed his body language.

“Here’s what you do.’’ With deliberate movements, she showed him how to get the last bit completed. “You’ve managed to get the rest done correctly so far.’’ After ensuring that the thread was coming out of the top of the bobbin, she place the bobbin onto the bobbin winder. “There you are.’’


* * * * * * *

They really should be moving on now but not before the professor quickly checked to ensure everyone was caught up. “We’ll proceed onto the next set of instructions.’’ She was back at her desk and ready to continue.

“What I’d like each of you to do is to use one hand to hold the end of the thread which is coming from the top of the bobbin. Exactly like this.’’ She showed them. “Then press the power switch for your sewing machine to turn it on. That's the purple button directly above the words 'on' and 'off'.'' Had they located it? "With the bobbin thread still in your hand, press the foot pedal. As you do so, your bobbin will thread itself using the thread from the spindle.’’ This too was shown not once but twice. “Has everyone got that? Because once you have gotten the hang of that step, all you need to do is to allow the bobbin to continue threading itself until you are satisfied with the amount of thread that is on the bobbin. I would advise you to get a fair amount of thread on that bobbin.’’ Kay finished up with the steps before giving her full attention to the class. “Please raise your hand if you need help.’’

OOC: HallooooOOooo, again So! Not many steps here but nevertheless, it’s seemingly complicated. Kay and I will be available again to help your kiddies! <3 Catch up is allowed and the final bit of instructions will come in about 24 hours. PS: Here’s what a full bobbin of thread looks like.

Since Emmalyn had already completed the next set of instructions, she turned her attention to those around her. She was glad that Night was there and also was familiar with how to use a sewing machine. “Want to see if anyone else needs help?” She asked her, not wanting to step on Professor Stewart’s toes. The professor was managing the large class with ease.

“Or, maybe we could guess what exactly we will be making. I’d love to make a new blanket to snuggle up with while reading. My Grandma Walsh had this blanket with arms, like a backwards robe, that she would let me snuggle up in when I was little.” She whispered all of this to Night, hoping not to disturb the other students as they worked on threading their bobbins.

The fleece fabric on the table was lusciously soft. She could already see herself wrapped up in it. Plus, fleece was notoriously easy to work with and very forgiving. That would be a big plus with most of the students in the class.

Max was incredibly grateful that Professor Stewart was patient and understanding and NOT like scary Professor Noble. He mumbled a quick, quiet thanks when she helped put his bobbin in the right position.

His cheeks continued to flush pink as he watched intently at her next demonstration. He was going to get this part right without needing to ask for help.

The next part looked even MORE confusing though and the fourth year felt anxiety bubble inside him. Merlin.

Concentrate, Carden!

“Sorry, Professor,” Kye mumbled sheepishly, finishing up with her quill and putting it away. She sanitized her hands and got her parchment ready (and a PEN because this was Muggle Studies). Kye wrote quick notes as the professor explained about the people associated with this contraption. When the demonstration began, Kye tried to get a better look. She definitely didn’t quite understand the whole bat thing. They definitely weren’t bats. She raised an eyebrow when looking into her own battery compartment, not realizing that they needed to go in a certain way. Lost to this fact, she continued.

Okay… insert the cord toooooooooooo here? No. Wait, which one again? Oh, wait. Haaa just kidding, it was the top one, she was paying attention. Okay, the end… right? Kye could appreciate how much Muggles had to deal with, what with not having an easy way to do anything, but she would rather hear about or watch or take notes… *le sigh*

Oh wow, there was still a lot more to this. Spool… spool… ah, yes, this guy. So many small and sharp things! Kye looked up to watch each part of the demonstration, as it was getting quite precise. Urgh. One eye closed, Kye did her best to concentrate on getting the thread through… wait, one of the top spools? Well, which one?! This was quite a frustrating amount to put on them this early in the morning. Professor Stewart might as well have been speaking in tongues.

AGES LATER… Kye felt like she had everything in place, she raised her hand. “Professor? Can you please make sure this is correct before I go any further?” She didn’t need to blow something up.

So then....not just imagining things....they were actually probably stuck with this topic for the year? "That's unfortunate." She muttered back, finding her will to continue attending wane by the second. It wasn't likely that most things in Muggle Studies would gain her attention but there were a few things that definitely didn't, creating clothes or whatever else happened to be one of them.

Jessa sat, thumbing idly at the thread while she waited for the next set of instructions, her mind coming back to the present only at the sound of Nat's voice breaking the silence. "Hmm?" How did she do what....? "Oh! This?" The Ravenclaw gave a small shrug before leaning over to point at Nat's machine and explaining. While she spoke, she kept pointing back to her own machine as a point of cross referencing to make certain aspects come across a little more easily. "Muggle grandmother." She explained as an afterthought, as if she needed justification for this type of knowledge.

The Ravenclaw straightened in her seat again.....mostly.....listening to the next set of instructions. This weren't exactly rocket science....or maybe it should have been and she'd simply been over exposed.

Reaching out, Jessa used one hand to hold the end of the thread--the one that was coming from the bobbin. That done, the other reached across to flip the power switch from its off position to the on one. Nothing difficult there either. Her right leg she pressed against the foot pedal, being sure not to release the thread. Seconds letter the threading had begun. The girl may have stopped once she was sure it was working and had been done right but the Professor's advice to get a good bit on there kept her foot in place.

How much was enough?

It would help if they knew what they were making. This could already have been too much. On the other hand, it may still not have been enough.

Patrick smiled, he knew he had this in the bag. His Mamaw had picked up sewing when she moved to the states. It was something that she could do with other ladies in the community, but she had taught him things that most grandmothers taught daughters. Really he used most of the time to get away from his overbearing brothers, and their crazy pranks that usually ended up with him getting hurt or pranked on.

He listened to the professor as he began o start threading the bobbin. This would be the part where he would start to feel good. He ran the thread through the first notch, then the crack, then he put it into the bobbin so he could begin to wind the bobbin.

Looking around it seemed like everyone was baffled by the machines. This was the single subject that he could easily get an amazing grade in. This was typically all of the things he had learned while living in the states and he was so glad that he had a chance to learn all fo these things and to use the skills. Now he needed to actually wind the bobbin. Pushing the bobbin down onto the spot the professor had mentioned before sliding it over and pressing the foot pedal watching the bobbin fill up.