› ttu-ir › bitstream › handle › ... A THESIS IN CLOTHING AND TEXTILES Submitted to the...

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CLOTHING CONSTRUCTION BEHAVIORS RELATED TO THE EXPERIENCES,

SKILLS AND INTERESTS OP SEVENTY NON-HOME ECONOMICS

UNDERGRADUATE EEMALE STUDENTS

by

KATHRYN WERNER PEDERSON, B . S . i n H .E .

A THESIS

IN

CLOTHING AND TEXTILES

Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in Partial Fulfillment of th.e Requirements for

the Degree of

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN HOME ECONOMICS

Approved

December, 19 72

AAGI-5(^U

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to express my appreciation

to Dr. Norma E. Walker for her direction of

this thesis and to Dr. Maynette D. Williams

and Dr. Margaret Sitton for their guidance.

IX

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ii

LIST OF TABLES v

I. INTRODUCTION 1

Background and Need for the Study 1

Purposes of Study . 3

Hypotheses 3

Scope and Limitations . . . . . . . . . 4

Basic Assumption 4

Definitions 5

II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 6

III. METHODS AND PROCEDURES 12

Development of the Questionnaire 12

Selection of Sample 16

Collection of Data 18

Statistical Treatment of Data 19

IV. FINDINGS AND INTERPRETATIONS 21

Telephone Interviews 21

Background of Respondents 22

Age Levels 22

University Classi f icat ion 23

University l^ajors. 24

Number of Siblings 24

1 1 1

IV

Population of Hometown 24

Annual Family Income 27

Selected Behaviors Related to

Clothing Construction 28

Level of Interest in Clothing

Construction 29

Percentage of Own Clothing Made 29

Pactor Which Limits Clothing

Construction Host . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Where Sewing Was Learned . 31

Most Frequently Constructed Garment 32

Type and Number of Garments

Constructed Annually . 32

Most Inportant Reason for Sewing 34

Opportunities Related to Clothing

Construction 35 Interest In Clothing Construction

Courses . 35 Interest in Selected Sources for

Clothing Construction Courses 35

Access to Sewing Machines 38

Findings Related to Hypotheses 40

Hypothesis I 40

HypothBsls II 46

Hypothesis III 48

Hypothesis IV 49

V. SUl'IMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 50

LIST OF REFERENCES 56

APPENDIX 59

LIST OF TABLES

Table Page

1. Distribution of Respondents by Age 23

2. Distribution of Respondents by University

Classification 23

3. Distribution of Respondents by Majors 25

4. Number of Siblings Reported by Respondents 26

5. Population of Hometowns of Respondents . . . . . . . . 27

6. Annual Family Income Levels as Reported by Respondents 28

7. Distribution of Interest in Clothing Construction as Reported by Respondents 29

8. Distribution by Percentage Level of Own Clothing Made by Respondents 30

9. Factor Which Limits Clothing Construction Most as Reported by Respondents 30

10. Where Sewing Was Learned as Reported by Respondents 31

11. Type of Garment Most Frequently Constructed by Respondents 32

12. Type and Number of Garments Constructed Per Year by Respondents 33

13. Most Important Reason for Sewing as Reported by Respondents 34

14. Level of Interest in Clothing Construction Courses as Reported by Respondents 36

15. Interest in Selected Sources for Clothing Construction Courses as Reported by Respondents , 37

V

VI

Table Page

16. Respondents Having Access to Sewing Machines While at the University 38

17. Level of Interest in University Sewing Rooms as Reported by Respondents 39

18. Selected Behaviors in Clothing Construction Related to Experiences in Clothing Construction 41

19. Selected Behaviors in Clothing Construction Related to Perceived Level of Skill in Selected Areas of Clothing Construction 43

20. Perceived Level of Skill in Selected Areas of Clothing Construction Related to Experience in Clothing Construction . . . . . . . . 47

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Background and Need fo r t he Study

Home c o n s t r u c t i o n of garments has i n c r e a s e d r a p i d l y w i t h i n

r e c e n t y e a r s . With t h i s q u a n t i t a t i v e i n c r e a s e has come a p o s i t i v e ,

i f no t somewhat p r e s t i g i o u s , image fo r t he woman who i s "s jnar t "

enough t o make h e r own c l o t h i n g ( I ) .

The p r e s e n t a c c e p t a n c e of home sewing p r o v i d e s a background

which enhances a s k i l l which can make s i g n i f i c a n t c o n t r i b u t i o n s to

t h e l i v e s of many p e r s o n s . For an i n d i v i d u a l the a b i l i t y t o

s a t i s f a c t o r i l y comple te a d e s i r e d or needed garment , a c c e s s o r y , o r

o t h e r sewing p r o j e c t has a h i g h p o s i t i v e c o r r e l a t i o n w i t h s e l f -

c o n c e p t , s e l f - c o n f i d e n c e , and s e l f - e x p r e s s i o n ( 2 , 3 ) . Sewing i s

h i g h l y s e l f - i n s t r u c t i v e . I t i s l i k e l y t o encourage a b i l i t i e s and

a t t r i b u t e s which a r e c o n s i d e r e d w o r t h w h i l e . These a t t r i b u t e s would

i n c l u d e fo l l owing d i r e c t i o n s , b e i n g n e a t , c a r i n g fo r equipment and

t o o l s , improving b a s e s f o r consumer b u y i n g , b e i n g we l l -g roomed , and

deve lop ing I n t e r e s t i n s t y l e ( 4 ) .

The a b i l i t y t o sew a l s o has c o n t r i b u t i o n s t o make i n improving

fami ly r e l a t i o n s . Much p r i d e and love a r e o f t en Invo lved on t h e

p a r t of a l l concerned when family members sew fo r each o t h e r . This

a b i l i t y can a l s o improve a f a m i l y ' s economic s i t u a t i o n wh ich , i n t u r n ,

i s l i k e l y t o h e l p fami ly r e l a t i o n s ( 2 ) .

As our society moves toward leisure-centered l iv ing , the a b i l i t y

to cope with th is l e i su re becomes extremely important (5). With

le i sure does not come the Innate ab i l i t y to use i t in a beneficial

way. Frequently recognized by those studying and wri t ing about

le i sure is what seems to be an almost basic need of man to work with

h is hands, handle mater ia ls , and become the master of mater ia ls .

There is a recurrent need to return to that which is simple and bas ic .

For many, constructing clothing helps to meet th is need and i s a

gratifying use of l e i sure time (6, 7),

Although sewing i s not an ac t iv i ty which su i t s the temperament

of a l l people, i t has a great contribution to make to the l ives of

those people who do find i t to be a sat isfying ac t iv i ty . Sewing

should be regarded with due consideration for the variety of benefi ts

i t can provide.

A major goal of higher education is the development of the

whole person; consequently, there should be concern for the s tudents '

development beyond that which is s t r i c t l y academic (8). Concern for

the individual and the development of his potent ia l i s also a part of

the very s p i r i t of the most recent goals and guidelines for research

in home economics (9) . In his report to the Council of Academic Deans,

Texas Tech University, June, 1972, Dr. Longworth, Dean of Home

Economics, l i s t ed as a consideration in the development of long range

plans that "an unusually large number of students from other colleges

of the university enrol l in home economics courses" ClO).

Clothing construction is. considered to have various benef ic ia l

r esu l t s beyond that of producing clothing. If In te res t s in clothing

construction are already present among students at Texas Tech

University, and can be more clearly defined, the College of Home

Economics, Texas Tech Universi ty, and/or various firms or groups in

the community of Lubbock, Teocas, may be in teres ted in further

nurturing this i n t e r e s t to the mutual benefit of a l l those involved.

Purpose of Study

The purpose of the study was to determine the in te res t in

clothing construction and to define more clearly factors re lated to

clothing construction and the relat ionships among these factors .

The information obtained could provide the basis for planning

appropriately and r e a l i s t i c a l l y for the continued growth, of in t e res t s

which are already present among non-home economics majors.

Hypotheses

The following nul l hypotheses were tested:

1. There is no s igni f icant relat ionship between selected

behaviors related to clothing construction and;

a. experiences in clothing construction,

b. perceived level of s k i l l in clothing construction,

c. expressed importance of selected areas of clothing

construction for course content, and

d. selected factors from the background of respondents.

2. There i s no s igni f icant re la t ionship between perceived level

of s k i l l In clothing construction and:


b . expressed Importance of selected areas of clothing


c. selected factors from the background of respondents.

3. There is no s igni f icant relat ionship between experiences

in clothing construction and:

a. expressed importance of selected areas of clothing


b . selected factors from the background of respondents.

4. There is no s igni f icant relat ionship between the expressed

importance of selected areas of clothing construction for

course content and selected factors from the background of

respondents.

Scope and Limitations

The sample Involved in the study was quite exclusive. I t was

limited to s ingle female undergraduate non-home economics majors

l iving in university residence h a l l s . Interpretat ions of the findings

must be made in view of the sample, the measures used, and the

s t a t i s t i c a l methods applied.

Basic Assumption

I t was assumed that there would be suff ic ient s ingle female

undergraduate non-home economics jnajors at Texas Tech University who

had sewn to jus t i fy the study.

Definitions

Selected Behaviors in Clothing Construction Include (1) where

the respondent learned to sew, (2) the percentage of her clothing

which she made, (3) her perceived level of interest in making clothing,

(4) her main reason for making clothing, and (.5) the type of garment

she made most frequently.

Selected Areas of Clothing Construction are related to fabrics,

patterns, alterations, basic construction, and advanced construction.

Level of Significance:

trend = p .10

significant = p -«:: .05

highly significant = p <i .01

very highly significant = p .001

\ CHAPTER I I

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Home sewing h a s a new image. In 19 70, i t was r e p o r t e d by

L i fe (.11) magazine as b e i n g one of the ten f a s t e s t growing I n d u s t r i e s

i n t h e Uni ted S t a t e s . In t he 1 9 2 0 ' s , garments \jere sewn fo r t he

purpo£e of economiz ing , b u t today the emphasis i n home sewing i s on

f a sh ion ( 1 2 , 1 3 ) . There i s a d i s t i n c t i v e d i f f e r e n c e between

"homemade" and " h a n d - f a s h i o n e d " Cl4) . In 1968, 900 m i l l i o n garments

were made i n f a c t o r i e s ; 300 m i l l i o n were made a t home ( 1 5 ) . From

1965 t o 19 70, 10 .2 p e r cen t annua l i n c r e a s e s occur red i n the number

of garments sewn a t home ( 1 6 ) .

/ I n 1955, t h e fo l l owing amounts of money were spen t in consumer

p u r c h a s e s r e l a t e d t o home sewing : $2 70 m i l l i o n on sewing machines ,

$40 m i l l i o n on p a t t e r n s , $400 m i l l i o n on f a b r i c , $100 m i l l i o n on

n o t i o n s , and $200 m i l l i o n on sewing a i d s (12 , 1 7 ) . In 19 70, s a l e s

i n c l u d e d $400 m i l l i o n for sewing mach ines , and a t o t a l of $625 m i l l i o n

fo r n o t i o n s and p a t t e r n s ( 1 6 ) , Bus iness Week (18) magazine r e p o r t e d

an e s t i m a t e d annua l b u s i n e s s of $3 b i l l i o n f o r f irms i n v o l v e d w i t h

home sewing i n 1970,

In 1955, over 70 p e r cent of t he home sewers l i v e d in towns w i t h

p o p u l a t i o n s under 100,000 (J.) . By 19 70, 75 p e r cen t of the home sewers

were from urban a r e a s . E igh ty - two p e r cent of the home sewers were

r e p o r t e d as l i v i n g i n t he North C e n t r a l and Southern Uni ted S t a t e s .

Two- th i rds of t h e home sew.ers a r e from f a m i l i e s w i t h an income over

$7500, and o n e - f o u r t h a r e from homes where the income i s over

6

$12,000 Cl8). Of the 82 j n l l l i o n females between the ages of 12 and 65 ,

44 m i l l i o n sew. Fi f ty per cent of those who sew are between the ages

of 15 and 30 (.16). Well—known p e r s o n a l i t i e s are sewing 0-9) . Men are

sewing (20) . The seamstress i s , on the average, 25 years younger than

she was i n 1940 (.21) with the median age recen t ly s e t a t 23 (J-8).

In a 1963 survey, i t was found tha t four of every five teenagers

sew (.14).

There are numerous reasons given for sewing. U t i l i t a r i a n and

economic reasons are genera l ly considered to be secondary (1 ) ;

economics, however, i s s t i l l mentioned f requent ly , but in a somev/hat

d i f f e r en t context than formerly. Sewing i s not general ly an economic

neces s i ty (16) .

Although economy i s genera l ly accepted as a motivating fo rce , a

study by Hammond (22) did not confirm th i s economic r e l a t i o n s h i p .

To "save money" c o r r e l a t e d nega t ive ly with the economic va lue .

Hammond suggested t ha t there i s frequently a con f l i c t betweenveconomic

values and o ther va lues .

Forbes (16) magazine notes t ha t the cost of ready-to-wear almost

doubled between 1960 and 1970. Estimates of. the amount of the c lo th ing

budget tha t can be saved by home sewing range from 30 per cent to

65 per cent (14, 23 , 24), For the amount tha t would be spent on

ready- to-wear , one can have a we l l - coord ina ted , q u a l i t y wardrobe (14, 16)

A young mother considers the p r a c t i c a l bene f i t s to be important . Her

family can have what they could not afford o therwise . The teenager

can have e x t r a c lo th ing tha t would not be purchased by her family i f

she did not sew (.25).

8

In same cases , home sewing i s almost a n e c e s s i t y in ob ta in ing

a p r o p e r l y - f i t t e d garment {23). The small woman sometimes sews so

tha t she can have c lo th ing in which she looks her age, A career

woman wearing a j u n i o r s i z e found t h a t ready-to-wear garments in her

s i z e were seldom appropr ia te for her pos i t i on (25) .

Along with these reasons . S i m p l i c i t y ' s p r e s i d e n t , James T. Shapiro,

captures a p reva l en t s p i r i t of the t imes , "They do i t as an a r t

form (12:78) , In 1955, home sewing was considered a p a r t of the

"do - i t -you r se l f " t rend (26). In 19 70, "doing your own thing" was

popular . Many people want to be c r ea t ive and express t h e i r i n d i v i d u a l

i t y i n t h i s way ( 1 , 18, 19, 25) . For some people i t i s a means of

e x c e l l i n g in the eyes of family and f r iends (1) . Sewing i s a l so a

hobby (14) which i s f requent ly ranked numher one (12) . For some

persons i t i s a very e f f ec t ive mear^s of r e l axa t ion (19), People are

f inding an inc reas ing need to do something with t h e i r hands (1 ) . The

execut ives a t tending McCalls' Executive Sewing School for Men a re

always eager to drop t h e i r a t t ache cases and get t h e i r sewing machines

s t a r t e d (20) .

With the i nc r ea se in home sewing has come an inc rease in sewing

items which are fash ionable . In 1949, Spadea began an exclus ive lino.

p a t t e r n s from des igne r s ' o r i g i n a l s . He began with United S ta tes

de s igne r s , but expanded to inc lude many Europeans. By having a

bus iness conducted l a rge ly by mai l o rder , Spadea could make high

fashion a v a i l a b l e to a l l . His b u s i n e s s , which sold 50,000 p a t t e r n s

the f i r s t y e a r , now s e l l s over one m i l l i o n pa t t e rn s annually (27) .

There are numerous educational opportunities available to the

home sewer whether she i s a novice or somewhat experienced. 21ore

young g i r l s than ever before are learning to sew in junior high and

high school homemaking c lasses . In 19 71, Forbes (16) magazine

reported that 85 per cent of the 1,5 million female graduates each

year have learned to sew in homemaking classes . Maxey (28) found a

s ign i f icant re lat ionship between par t ic ipa t ion in high school

homemaking and the amount of home sewing done by young homemakers.

Outstanding l i t e r a t u r e and educational materials have been provided

for schools to encourage this trend (18). Many of the promotional

and educational programs are aimed at the young (16, 29).

In her study of high school g i r l s , Angevine (30) found that the

g i r l s who had more construction experience had s ignif icant ly more

posi t ive a t t i tudes toward home sewing than did the g i r l s with less

experience.

Regarding college clothing construction courses, Werden (26) —

encouraged emphasis on Important aspects and basic principles and

processes rather than a perfect end product. Her reasoning was that

a basic knowledge of clothing construction can be an asset to a person

and i s a worthy goal in i t s e l f .

For those beyond the school l eve l , other opportunities are

frequently avai lable . In-s tore sewing programs have flourished for

years and include a variety of courses. One s tore program included

"basic dressmaking, basic t a i l o r i n g , chi ldren 's clothing, and f i t t i n g

thB figure" (31), Commercial and educational te levis ion can provide

programming which w i l l occasionally include ser ies on sewing or a

P '

10

program where sewing ideas and techniques are presented (18),

Well-planned fashion shows are more frequent and provide a myriad of

ideas for the home sewer. A major pattern company has an extensive

program which assists stores in doing fashion shows (32). In recent

years magazines have included more information and advertising

relating to home sewing (16, 18). More than one-half of all female

home sewers get ideas from magazines. This percentage is even

higher for the younger seamstress (29).

New developments have occurred to encourage and tantalize the

home sewer. "Simplicity" is the key word. All necessary supplies

and equipment can frequently be purchased in one store. Equipment,

large and small, has been greatly Improved. There are professional

aids to help with most tasks in sewing. Sewing machines are easy to

handle and perform many special operations. Fabrics are much

different from those in times past. No longer are the left-overs

relegated to over-the-counter sales. The customer has her choice of

a wide variety of attractive easy-care fabrics. Accessories and

trims which help eliminate the "homemade" look (15) are sometimes

available to the home sewer before they reach the ready-to-wear

industry (18). Patterns are more timely and easier to work with

than ever before. They are not difficult or demanding of skills (29)

There is more versatility in patterns (18).

Other recent trends include the home sewing of lingerie. This

trend is a result of leisure time that can be used for sewing, as

well as new developments in equipment and fabric (33).

11

Pre-cut garment kits are another innovation. Kit prices range

from $.88 for pantyhose to $80 for the kit for an elegant designer

garment (18), The kits, which contain all notions as well as the

pre-cut garment, were declared a disaster by Women's Wear Daily (34)

Shortly thereafter, pre-cut wedding gown kits were put on the market

for $55. This step was taken due to the fact that 500,000 wedding

gowns were made at home in 1970. Kits are also available for

other females of the wedding party (11).

As Forbes (16) magazine reported, some feel that home sewing

is just past the threshold as a booming business. One can observe

that a very dynamic spirit is involved in all the facets of home

sewing.

The literature revealed the many aspects of the home sewing

situation. Studies have been done in relation to clothing

construction, but few were found that were concerned with college

students.

CHAPTER I I I

METHODS AND PROCEDURES

Development of t h e Q u e s t i o n n a i r e

A q u e s t i o n n a i r e i s a form used t o o b t a i n r e s p o n s e s t o s p e c i f i e d

q u e s t i o n s . I t i s f i l l e d o u t by a r e sponden t ( 3 5 ) . The form i s m a i l e d

or g iven t o t h e r e sponden t t o be completed w i t h o u t a s s i s t a n c e or

s u p e r v i s i o n ( 3 6 ) . A d m i n i s t e r i n g a q u e s t i o n n a i r e does n o t r e q u i r e as

much s k i l l as o b t a i n i n g i n f o r m a t i o n by the I n t e r v i e w method.

Q u e s t i o n n a i r e s a r e l e s s expens ive i n comparison w i t h o t h e r methods .

The r e sponden t may f e e l f r e e r i n r e spond ing . He has more o p p o r t u n i t y

t o t h i n k ; he i s l e s s l i k e l y t o f e e l t h a t he i s under p r e s s u r e ( 3 5 ) ,

A q u e s t i o n n a i r e i s a r a t h e r Impersona l method of o b t a i n i n g i n f o r m a t i o n ,

and t h e r e sponden t may have a g r e a t e r conf idence in t h e anonyxtiity

which i t a f f o r d s him ( 3 7 ) .

Q u e s t i o n n a i r e s may have s e v e r a l d i s a d v a n t a g e s . Each responden t

may f i n d a d i f f e r e n t meaning i n a q u e s t i o n . A c e r t a i n amount of

e d u c a t i o n may be n e c e s s a r y t o unde r s t and t h e q u e s t i o n s . I t may be

d i f f i c u l t to o b t a i n p e r s o n a l or c o n f i d e n t i a l i n f o r m a t i o n t h a t i s

v a l i d . O b t a i n i n g enough r e sponses r e p r e s e n t a t i v e of the p o p u l a t i o n

can be a problem a l s o ( 3 5 ) .

A q u e s t i o n n a i r e can I n c l u d e t jo types of q u e s t i o n s — c l o s e d or

f i x e d a l t e r n a t i v e q u e s t i o n s or open-ended q u e s t i o n s . The c lo sed type

of q u e s t i o n i s one des igned so t h a t r e sponses a r e l i m i t e d t o f i x e d

a l t e r n a t i v e s . The q u e s t i o n s a r e answered i n a given frame of

12

13

reference which, is relevant to the inquiry and in usable form. Tlie

subject i s forced to make an exact decision (.37). Possible answers

should include most answers that a person is l ikely to want to give.

Provision should be made so that the respondent has the opportunity to

wri te in other responses if he desires to do so (35).

Open-ended questions are designed for free response by the

respondent, Tlie response i s expressed in the respondent's own words.

This allows for opinion rather than requiring a forced answer (37),

Two types of information are generally sought by a questionnaire.

Types of Information included are personal or identifying data and

information re la ted to subject matter. Personal data may include

such inform.ation as age, sex, occupation, school, and so for th. The

author of a questionnaire should be careful to ask only for the

personal data which are s ignif icant for the purposes of his study.

Subject matter information might include fact; feel ings, b e l i e f s ,

or a t t i t u d e s ; or present or past behavior. Wnen asking about feel ings ,

b e l i e f s , or a t t i t u d e s , the author should find out i f the respondent

has any before trying to determine the i r nature (35).

The development of a data-gathering instrument for this pa r t i cu la r

study and s i tua t ion was necessary as most questionnaires of this type

had been developed for a very specif ic need and s i tua t ion .

Based on objectives to be met by the study and data-gathering

Instrument, a questionnaire was developed to obtain information about

the following: (1) selected behaviors related to clothing construction,

(2) experiences in selected areas of clothing construction,

(3) perceived level of s k i l l in selected areas of clothing construction.

14

(.4) expressed importance of selected areas of clothing construction

for course content, and (5) selected factors from the background of

respondents. The section on selected behaviors related to clothing

construction was designed to determine (1) where the respondent learned

to sew, (2) the percentage of her clothing which she made, (3) her

perceived level of interest in making clothing, (.4) her main reason

for making clothing, and (5) the type of garment she made most

frequently. The sections on perceived level of skill in selected

areas of clothing construction, experiences in selected areas of

clothing construction, and expressed importance of selected areas of

clothing construction for course content each Included the following

five areas: pattern, fabric, alteration, basic construction, and

advanced construction. The section on background of respondents

was limited as much as possible to obtaining only information pertinent

to the study. Several items (major, residence hall, classification,

and marital status) were Included mainly to verify that the respondent

was representative of the specified population. Other information

requested included number and sex of siblings, population of hometown,

and annual family income.

Directions were Included throughout the questionnaire as deemed

necessary. A letter of transmittal was Included with each questionnaire

to explain and clarify the purposes of the study and the questionnaire.

For each item on the questionnaire with the exception of the

student's major the responses were coded directionally from least to

-most or negative to positive. "No response" was always coded as a

15

zero. When the response "do not understand" was given, it was coded

as a one.

Each of the five areas (fabric, pattern, alteration, basic

construction, and advanced construction) in the measures of experience,

perceived level of skill, and expressed importance for course content

in clothing construction vzas composed of items from which a composite

score for the area was derived (see Appendix B) .

Consultations with a computer consultant were held prior to the

development of the questionnaire and again in the latter stages of its

development. This was done to be certain it would be appropriate for

the anticipated statistical treatment.

The questionnaire was pretested by 14 university students who

met the criteria established for the population from which the sample

for the study would be drawn. Precautions were taken to be certain

that students completing the pretest were not a part of the sample

from the Housing Office roster. The students completing the pretest

recorded the amount of time it took them to complete the questionnaire,

made comments about the clarity of the directions and the questions

themselves, and made any other comments they wished to make. Even with

this small sample, the range of responses was wide. This seemed to

justify the wide ranges of possible responses that were offered. The

time taken to complete the questionnaire ranged from 11 minutes to

35 minutes with 18 minutes being the median. On the basis of the

pretest several revisions, were made in the letter of transmittal and

in the questionnaire. Three of the major questions each had an almost

16

iden t ica l format and appeared to be r epe t i t i ve . Although no comments

were made by the s tudents , the researcher believed that the continuity

of format might be leading to hasty and less thoughtful responses. As

each question was a separate and Important question, a br ief

c l a r i f i ca t ion of the " repet l t iveness" was Included in the l e t t e r of

t ransmi t ta l . Several questions were omitted as i t was concluded that

they were not needed. The format and directions for several other

questions were simplified and condensed to provide for more rapid

response. Due to the changes mentioned the resul t ing format of the

en t i re questionnaire was more com.pact and allowed for be t t e r continuity

of thought. On the question regarding annual family Income, the levels

were adjusted upward because more Incomes were higher than had been

ant ic ipated. After revis ions , the revised questionnaire was discussed

with three of the students who had completed the pre tes t of the

quest ionnaire. Several students commented that the questionnaire

seemed In te res t ing and thorough. They were interested in knowing

more about the study.

Selection of Sample

A population of non-home economics majors was desired for the

purposes of the study. The population was further limited to s ingle

female undergraduate students l iv ing in university residence h a l l s .

This was done so that a sample might be more clearly defined and be t t e r

controlled.

The sample was taken from the o f f i c ia l roster of the Housing

17

Office a t Texas Tech Univers i ty for Spr ing, 19 72. The Housing Office

r o s t e r was used because i t included in the most complete, y e t concise

form, a l l of the Information needed to obta in the Siimple. I t included

the S t u d e n t ' s name, address , telephone number, major, and c l a s s i f i c a t i o n

A random sampling method knoxm as sys temat ic saiipling was used to

ob ta in the sample. With t h i s method a number (n) i s drawn and every

ntb person i s then taken from the l i s t . In t h i s s i t u a t i o n , to be

c e r t a i n of having a minimum of 50 completed ques t ionna i res (a t l e a s t

50 ques t ionna i re s were des i red for the s t udy ) , approxim.ately 400 names

were needed i n the i n i t i a l group. Since the t o t a l populat ion of the

group, excluding home economics majors and graduate s t u d e n t s , was

approximately 3200, one-eighth of the group was s e l e c t e d . The number

e ight was drawn from numbers one through e igh t . Every eighth name was

taken from the housing r o s t e r omit t ing home economics majors and

graduate s t u d e n t s . The sample obtained by t h i s method was exact ly 400.

Provis ions were made for the p o s s i b i l i t y tha t the f i n a l group who

would complete the ques t ionna i re might be obtained by contact ing fewer

than a l l 400 i n the sample. Systematic sampling was applied to the l i s t

of 400 s t u d e n t s . The 400 s tudents were divided i n t o ten groups of 40

s tudents each by ass igning numbers one through ten throughout the l i s t .

Numbers were drawn to determine i n t o which group each of the numbers

one through ten would f a l l . Resu l t s of the drawing were as follows:

Group one = number f ives

Group two = number ones

Group three = number s ixes

Group four = number e igh t s

18

Group f i v e = number th rees

Group sloe = number fours

Group seven = number tens

Group e igh t = number twos

Group n ine = number sevens

Group ten = number nines

In t h i s way a group of 40 s tudents could be added and used a t one time.

Response was such t ha t i t was necessary to use only the f i r s t four

groups.

Col lec t ion of Data

A b r i e f telephone in terview was the i n i t i a l means of contact

for obta in ing informat ion. The information obtained Included whether

the s tudent had made an i tem of c lo th ing . I f she had, she was asked i f

she would be w i l l i n g to complete a ques t ionna i re r e l a t i n g to her i n t e r e s t s

and p r a c t i c e s i n c lo th ing cons t ruc t ion .

All of the telephone in terviews were made by the researcher

between 6:00 P.M. and 10:00 P.M. on four evenings during the week. The

telephone was allowed to r ing th ree times for each c a l l . Three attempts

to contac t each s tuden t were made before tha t s tudent was de le ted from

the sample.

The q u e s t i o n n a i r e , accompanied by the l e t t e r of t r a n s m i t t a l , was

mailed to each s tudent who had ind i ca t ed tha t she would be w i l l i n g to

p a r t i c i p a t e in the s tudy . A t o t a l of 9 7 ques t ionna i res was mailed.

Although condi t ions under which the ques t ionna i re was completed

19

would vary, th is was accepted as a l imitat ion preferable to attempting

to have the sanple congregate at a specif ic location to complete the

quest ionnaire under controlled conditions. Many of those students

selected would not have been able to come, which would have resulted in

a less random sample.

Arrangements had been approved previously with each residence

h a l l supervisor for a clearly marked large brown envelope to be placed

in each residence h a l l office for receipt of the completed

quest ionnaires . The completed questionnaires were collected from the

residence h a l l offices one week after they had been mailed. The day

of col lect ion was the day following the deadline requested in the

l e t t e r of t ransmi t ta l .

S t a t i s t i c a l Treatment of Data

All questionnaires which were returned were checked to ascertain

that the respondents met the specif icat ions of the sample. All

respondents did meet the speci f ica t ions . The data on each questionnaire

were then coded. Two questionnaires were omitted from the study due to

Incomplete responses. The coded information from each of the

questionnaires was transferred to Fortran Coding Form.s and punched into

conputer cards.

A frequency d is t r ibu t ion provided the absolute frequency (number

of times) and re la t ive frequency (percentage) with which each response

occurred for each var iable . Pearson's Product Moment Coefficient of

Correlation was selected to determine s ignif icant relat ionships betv^een

20

the variables. The level of significance of each variable to each

other variable was thus determined.

CHAPTER IV

FINDINGS AND INTERPPJ^TATIONS

The findings of the study will be discussed according to:

(1) telephone Interviews, (2) background of respondents, (3) selected

behaviors related to clothing construction, (4) opportunities related

to clothing construction, and (5) findings related to hypotheses.

Telephone Interviews

From a group of 400 single female undergraduate non-home

economics m-ajors randomly selected from the university housing roster,

a random sample of 160 was taken to be contacted through telephone

interviews. Of these, 115 were contacted successfully and 45 were

not. After three attempts to contact each of 39 selectees, in which

no answers V7ere received, no further attempts were made. Four

students were no longer attending the university. Due to errors in

reporting student major on the housing roster, two home economics

majors were contacted and subsequently eliminated.

As a fundamental part of the study it was necessary to determine

if a sufficient number of single female undergraduate non-home

economics majors had constructed an article of clothing. This was

determined in the telephone interview in which the respondent was

asked If she had ever made an item of clothing. Those who had were

asked if they would be willing to participate in the study by

21

22

completing a questionnaire. In most cases the response was not only

affirmative, but enthusiastic.

Of the 115 successfully contacted, 98 (85.2 per cent) had

constructed an article of clothing, and 17 (14.8 per cent) had not.

Of the 98 who met the requirements for the study, 97 were willing to

complete a questionnaire.

Of the 97 questionnaires mailed, 72 were returned. Seventy

questionnaires were usable; two were Incomplete. It had been

anticipated that enough students would have se\<m. to provide an

adequate sample for the study. This was supported by the results

of the telephone Interviews.

Background of Respondents

The background of respondents included age levels, classification

in the university, major, number of siblings, population of hometown,

and annual family income.

Age Levels.—Ages of the respondents ranged from 18 to 22 years

of age with 19 being the median age (see Table 1), Slightly more

respondents were less than 19 years of age than w ere over 19 years of

age. The seemingly disproportionate sample V7as to be anticipated

due to university housing policy. Students having completed a

specified number of hours were allowed to reside away from the campus.

Therefore, older students in general would not be expected to be

found in a random sampling of the university housing roster.

23

TABLE 1

DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONDENTS BY AGE

Age No. %

18

19

20

21

22

Totals

23

28

12

6

1

70

32.9

40.0

17,1

8.6

1.4

100.0

University Classification.—More than 00 per cent of the sample

was comprised of freshmen and sophomores v/ith more than 50 per cent

being freshmen (see Table 2). Again this was attributed to the

university's housing policy. This distribution had a definite bearing

on recommendations for application of the findings.

TABLE 2

DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONDENTS BY UNIVERSITY CLASSIFICATION

Classification No. %

Freshmen

Sophomores

Juniors

Seniors

Totals

38

19 '

10

3

70

54.3

27.1

14.3

4.3

100.0

24

jJniversity Ma.jors . —The distribution of the 70 respondents

according to their majors is shown .in Table 3. Thirty different

majors were represented. The largest number of respondents from one

major V7as 12 from elementary education. The second largest number

having the same major was nine from liberal art::. These findings

indicated that sewing was done by students who had education interests

which were quite diverse.

Number of Siblings.—Number of siblings reported included the

number by sex and the total number of siblings for each of the 70

respondents (see Table 4). Most respondents reported having two

siblings. The range of one to three siblings included m.ore than

85 per cent of the respondents.

Population of Hometown,—The respondents represented different

backgrounds in terms of the size of the hometowns from which thev

came. Forty per cent came from hometowns with a population over

200,000. Approximately 45 per cent cam.e from hometowns with

populations less than 50,000. The remaining respondents, about

14 per cent, came from hometowns with populations of 50,000 to

200,000 (see Table 5). Population trends throughout Texas may be

similar with much of the population being found in very large or

very small communities rather than in moderately-sized communities.

Texas Tech University is located in an area that has many small

communities, but also draws students from the densely populated are.as

of the state. A university in a densely populated area x-jould be

more likely to have a higher percentage of students from more

densely populated hometo\>ms.

TABLE 3

25

DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONDENTS BY MAJORS

Major

Elementary Education

Liberal Arts

Secondary Education

Interior Design

Education

Premedical

Management

Mathematics

Medical Technology

Music Education

Microbiology

Sociology

Special Education

Accounting

Art

Art Education

Biology

Business Education

English

General Business

Government

History

Petroleum Engineering

Psychology

Prelaw

Secretarial Administration Social Welfare

Spanish

Speech Pathology

Theater Arts

No, %

L2

9

5

4

3

3

2

2

2

2

2

2

2 1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1 1

1

1

1

1 1

1

1

1

1 7 , 1

12,9

7 . 1

5.7

4 . 3

4 . 3

2 .9

2 ,9

2 ,9

2 ,9

2 .9

2 .9

2 ,9 1.4

1.4

1.4

1.4

1.4

1.4

1.4

1,4 1.4

1,4

1,4

1,4

1.4 1.4

1.4

1.4

1.4

70 99.8 a

does not equal 100 per cent due to rounding

TABLE 4

NUMBER OF SIBLINGS REPORTED BY RESPONDENTS

26

Number of

0

1

2

3

7

Number of

0

1

2

3

5

Number of

0

1

2

3

4

5

7

12

Sisters

Broth

Totals

ers

Totals

Siblings

Totals

No.

18

31

16

4

1

70

21

27

16

4

2

70

2

19

25

16

2

4

1

1

70

%

25.7

44,3

22,9

5.7

1.4

100,0

30,0

38.6

22.9

5,7

2.9

100.1^

2.9

27.1

35.7

22,9

2.9

5.7

1.4

1,4

100.0

Moes not equal 100 per cent due to rounding

27

Students were asked to name their hometown as well as to indicate its

population. With Information the population level was checked with

census report figures and it was found that numerous population levels

were reported inaccurately and thus had to be corrected by the

researcher.

TABLE 5

POPULATION OF HOMETOVv ^ S OF RESPONDENTS

Population Levels No. %

Under 10,000

10,000 - 24,999

25,000 - 49,999

50,000 - 99,999

100,000 - 200,000

Over 200,000

Totals

16

9

7

7

3

28

22.9

12.9

10.0

10.0

4.3

40.0

70 1.00.0

Annual Family Incone.—Eleven students failed to respond to the

question concerning annual family income. One respondent reported

that she did not know her family's income. One respondent reported

that she did not feel that this information should have been requested

In the other nine cases the lack of response may have been due to

similar reasons. The majority of the annual family incomes was in

the higher levels. This would be true even if the total 15.7 per cent

unknown incomes were in the lower income levels. All but tv/o of the

average family incomes reported fell above the national avera[;e, and

28

t h e l a r g e s t ni.uriber of r e s p o n d e n t s r e p o r t e d incomes over $21,000, The

median income f e l l between $15,000 and $18,000 p e r y e a r f o r t hose who

r e p o r t e d Income, The annua l family Income l e v e l s of the 70 r e sponden t s

a r e r e p o r t e d in Table 6 .

TABLE 6

ANNUAL FAMILY INCOFJE LEVELS AS REPORTED BY RESPONDENTS

Income Leve l s No. %

No r e s p o n s e

$ 3 ,000 - $ 5,999

6,000 - 8,999

9 ,000 - 11,999

12,000 - 14,999

15,000 - 17,999

18,000 - 21,000

Over $21,000

11

1

1

9

10

8

14

16

15 .7

1.4

1.4

12.9

1 4 . 3

11.4

20 .0

22.9

T o t a l s 70 100.0

S e l e c t e d Behaviors R e l a t e d to C lo th ing C o n s t r u c t i o n

S e l e c t e d b e h a v i o r s i n c l o t h i n g c o n s t r u c t i o n i n c l u d e (1) i n t e r e s t

in c l o t h i n g c o n s t r u c t i o n , (2) p e r c e n t a g e of own c l o t h i n g c o n s t r u c t e d ,

(3) f a c t o r which most l i m i t s c l o t h i n g c o n s t r u c t i o n , (4) where sex-zing

was l e a r n e d , (5) t he most f r e q u e n t l y c o n s t r u c t e d garment , (6) t h e type

and number of garments c o n s t r u c t e d a n n u a l l y , and (7) the most impor t an t

r eason fo r sewing .

29

Level of Interest in Clothing Construction.—The self-expressed

Interest in clothing construction was reported primarily at moderate to

hi^h levels with 26 respondents indicating moderate interest and 30

respondents high interest (see Table 7).

TABLE 7

DISTRIBUTION OF INTEREST IN CLOTHING CONSTRUCTION AS REPORTED BY RESPONDENTS

Level of Interest No. %

Low 1

2

3 Moderate

4

5

High 6 Totals

7

7

14

12

15

15

10.0

10.0

20.0

17 .1

21 .4

21.4

on o a

^does not equal 100 per cent due to rounding

Percentage of Own Clothing Made,—The percentage of her own

clothing that was usually constructed was reported by each respondent.

Although the level of interest in clothing construction was moderate

to high, about 63 per cent of the respondents made less than 25 per cent

of their clothing. A total of approximately 80 per cent made less than

one-half of their own clothing (see Table 8). As Ryan (38) suggested,

actual activity is not necessarily indicative of level of interest. In

this situation, as in others, other factors may be involved in the

percentage of clothing that is made.

30

TABLE 8

DISTRIBUTION BY PERCENTAGE LEVEL OF OWN CLOTHING MADE BY RESPONDENTS

Percentage Level of Clothing Made No. %

0 - 2 4

25 - 49

50 - 74

75 - 100

Totals

44

13

8

5

70

62.9

18.6

11,4

7.1

100.0

Factor Which Limits Clothing Construction Most,— From a list of

factors that might limit the amoxmt of sewing one does, each respondent

indicated the factor which was most limiting in her case (see Table 9) .

TABLE 9

FACTOR WHICH LIMITS CLOTHING CONSTRUCTION MOST^-AS REPORTED BY RESPONDENTS

Factors No, %

Lack of:

Equlpmen t 2

Interest 6

Money 4

Patience 12

Skill 14

Time 38

Totals 76^ 108.5

2.

8.

5.

17,

20,

54.

,9

,6

,7

.0

.0

,3

r-b

a t o t a l i s h igher than 70 because s i x respondents s e l ec t ed the option of i n d i c a t i n g two fac to r s as equal ly l i m i t i n g

t o t a l i s h igher than 100 per cent because s i x respondents s e l ec t ed the opt ion of i n d i c a t i n g two f ac to r s as equally l i m i t i n g

31

Lack of t ime was t h e s i n g l e most l i m i t i n g f a c t o r . This may e x p l a i n

how t h e r e s p o n d e n t s could be i n t e r e s t e d i n c l o t h i n g c o n s t r u c t i o n and

y e t make l e s s t han 25 p e r cen t of t h e i r c l o t l i i n g . Lack of p a t i e n c e and

l ack of s k i l l were each I n d i c a t e d as t h e most l i m i t i n g f a c t o r f o r about

o n e - f i f t h of t h e r e s p o n d e n t s . Lack of i n t e r e s t , money, and equipment

were r e p o r t e d as t h e most l i m i t i n g f a c t o r f o r l e s s than ten p e r cen t

each of t he r e s p o n d e n t s . Lack of equipment was given as the most

l i m i t i n g f a c t o r f o r on ly two r e s p o n d e n t s .

Where Sewing Was Learned .—Respondents r e p o r t e d Xvrhere they o b t a i n e d

most of t h e i r knowledge about hov7 t o sew. The sou rces a r e l i s t e d

from most academic o r formal t o l e a s t academic or formal ( see Table 10 ) .

TAJaiE 10

WHERE SEWING WAS LEARNED AS REPORTEE BY RESPONDENTS

Source of Learn ing No. %

Co l l ege

Junior/Senior High School

School and Mother

Commercial Course

Organization

Mother and Relative

Mother

Relatlve

Other

T o t a l s 70 100.0

1

20

13

1

1

10

17

5

2

1.4

28.6

18.6

1.4

1.4

1 4 . 3

2 4 . 3

7 .1

2.9

The s o u r c e of l e a r n i n g f o r 30 p e r cen t of the r e sponden t s was s t r i c t l y

academic . Mothers a long w i t h s c h o o l s were the s o u r c e of l e a r n i n g fo r

32

an a d d i t i o n a l 18 .6 p e r cen t of t h e r e s p o n d e n t s . Schools were i n v o l v e d

i n about o n e - h a l f of t he l e a r n i n g , w h i l e mothers were i n v o l v e d i n

s l i g h t l y more than o n e - h a l f of the l e a r n i n g .

Most F r e q u e n t l y C o n s t r u c t e d Garment .—Each respondent r e p o r t e d

t h e type of garment s h e made most f r e q u e n t l y ( see Table 1 1 ) .

TABLE 11

TYPE OF GARMENT MOST FREQUENTLY CONSTRUCTED BY RESPONDENTS

Type of Garment No. %

S u i t s / C o a t s

Dresses

S l a c k s / S h o r t s

S k i r t s

B louses

S leepwear

Others

None

0

tl

1

4

7

2

4

1

—

4 4 . 3

30,0

5 ,7

10 .0

2.9

5 .7

1.4

T o t a l s 70 100.0

Dresses were the garments most f r e q u e n t l y made by 45 .3 p e r cent of the

r e s p o n d e n t s . S lacks o r s h o r t s were made most f r e q u e n t l y by 30 p e r cent

of t h e r e s p o n d e n t s . S u i t s or c o a t s were neve r t he most f r e q u e n t l y

made garment .

Type and Number of Gaiments Cons t ruc t ed A n n u a l l y . — I n a d d i t i o n to

d e t e r m i n i n g the most f r e q u e n t l y made garment , i t was deemed n e c e s s a r y

t o c l a r i f y f u r t h e r hox r f r e q u e n t l y v a r i o u s types of garments v;ere made

( s e e Tab le 1 2 ) . Hore r e s p o n d e n t s r e p o r t e d making d r e s s e s , s k i r t s , and

s l a c k s or s h o r t s one t o fou r t imes p e r y e a r .

Cvl

1

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<r 1

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• O

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CM t H

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CNJ 0 0

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34

In the cases of suits or coats, blouses, and sleepwear, more respondents

reported that they never constructed these garments. Slacks or shorts

were made more than five times per year by 20 respondents. Dresses

were made more than five times per year by 14 respondents. Nine

respondents made more than nine dresses per year, while seven made

more than nine pairs of slacks or shorts annually. Suits or coats

and sleepwear were the least frequently constructed garments.

Most Important Reason for Sewing.—Each respondent reported the

main reason for the sewing she did (see Table 13). More than one-half

of the respondents indicated that their primary reason for sewing was

to save money. About one-fourth ranked enjoyment as the most important

reason for sewing. Sewing is frequently considered to be a predominantly

leisure-time activity with utilitarian and economic reasons being

secondary (1), It is to be expected that the reasons for sewing will

be different for various groups depending upon their needs, values, and

interests.

TABLE 13

MOST IMPORTANT REASON FOR SEWING AS REPORTED BY RESPONDENTS

Reasons for Sewing No. %

Enjoyment

Better Fit

Quality

Individuality

Save Money

Totals

total is higher than 70 because three respondents selected the option of indicating cwo factors as equally important

total is higher than 100 per cent because three respondents selected the option of indicating two factors as equally important

17

4

4

10

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35

O p p o r t u n i t i e s R e l a t e d t o C l o t h i n g C o n s t r u c t i o n

I n t e r e s t i n C l o t h i n g C o n s t r u c t i o n Courses .—Each r e sponden t

e x p r e s s e d h e r l e v e l of i n t e r e s t i n r e g a r d t o p a r t i c i p a t i n g in v a r i o u s

c l o t h i n g c o n s t r u c t i o n cour ses ( see Table 1 4 ) . A l e s s s t r u c t u r e d course

where t he s t u d e n t s could s e l e c t t h e i r own p r o j e c t s and r e c e i v e

gu idance from a t e a c h e r as needed was i n d i c a t e d as b e i n g of h igh i n t e r e s t

t o a lmos t o n e - h a l f of the r e s p o n d e n t s . Others r e c e i v i n g h igh i n t e r e s t

were cou r se s i n f i t t i n g of ga rmen t s , c o n s t r u c t i o n wi th k n i t s , and

c o n s t r u c t i o n of p a n t s . The cour ses r e l a t i n g t o k n i t s and p a n t s a r e

d e f i n i t e l y a r e f l e c t i o n of the p r e s e n t g e n e r a l i n t e r e s t s and needs . I t

i s no tewor thy t h a t the courses r e l a t i n g t o c o n s t r u c t i o n of l i n g e r i e ,

men's c l o t h i n g , and a c c e s s o r i e s which a r e a l s o p r e s e n t l y popu la r

a t t r a c t e d l e s s i n t e r e s t . Again t h e i n t e r e s t s of the group were

r e f l e c t e d i n t h e r e s p o n s e s .

I n t e r e s t i n S e l e c t e d Sources fo r Clo th ing C o n s t r u c t i o n Cour se s .—

Respondents a l s o r e p o r t e d t h e i r l e v e l of i n t e r e s t i n p a r t i c i p a t i n g i n a

c l o t h i n g c o n s t r u c t i o n course i f i t were o f f e r e d by each of the s e l e c t e d

s o u r c e s ( s ee Table 1 5 ) , The Free U n i v e r s i t y a t t r a c t e d t h e g r e a t e s t

I n t e r e s t . Although space s p e c i f i c a l l y fo r comments had not been

i n c l u d e d , s e v e r a l comments of i n t e r e s t were made i n r ega rd t o the

s o u r c e s of c o u r s e s . One i n d i c a t e d she would l i k e t o t ake a course i n

the Col lege of Home Economics, bu t s h e a n t i c i p a t e d t h a t they were

more s t r u c t u r e d and demanding than she d e s i r e d . Others mentioned

t h a t c o s t and t r a n s p o r t a t i o n would n e c e s s a r i l y l i i r i t t h e i r p r e f e r e n c e s .

36

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38

Access t o Sewing Machines . - -As a p a r t of a s s e s s i n g sewing

o p p o r t u n i t i e s , r e s p o n d e n t s v e r e q u e s t i o n e d about t h e i r a cces s t o

sewing machines w h i l e they were a t t e n d i n g the u n i v e r s i t y (see Table 16),

S i x t e e n r e s p o n d e n t s had t h e i r own sewing machines a t s c h o o l . An

a d d i t i o n a l t h i r t y - o n e had access t o a sewing machine . Almost o n e - t h i r d

of t h e r e s p o n d e n t s , however , had no access t o a sev/ing machine .

TABLE 16

RESPONDENTS HAVING ACCESS TO SEWING MACHINES WHILE AT THE DIVERSITY

I tem

Have own sewing machine a t t h e u n i v e r s i t y

Have a c c e s s t o a sewing machine a t t h e u n i v e r s i t y

Yes

No. %

16 22 .8

47 6 7 . 1

No

No. %

54 77.1

23 32.9

To ta l s

No. %

70 9 9 . 9 ^

70 100.0

does not equal 100 per cent due to rounding

I n t e r e s t i n Univers i ty Sewing Rooms.—Respondents a l so expressed

t h e i r I n t e r e s t in having a sewing room ava i l ab le on campus or in t h e i r

res idence h a l l . Two-thirds repor ted h igh i n t e r e s t in having a sewing

room i n t h e i r res idence h a l l (see Table 17). Forty per cent expressed

high i n t e r e s t i n having a sewing room on the campus. The i n t e r e s t in

having a sewing room on campus can probably be considered to be g rea t e r

than was i n d i c a t e d . The researcher observed from the responses tha t

many s t u d e n t s considered having a sewing room on campus and having

one in t h e i r res idence h a l l to be a choice.

39

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40

Due to the way in which the question was presented, they tended to

express the i r preference rather than the i r in t e res t in each as a

separate p o s s i b i l i t y . One respondent noted that although she had a

sewing machine at school, she would enjoy the more adequate space that

a sewing room would provide.

Findings Related to Hypotheses

Jour hypotheses were formulated for tes t ing by the findings of the

study. Evidence for support or lack of support follows.

Hypothesis I.—There is no s igni f icant relat ionship between selected

behaviors re la ted to clothing construction and:


b . perceived level of s k i l l in clothing construction,

c. expressed importance of selected areas of clothing construction

for course content, and

d. selected factors from the background of respondents.

The pos i t ive re la t ionships betvzeen the level of in t e res t and amount

of experience with pat terns (r = .48) , fabrics (r = .43), a l te ra t ions

(r = .52) , and basic construction (r = .53) were very highly s ignif icant

at the .001 level (see Table 18). The correlat ion of the level of

i n t e r e s t and advanced construction (r = .29) revealed a highly

s ign i f ican t (.01 level) pos i t ive re la t ionship . The percentage of clothing

made was shown to have a very highly s igni f icant posi t ive relat ionship

C .001 level) with experiences with pat terns (r = .45) , fabrics (.r = .43) ,

a l t e ra t ions (r = .38) , bas ic construction (jr = .46) , and advanced

construction (r = .48) .

41

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42

The highly significant (.01 level) positive relationship between

enjoyment as a reason for sewing and experience in basic construction

(r = .31) is noteworthy. Angevine (30) reported that the high school

girls in her study who had more clothing construction experience had

significantly more positive attitudes tov7ard home sewing than did girls

with less clothing construction experience. Among the reasons for

sewing, quality was most frequently related to experience. Angevine

also found that awareness of quality was related to experience in

clothing construction. There was no significance found between sev/ing

for individuality and experience in clothing construction. Significant

relationships were found between the selected behaviors in clothing

construction and experiences in clothing construction. Therefore,

null Hypothesis I a. was rejected partially.

The level of interest and percentage of clothing made were found

to be highly or very highly positively related to the respondent's

perception of her own skill in various areas of clothing construction

(see Table 19). The most frequently made type of garment was related

to perceived skill, with the exception of perceived skill in advanced

construction. Enjoyment as a reason for sewing was significantly related

positively at the .05 level to perceived skill in basic construction

(r = .27). This would be expected, as enjoyment of sewing is likely to

be related to skill. Quality was the reason for sewing most frequently

related to perceived skill. Individuality as a reason for sewing was

not significantly related to perceived level of skill. Interestingly,

there was no significant relationship betv.'een where respondents learned

to sew and their perceived level of skill in clothing construction.

43

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44

Null Hypothesis I b. was rejected partially as significant relationships

were found between selected behaviors in clothing construction and

perceived level of skill in clothing construction.

Level of interest in clothing construction was significantly

related negatively (.05 level) to expressed importance of course content

pertaining to patterns (r = -.20). There was a trend toward a positive

relationship (.10 level) for interest in construction and the importance

of course content pertaining to alterations (r = .19), and a negative

relationship to the Importance of basic construction (r = -.16). The

percentage of own clothing made showed a trend (.10 level) toward a

negative relationship to the importance for course content of basic

construction (r = -.19). Individuality as the main reason for sewing

showed a trend (.10 level) toward a negative relationship to the

importance of course content related to fabric (r = -.18),

In every case where the expressed Importance for course content

results were correlated, little or no significance was indicated. In

nearly all cases respondents had indicated each item on the measure of

importance to be one of the two higher levels of Importance, This

measure had the narrowest range of responses given. It appeared to lack

discrimination. Respondents apparently did not consider an area to be

of high importance if they had experience and skill in that area;

those who had less experience and skill assumed, perhaps, that if

something was suggested by the questionnaire, it was important. The

respondents may also have felt an obligation to indicate high importance

as that seemed to be the right or acceptable response rather than being

their own thought. The measure was also toward the end of the

45

quest ionnaire and was the th i rd of three s imilar ly designed pages

which may have resul ted in less thoughtfulness, Any one or a

combination of a l l of the considerations mentioned may have affected

resu l t s re la ted to the expressed importance of selected areas of

clothing construction for course content. Null Hypothesis I c. was

rejected p a r t i a l l y because s ignif icant relat ionships were found between

selected behaviors in clothing construction and expressed importance of

se lected areas of clothing construction for course content.

There was no s igni f icant relat ionship betv/een the level of

In t e re s t in clothing construction and the hometown population. There

was a pos i t ive relat ionship at the .05 level of significance between

the percentage of one's own clothing made and the hometov/n population

(r = .20). Sewing for Individuali ty was very highly posi t ively related

(.001 level) to a large hometown population (r = .37). The s ize of

one*s hometown may have a d i rec t effect on the need for individual i ty

which could be expressed through clothing and clothing construction.

I t i s more l ikely that one who l ives in a densely populated area v;ould

fee l a greater need for individual i ty . In large c i t i e s one i s also more

l ikely to find rows of iden t i ca l garments. This may p rec ip i t a t e a

search for clothing that i s more individual . There were no s ignif icant

re la t ionships between the selected behaviors and annual family income.

This lack of s ignif icant relat ionships included the two selected

behaviors that might be thought of as income-related, those being

percentage of clothing and sewing to save money. Hammond (22) found

that sewing to "save money" re la ted negatively to the economic value.

46

She s u g g e s t e d t h a t t h e r e i s f r e q u e n t l y a c o n f l i c t between the economic

v a l u e and o t h e r v a l u e s . There was a n e g a t i v e t r e n d i n d i c a t e d betT^^een

where t h e r e s p o n d e n t l e a r n e d t o sew and bo th hometavn p o p u l a t i o n

( r = - . 1 8 ) and c l a s s i f i c a t i o n ( r = - . 1 7 ) . Tlie t r e n d r e l a t e d t o hometown

p o p u l a t i o n I n d i c a t e d t h a t r e sponden t s from sma l l hometowns more

f r e q u e n t l y l e a r n e d t o sew a t s c h o o l than did t he r e sponden t s from

more dense ly p o p u l a t e d a r e a s . The n u l l Hypothes i s I d. was r e j e c t e d

p a r t i a l l y because a few s i g n i f i c a n t r e l a t i o n s h i p s were found between

s e l e c t e d b e h a v i o r s i n c l o t h i n g c o n s t r u c t i o n and p e r s o n a l background

f a c t o r s .

Hypo thes i s I I . — T h e r e i s no s i g n i f i c a n t r e l a t i o n s h i p between

p e r c e i v e d l e v e l of s k i l l i n c l o t h i n g c o n s t r u c t i o n and:


b . expressed iiiportance of selected areas of clothing


c. selected factors from the background of respondents.

Perceived level of s k i l l in a l l selected areas of clothing

construction was very highly posi t ively related (.001 level) to

experiences in a l l selected areas of clothing construction (see Table

20). This high corre la t ion would tend to indicate the val id i ty of

these two measures. Null Hypothesis I I a. was rejected because a l l

areas of perceived level of s k i l l in clothing construction and experience

in clothing construction were very highly s ignif icant ly re la ted .

There were no s t a t i s t i c a l l y s igni f icant relat ionships betx^een

perceived levels of s k i l l in clothing construction and the expressed

Importance of selected areas of clothing construction for course content.

47

s o M H CJ P Pi H CO ^ o CJ

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48

There was, however, a trend (.10 level) toward a negative relat ionship

between s k i l l in basic construction and expressed importance of advanced

construction (r = - . 1 6 ) . This information also should be evaluated in

l ight of the previous discussion of the expressed importance for course

content measure. Null Hypothesis I I b . was accepted.

The only s igni f icant re lat ionship betvjeen perceived level of

s k i l l and the background variables was a highly s ignif icant (.01 level)

negative re la t ionship between perceived level of s k i l l in advanced

construction and annual family income (r = - . 3 0 ) . Because only one

s ign i f ican t re la t ionship was found between perceived level of s k i l l in

clothing construction and personal background factors was found.

Hypothesis I I c. was rejected p a r t i a l l y .

Hypothesis III .—There i s no s ignif icant relat ionship between

experiences in clothing construction and:

a. expressed importance of selected areas of clothing


b . se lected factors from the background of respondents.

There were no s igni f icant relat ionships between experiences in

clothing construction and the expressed importance of selected areas

of clothing construction for course content. Again one must consider

e a r l i e r comments regarding the possible lack of va l id i ty of the expressed

Importance for course content measure. Null Hypothesis I I I a. was

accepted.

A pos i t ive s igni f icant re lat ionship (r = .25) was found between

experiences in advanced clothing construction and hometown-population.

49

This may be due to the relationship between hometo^m size and available

opportunities related to advanced construction. There was a negative

trend in the relationship between advanced construction and annual

family income (r = -.19). Null Hypothesis III b. was rejected partially

with only one variable showing a significant relationship.

Hypothesis IV.—There is no significant relationship between

the expressed importance of selected areas of clothing construction

for course content and selected factors from the background of

respondents.

A few trends were found between the expressed importance of selected

areas of clothing construction for course content and selected factors

from the background of respondents. Trends toward relationships

(.10 level) were found for im.portance of pattern to hometown pcpulation

(r = .16); importance of alteration to annual family incoria (r = ,18);

and Importance of pattern, fabric, and basic construction negatively

to the classification of the respondents (r = -.16). Null Hypothesis IV

was accepted due to the lack of statistically significant evidence

to the contrary.

CHAPTER V

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

Home sewing i s an ac t iv i ty which has recently increased in

popular i ty . Although construction of clothing i s a worthy end in

I t s e l f , other benefi ts may be gained. Of special in te res t to educators

are those benefi ts related to personal development and individual

needs. The assumption behind the study was that in t e res t in clothing

construction could be found among non-home economics majors at Texas

Tech University and that this i n t e re s t should be encouraged.

The purposes of the study were to determine the prevalence of

construction of clothing among non-home economics majors, to clarify

factors re la t ing to clothing construction, and to determine possible /

re la t ionships amoung these fac tors . I t was believed that information

gained could provide a basis for stimulating the in teres t of non-home

economics majors and for meeting the i r needs in the area of clothing

construction.

A random sample of s ingle female non-home economics majors l iving

in universi ty residence ha l l s was selected from the of f ic ia l roster

of the Housing Office of the universi ty , A t o t a l of 115 telephone

Interviews was conducted with those selected to determine v/ho had

sewn. The 9 8 who had sewn were asked i f they would be wil l ing to

complete a questionnaire which had been designed by the researcher to

obtain information about certain clothing construction behaviors,

50

51

experiences, s k i l l s , and i n t e r e s t s , Ninety-seveji agreed to par t i c ipa te

in the study by expressing a willingness to complete the questionnaire.

Seventy of 72 returned questionnaires were acceptable for use in the

study. Two were not usable due to incomplete responses. S t a t i s t i c a l

treatment of questionnaire data included frequency dis t r ibut ions and

Pearson's Product Homent Coefficient of Correlation,

The telephone Interviews revealed that 85.2 per cent had sewn

a garment. Frequency dis t r ibut ions of questionnaire data related to

personal background factors showed the sample to be predominantly

freshmen with the median age being 19 (a t t r ibuted to the university

housing po l i cy) . Most permanent residences were ei ther in small

communities or large c i t i e s . The mean number of s ibl ings was two.

Most of the annual family incomes were re la t ively high with

approximately one-half of the respondents reporting $15,000 or Jnore.

The respondents were pursuing th i r ty different major areas of study

within the univers i ty .

Frequency d is t r ibut ions regarding selected behaviors related to

clothing construction indicated that about 60 per cent made less than

25 per cent of the i r own clothing. Lack of time was considered by

s l i gh t ly more than one-half of the respondents to be the factor

which limited most the amount of sewing done. Lack of s k i l l and

patience were also important as l imit ing factors . Dresses and slacks

or shorts were the garments most frequently made. Approximately 50

per cent s ta ted that saving money was the most important reason for

the sewing they did, while 24 per cent l i s t ed enjoyment as the i r i.io.-a

52

important reason. I t i s notew^orthy that 50 per cent of the respondents

reported an annual family income If $15,000 or more and that

approximately 50 per cent s ta ted that saving money was the i r main

reason for sewing. Although the respondents come from families with

annual incomes well above the nat ional average, there s t i l l seems to

be an expressed In te res t in economy.

In regard to opportunities related to clothing construction, the

suggested course description receiving most in t e res t was a less

s t ructured course where the student could se lec t her own project and

guidance would be avai lable as needed. Other frequently Indicated

course content preferences included construction of pants , construction

with k n i t s , and f i t t i n g of garments. The Free University a t t rac ted

the most i n t e r e s t as an acceptable source for course offerings.

I t should be noted that data were collected in the Spring of 19 72.

As of F a l l , 19 72, the general popularity of the Free University

appeared to be declining. However, clothing construction had never

been among the offerings and there is no evidence of a decline in

clothing i n t e r e s t . The idea of sewing rooms, par t icular ly within

residence h a l l s , met with s imilar high i n t e r e s t .

Findings re la ted to hypotheses were in regard to relat ionships

among selected behaviors in clothing construction, experiences in

clothing construction, perceived level of s k i l l in clothing construction,

expressed importance of selected areas of clothing construction for

course content, and selected personal background fac tors . Both

leve l of i n t e r e s t in clothing construction and percentage of own

53

clothing made were related pos i t ive ly at highly or very highly

s ign i f i can t levels with experience and perceived level of s k i l l .

Experience in basic construction and perceived s k i l l were highly

s ign i f ican t ly re la ted posi t ively to enjoyment as the main reason for

sewing. Quality as the most important reason for sewing was related

to experience and perceived s k i l l . Individuali ty as the main reason

for sewing, however, had a very highly s ignif icant posi t ive re la t ion

ship with large hometovzn population. One who l ives in a densely

populated area may feel a greater need for indiv idual i ty . The need

for ind iv idua l i ty may be expressed by clothing. Experience in

clothing construction and perceived level of s k i l l in clothing

construction were very highly s ignif icant ly re la ted.

Assuming that the development of s k i l l i s dependent to a

great extent upon experience, experience in clothing construction

seems to be the key factor in the findings of this study. Experience

and perceived level of s k i l l were further related to In t e re s t ,

percentage of clothing made, and sewing for enjoyment and qual i ty .

Thus, one would do well when guiding a group in the construction of

clothing to consider these relat ionships carefully.

Those providing direct ion in working with non-home economics

majors should ant ic ipate providing guidance in the construction of

dresses and slacks to be fashioned from knit fabr ics . Most students

w i l l be concerned about the f i t t i n g of the garments. Construction

of simple garments v;ith few pieces may help those for whom tiins,

s k i l l , and patience are l imit ing factors in the amount of sewing

54

they do. Speed methods might be incorporated i f p rac t i ca l . In

planning for non-home economi.cs majors, one would do well to consider

carefully the factors which l imit the amount of sewing that i s done.

I t i s further recommended that sewing rooms at the univers i ty ,

preferably in the residence h a l l s , be made available for in teres ted

s tudents . This would increase the opportunity for non-hom.e economics

majors to construct clothing. Perhaps times could be scheduled when

volunteer ass is tance would be avai lable , i f needed, in the sewing

rooms. This might be par t i cu la r ly helpful i f a course were not

available or i f persons were unable to pa r t i c ipa te in such a course.

I t could also provide an opportunity for home econoirics majors to

gain experience in providing guidance for those constructing

clothing.

The duration for which the in te res t s of the non-home economics

majors of Spring, 19 72, can be generalized is limited and must be

taken in to consideration in using the findings related to selected

behaviors and opportunities in clothing construction. These findings

should not be generalized to include behaviors, p rac t i ces , and in te res t s

re la ted to clothing construction of other age levels or students at

other u n i v e r s i t i e s . /

Recommendations for further study include the following: /

'' 1. Development of a more concise questionnaire related to

clothing construction behaviors, p rac t i ces , and in te res t s X7hich

-might provide valid information regarding students needs in a more

expedient manner;

55

2. A s imi lar invest igat ion expanded to include a l l female

non-home economics majors at Texas Tech University;

3» An inves t igat ion of the interdependence of In te res t in

clothing construction and experience in clothing construction;

4. An Invest igat ion of the knowledge of clothing construction

of those whose mothers taught them clothing construction and those

who learned to sew in school; and

5. Further Invest igat ion of the very highly posi t ive

re la t ionship between individual i ty as the main reason for sewing

and large hometown population.

LIST OF REFERENCES

1. "Home Sewing Never Had It So Good," American Fabrics, 31 ( J a l l - W l n t e r , 1954-1955) , 79, 84.

2 . Erwin, Mabel D. and Kinchen , L i l a M, C lo th ing f o r > I o d e r n s . New York: The Macmillan Company, 1969, pp . 14 -15 .

3 . Baum, C a r r i e E. "Ten-Year-Old Ch i ld ren Sew D r e s s e s , " I n s t r u c t o r 79:6 ( F e b r u a r y , 1970) , 6 1 .

4. Eshelman, W. W. and H e t t r i c k , Gerald P. " I s I t Time f o r a S t i t c h i n Time?" I n s t r u c t o r 74:9 (May, 1965) 1 1 , 72.

5 . B r l g h t b l l l , Char les K. Educa t ing fo r L e i s u r e - C e n t e r e d L i v i n g . H a r r i s b u r g , P e n n s y l v a n i a : The S t ackpo le Company, 1966,

6. Overs t r e e t , Harry A l l e n . A Guide t o C i v i l i z e d L e i s u r e . P r e e p o r t , New York: Books f o r L i b r a r i e s P r e s s , 1962, pp . 3 0 - 4 3 .

7. G r e e n b i e , Sydney. L e i s u r e fo r L i v i n g . New York: George W. S t e w a r t , 1940, p p . 16 7-184.

8. Committee on t h e S tuden t i n Higher Educa t i on . The S tuden t i n Higher Educa t i on . New Haven: The Hazen Founda t ion , 1968.

9 . S c h l a t e r , J ean D a v i s , d i r e c t o r . N a t i o n a l Goals and Gu ide l ines f o r Research i n Hoirxe Economics, East Lans ing , >Iichigan: Michigan S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y , 19 70,

10 . Longworth, Donald S. "Report t o t he Counci l of Academic Deans, Texas Tech U n i v e r s i t y . " Texas Tech U n i v e r s i t y , Col lege of Home Economics, J u n e , 1972, (mimeographed), p . 7.

1 1 . " I n s t a n t Wedding D r e s s , " L i f e , 71:23 (December 3 , 1971) , 5 7 - 5 8 .

12. "Sew and Reap , " Time Magazine , 72:19 (November 10, 1958) , 78 , 8 1 .

1 3 . J o h n s o n , D o r i s . "A New D i r e c t i o n i n C lo th ing C o n s t r u c t i o n , " J o u r n a l of Home Economics, 52:9 (November, 1960 ) , 752-753,

14. "Eve rybody ' s Sewing Like Mad!" Changing Tiro.es, 21:5 (May, 1967) , 4 1 - 4 3 .

15. Whar ton , Don. "Big 'Happen ing ' i n Home Sewing," R e a d e r ' s D i g e s t , 95 ( J u l y , 1969) , 25-2 8.

56

http://Tiro.es

57

16. . " I Made I t l f y s e l f ! " Forbes, 107 (April 15, 1971), 43-44.

17. "The B i l l i o n Dollar Customer," American Fab r i c s . 31 (Fa l l -Win te r , 1954-1955), 7 8 . "

18. "A $ 3 - b i l l l o n Boom in Home Sewing," Business Week, October 3 , 19 70, pp. 56-57.

19. "Look l Tho's Sewing," Harpers ' Bazaar. 103 (September, 1970), 138.

20. ":Man That Needle!" L i fe , 70:3 (May 28, 1971), 80-83.

2 1 . "Fashion Makes Cen t s , " Department Store Economist. 28:11 (November, 1965), 49.

22. Hammond, LeArta. "The High School G i r l ' s I n t e r e s t in Home Sewing in Relat ion to Her Values and C r e a t i v i t y , " Unpublished m a s t e r ' s t h e s i s , Utah S ta t e Univers i ty , 1967.

23. "Fashion, F i t , and Sewing Machines," Consumer B u l l e t i n . 51:5 (Hay, 1968), 7-9. '

24. M i t c h e l l , Marjorie F. "A Study of Home Sewing P rac t i ce s of a Group of 100 Wom en in Lubbock County, Texas," Unpublished mas t e r ' s t h e s i s , Texas Tech Univers i ty , 1959.

25. Madeira, E l i z abe th , a n d M e r r i t , Eleanore. " I t Pays to Sew," Woman's Home Com.panion, 82 (Septerrber, 1955), 107-124.

26. Werden, Jane. "Clothing Construction in the College Program," Journa l of Home Economics, 52:5 (i4ay, 1960), 340-341.

2 7. Howard, Toni. "High Fashion for Housewives," The Saturday Evening Pos t , 235:20 (May 19, 1962), 34-39.

28. Maxey, Thelma. "An Inves t i ga t i on of the Usefulness of High School Clothing Construct ion Courses to Young Homemakers," Unpublished mas t e r ' s t h e s i s , Texas Tech Univers i ty , 196 7.

29. "Home Sewing Promotion Aimed a t Teens ," Department Store Economist, 21:7 ( Ju ly , 1958), 68.

30. Angevine, Anne St . Helens . "Relat ion of Clothing Construction Experience to Selected Factors of Shopping Behavior and A t t i t udes Toward Home Se\\7lng for a Group of High School G i r l s , " Unpublished m a s t e r ' s t h e s i s . The Pennsylvania Sta te Univers i iv , 1968.

58

3 1 . " I n - S t o r e Sewing C l a s s e s , " p e p a r t m e n t S t o r e Economist , 2 6 : 1 1 (November, 1963) , 44-45 . '

32. "To See I s t o Sew," Department S t o r e Economist , 26 :11 (November, 1963) , 46-48"

33. Matuskawa, Sandra . " L i n g e r i e ' Moves I n t o the Sewing Scene , "

F o r e c a s t , 1 6 : 1 (September , 19 7 0 ) , 116-117.

34. Women's Wear D a l l y , October 1 9 , 1971 , p p . 3 3 - 3 6 .

35. H a l l , O l ive A. Research Handbook for Home Economics Educa t ion , M i n n e a p o l i s : Burgess P u b l i s h i n g Company, 1962, pp, 90 - 97 .

36. P a r t e n , Mi ld red . S u r v e y s , P o l l s , and Samples: P r a c t i c a l P r o c e d u r e s . Nev; York: Harper and B r o t h e r s , P u b l i s h e r s , 1950, pp . 83-9 3 .

37. S e l l i t z , C l a i r e ; J ahoda , Mar ie ; Deutsch , Morton: and Cook, S t u a r t , Research Methods i n S o c i a l R e l a t i o n s . Ilew York: H o l t , R i n e h a r t , and Wins ton , 1965.

38 . Ryan, Mary Shaw. C l o t h i n g : A Study i n Human Behavior . Chicago: H o l t , R i n e h a r t , and Winston, I n c o r p o r a t e d , 1966, p p . 108-110.

APPENDIX

A. Clothing Construction

B. Code for Scoring Questionnaire

C. Telephone Interview

D. Letter of Transmittal

60

APPENDIX A: CLOTHING CONSTRUCTION QUESTIONNAIRE

- ^^J°^-- 2. Residence Hall:

3. Classification: (circle letter)

a. Freshman b. Sophomore c. Junior d. Senior

4. Age:___

5. Marital Status: Ccircle let ter)

a. Single b. Married c. Widowed d. Divorced

6. Number of s i s te r s : 7. Number of brothers:

8. Hometcjwn:

city state

9. Population of hometown Is approximately: (circle let ter)

a. under 10,000 c. 25,000 - 49,999 e. 100,000 - 200,000

b. 10,000 - 24,999 d. 50,000 - 99,999 f. over 200,000

10. Annual family income is approximately: (circle let ter)

a. $3,000 - $5,999 d. $12,000 - $14,999 f. $18,000 - $21,000

b. $6,000 - $8,999 e. $15,000 - $17,999 g. over $21,000

c. $9,000 - $11,999

11. Place an X on the line to indicate your interest in clothing construction.

Very low ^r u • • ' . ^ Very hign a_nterest , ^ ° i-nterest

12 . On t h e l i n e , p l a c e an X where i t d e s c r i b e s t he p e r c e n t a g e of your c l o t h i n g t h a t you make. For example , i f you make almost o n e - f o u r t h of you r c l o t h i n g , p l a c e the X betv7een 0 and 25%, b u t n e a r e r 25%.

0 ^ 100% 25% 50% " ' 75%

61

13. Place an X in the column to the right that best describes the number of each type of garment you make each year.

The One Most

Frequently Made Type

Type of Garment

a. Suits &/or coats

b. Dresses

c. Skirts

d. Blouses

e. Slacks & shorts

f. Sleepwear

g. Other (specify)

Number

0

• of Garments Made Per Year

1 - 4 5 - 8 9-f

14. In the chart above, place a v^ in the far left-hand column that corresponds with the one type of garment you make most frequently.

15. Think carefully about why you sew. a) If some factor is never a reason for the sewing you do, place

a 0 in the blank corresponding to that reason. b) Rank the remaining reasons for sewing in order of importance

to you with 1 being most important, 2, 3, etc. being of progressively less importance.

Enj oyment

b. Better fit

c. Better quality

d. Individuality

e. Save money

If you feel very strongly that two of the above reasons are of e^ual importance as the main reason for the sewing that you do, circle the letters below which correspond to those two reasons.

a. b. c. d. e. f.

62

16. The f o l l o w i n g a r e f a c t o r s which may l i m i t t h e amount of c l o t h i n g c o n s t r u c t i o n t h a t you do. a) I f a f a c t o r n e v e r l i m i t s t h e amount of sewing you do , p l a c e a

0 i n t h e c o r r e s p o n d i n g b l a n k . b) Rank t h e remain ing f a c t o r s i n t h e o rde r t h a t they do l i m i t your

sewing w i t h 1 b e i n g t h e most l i m i t i n g f a c t o r , 2 , 3 , e t c . p r o g r e s s i v e l y l e s s l i m i t i n g .

Lack of;

a . Eq uipment

b . In t e r e s t

c . Money

d. P a t i e n c e

^e. S k i l l

f. Time

g. Other ( s p e c i f y )

17 . C i r c l e t h e l e t t e r co r r e spond ing t o one of the follcrwing which b e s t d e s c r i b e s where you r e c e i v e d your t r a i n i n g i n c l o t h i n g c o n s t r u c t i o n , ( I f you f e e l s t r o n g l y t h a t tv;o of the fo l lowing were of equal impor t ance i n your l e a r n i n g t o sew, you may c i r c l e t hose two l e t t e r s . )

a . J u n i o r a n d / o r s e n i o r h i g h s c h o o l c o u r s e ( s )

b . Co l l ege c o u r s e

c . Comm.ercial cou r se ( f a b r i c s h o p , sewing machine company, e t c )

d. O r g a n i z a t i o n (4-H, G i r l S c o u t s , e t c . )

e . Mother

f. Relative (specify relationship) or friend

g. Other (specify) .

18. Yes No Do you p e r s o n a l l y have a sewing machine a t school? C c i r c l e one)

19. Yes No Do you have a sevzing machine r e a d i l y a c c e s s i b l e fo r your use w h i l e you a r e a t s choo l? ( c i r c l e one)

63

20. Place an X in the appropriate column to indicate how many garments you have made for which you used the following procedures. If you do not understand the procedure mentioned and consequently cannot answer the question, place an X in the column to the right.

I have:

a*

b*

c*

d*

^ -}(

e' -

a. Selected fabric for garment

b. Straightened grain of fabric

c. Pretreated fabric (i.e., by preshrinking or steam pressing

d. Selected a pattern

e. Placed pattern on fabric for cutting

f. Used a pattern guide sheet

g. Altered a pattern

h. Pressed a garment during construction

Put in:

i. Staystitching

j. Interfacing

k. Facing

1. Zipper

m. Sleeves

n. Collar

o. Waistband

p. Machine buttonholes

q. Hem

r. Bound buttonholes

s. Underlining &/or lining

0 1-4 5-8 10+

„

Do not understand

!

1 1 1

1

* see Appendix B

64

21 . P lace an X i n the column which b e s t descr ibes the ex ten t to which you f e e l s k i l l e d in each of the following areas of c lo th ing c o n s t r u c t i o n . If you do no understand the procedure mentioned, p l ace an X in the column to tlie. r i g h t .

a.

b .

c .

a*

d.

e .

f.

g-b *

h .

1 .

c* j -

C l o t h i n g C o n s t r u c t i o n P rocedu re s

S e l e c t i n g f a b r i c

S e l e c t i n g a becoming f a b r i c

S e l e c t i n g f a b r i c s u i t a b l e f o r p a t t e r n

S t r a i g h t e n i n g t h e g r a i n of f a b r i c

Knowing how t o p r e t r e a t f a b r i c

S e l e c t i n g a becoming p a t t e r n

S e l e c t i n g p a t t e r n s u i t a b l e f o r f a b r i c

P l a c i n g p a t t e r n on f a b r i c f o r c u t t i n g

Using p a t t e r n gu ide

A l t e r i n g a p a t t e r n

l iucr i

Levels (

Some! L i t t l e 1

'

!

1 i

1 1 ;

!

3f S k i l l

None Do no t Unders tand

k. P res s ing garment during cons t ruc t ion

1. S t a y s t i t c h i n g

m. I n t e r f a c i n g

n . Facing

d* P u t t i n g i n :

o. Zipper

p . Sleeves

q. Col lar

r . Wais tb and

s . Machine bu t tonholes

t . Hem

u. Bound bu t tonholes >v

V. Underlining &/or lining

* see Appendix B

65 22. Assume that each of the following procedures related to clothing

construction were to be included in a clothing construction course. a) Place an X in the column which best describes how important you

think each item is as a part of that course. b) If you do not understand the procedure mentioned, place an X

in the column to the right.

Learning About:

a. Selecting fabric

b. Selecting fabric becoming to self

.* c. Selecting fabric suitable for

pattern

d. Straightening grain of fabric

e. Pretreating fabric

f. S e l e c t i n g b e c o m i n g p a t t e r n

g . S e l e c t i n g p a t t e r n s u i t a b l e f o r f a b r i c

L e v e l s of I n r a o r t a n c e

Much S ome L i t t l e Do n o t U n d e r s t a n d

None

•u^ h. Selecting correct pattern size

1. Placing pattern on fabric for cutting

j. Using pattern guide sheet

,j. k. Altering pattern

1. Pressing garment during construction

m. Staystitching

n. Interfacing

o. Facing

p. Putting in zipper

q. Putting sleeves

r. Putting on collar

s. Putting on waistband

t. Making machine buttonholes

u. Putting in hem

V. llaking bound buttonholes

w. Underlining &/or lining

- J

___J

i-

* see Appendix B

66

23. Place an X in. the column that indicates your level of interest in eacli of the following opportunities if each were available to you while you are at Texas Tech University.

Opportunities in Clothing Construction

a. Basic construction

b. Intermediate construction

c. Advanced construction

d. Tailoring

e. Fitting of garments

f. Construction of lingerie

g. Construction of pants

h. Construction with knit fabrics

1. Construction of m.en's clothing

j. Accessories—ties, purses

k. Less structured course—construct garment of your choice; teacher would help as needed

1. Sewing room: a) on cam.pus

b) in residence hall .. .. , ..._

Level of Interest

H:igh Some Little None

i 1 I

i i j

1

.

1 1 1 1

24. Place an X in the column which indicates your level of interest in taking a clothing construction course, in which you were interested, at each of the following places.

Course Offered by:

a. College of Home Economics

b. Free University

c. Fabric shop, sewing machine company

d. Y.W.C.A.

Level of Interest

High Som.e Little ! None 1

67

APPENDIX B: CODE FOR SCORING QUESTIONNAIRE

Code for Items Included in Selected Areas

a = fabric

b = pattern

c = alteration

d = basic construction

e = advanced construction

Derivation of Composite Score for Each Area

The assigned values for each item in the area were added. The

sum was divided by the number of items in that area to obtain the

average score. The averaged scores were coded as follows:

Average Score Code Assigned

0 - .4 0

.5 - 1.4 1

1.5 - 2.4 2

2.5 - 3.4 3

3.5 - 4.4 4

4.5 - 5 "'5

68

APPENDIX C: TELEPHONE INTERVIEW

This is Kathy Pederson.

I am a graduate student working on my master's degree in Clothing and Textiles.

Your name was selected as part of the random sample for the research being done for my thesis.

This research has to do with the practices and interests of non-home economics majors in regard to ma«<ing clothing.

Have you ever made an item of clothing?

"No" - This is an Important part of the information I need. Thank you. for your help.

"Yes" - Would you be willing to com plete a questionnaire which asks for some background information and som.e of your experiences and opinions about making clothing?

(If "yes" is the response, more Information is provided.)

It should take about 15 or 20 minutes of your time to complete.

It will be mailed this week and will have complete instructions with it. My phone number will be Included in case you do have any questions.

(Verify their address)

Thank you very much for your cooperation.

69

APPENDIX D: LETTER OF TPNANSMITTAL

TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY C o l l e g e of Home Economics

P . 0 . Box 4170 Lubbock , Texas 79409

D e p a r t m e n t of C l o t h i n g and T e x t i l e s

A p r i l 2 2 , 1972

D e a r ( n a m e ) ,

T h i s q u e s t i o n n a i r e i s p a r t of a s t u d y of t h e p r a c t i c e s and i n t e r e s t s w h i c h non-home e c o n o m i c s m a j o r s a t Texas Tech U n i v e r s i t y h a v e i n r e l a t i o n t o making c l o t h i n g . The s t u d y i s b e i n g c o n d u c t e d by a g r a d u a t e s t u d e n t i n t h e C l o t h i n g and T e x t i l e s D e p a r t m e n t i n p a r t i a l f u l f i l l m e n t of t h e r e q u i r e m e n t s f o r t h e d e g r e e of M a s t e r of S c i e n c e i n Home E c on o m l c s .

As y o u h a v e a l r e a d y i n d i c a t e d t h a t you h a v e made some c l o t h i n g , y o u may b e n e f i t f rom t h e r e s u l t s of t h i s s t u d y . By knowing more e x a c t l y iv-hat y o u r i n t e r e s t s a r e i n r e l a t i o n t o c l o t h i n g c o n s t r u c t i o n . i t i s more l i k e l y t h a t e f f o r t s can b e d i r e c t e d a c c o r d i n g l y .

Your c o m p l e t e l y h o n e s t a n s w e r s a r e v e r y i m p o r t a n t ! T h e r e a r e no r i g h t o r wrong ans -wers . W h i l e seme of t h e c l o t h i n g c o n s t r u c t i o n p r o c e d u r e s m e n t i o n e d i n d i f f e r e n t Giues t ions a r e t h e same and may a p p e a r somewhat r e p e t i t i o u s , e a c h q u e s t i o n i s i m p o r t a n t i n p r o v i d i n g i n s i f ^ h t i n t o a d i f f e r e n t a s p e c t of y o u r p r a c t i c e s and i n t e r e s t s . A l l r e s p o n s e s w i l l b e c o n f i d e n t i a l and w i l l b e u s e d o n l y f o r s t a t i s t i c a l p u r p o s e s . F o r t h i s r e a s o n y o u r name s h o u l d n o t b e w r i t t e n anywhere on t h e q u e s t i o n n a i r e .

The q u e s t i o n n a i r e s h o u l d t a k e a b o u t 15 - 20 m i n u t e s t o c o m p l e t e . I t w o u l d b e b e s t i f y o u wou ld t r y t o c o m p l e t e i t a l l a t one t i m e i n a r e l a t i v e l y u n d i s t u r b e d a t m o s p h e r e . At y o u r e a r l i e s t c o n v e n i e n c e , p l e a s e r e t u r n t h e c o m p l e t e d q u e s t i o n n a i r e t o ( r e s i d e n c e h a l l o f f i c e ) . I t w i l l b e h e l p f u l i f t h e q u e s t i o n n a i r e i s r e t u r n e d by S a t u r d a y , A p r i l 2 9 t h a t t h e l a t e s t , s o t h a t t h i s s e m e s t e r ' s work can be c o m p l e t e d . I f y o u h a v e any q u e s t i o n s , y o u may c a l l rce a t 744 -0080 .

Thank y o u v e r y much f o r y o u r p a r t i c i p a t i o n . I t i s g r e a t l y a p p r e c i a t e d . ' H o p e f u l l y , t h e r e w i l l b e m u t u a l b e n e f i t s . '

S i n c e r e l y y o u r s ,

Kathy P e d e r s o n

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