Hand-Loom Weaving

This small descriptive "how-to" manual contains recommendations for a “systematic course in industrial work that shall train head and heart as well as hand.” A public school teacher at Minneapolis’ Horace Mann School, Mattie Phipps Todd used weaving as a learning tool to teach children the value of honest labor, to see the “interdependence” of the world, and develop a sense of morality. For the school teacher, this guide offers practical information on the types of weaving, shares directions for dyeing, and includes a chapter on miscellaneous projects such as doll clothing, reins, socks, and opera-glass bags. The final chapter recommends songs to sing and games to play surrounding the topic of weaving. Overall, Hand-Loom Weaving provides an interesting look into one facet of elementary curriculum development in the early 20^th century.