Learn To Sew
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Secrets
Of Sewing
is a comprehensive
sewing instruction program with over 300 pages
of vital sewing information. To help you
maximize your learning, it comes with a helpful
work book designed to guide you step by step to
learn to sew.
In addition to the core
textbook and work book, there are several very
useful bonuses that you will treasure for years
as you learn to sew.
My
Sewing Dictionary
is a vital tool for you as
you learn to sew. There are many specialty
terms used in sewing, quilting, and crafting
that have special meanings. My Sewing
Dictionary provides both a PDF ebook format and
an easy to use sofware that makes it easy to
acces the definition and explanation of each
sewing term.
The Rotary Cutting
Guidebook
Many beginning sewers
overlook the special skills and details
involved in laying out patterns as well as
cutting out patterns and fabrics. The Rotary
Cutting Guidebook reveals the vital secrets you
need to learn how to sew and cut out your
projects.
To learn more about this
special instruction course CLICK
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What's
The Significance Of A Varsity Letterman
Jacket?
As I began my research of
this very important topic whats the
significance of a varsity letterman jacket. I
was amazed at how many people knew nothing
about this prestigious part of our American
culture. I will be covering various tidbits of
information today dealing with the varsity
letterman jacket. I will examine the birth of
the letterman jacket as well as the appearance,
style, decorations, history, & the
traditions of the letterman jacket. The birth
of the letterman jacket came with the advent of
organized sports which created a need for
uniforms. There was an additional need for
identifications which was satisfied by the use
of emblems or letters. In 1865, the Harvard
baseball team added Olde English 'H' as their
first varsity letter. The 'H' was embroidered
on the gray flannel shirt. The football team
started to use the 'H' in 1875. It is
interesting to note that for 25 years following
the introduction in 1865 of the letter, it was
the practice for the team captain to allow
certain players who played in the most
important games (Yale or Princeton) to keep the
'H' jerseys as an award. If a player did not
play in an important game, the player had to
return the jersey at the end of the season.
Awarding the 'H' jersey may have been the birth
of the varsity letter as an award.
A letterman, in U.S. sports,
performing arts or academics, is a high school
or college student who has met a specified
level of participation and/or performance on a
varsity athletic team, marching band, or in
other performance school-sponsored activities.
The term comes from the practice of awarding
each such participant a cloth "letter", which
is usually the school's initial or initials,
for placement on a "letter sweater" or "letter
jacket" intended for the display of such an
award. In some instances, the sweater or jacket
itself may also be awarded, especially for the
initial award to a given individual.
Traditionally the athletic
letter is associated with elite athletes,
though in the last few decades there has been
movement to make the letter award more
accessible to all students by removing
performance requirements. In the case of a
marching band, drumline, or colorguard member,
usually a letterman is awarded to an
upperclassmen or section leader. Today, in
order to distinguish "lettermen" from other
team participants, schools often establish a
minimum level of participation in a team's
events and/or a minimum level of performance in
order for a letter to be awarded. A common
threshold in American football and basketball
is participation in a set level, often half, of
all quarters in a season. (To meet this
standard in a ten game season, one would have
to have participated in at least twenty of the
forty quarters played.)
In individual sports such as
tennis and golf, the threshold for lettering is
generally participation in one half or
sometimes two-thirds of all matches contested.
Frequently, other members of the team who fail
to meet requirements for a letter are awarded a
certificate of participation or other award
considered to be of lesser value than a letter.
Some schools continue to base the awarding of
letters according to performance, in team
sports requiring a certain number of scores,
steals, baskets or tackles, according to
position and sport. In individual sports
letters are often determined according to
qualification for state meets or tournaments.
In the performing arts letters are awarded
according to performance. Students who are
selected for state choir or receive high scores
at major instrumental competition may receive
letters, or musicians who achieve first or
second seat in their instrumental section.
Students participating in academic clubs can
also be given this award if the requirements
are met, which academic clubs this award can be
given to is at the discretion of the school. In
some schools general "academic letters" are
awarded on the basis of GPA, usually students
with a GPA at or above 3.8.This term is not
gender-specific; a qualifying participant in
women's basketball or other women's sports is
properly referred to as a letterman, as would
be a qualifying female participant on a
co-educational sports team.
A letterman jacket is a
jacket traditionally worn by high school and
college students in the United States to
represent school and team pride as well as to
display personal awards earned in athletics,
academics or activities. Letterman jackets are
also known as "Varsity Jackets" in some places.
The body (i.e., torso) is usually of boiled
wool and the sleeves of leather with banded
wrists and waistband. Letter jackets are
usually produced in the school colors with the
body of the jacket in the school's primary
color and sleeves in the secondary color. They
usually feature a banded collar for men or a
hood for women. The letter jacket derives its
name from the varsity letter chenille patch on
its left breast, which is almost always the
first letter or initials of the high school or
college the jacket came from. Because the
jacket is meant as a display for the letter
award the jacket's colors match those of the
letter, rather than the other way around. The
name of the owner usually appears either in
chenille (matching the letter) or is
embroidered on the jacket itself. The owner's
graduation year usually appears in matching
chenille, Placement of the name and year of
graduation depends on school tradition. The
year is most often sewn on the right sleeve or
just above the right pocket. Lettermen who play
on a championship team often receive a large
patch commemorating their championship that is
worn on the back of the jacket.
The letterman sweater was
first regularly used by the 1891 "Nine"
(baseball) and was black with a small Crimson
'H' on the left breast. Letter sweaters were a
predecessor to letter jackets. The letter was
usually quite large and centered (if the
sweater was a pullover); stripes on one sleeve
designated the number of letters won, with a
star indicating a team captain. Letterman
jackets are almost never purchased before a
student has earned a letter. In schools where
only varsity letters are awarded this is
usually in a students' junior or senior year.
In schools where junior varsity letters are
awarded, the jacket may also be purchased by
junior varsity letter recipients, though the
letter is placed just above the left pocket,
leaving space for a (hopefully) future varsity
letter.
Some schools may award
letterman jackets to letter winners at the
award ceremony, but more often the school only
provides the letter.
In America and Canada a male
athlete might give his girlfriend the letter as
a token of his love, this is considered a sign
of a truly intimate relationship as the Jacket
is an honor. In the event of a breakup it is
customary for the girl to return the jacket as
a sign of rejection.
Works Cited
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letterman
http://mountolympusawards.com/publications/varsityletter.htm
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