Cyndy Lentsch has been teaching in the Home and Family Life Program at Renton Technical College for 41 years. Back when she started it was then called Renton Vocational School and there were just two buildings on campus.

“Actually I was hired to be a lingerie teacher way back then; I did that for quite a number of years,” said Lentsch.

She went on to teach basic, intermediate and advanced fashion design at the college. Lentsch even remembers teaching a class on how to make disco clothes. There used to be three teachers in the program and three classes a day.

Over the years the program has shrunk to beginning, intermediate and advanced sewing.

Now with just two classes remaining, the sewing program at RTC had its last class, perhaps forever, on Nov. 9.

Due to budget cuts and not being able to find another location for the class on campus, the college decided to halt the program.

“We are expanding our basic studies and aerospace assembly mechanic programs and we need the additional space,” said Susanna Williams, college relations and foundation director for RTC in a statement. “Due to four years of budget cuts from the state, Renton Technical College no longer has the room to sustain smaller programs like sewing, which have served the community for years.”

For Lentsch, this development, which she learned of three weeks ago means retirement from the school, but she hopes to find work elsewhere.

“It’s just hard to see the program going down, you know,” Lentsch said. “Because there was just – it was just starting to pick up again with new students, young students.”

She teaches about 13 to 14 in each of her two classes. The majority of her students take the class for their own personal enjoyment and continued education. Some take the class and intend to use their skills toward some commercial use.

“The makeup most recently has changed in there are a lot younger people who come in again, which is good,” said Lentsch. “I think “Project Runway” had something to do with that.”

She believes the popular TV reality series about designing clothes for the runway has inspired a new generation to seek out fashion design.

But, usually her class is frequented by long-time students indulging their hobbies.

“I’ve had a student in class who’s been here since 1974, but that’s kind of unusual,” Lentsch said.

She’s taught second generations of students and even men. As the economic environment has changed, so has the class on and off.

When women went back to work, Lentsch said, they found sewing to be a reason to explore their creativity as well as an answer to getting clothes to fit.

All of Lentsch’s students were disappointed to hear the program was closing.

“I wrote a very positive letter saying please don’t stop the program,” said Barb Muir.

Muir has been taking Lentsch’s class for 13 years.

“I’ve made half my clothes since I’ve been in this class,” she said.

Joanne Primavera came to the college in 1978 as the administrator of the Home and Family Life program, which included sewing at the time. She returned this quarter to take Lentsch’s class and hang out with a friend who also signed up.

“There were lots of classes and lots of teachers,” said Primavera. “There were six teachers, I think. So, they were teaching and sewing like mad in those days.”

Christine Corpuz came to the program because she wanted to learn for fun how to do basic things like hem or create a shirt and pants.

She said she was “a little disappointed because I do have a lot of friends who are interested in the program or interested in sewing as a hobby.”

Agnes Titialii was trying to follow in the footsteps of a family member who was a seamstress when she signed up for Lentsch’s class. Growing up all her outfits were made for her.

“This was the only school that offered it, you know,” Titialii said. “And I was really excited about it because I looked at the other community college, but nobody offered sewing.”

The school is planning a retirement celebration for Lentsch at 2:30 p.m., Nov. 30 in the RTC cafeteria.

“It is difficult to see an end to the sewing program as it has been such an important part of my life,” said Lentsch. “I love to teach. It is my hope that I will continue to teach somewhere in the future.”