author
Hildegarde Struefert
d. 2009
Known for practical, approachable books on sewing and home life, this Arizona State University professor helped turn everyday skills into clear, usable lessons. Her work ranged from beginner-friendly sewing instruction to coauthoring a guide to table service for modern living.
1 Audiobook
It's Fun to Sew with a Sewing Machine
by Hildegarde Struefert
About the author
She wrote instructional books that focused on useful, hands-on skills. It's Fun to Sew with a Sewing Machine was aimed at beginners and young learners, and Family Table Service for Today's Living, coauthored with Kathryn Bele Niles, reflected her broader interest in home economics and everyday living.
She was also an educator. Arizona State University records identify her as Hildegarde Streufert Crane and note that she served on the university's Home Economics faculty for 34 years after joining in 1961. In 1968, she introduced an interdisciplinary interior design and decorative arts program linking the Art and Home Economics departments, and she later served as program chair.
She died in 2009. Remembered as both a teacher and an author, she left behind work that speaks in a practical, encouraging voice, making domestic arts feel learnable and welcoming rather than intimidating.