Cass62

Let's see...on my dad's side, I know that his maternal grandmother quilted, but his mother did not. My mother made all our clothes when we were little, and dabbled a bit in quilting in later years. Her mother was a professional seamstress who began quilting in her 60s. We have many quilts of her quilts. I don't think my mom's grandmother was very domesticated, she ran off and left the family, which was positively scandalous in those days (1920s), but my great-great grandmother was a quilter and sewist as I suppose just about everyone was back then out of necessity.

As for me, my mother never wanted me to touch her sewing machine when I was growing up, and I didn't learn to sew a stitch until I was in my 40s. I was visiting and asked my mom to show me how to thread her sewing machine, then I showed her all the Youtube videos I'd been watching to try and learn how to sew. She hadn't realized that I didn't just "pick it up through osmosis" growing up...anyway, that day, I made a tote bag. Upon returning home from that trip, I discovered the quilting tutorials from Missouri Star Quilt Company, and off I went. Mom and I would email constantly, sharing quilting ideas, videos, and of course photos of beautiful quilts we ran across online. On my last visit with my mother, we sat together and she taught me how to hand quilt. We didn't get much done, but it was so much fun, laughing and just visiting, with me picking up a new skill. She passed away suddenly just a few months later, and I'm so glad we had finally "shared the needle", so to speak.

franc36

My mother started hand quilting after I left home and I never saw her quilt; but often sent her books on quilting and fabric as I visited MaryJo's in Gastonia weekly. I didn't start quilting until 25 years after her death. Now, I wish I had been able to watch her quilt. I am sure that her mother never quilted. My daughters do not quilt; but I think my granddaughter will be a quilter. I make lots of quilts for my daughter's three foster children. They each have told me that they are going to make me a quilt when they grow up.

ann31039

My grandmother died when my mother was 8. She had done sunbonnet sue blocks for a quilt for mom, but passed before the quilt was completed. My mother kept the blocks and when I was about 10 completed them and quilted it for me. I still have the quilt 35 years later and mom was about 50 when she did the quilt for me. (very late in life child). So I am guessing the original blocks are maybe 75 years old? One of them just disingrated.

bcross

I only started quilting about five years ago on my late fifties.
My mother and her sisters crocheted
afghans and my mother cross-stitched
a quilt top but never pieced a top or quilted
I was told my paternal great grandmother
was an accomplished quilter but I did not
see any of her quilts which were done by hand
I am the only one in my qeneration that
quilts

QuiltingHaven

I came to quilting with a tremendous history. Now, I didn't start quilting till after I had retired however, my great grandmother was a quilter (I have a quilt from North Carolina that the batting is cotton balls and the quilt has never been washed, just beaten and laid in the sun), both of my grandmothers, paternal and maternal were sewers, quilters and knitters and crocheters (sic) yep, they did all four. My mother started quilting after she retired and moved from Ohio back to North Carolina where she was born. Then there is me. I have already started my 10 year old granddaughter with her making a quilt last year when she came to Ohio last summer. On my husband's side was his grandmother, mother and his older sisters. So, I guess I by marriage and family history I was created to be a quilter and "I love it!"

coopah

Quilting in my family goes back to at least my great-grandmother on my mother's side. I have some quilts she made for me and some others that no one wanted when she died. My maternal grandfather designed an applique pattern and he and my gram worked on it during the Great Depression. We still have that quilt and it's pink and white. My grandmother did some quilting, but was more into crocheting in later years. My mother remembers sitting with friends under the quilting frame and playing with dolls while the ladies quilted. I started quilting in my 20's when I had my first child.

jeanharville

I've enjoyed reading everyone's story. My mother was a good seamstress and made all of my clothes until I got married. But she didn't quilt. However, her mother did, but I don't have any of her quilts because they were worn out long ago. I have always sewn garments and home dec pieces but didn't start to quilt until after I retired. I am still very much a beginner. No one else in my family sews or quilts. Right now, none of my granddaughters are interested, but who knows they may get in the mood when they have children of their own.

cathyvv

Three generations in my family that I know o. can I count my niece and nephew who each made a quilt a couple of years ago? If so, four.

kristijoy

I know of my mother, grandmother and great grandmother. That goes back to before the great depression. So far...I seem to be the only one of my cousins that is quilting. I have other cousins that are seamstresses, but not quilters.

Jan in VA

Thank you, Feline, for starting this topic; it's fun learning about everybody this way!

Except for the quilter on my paternal side who made my ca.1780 quilt, I don't know of any other immediate mothers, grandmothers for generations back who also quilted. My mother was a lovely seamstress. Her mother knitted gorgeous things. Her mother was a passionate needlepointer. No quilters. I learned on my own in 1982 and then I taught my mother to quilt in 1992.
She never returned the favor by teaching me dressmaking or knitting!

Jan in VA