Jannie

I too come from a home where homemade items were a norm. We always had "homemade" quilts on our beds. Mom made each of us a quilt as we got married & then made each grandchild an animal quilt as they came along. The first one I did, I sewed the top & paid my twin sister to quilt it. Then as more grandchildren came along I decided I needed to be able to do the whole process. Now I am in the process of making a quilt for each grandchild so they can watch tv or wrap up in on cold nights.
Because I grew up with homemade items, I want my quilts used & worn out. My thought is you can always make another. Hopefully someday my daughter &/or daughters-in-law will get the bug. I do have one 6 year old granddaughter that always asks to sew when she comes over. Maybe if the other granddaughters were closer they would want to sew also.

yourstrulyquilts

I had ordered a book in 1986 with an afgan in it that I wanted to crochet. In the same book was a quilt pattern that I fell in love with! So, being a total non quilter, I set about getting fabric to make it with. I found some beautiful pieces, and all the wrong type of fabric( as I years-later learned); it was silky!! But it was my favorite colors, lilac and green. So I proceeded, and finished the hand quilting the night my granddaughter was born. in May of '87. It was a queen, Grandmothers Fan block. I even did embroidery work on the fan pieces. It was lovely and I used it on my bed for many years, even tho the bedspread was always on the floor the next morning!
But then I went back to work, and had no time, with a job and 5 kids at home. But they all eventually left and I once again had time. So 10 years later I applied at a quilt shop and was hired, not because I was a quilter, but because of my background in art and clothing. In no time I was a full-fledged quilter, even teaching classes! I have not looked back, and all the other crafts I did got put in the Yard Sale, or went to Goodwill. Now it's just quilts, with a little beadwork sandwiched in occasionally. I love it and wake up every day just antsy to get to the sewing room.
Then almost 7 years ago we got another baby, new from the hospital. He has slowed me down some with what I want to get done, but it's all good. He is now old enough to let me sew and he's in school so I have time every day. It's been a good life, and being a quilter has been the icing on the cake.

YTQ

mamaw

I had never had a quilt; but in 2004 was diagnosed with an incurable form of leukemia. It is a slow one, so the only realy problem I have right now is fatigue and a compromised immune system. I was told that I should try to protect myself as best I could during cold and flu season; and decided the best way would be to stay home more. In late summer 2005 I decided that I should take a few lessons to learn to quilt, instead of just dragging out my sewing machine for hemming my husband's jeans. Since then, he has bought me a Janome machine that has some of the nicer features that benefits a quilter, and it has been an enjoyable experience. I don't spend alot of time at it; but do enjoy it. This weekend, I purchased fabric to make quilts for our twin great nieces that will be arriving around the first of June. Will post when they are done.
Happy Quilting Everyone!
Nancy

SherriB

I have always loved to sew. My Mom sew some and my Mamaw's sewed and made quilts. My Mom made quilts for my daughters when they were born and I still treasure them. I sewed littel dresses and dolls for my girls and granddaughter. When we found out we were getting a grandson, I decided to try and make a quilt for him since he didn't need dresses. LOL!

My first quilt was called "Streak of Sunshine" and made with John Deere fabrics and stitch in the ditch quilting. After that, I was hooked. I still love to sew and made all his crib bedding to match his quilt.

I hope to leave quilted treasures for my daughters and grandbabies.

JanetM

Why quilting?

Promise not to laugh...aw go ahead and laugh. A quilting magazine cover caught my eye and I thought hey, this looks like something I could do. Cut some fabric, stitch a few straight seams and voila, a quilt is born.

I took Home Ec years ago (it's a shame it is no longer taught) and did make a couple of dresses I actually wore. I also sewed clothes and costumes for my daughters both for fun and for economical reasons. But I have never mastered garment sewing. I keep saying to myself that I need to give it a try again because I would really like to make clothes for myself. I get so tired of not finding age appropriate clothing in the stores. Everything is geared to twenty year olds, so it would be great to be able to sew for myself.

Quilting appealed to me because I thought it was doable. I think it is a great way to develop some sewing skills and particulary for beginners because you can find patterns that really only require straight line sewing. I also am drawn to the endless color choices and patterns that are available.

I am the only one in my family that sews, but I am hoping my niece will get involved. She has shown some interest but has so little time.

littlehud

My grandma made quilts and when DD was very young my mom made her a quilt. It was just five inch squares sewed together but it was so loved. All my kids used it and when my DGD was 4 she was looking in my youngest daughters closet and pulled that tattered worn out quilt out of all the blankets stored there and declared it as hers. I decided if something could evoke so much love I wanted to make one too. I've been quilting ever since and have loved it.

Panther Creek Quilting

I have a love for all artsy hobbies and anything that has old traditions. I have a quilt from both grandmas but neither quilted much. I love to sew and had sewn alot of the kids clothes.

So when a friend mentioned that she had started quilting, I said you have to teach me. She brought the supplies from Oklahoma, 10 hours away and now we quilt together, apart and share pics online.

I am truly addicted now!

Sheila

adriansmom

I started because of my mom. My mom retired back in 2001 and since she didn't want to just sit around, she decided to take up a hobby. As a child, she made a lot of clothes for herself and siblings (the oldest of 8) so she decided to take up some form of sewing. She made some baby stuff, and made me a jacket out of fleece which I stll have and love. Then, she made a tablerunner and that was it!! The quilting bug had struck! She used her savings and went and bought herself the top of the line Bernina (180E at the time), fabric, thread, etc.. and never looked back. Since mom and I have never had a good relationship, I decided to learn to sew so we would have a common interest and try to build a relationship. I had no interest in it and probably never would have started if not for my mom. We took a few classes together and I actually enjoyed it!! I am nowhere near as good as my mom. Her stuff is so good, you would think she's been doing this for 30yrs!! I am proud of what I do though. It took a little longer for me to be fully addicted, but I am there now!! Also, my mom and I have a great relationship now, even though we still have a few tiffs now and then.

mrspete

Oh so great the stories are. I'm not sure that I have much of an interesting one, but here goes. My mom and I were like oil and water. If she said "up" I said "down". So as a little one I would get hints as to what I would like and wouldn't like to do by the things she fussed about. There was a box, one of those waxed boxes that packed meats are shipped in. In it was a lot of small pieces of fabric. Well, in about 1957, she was counting bubbles in a magazine and sent in the contest of how many to win a vacuum cleaner. A great deal of time later, she'd nearly forgotten about it but a man knocked on our door. We were living in a coal camp and were used to bums knocking for a hand out. She had just lost her dad and told 'whoever it is, go away." And a male voice piped up, "Even if you are a winner in a contest, you still want me to go away." So, he told her she had won her chance to BUY a vacuum cleaner. She got the magazine and looked it up and all of the item had been the part she mailed away. SO, she said, no it said, to WIN. Well, she'd just bought a new electrolux vacuum and didn't need one and told him so. And he asked if she would be interested in a new Electric sewing machine. She said maybe or maybe not. He sat and showed her his book and talked and talked. I was playing jacks on the floor when she jumped up and said, what would you give me for this. Her darling old Singer treadle machine. He and she made a bargain, but her sewing machine had to be shipped. Two weeks later, we got a card in the mail to go to Cottonhill Train Station and pick it up. It was protable, pink and all sorts of attachments. A tool box, and instruction book. Oh goodness, she was the cock of the walk. No one else in the Coal Camp had one. So, to practice she dragged that old box out and pieced those little pieces together. She told me it was instructional, not that she was wasting her time on it. One day, it was as big as her bed and she took a think cotton blanket and sewed it to it and wrapped the blanket around it and mitered the corners. It was a delight. Many a warm night was enjoyed by that rag quilt. She didn't have to tie it, because she taught herself the art of 'freewill'sewing. She was a bit religious. I already have two sewing machines so just a couple weeks ago, I gave "Pinky" to a lovely lady I met on freecycle looking for an old one. I was moving it to feed the bird, moving it to use the dryer and moving it twice a day. It weighed a ton. The lady is delighted and so am I. Just before I married in 1968, my intended bought me a machine for Christmas.....and piecing bits and making children's clothes and wedding garments since. oh I love to sew. God is Good!.....Ruth

MamaBear61

Thanks Sharon,

She has been gone over 9 years but not a day goes by that I don't miss her, she truly was my best friend, probably because she was only 16 years older than me and I think we grew up together, and yes family members always comment on the fact that "Aunt Sandra" had made this or that quilt when their children were born. I love tradition