I was just 21 when I started my first quilt. I was married to my first husband and my then sister in law decided we could make our fortune making quilts. She saw an ad in the back of some magazine for 50 pounds of fabric for 5 bucks. It was a huge box of fabric! She took most of the fabric. There were some sheets in the box that I took and I got a piece of twill weave solid burgandy and a print of small roses and paisleys. There was a pattern for a double Irish chain in one of the women's magazines with instructions for templates. I used one of the sheets and the burgandy and print fabrics and made a double Irish chain. Then life happened and I was widowed and didn't get back to the quilt for a few years. Then I ran across solid white wide backing and got the quilt layered and basted. It got put away a second time for many more years. At the time I didn't know you could hand quilt without a frame. After I was married to my second husband the internet was born and I got a webtv and internet access. Thru that I found a John Flynn frame and finished that quilt. It was almost to the month 20 years from start to finish on that quilt. As soon as I had that quilt finished I started a second one and before it was finished I had started a third and fourth quilt. That second quilt still isn't finished but I've made many, many more quilts of all sizes since then.
After I got internet access I discovered all sort of new techniques had been invented and that made all the difference for me. I'm not real likely to make many quilts with templates and scissors again!! Although there is that stupid Saturday Sampler waiting on me.