I watched my then MIL make quilts in the late 70's/early 80's, and then made a friendship quilt for my mother where I cut and sent out many white 12x12 blocks and got them back with all sorts of different memories and signatures on them...I put them together with a sashing. That would have been `81... a few years later, I made a Mariner's Compass wall hanging, and a couple of star quilts...no one told me they weren't exactly beginner's projects, and they turned out great! I quit again for several years, and am just this past year getting back to quilting...and I'm loving it! :)