I remember my maternal grandma hand quilting in a frame in her big "front room" and she had an old Singer she let me play with until I jammed it one time too many, I was probably 7 or 8. My mom sewed occasionally, little Easter dresses & bonnets for my sister and I. By the time my brother came along she had given it up. One years Christmas though, she made a whole wardrobe for my Barbies on the sly, I couldn't believe the late hours she must have put in to make them a surprise (and I still have them around here somewhere, not the dolls, just their clothes, lol). My paternal grandma was always crocheting and she made those fancy angels you dip in starch, for tree toppers & stuff. And could she quilt! She's still a professional quilter with several of her sisters, they have a joint owned longarm business & ship quilts all over the world. I wish she lived closer to me, when I went out for my dad's funeral she showed me the business & taught me to miter corners (ugh, I was distracted & wish I'd payed attention, mine stink). I had just started dabbling in quilting at that time. I grew up with sewing around me but I never even took home-ec (rocked the wood shop though!). I really started sewing after I got married and my ex taught me to sew, he had lots of sisters and his mom insisted everyone learn :) For years I made all of my girls clothes except socks & jeans, I remember some really cute modest bathing suits I made so they didn't look like little 'hoochies' LOL.