As soon as I was able to reach the pedal and the top of the machine at the same time, my mom let me use it, but mostly I made doll clothes. (I was about 5 years old then.) The year I was 9 years old, my mom was pregnant again, and my grandmother thought it would be good for "the girls" (2 sisters) to learn to quilt (so we'd leave our mom alone, I think. :-D) So she started each of us on quilting. Mine had 1" blocks, I remember, and was never finished. But I continued to sew.
When my daughter was ready to leave for college, she wanted a quilt to take with her, so I figured it out and made one for her. Her children still use that one. And OH, what I've learned about quilting since then! I feel like it's a lifelong love, and I'm happiest when I'm piecing. Scrap quilts are my favorite.