I love hearing all these stories - we all share the same pioneering spirit in our quilting stories.
My grandmothers quilted, crochet, tattted, and everything else. I always remember one of my grandmothers always had her quilt frame loaded with a quilt -it would take up the whole room in her apt - when she was older and couldn't see well - she made quilts out of sheets and tied them -she always had a tote bag filled with sewing or crochet - she kept her hands busy this way. My other Granny - she made beautiful quilts and I loved the stories about the quilting bees - and met some of the women who belonged - I didn't get to participate but still loved the stories.
My mom made some of our clothes when we were young - my granny would take some of the clothes and turn them into quilt blocks - so it was fun to see the quilt with our old clothes.
Anyway, fast forward - I was married for about one year(25 yrs ago) and decided I wanted to make a quilt - I bought some fabric and tried like heck - I was not successful and did not have alot of money to spend - just put it all aside until about 1 1/2 yrs ago - the I went full out - bought a sewing machine - then wore it out - my hubby bought me a Viking Sapphire 875Q - I was afraid of it - but have mastered it since - now I am addicted to fabric - and my hubby supports my habit. Bought a longarm about one year ago - that is still tough to master - but I take my time and rip tons of stitces out - one day I will conquer the longarm. Like everyone else I am self taught - never had a class - never sewed clothes or anything - now I can't imagine living without my sewing machine. I have made quilts for charity, friends, and family and I love it and don't have enough time in the day to complete all my projects - but love waking up every day to sew and quilt. Really helped pull me out of a depression that I was experiencing and gave me more confidence in myself. It has been a lifesaver for me and I love completing my projects and trying new blocks. That is my story so far.