I was raised around the foot pedal of a Singer Sewing machine that is now mine. My mother was a professional seamstress. She taught my brother and I how to sew by taking the thread out of that machine and the bobbin, drawing straight lines and curves on paper and letting us follow those lines on the machine. My grandmother had me cutting out and sewing together fabrics for quilts when I was big enough to use scissors. I took Home Economics every year in high school just to get two new outfits each year and I made all of my dresses and blouses and skirts and pantsuits for high school. (Got in trouble with the pantsuit at school because we weren't allowed to wear pants and I did anyway.....lol). I also learned from my mom how to embroider, crochet and quilt. I never could get into knitting......I'm a lefty too..... :)