Love all the stories! I'm amazed at how many of us started out on a treadle
sewing machine. My Grandmother always made my clothes up through High school. Like some of the rest of you I didn't do well in Home Eco. because, I wanted to do it the way Grandma did it. Save as much material as you can, when you lay out a pattern if you use one :D I spent summers and holidays with her on the farm so I sat and either watched or she put me to work cutting out quilt pieces with cardboard stencils. When she would have a quilt in the quilting rack, all the neighbor ladies would come of an afternoon and we'd quilt--including me. So that's were I learned how to quilt. She also taught me how to crochet and I have made a lot more afghans than quilts, so far. I really didn't get into the quilting, seriously till my first grand baby was on the way. Since that time I've really gotten really interested + finding Simply quilts on TV really made me want to quilt and keep something alive that my Grandmother did. She left all 4 of her Grandkids with plenty of quilts to have and love for years to come.
I found out a few years ago that my cousin (shes only 3 months older than I am) has also taken up quilting. So we now keep in touch about what the other one is doing in the world of quilting.