I was sewing doll clothes so young I don't even remember how old I was. My mother made all our clothes on a treadle sewing machine and she also made quilts out of left over fabric (which was usually feed sacks, because that's what our clothes were made out of). We didn't have electric so I learned to sew on a treadle machine also. I can remember telling my Mother when I was 9 or 10 that I could make my own clothes. So she let me pick out a blue for a 4 gore skirt that had a zipper with a waist band and a blue and white checked fabric for a blouse that buttoned down the front with a collar. I made the skirt and blouse and did such a good job that Mother said to me "okay, from now on you can make your own clothes", and I did. I learned to tailor my own clothing and did some sewing for other people. An older neighbor lady taught me to crochet from looking at something that was already made and make one like it before I started to school. I later taught myself to read crochet patterns when I was 10 years old and the first thing I crocheted from a pattern was a baby sweater for my sister's first baby. I have sewed and crocheted ever since. I later taught myself to knit and embrodery. I only started piecing quilts about 4 years ago because I didn't want to make clothes any longer. I still crochet a lot. I am a self taught quilt maker, also.