Wow, what wonderful stories. I only wish mine were as interesting. Although my dads mother quilted my baby quilt for me, my moms mother & her sisters were awesome sewers I did not have that interest growing up. I took home ec and for one 6 weeks period we sewed and I made a skirt. My mom does not sew,there was never a sewing machine around. in her later years she started crocheting, I tried once but was not that interested in it. In my mid twenties I picked up a counted cross stitch pattern. I loved it and did that for 20 years.
Then I met my BFF 7 years ago. She quilted. First she got me into doing crafts, we made fabric baskets. I could not sew a straight line, so I would cut out everything and then I would watch her sew. Then we moved on to quilted purses. Since I am a visual learner after awhile I thought "I can do this." So off to Sears my friend and I went to buy my first machine, a Kenmore. I only paid 250.00 for it but was all I could afford at the time. I love that machine. As my confidence grew she introduced me to actual quilting of quilts. We went to the Houston International Quilt show and I was hooked. We get together once a week on average and have a play date, either shopping for fabric, patterns, etc.....or we are sewing.
Thanks for the thread Eddie.