Oh boy, where to begin !!! First of all to my mom, for having a few scraps of fabric hanging around for me to carve up and sew by hand, onto my barbie dolls. A christmas present from my fav. aunt and uncle, a small sewing basket complete with a barbie doll clothes pattern, fabric, and notions (including microscopic buttons) to complete said projects. I still have the basket, I was about 9 years old. My mom let me start sewing on her electric machine when I was about 10. That was 42 years ago. On from there, age 13, sewing house dresses for my grandma, 6 at a time, she was 4' tall and as wide as she was tall. So there was pattern altering going on, from that age on, I only ever saw my grandma wear dresses that I had made. Age 16, I was sewing grad gowns and then bride's maid dresses for both my older sisters. Both my sisters left home and took their grade 12 grad gifts with them( their sewing machines), and I was left with nothing to sew on. My parents bought me my grade 12 grad gift when I was 16. They must have figured I needed one. ( It was the only machine I sewed on till last month, when I purchased a Pfaff Quilt Expressions 4.0. Wow what a dream !!!) Then I went onto sew clothing for "Social Services" for some children in their care that needed specially equiped clothing, such as easy access pants, overalls etc. For my dad one year for Xmas, I made him a western style shirt with yokes, snaps etc. Well the first one didn't fit quite right, so, one altered pattern later, he got the one he loved. For the next 25 years, he never wore a shirt that wasn't made by me. He used to go and even buy the material he liked himself. ( Sorry, I had to stop and have a little cry) I think I've tried to sew just about everything, my mom used to saw that I'd sewn everything except panty hose and cowboy boots. I've done drapery, upholstery, Linda Lunstrum parkas and accs., blue jeans, stretch and sew, moccasins with bead work, cabbage patch dolls, barbie doll tents, football hand muffs for my sons, costumes of all sorts, fleece jackets and blankets and everything else fleece you can think of, bags and purses, and probably a whole lot more that I'm forgetting to mention. I took Home-Ec in grade 8 and 9, but then didn't take it anymore, because I figured I knew more than the teacher. She had us making a fabric pencil case. Pretty lame considering I was making my own clothes by then. I made my first scrappy quilt when our oldest son went from crib to twin bed, this was pre- rotary cutters and chain piecing etc. He turned 26 yesterday, on Nov. 5. All of the encouragement started with everyone I knew right from childhood,to my husband and sons, sisters, parents, grandparents, friends. Thank you for bringing up the topic, I never really thought about it, I just have always loved it, and didn't stop to think, that maybe I was being steered it that direction, but clearly I was. Boy, once you get me going, I think I'm starting to ramble !!!! lol Thanks for bringing up the topic !!! I have to go have a good cry now !!! Auntie B, from Saskatchewan, ( rhymes with Scratch N Win) Canada.