My grandmothers taught me the basic for quilting before I can remember, one of my earlst memories for buying fabric was going to a store with my Grandma Annie when she looked through 50 lb bags of something (flour, sugar,chicken feed don't remember what) to find the right color or print for something she wanted to make. I remember making muy own cloths and buying 36 in wide fabric, I also remder the first time I saw 45 wide fabric. It was so wide!! LOL I didn't really start quilting until about 10 years or so ago. I learned to sew on an old treadel. Could not waite until Mom got a Elec. machine! Now I have 5 electric and 2 treadels, used to cut using dress makers fabric shears ( anyone remember them, blades about a foot long? LOL) now a rotery cutter, templates from cardboard and sundays news paper (had to iron the newspaper first so ink would not rub off onto fabric) Now use plastic, Grandma's used a # 2 pincel to mark there quilts I'v done it to. My how times have changed!any one rember polished cotton?