My much-loved DD was a horrible baby... fussy, difficult, just a nightmare (tho by age 4 she was the daughter of my dreams -- except she doesn't quilt... LOL!). My DH worked long hours (back during the oil boom of the 80's) & I also had a 4-year-old DS. So I really needed some "me time". My BFF saw an ad in the paper about a quilting class at the junior college a couple of small towns over so we decided to take the class. Class met once a week & we'd get sitters & make a whole day of it... lunch, class, fabric shopping afterwards. Not only did it save my sanity by just getting me out of the house & with other female grown-ups, it made me fall in love with sewing. We made a sampler & tho I have no idea what ever happened to that top, I still have the book from class.
All my female relatives made quilts & I'd grown up with them on all our beds. My Mother sewed. I took Home Ec for 4 years & hated every second of it. I was horrible & my sewing preojects were all disasters (I always picked projects that were way over my skill level), so I fugured sewing wasn't in my future. But... things have sure changed! And I'm forever grateful!