My mom always sewed our clothes, including clothes for our dolls. She "spruced up" coats and dresses that we were outgrowing by adding collars, and by adding trim to faded hemlines when the hems were dropped down, etc, etc etc. At six (in 1946) I watched my aunt doing embroidering. She threaded a needle for me and gave me a stamped dresser scarf to work on. Over the years I sat next to the machine as my mom sewed. The summer before I entered seventh grade, she was sewing away on a baby layette for the baby that was on the way. I asked her to make me a new sundress. She sent me to the general merchandise store across the street and told me to ask my aunt to help me find a pattern and fabric. When I got back, she helped me place the fabric. I cut it and sewed it under her watchful eye. And the rest is history. The quilting didn't start until '95 when I took part in a block swap at work.