On my fathers side, my grandmother and her father before her were all tailors. As a young child I remember playing around her big old sewing machine and finding a lump of brown wax....when I asked what it was my grandad told me it was ear wax!!!! Put me off sewing for years lol!!
My grandmother, right up until she died at 93 was still sewing including laundering and repairing the local football teams kit every week!! She mainly made wedding dresses,and was a very fine tailoress, but sadly we moved away when I was five and I only used to see her once a year, I was only thinking the other day, that she would be really proud to see me stitching away. I have vivid memories of her 'stash' cupboard in her bedroom that she used go through every visit I made when I grew up, she was always so generous.
I have always enjoyed 'making things' I used to do alot of knitting for my boys and have dabbled abit in cross stitch but seem to have found my 'niche' in patchwork and quilting. I haven't had any training, just read alot on the net and make it up as I go along!!