I'm glad I'm able to bring some quilting joy from the past to the current day -- I would love to see finished projects! I always liked it but never made one myself.
I started quilting in 1977 as a senior in high school, I wanted to make a quilt to take to college with me. That was before the rotary revolution... I was rather intimidated by the "little old quilting ladies", one of which I have become. There were some magazines but they were mostly pushing the "modern" quilt and I was more interested in the traditional art. That year I lived in the small college town of Moscow, ID. There was a fabric store but I bought my first quilt fabric from the Montgomery Ward catalgo. I did have a regular/weekly babysitting gig and had limited funds so I took myself to the Carnegie Library and found early quilt books. Those that weren't about history were mostly B/W block diagrams with no directions, measurements or even placement (alternate squares??) or anything. In some ways it was not easy but a really good learning experience of how to draft patterns and I found out early about graph paper!
My first quilt book was Ruby McKim's 101 Patchwork Patterns. Ruby was one of the newspaper quilt designers. I remember those still being published... lol remembering printed newspapers also ages me
I left Alaska in 1983. Before that as a college job I worked at a fabric store, so I was exposed to the entire store and not just quilting stuff. I also did garment construction and costuming back then... Some things just take me back, like that Better Homes and Gardens book. Gunne Sax dresses and lace also brings back a lot of memories. Like how expensive lace was!!
Anyone else remember TriChem paints and projects? I guess they are still around.