motomom

My grandmother made quilts. My mom did beautiful handwork of all kinds, and made all my clothes when I was growing up, as well as some stunning quilts for our family. She passed away when I was 12, and I went to live with my aunt who was a professional seamstress all her life, as well as quiltmaker.

My aunt is now 85, and still comes over to "teach" me about quilting. We have had some fun afternoons here lately over the quilting frame she gave me.

But the best part? My youngest daughter, getting her Masters in Acting and Directing at Texas Tech, was here visiting this weekend. We spent all Sunday afternoon, me teaching her to hand quilt. She loves it, and before she left to go home, was bugging her husband to build her a quilt frame.

:D :D :D

patricej

my mother taught me just about every needlecraft there is ... except quilting. i had my own sewing machine by kindergarten, and was matching plaids and making fully lined suits by the time i had to take home ec sewing for the first time. like mic-pa, i was engaged in a running battle with the teacher. we had to use machines my mother wouldn't have had as doorstops, tracing wheels, and all sorts of bizarre methods i wouldn't have dared use while working with mom. :lol: the skirt i made in home ec was good enough to wash a car with, but i don't think i ever wore it. :lol:

once i was out on my own there was no time to sew. i donated my machine (one i would KILL to have back ... :lol: ) and turned to the stores for my clothes and sweaters. now, of course, i can buy several articles of clothing for the cost of making one from scratch so i doubt i'll ever go back to making clothes.

i stumbled into an episode of Simply Quilts while channel surfing about 10 years ago or so. before the episode was over i had run to grab some fabric scraps left from a decorating project, hauled out scissors, needle and thread and was following along with Billy Lauder to make 3-dimensional bow tie blocks. until then it hadn't fully sunk in how much i missed all those years working side by side with mom in the sewing room and on other crafts.

now, every stitch connects me to my mom and to those memories.

MadQuilter

It's not too late :D

My first quilt is also still unquilted and needs to have the cat hair shaved off if I ever pull it out of the bag. But I have continued to actually finish a few others.

julie

My mom sewed when I was little and made beautiful dresses for my older sister and me, but...., she would never teach me. I am a lefty and she said it would be too hard. My grandma had her sewing machine in her dining room and I loved to watch her, but again, she didn't have the time, as she was a dairy and hog farmer. I took a class in high school home ec, and I have to admit, I enjoyed the cooking semester much more than the sewing semester. Fast forward a few years, I married a man whose mother sewed and quilted every chance she got. While she didn't teach me, I got the bug and basically taught myself. I put aside the quilting for quite some time, but about 6 years ago, I started again, and haven't stopped yet. I also cross-stitch and crochet, all self-taught. My SIL says I do everything backwards, I just reply at least I'm in my right mind! :mrgreen:

Bill'sBonBon

My Mom and Grandmother taught me and my 2 sisters. My Mother sewed on her hands until she got a treadle machine. I learned how to sew on that machine. Mom made lot of our clothes by hand. Her talent with the needle was inherited by all 3 of Her daughters. I made my daughters play clothes out of feed sacks. Wish I had them now. That was in the 60's. I made myself work cullots or split skirts. To be able to get and sit on the floor with First Graders ETC. Boat Neck Shirts are the first thing I have ever made to wear when I was a teen. You know Get 2 pieces of material make sure they are squared,exactly the same front and back. Hem all four sides,sew up sides leaving enough room for your arms same on the neck. You have to have enough room to put your head in. The opening looks like a boat. :lol: Made a lot of those in my time.
I didn't quilt until 2003. Have always loved it had a great interest in it but didn't do anything until then. LOVE IT.
BillsBonBon

lfw045

Here, here!!!! Julie, for us lefties!!! :mrgreen: :D

mcdaniel023

I took a 4H sewing class in 5th grade. We had to make something to wear.
I decided to make a jumper with pleats. (Now that I know better, I know how crazy that was.) I spent the entire summer vacation working on that red jumper. In August, the teacher entered me in a show. I won the best of show. I didn't sew again until after graduation. My not yet hubby bought me a sewing machine for graduation. I have sewn ever since.
Quilting began after watching Kaye Woods' show. She made it look fun and easy. I was hooked.

quiltingbee12

I did a lot of hand sewing, just little things here and then, and then I was given some fabric and a sewing machine a year ago. I started sewing my first quilt(which I still haven't quilted, am sick of the thing
I now have five sewing machines, two treadles two newer and one 60s workhorse.
I sew quite a bit, and I have never looked back! Now I can't even imagine doing a lot of stuff by hand :mrgreen:

jbud2

I started when I was little - how old I don't remember! My father's mother could sew us girls a dress and smock it, or embroider it, with no pattern! She always gave us scraps and buttons to sew doll clothes. My mother had a treadle sewing machine, and in 'playing' with that machine, my sisters and I would make real simple summer tops - take two men's bandana hankies, sew side seams and knot the top corners, and there you go! I always got 'crafty' gifts from granma and granpa -paints, pipe cleaner figures, and then when I got older, fabric, thread and zippers. I had sewing in 4-H and school and loved it. I made a lot of my own clothes, and made my own wedding gown - 24 covered buttons down the back! Then our little girl was born and I made a lot of clothes for her. Even for our son for awhile. Then I went to work and didn't have time. Several years ago I started to play around with quilting and find it very soothing! Now I have a granddaughter and when she was 18 months old, I got her sewing cards. She doesn't follow the shape very well but she gets the in-and-out motiion. For Easter I got her big chunky wooden beads and laces and she is starting to get the hang of that. One day down the road, I will make her her first sewing basket, and she will be able to sew on her parent's buttons!!

thismomquilts

i grew up watching my mom sew for the five girls in our family. with six kids she was too busy to 'teach' us how to sew. in jr high i took home ec. LOVED the sewing semester. sewed one thing in high school, a few in college, then sewed like crazy for my daughter - alot of her clothes were handmade. she loved having homemade clothes until one day some other girl made fun of her for having homemade - so sad. my dd LOVED having custom made one of a kind clothes. about 8 years ago i began learning to quilt and the rest, as they say, is history! love it and will never stop!