leiladylei54

When my DGD was born, I decided that it would be fun to make a Christmas quilt for her. My sisters were so excited as I had professed for years that I would NEVER quilt. LOL Now I'm addicted!!!

audsgirl

I watched Simply Quilts with no intention of ever doing any quilting. I don't do well with machinery. But after so long, I thought I'd try it. So it's all Alex Anderson's fault!

charlotte37830

My Mom and Grandma made quilts while I was growing up as well as my grandma's sisters (even my grandpa would help every now and then). They were always so beautiful. I always wanted to make them too, but never had the confidence. I would watch every quilting show on tv and collect every pattern that I liked and even bought fabric just becausde. But, I now have a husband that has enough confidence in me for both of us and then some. I made 12 quillows as presents for Christmas 2010 , then I had the confidence to try to make a real quilt. I made a Sunbonnet Sue for our granddaughter that was born in Jan. Now I'm hooked, which is good because all the kids and grands want thier own quilt. My oldest DGS is almost 9 and I think he is ready to start making a quilt. He told me the other day "Nana there is no such thing as to much cloth!" I always knew he was smart!!

sewbizgirl

I have knitted and sewn since I was about 11 or 12 years old. When I had little children, in my 30's, I had the desire to make them some quilts. My early attempts were very primitive but my kids didn't know any better, either, and loved their "blankies". Then I left quilting alone for the next decade or more, while I concentrated on fashion sewing and design, as well as knitting design. Every year our State Fair would send me an invitation to come participate in the State Fair Quilting Bee, and that little bit of hand quilting, even just once a year, kept me wanting to get back into quilting. Finally, just last year a friend's diagnosis with breast cancer succeeded in pulling me back into quilting. I knew God was calling me to make her a prayer quilt... About that same time I found this board (also Providential) and quilting became SO INTERESTING to me. I have enjoyed it and learned so much. I am accumulating a stash of fabrics, and have enough patterns in my mental 'queue' to keep me quilting a long time. Thanks to all of you for the inspiration!

jollyquilting

This has been so fun to find all the ways we create beauty for our souls and all of us have a story. How neat

jitkaau

A colleague (and migrant) from Minnesota invited me to her house for dinner on Monday nights. She had 4 children, and it was her 'night off'. Her husband would cook and we sewed before and after dinner. She introduced me to American quilting and piecing. Later, she opened a shop and was found deceased by a customer as she had had an aneurysm.I remember her fondly and especially when I see the combination of blues,creams and browns together as they were 'her colours'.

Happy Tails

OMG I love reading everybody's stories. I hope more and more people come forward and tell their stories. :)

MissJMac

As a small child, Cut squares and triangles for grandmother and her quilting friends. About 20 years after that, as a young wife, I made one baby quilt for each of my four sons. About 30 years after that, while bedridden with two broken legs (a long story) I got hooked on Alex Anderson's TV show and taped every episode (pver 50 hours) and as they say "the rest is history". My stash has grown from a few shoe boxes of fabric pieces to a sewing room bulging at the seams, closets shelves packed with fabric, storages containers under the bed. I even gave aways sheets and towels so I could store fabric in the linen closet. Three sewing machines, one embroidery machine amd all the necessary quilting "goodies". With the price of cotton going through the roof, I don't ever HAVE to buy again - but we all know I will.
I just wanted to make quilts for my six grandchildren and one for myself. Damn you Alex Anderson, for making it look soooooo... easy. LOL!!!!

juliea9967

That is a great first quilt, and a great story. I sewed for years, but never thought I would be interested in quilting. I had taken 2 pieces of fabric and put batting in the middle and enveloped it for grandchildren, but never would I be interested in cutting the fabric into little pieces and then sewing them all together again. What a waste of time, I thought.
We moved from a big metropolitan area (Seattle, WA) to a small town in southern Idaho (Twin Falls). I went to the local sewing machine shop for sewing classes. In one of the classes 2 nice ladies asked for help in putting together a quilt representing 9/11. They were doing it as a charity project for the local battered woman's shelter. Over the next 2 or 3 classes they asked repeatedly and no one would help them put it together. I thought it was a good charity project so I told them I had never quilted before, but I would love to help them if I could. I didn't realize it but I was hooking up with 2 very accomplished sewers/quilters. They designed the quilt, let me help them sew the pieces all together (I am sure they had to rip many of them out) and then they put the blocks together. We took that quilt to local events and shows and sold raffle tickets. We earned over $3,500 for the charity. We appeared on the front page of the local newspaper a couple of times. There was a magazine article about the quilt. When we would open up the quilt at events there would be ooooohs and aaaahs. People would cry. Needless to say this was such an experience for me that I now am addicted to quilting. I know I will never be as good as my 2 mentors are, they are truly artists, but they have given me a joy that I would have missed out on if not for them.
The quilt was called "Lest We Forget". You can see it here:
http://www.stitchintime.ws/community.htm

mrsddh97

About 4 yrs ago, a friend asked me to give her $40. She said we are taking a quilting class. I said No that after learning to sew in high school along with my mother being a sewer and me making stuff for my son when he was little, I said I would never sew again. I never want to make another garment again in my life, I do not like it. She said you are going. She had just taken a sewing class and the instructor also taught quilting and she want me to do it with her. I gave in and was hooked. 4 yrs later we are part of a guild, planning events, traveling to quilts shows, displaying our work etc. I still will never make another garment and that includes a quilted one.