Tumdarra

they had a quilting class at our church, I really enjoyed attending it and have kept on quilting since then

maryb119

I don't ever remember not sewing. I was blessed with 2 grandmothers and a mom who were wonderful seamstresses. I learned by watching. Grandma started em sewing on buttons at 3 years old. I had sewing cards that I laced up perfectly. I made my first dress for school in 5th grade over Christmas vacation. I made my kids clothes and curtains. I made my first quilt when my oldest DD went from the crib to a big girl bed. She is now 42 and still has the quilt. I work in a bridal shop as a seamstress and quilt at home. I just can't get enough sewing time.

JustAbitCrazy

I'm too old to remember.

maviskw

Now you went and made me cry. Good luck on making all those throws, and be sure to make the one for your dad. Then let your nieces and nephews know where that came from.

Ilovesewing

I saw a quilt pattern in a Family Circle magazine that I decided I wanted to make for my sister for Christmas. I'm pretty sure I had no idea what a quilt was at that point. I was in my 20's and had been sewing clothes so I didn't figure it would be hard. That first quilt was terrible, but I was extremely proud of myself at the time. My sister loves it and still uses it - it was about 1992 when I made it. Haven't stopped since!

jeanharville

Like many others, I've sewn clothes, and home dec for family and friends since I was 18. But it was after I retired and recovered from breast cancer that I decided to try quilting. That was about three years ago. I was surprised to find out it was an entirely different way of sewing. It required different tools, fabric, thread, etc than I was used to. But I joint a quilt group, bought Craftsy classes, and joined this board and learned to do it. I'm not fast and I still have a lot to learn, but I enjoy sewing and making something that I can give to others.

QuiltnLady1

My journey to quilting began a long time ago. I started sewing as soon as I could see over the top of my DGM's white treadle ) -- that was over 60 years ago. That DGM only used the machine for mending, but my aunt made clothes (she was one of those who found something ready made and came home and made it without a pattern). My dad was overseas so we lived at Grandma's and my aunt taught me to make doll clothes. When we moved to Alaska, Santa brought me a crank machine -- I made more doll clothes and Mom made curtains, and all manner of home dec stuff that should have been impossible on a small machine. When we moved to the lower 48 (I was 8-9), Mom taught me to use her White electric (don't know what kind but it was gray and weighed a ton). I bought some patterns and some remnants and started making my skirts, blouses and dresses (couldn't wear pants to school) from remnants (was paying less than $5.00 for all the fabric I needed for a semester of school clothes. I continued to make clothes after I married (made DH wool shirts and pj's). My paternal Grandmother was a quilter, but unfortunately she did not live nearby, but when I saw her she showed me how to make templates and hand piece quilts -- I never picked it up because I liked my machine. When I had kids, I decided to try to make them quilts, but sew with the machine -- it worked. I still did more clothing construction than quilting, but I did make my first bed sized quilt -- whole cloth quilt embroidered through the entire sandwich (yeah -- through batting and backing as well as the top). I loved it but it was hard work (went to Goodwill when we moved). Somewhere in here I started watching Eleanor Burns when she was doing her show in the attic -- and I got her log cabin leaflet. When I started working full time, I could barely keep up with the clothes and Halloween costumes, then I quit sewing completely. I retired in 1999 and DD told me that I needed to make her a quilted Christmas tree skirt with no hole in the middle and she wanted it in about 2 years. I was watching Simply quilts and the shows that came on PBS (still watch them) and I said sure. Once started, I haven't stopped -- I have taken a few classes along the way but with some good books, EQ (1-7), grid paper and Quilter's Cache I pretty much draft my own patterns in whatever size I want. I give most of my quilts away to family and charity. I love to assemble fabric, cut and piece the tops but the for actual quilting, I pretty much stick to straight line -- after years in the computer industry my hands are a mess and I can't even seem to doodle like I used to.

JANNY

I started sewing in about Jr. high school. I had pieced some quilt squares made from scraps from my dresses my mother had made when I was in elementary school. My grandmother was a quilter and I always watched her and had gone with her to quilting bees at the little country church she attended in southern Indiana. I always had those squares in my belongings as I grew up, married, had children, continued to sew over the years. After finally retiring, I knew I wanted to quilt. I used part of my retirement fund to purchase a better machine for quilting. It has been several years now and I love quilting and especially love hand quilting. Unfortunately, neither of my daughters have inherited this love but they will always have the quilts I make for them..

117becca

another "been sewing since i was 8" person. Made all my clothes as a young person up thru college. Eventually rolled into sewing curtains for my house and cross-stitch projects.

I've always wanted to learn to quilt, and a friend took me to her church where a bunch a ladies were forming a quilting group. It's 15 yrs later and i'm still quilting. Now it's my therapy after coming home from stressful days of teaching.

salemrabbits

two of my sisters quilted as did my neighbor and several other ladies. They reserved the community room once a month to get together and quilt. I was invited but I didn't quilt-I cross stitched. After about 6-8 months of going and listening/watching etc. they decided they were going to do a mystery quilt- I didn't even have a decent sewing machine. Bought a Janome- and some fabric and learned how to do a block...haven't turned back. AND, I don't cross-stitch anymore!