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!!!

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!

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!!

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!

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

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'.

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

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!!!!

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

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.

My start at this addiction also had to do with Christmas in mind. I have 2 daughters (they are 13 years apart in age) that are really close and also great with a sewing machine (didn't want to call them "sewers" - that word can be used in more than one way). I taught the older one to sew when she was 7 years old - she was the fussiest clothes shopper - taught her to sew her own clothes rather than take her shopping for them. Anyway - big idea for Christmas was a mother/daughter bonding time. Went to our LQS and signed us up for a class. I bought a cutting mat, rotary cutter, ruler and included a coupon for their choice of fabric in the package. The class was every Saturday for 6 weeks and before it was over we were all hooked.

Everybody has such wonderful and interesting stories. Hope you enjoy mine. When my mother passed away, I inherited 3 quilt tops. One of them is a 'Double Wedding Ring' which is large enough to cover a king size bed and still drape all the way to the floor. This top was pieced together in 1936 (before I was born) by my mother and father. Dad cut the pieces while mother sewed them together. It is HAND pieced. At the time, she was pregnant with my brother. I don't know why she never finished the quilt. However, it inspired me to learn to quilt. This was in1982, and I was still working. After my retirement, I took a quilting class, and since have been making quilts and hand quilting them in order to become good enough to finish the DWR. I currently have 2 tops that I am working on simultaneously (one that I am hand quilting and one that I am piecing). When I complete these, I plan to start quilting the DWR. In later life, mother was a professional seamstress so her work has always been immaculate. I only hope I can do the quilt justice. Can't you just imagine the quilt label on the back? "Top pieced by Mr. & Mr. JCB, in 1936. Quilted by their daughter BAR in 2011."

In 1996 when I was informed that my 25 year old singer died my DH went with me to the repair store to pick it up. We entered the store and OMG he was so impress by what the new machines could do(there were Phaffs, brothers, and other amazing machines) that he sat down with George, who could sell you back your own children and you would say thank you. So ofcourse my DH bought me a phaff. We proudly brought my new machine home and started playing with it. Since I only did occasional sewing, I though this is to expensive of a machine just to use occasionally. I thought about the quilts I had seen at the store and decided that maybe I could learn to quilt. Went online and read about 9 patch and snowball blocks. bought some fabric made my first snowball and 9 patch quilt. However, I set them on point not knowing about bias or how to cut setting triangles so you can imagine how it turned out. After that experience I decided to take my first quilting class and have been hooked every since. Little did my DH know what he was letting himself in for, when he bought me that first machine. I currently have the brother 2000D and for Christmas he traded in my old Phaff bought me the brother 6000D as our anneversrey and Christmas present. I am so lucky to have him.

Wonderful story - I know you will do the Wedding Ring Quilt justice.

My grandmother quilted when I was little and also made me a wedding quilt I will always cherish. While staying at home with my daughters, when they were little, I started watching Eleanor Burns and I was hooked.

That's so funny! That is exactly how my story starts out! My mother quilted and made clothes. She managed to teach me to embroidery but I despised sewing. Would much rather be riding my horse or playing outside with the dogs. When my first grandbaby arrived I decided to emboider a crib quilt panel. Lots of work...took forever! Decided I'd better learn something quicker and decided to try quilting. First few were panels that I just put binding on and finally worked up the nerve to piece something. Current count is 16 grandkids with one on the way. So far, most of them have a baby blanket and eventually all will have at least a lap sized quilt. Now I'm just addicted and wished I had learned more from my mom while she was still alive.

I've just spent a couple of hours on this board reading all the stories of how ya'll got started. What a great read!
I had made clothes for my myself since I was 8years old. I recall I made a lavender jumper skirt with material my mom let me pick out myself. I got to use her machine! I remember her saying that I had to save the scraps for her so she could use them later and indeed they showed up in a scrappy 4 patch that she made a few years later. Anyway I had a friend of mine who called me up one weekend and said I had to try making a quilt. I said no way! But kicking and screaming in protest she made me go to her house, I thought we were going to be cutting up little squares all day. She introduced me to quilting through the Quilt In A Day Log Cabin book by Eleanor Burns. It took me two days and I loved every minute of it. It was FUN! So I thought since I was so good at making the Log Cabin pattern I could strike out on my own and make something I really wanted....A Double Wedding Ring Quilt! No one told me this was not a good idea.... they should have! I fussed with cutting out the pieces and fighting the bias and trying to make it work, well it is currently my oldest UFO clocking in at 32+ years! It keeps me humble. I didn't let my failure to finish it stop me from my path in quilting. I returned to the Elenor Burns Quilt In A Day Series and honed my skills, lol. Now I can pretty much make anything I want to but I find my taste are always changing. I love trying new things and usually make a quilt or two out of whatever new technique I have come across. I love the process and I call each quilt one of my 'babies'. They all go to friends and family who are instructed to USE them until they wear out and I can always make them another. I've never had to replace one yet, it makes me feel good that they take care of them. My current project is an embroiderd quilt.... and of course there is always the double wedding ring quilt to finish..... riiiight!

My mother was a quilter. She enjoyed working with fabric. I do too! I started sewing when I was about 9 years old.

As a preamble to this topic, I need to tell you that I have been sewing since I was a kid (I'm 63 years old now). The first thing that I made was an apron, during a weekend that I stayed with my aunt while my folks were away. I guess that my Aunt Rose lit the fire in me, even though it would smolder for some years into the future. Much later when I was an adult, I used to work with a woman who was a prolific quilter and in fact, she made a quilt for me when I got married. I always admired my friend's quilts and the skills that went into making them. At the time, I was mad for making jig saw puzzles. They kept me busy in the evenings and kept me from "unauthorized" snacking, as well. At some point, it occurred to me that that if I could construct a puzzle, I could quilt. So, I took some classes and to this day, I am a quilter. I have never frgotten my aunt (since deceased) and how she started me on home sewing. So, a couple of years ago, I bought a sewing machine for MY niece, sort of paying my aunt's kindness forward. We meet occasionally to sew, but right now, my niece is in the throws of being a teenager and all that involves, so quilting will have to wait a while.

What a stunning history Jan...so glad it is in the museum now so all can appreciate it.

You did a super job! And I salute your courage and determination to get it done. Good for you. Keep quilting and learning from others. This Quilting Board has helped me a lot.

My granny taught me how to quilt when I was a little girl. She made me do it. I hated it. In 1999 I was diagnosed with sarcoid in the bones and fibromyalgia. I couldn't walk and then in 2001 I had a stroke andstayed in a wheelchair for 4 years. When I graduated to the walker I was bored to death. So I thought about granny teaching me to quilt. Ibought a sewing machine and quilting became therpy. I can walk now but still can't work due to the fibro. I am on disability and quilting is still therapy. I'll leave this earth quilting :mrgreen:

Lady T, you did your mother proud.

When i was just a little tiny tiny girl,my mother used to leave me with my grandmother, or one of her sisters, my great aunts. I remember that I was small enough to walk under the quilt frame. So they gave me a job of sitting on a footstool under the quilt frame to pick up dropped spools of thread, needles, scissors, and thimbles. To keep me happy they gave me scraps to play with. One day they discovered me "sewing" the scraps with a needle with no thread in it, (and I suppose wondering why it didn't stay together? )
So they gave me threaded darning needles with thread in them and I happily sewed the scraps together in bunches.
then I would hand them up "to be put in the quilt"
So they told me that the lowest left hand corner block was mine! on every quilt! -Of course they were lying to me, but by the time I got old enough to figure that out- I was hooked on quilting!
I am 81 now....been quilting off and on ever since!
By the way, all of my grandmother's family were good honest people, this was one of the few lies they ever all told together at the same time!
Jeannie

Elinor Burns was on T.V. one spring day in 2003 and she made it look so easy, yeah right I thought but as time went on I taught myself and some new patterns off this cite.