Self taught here. Had a lot of help from books and Public television shows like Georgia Bonesteel, Eleanor Burns.

My mom taught me to sew, I belonged to a quilt guild and learned a lot from other women. I have a quilting machine and taught myself how to use it. I've had the machine since Oct '06 and I bet I'e quilted around 100 quilts.
I watch videos and read quilt machines for help.
Regina

sorry I read quilt magazines.

Regina

sorry I read quilt magazines.

Regina

Self taught. Most of what I've learned have been through books and here.

My Mom taught me the basics on how to sew, I expanded on that and taught myself everything else.

Daughter got a older Singer sewing machine (maybe circa early '50's)in a blonde cabinet from an elderly neighbor. She gave to me - I started off making queen size quilts for both daughters using Sawtooth Star pattern - why or why start off sooooo big????? Daughters then bought me a Brother sewing machine from Wal-Mart for Christmas one year - and I have been happily sewing ever since. Just completed 6 quilts for Project Linus - and like may others have many UfO's. Would like a newer machine - but this works just fine until my pocket book an handle a major purchase. Never took a class but have a few books.

I am self-taught! Most sewing I every did was back in high school (ummmm about 40 years ago lol). Never liked "sewing". Love quilting! Just started a little of a year ago, and yes, it has been a trial and error but I have learned so much!!! I DO plan on taking some applique classes, though.

I'm self taught also . Watched and learned from Simply Quilts when it was on . Gathered tips from the internet and now am learning here on the board . Wonderful teachers ! Annie

I'm self taught. I sewed clothes for myself in high school and now I'm in my second "go round" of being into quilting. I'm a perfectionist so each time I piece a quilt, I get better.

I have never taken quilt classes as I learned from my Mother and Grandmother when I was 7 years old. I wasn't allowed to cut blocks but did a lot of hand sewing of the blocks together. Then came the old Singer tredal sewing machine and it was the best machine for sewing quilts together and that is when I started makeing quilts and sewing my own clothes. Got good exercise while sewing....heheheh! The sewing machine is still in the family and we pass it back and forth. I do have new Baby lock sewing machine and not real happy with it.

The only teaching I got was from Grandmother who did everything by hand when I was 10 or 11 many many years ago). I didn't pick up another piece of fabrice until about 5 years ago and now I can't get enough. Love to quilt.

I learned to hand quilt from my mother. She and her sisters had a quilt group that met on Tues evenings the whole time I was growing up. But they did whole cloth hand quilting. So piecing and machine quilting are things I have learned from reading and trial-and-error.

I began sewing when I was probably 9. I started with 4-H and took Home-Ec in high school. My mother had always hand quilted, but I don't remember seeing her piece anything. In the last few years, I have started piecing quilts and I hand quilt most of the time, but I borrow books from the Library and friends to learn quilting, and I have you guys and the internet to help me. I agree with all of those that say the classes are too expensive. I homeschool, work part-time, and just don't have the money right now to take the classes.

I also miss the quilting shows that used to be on t.v.

Hi

Self taught here a few years ago, and I did have some help from my computer. Amazing what you can find on the internet.

I am glad to hear your story. My best friend lives in Washington DC, he is a quiltor. Quarterly, I go to visit him for 4 days, all we do is sew,sew, sew, eat, sleep, dye fabric, sew sew sew! We get so much accomplished! We solve each others problems.

self taught. checked out a book from the library when I was half way done with my first quilt. That's when I learned how to hide my knots. I read and have some quilt mags. so I have to learn that way.

I was self taught or by book or by copies off computer and on TV. Made some misstakes befor I got it, but enjoed it so worked with it until I got it right. Vern

You and me both.

:wink:

I am self taught - seems to be the general consensus around here. My Grandmother and Mother quilted, so I think it was genetic. My daughter now quilts, too, but I did not teach her, she just seemed to instinctively know. I did take one lesson at the urging of a friend who takes lots of them. Don't think I'll take another unless it's something I can't figure out on my own.

I sewed my own clothing as a teenager & my sister got me into quilting when I retired from teaching in 1996. My 1st quilts were from reading books & I remember an Eleanor Burns video. My sister insisted that I take a class & I found that I knew more than the quilting instructor "about teaching". There were girls in the class who did not even know how to thread a machine. Yet, we would just watch a demonstration & then were supposed to go home & make that "sampler" block on our own. I'm sure I was the only one who completed that quilt. So, when I later taught sewing at a sew ' vac shop, I would start beginners with a pot holder or baby/lap quilt so that I made sure they completed the whole process of making a quilt. Many of the books are so very well illustrated & you follow the directions - one step at a time - you will be fine.

Never took a lesson, started quilting when Alex Anderson had Simply Quilts on HGTV. She had so many great people doing step by step, so I watched took note and did..To bad most of the quilt shows are gone now

Self-taught, but after spending hours playing with cousins under the quilt frame (hung from eye hooks screwed into the ceiling) at my grandmother's, I probably picked up a bit of instruction (and lots of community gossip. If we were quiet and still long enough, the moms/grandmoms would forget we were under there) --and I definitely got the quilting bug, but it didn't surface for several years. My grandmother had passed away by then. I know she would be proud of me though.

I want to go to one of those several-day workshops or maybe even go on a quilting cruise. Any advice on that?

Grandma taught me in the late 1930s, and I don't remember her
ever having a sewing machine.

I just found myself another tool, hunting through Michael's for a
Brother bobbin that they don't carry.

I discovered a neat little machine for about 30 dollars, a bobbin
winding help. Now I won't have to stop my sewing and take out
that almost impossible to thread needle thread and make up several
bobbins in the color I'm working on now.

Neat machine!

I got one of those "sidewinders," (bobbin winder) just last week. It was 30% off at Hancock's, and I'd been wanting one.

I started out on my own with no lessons but later in years I learned there were a lot I did not know, So I have taken Classes in Nashville, three times, and frommy quilt club. I do not waist as much material as I first did, and I had cardboard, templets, My Mother and Grandmother were quilters and hand quilted our quilts. I realy do love to quilt and give themto people that did not expect them.

My very first quilt was a friendship quilt, where several co-workers made blocks to share. We pieced them together in the arrangement of our choice. I did that on my own. Having watched Simply Quilts, I kinda knew my way around. (So I thought) Then I began buying books, watching more quilting shows (Alex, Georgia, Sue, and all the guests on those shows). Then I got into a few classes. And the rest is history. I still consider myself a beginner after 15 years.

Donna jean


wonderful quilts, great job.

donna jean,



I realy do like the sampler quilt , what is the pattern, for it.

I am also self taught started in 1981 and stopped for several years picked it back up...1990 and never stopped... have never taken a class... but I will this year ...I have been sewing each week with a group that sews quilt for soldiers and several of them are past teachers and have a lot of experience .i feel like I learn some new trick every week from them. It's been a year sewing with them. I am not sure I would be able to stay within the lines of a class but would like to try.

Self-taught. LAIG--learning as I go. :)

I am absolutely floored by how many people wanted to answer this. I am so glad that I asked. The thought just jumped into my head the other day.

It's an interesting question/topic which is why so many wanted to answer it, I think. Thanks for asking it.

There really was not a pattern. We would go to class, take notes & then would go home & make the block or two that the instructor demonstrated that day. When I posted the sampler on my website to sell it, someone asked about the pattern & I have not been able to find my notes from that class. I may not have kept them as they were hand written.

I understand that, I can pick out several ofthe blocks, , It is very pretty :D

self taught never took a class i found them to be to exspensive and didnt want to drag my sewing machine to the class

The classes that I attended were all demonstrations. We left with the pattern, directions, etc. and sometimes the fabric

:wink: to make our block. We brought our finished block to the next class to show and tell, ask questions, etc.

The hardes for me was the border of the quilts that I made. I found a book in our library can't remenber the name of it but it did show step by step how to do borders.

Never had the money for a class. I always spent what $$ I had on fabric and get most of my help and ideas from books purchased at thrift stores and borrowed from the library and this forum of course! :lol: :lol:

Self taught also, started sewing when I was 5 or 6 years old.