Very Sweet.

My husband...every day in every way. I am not a good sewer or quilter...but he gives me so much encouragement to continue because he knows how much I love it and how hard I try. He is willing to buy me anything(we can afford) that I feel will be helpful, indulges me with fabric, machines etc. I am so blessed to have such a loving,caring hubby! (also the poor man thinks everything I make is wonderful lol..what does he know?)

My husband has always been my quiet. kind, incouraging force. He helps me make some of my choices, takes me to quilt shops and doesn't say a word about how long I'm there. He lets me work and doesn't complain if dinner is late or if I'm totally wrapped up in a project. He is my best friend and biggest helper!

My Grand mother is still with us at 102 years her Birthday was Sept.29 on Oct 1 we had a birthday party for her at the assisted living facility where she now lives. I realized at the end of Aug that although Grandma Ruth and her Mother my grandma Grace had taught me the beginings of needle work and quilting that I had never heard of anyone giving either of them a quilt. So for her birthday I made her an oversize lap quilt. nothing fancy, bright colored large blockd with yellow flannel on the back. Grandma Ruth is blind now and does not really remember many of us. When she unwraped the quilt someone had to tell her what it was.She ran her hands over it and kep saying beautiful, beautiful, Than she turned her head, she had tears in her eyes, took my hand and smiled at me. No more words from her for the rest of the day, but for a min. I think she remembered me.

my entire family crafts...so when I find encouragement from others it really fuels my creativity!
BUT when someone asks me to show them or teach them..that really sparks things up!

First off, I think this is a really cool post - full of fond memories and positive thoughts. I love it. My small gesture was a friend who, when I mentioned I was interested in trying my hand at quilting, marched me off immediately to a quilt store to pick out some fabric. She loaned me a machine and we sat in her sewing room and she walked me through my first quilt. The funny part is that I haven't finished it yet - still need to baste and quilt it! But still, that is at the top of my list. The quilting bug has been with me ever since! :)

Oh boy, where to begin !!! First of all to my mom, for having a few scraps of fabric hanging around for me to carve up and sew by hand, onto my barbie dolls. A christmas present from my fav. aunt and uncle, a small sewing basket complete with a barbie doll clothes pattern, fabric, and notions (including microscopic buttons) to complete said projects. I still have the basket, I was about 9 years old. My mom let me start sewing on her electric machine when I was about 10. That was 42 years ago. On from there, age 13, sewing house dresses for my grandma, 6 at a time, she was 4' tall and as wide as she was tall. So there was pattern altering going on, from that age on, I only ever saw my grandma wear dresses that I had made. Age 16, I was sewing grad gowns and then bride's maid dresses for both my older sisters. Both my sisters left home and took their grade 12 grad gifts with them( their sewing machines), and I was left with nothing to sew on. My parents bought me my grade 12 grad gift when I was 16. They must have figured I needed one. ( It was the only machine I sewed on till last month, when I purchased a Pfaff Quilt Expressions 4.0. Wow what a dream !!!) Then I went onto sew clothing for "Social Services" for some children in their care that needed specially equiped clothing, such as easy access pants, overalls etc. For my dad one year for Xmas, I made him a western style shirt with yokes, snaps etc. Well the first one didn't fit quite right, so, one altered pattern later, he got the one he loved. For the next 25 years, he never wore a shirt that wasn't made by me. He used to go and even buy the material he liked himself. ( Sorry, I had to stop and have a little cry) I think I've tried to sew just about everything, my mom used to saw that I'd sewn everything except panty hose and cowboy boots. I've done drapery, upholstery, Linda Lunstrum parkas and accs., blue jeans, stretch and sew, moccasins with bead work, cabbage patch dolls, barbie doll tents, football hand muffs for my sons, costumes of all sorts, fleece jackets and blankets and everything else fleece you can think of, bags and purses, and probably a whole lot more that I'm forgetting to mention. I took Home-Ec in grade 8 and 9, but then didn't take it anymore, because I figured I knew more than the teacher. She had us making a fabric pencil case. Pretty lame considering I was making my own clothes by then. I made my first scrappy quilt when our oldest son went from crib to twin bed, this was pre- rotary cutters and chain piecing etc. He turned 26 yesterday, on Nov. 5. All of the encouragement started with everyone I knew right from childhood,to my husband and sons, sisters, parents, grandparents, friends. Thank you for bringing up the topic, I never really thought about it, I just have always loved it, and didn't stop to think, that maybe I was being steered it that direction, but clearly I was. Boy, once you get me going, I think I'm starting to ramble !!!! lol Thanks for bringing up the topic !!! I have to go have a good cry now !!! Auntie B, from Saskatchewan, ( rhymes with Scratch N Win) Canada.

My mom has been inspiration. She put my sister and I each on a sewing machine when we entered junior high school and told us we would be making our own clothes from there on. I loved it (not sure my sister did). But as the years, three kids, full time work etc went by I sewed less and less. One day, in the mid 80's she "coerced" me into taking a quilting class with her at the LQS, and I was hooked from day one. It was totally uphill from there for me. Also, my DH is very supportive.

i would have to say that my mother gave me the best compliment that kept me sewing. the summer between the 7th and 8th grade was the first time i made my whole school wardrobe with my own money from babysitting. when it was time to get school clothes, she told me that since i had saved her my whole school clothes budget, i could have all the colors of purses and shoes that i wanted. this was in the days of 'candy apple red patent' and turquoise and yellow....and of course, white and black patents as well.... i had them all and as i was grown, it was really not extravagant...they lasted for a long time with just a new color now and then to replace...the bags lasted all the way thru high school.... one of my favorites was candy apple brown T straps.... it was not like her to hand out a simple compliment, she never wanted us to get a 'swelled head'... but she was proud of my sewing skills and thrilled that i was independent enough to buy my own fabric... she rarely let me know that she approved but she would make me drag out my latest project for the neighbors....thanks for the question... nice memory....

It sounds like you are fearless when trying new things. Lots of adventures await you for sure.