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-   -   What was the first thing you ever sewed and how old were you? (https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/what-first-thing-you-ever-sewed-how-old-were-you-t47234.html)

AnnaK 05-27-2010 08:33 PM

A corduroy jumper my freshman year in h.s. home ec class. You think the teacher would have told me about the nap thing with corduroy? I had a two toned jumper that I had to wear anyway because i spent so much on the fabric. Arg. No wonder I still don't sew garments, only straight lines.

sewingrams 05-28-2010 08:17 AM

I was trying to remember, somewhere around 8 or 9. My grandma had an old Singer treadle machine(which she gave me later,but sadly it was damaged in a tornado in 1978)and had lots of material around,she made quilts back then.But I guess it was a dress, not a very good one but enough that I ended up taking 4yrs of Home Ec. in school and loved sewing every since.I didn't start quilting until my oldest granddaughter was born and I made her a quilt with a turtle on it getting into a pond, her mom loves turtles and she put it on the wall or the side of the crib for decoration.

BonniFeltz 05-28-2010 10:33 AM

Every summer we went to Wisconsin Dells on the weekends. We had a lot in Lake Delton that we had a trailer on. I was in 4th grade and mom decided that my sister (3 yrs older) and I should have a hope chest. Of course that meant that we had to fill it. Our hope chest was a paper box with our names on it. My dad worked on a turkey farm and he brought home the boxes for us. Mom then got flour sack towels and drew lines on them. We used red and blue thread and did running stitches along each ends of the towels. When done, we put them in our hope chest. Each summer we did things for our hope chest all involved various stitched (running, cross stitch, chain, satin, etc.)When the box got filled up, Dad would bring home a larger box. I didn't do actual sewing until I reached high school and in home economics.

On a side note of sewing...my grandmother would invite us to stay with her a couple of days before Thanksgiving each year and told us to bring our dolls so that they could go and visit Santa for a vacation. We went to her hour with our dolls (only the best behaved ones of course) and put them on the magic step. The next morning they were gone. We would not see them until Christmas Eve but they would send us postcards telling how much fun they had at the North Pole. They also came back from the North Pole with a whole new wardrobe. It wasn't until we were older that we started to notice that Grandma's aprons, placemats, and tableclothes matched our dolls new outfits. When we asked her she said that Santa was nice enough to send them back to her for being the travel agent. When we got older yet, she finally said...."If you question it too much the North Pole won't be accessible to your dolls." We stopped questioning her after that. :)

hokieappmom 05-28-2010 11:00 AM

Like so many others, I started in Home Ec. I was in the 8th grade and we made a dirndle skirt which I hated. Didn't care much for sewing then. I took Home Ec again in the 12th grade. I made my first dress and was hooked. I had an independent study in English that year, and if I was caught up my teacher didn't mind if I went to the home ec room to sew. My grandmother gave me her treadle sewing machine that summer. Can you believe I didn't know what I had, and sold it for my first sewing machine which was only straight stitch and zig zag? What would I give now to have that treadle back?!

mswordwiz 05-28-2010 11:18 AM

I ended up in shop and drafting class instead of Home Ec since all they learned how to do there was straight stitch an elastic waist skirt.

The first thing I learned how to sew on a machine was doll clothes for Barbie, and it was right after my 8th birthday.

fabric-holic 05-28-2010 12:24 PM


Originally Posted by BonniFeltz
Every summer we went to Wisconsin Dells on the weekends. We had a lot in Lake Delton that we had a trailer on. I was in 4th grade and mom decided that my sister (3 yrs older) and I should have a hope chest. Of course that meant that we had to fill it. Our hope chest was a paper box with our names on it. My dad worked on a turkey farm and he brought home the boxes for us. Mom then got flour sack towels and drew lines on them. We used red and blue thread and did running stitches along each ends of the towels. When done, we put them in our hope chest. Each summer we did things for our hope chest all involved various stitched (running, cross stitch, chain, satin, etc.)When the box got filled up, Dad would bring home a larger box. I didn't do actual sewing until I reached high school and in home economics.

On a side note of sewing...my grandmother would invite us to stay with her a couple of days before Thanksgiving each year and told us to bring our dolls so that they could go and visit Santa for a vacation. We went to her hour with our dolls (only the best behaved ones of course) and put them on the magic step. The next morning they were gone. We would not see them until Christmas Eve but they would send us postcards telling how much fun they had at the North Pole. They also came back from the North Pole with a whole new wardrobe. It wasn't until we were older that we started to notice that Grandma's aprons, placemats, and tableclothes matched our dolls new outfits. When we asked her she said that Santa was nice enough to send them back to her for being the travel agent. When we got older yet, she finally said...."If you question it too much the North Pole won't be accessible to your dolls." We stopped questioning her after that. :)

What a sweet story! I wish I had been that creative with my kids and grandkids. Thanks for sharing.

Tiffany 05-28-2010 01:30 PM


Originally Posted by geckogirl
The first thing I even remember doing with a needle and thread was embroidering a hankerchief for my dad with his initials on it. I must have only been 7 or 8.

Do you know that when he passed away we found it at the TOP of his drawer with his other hankys and mom told me that he would carry it with him all the time :-)

The embroidery is absolutely horrible and it is obvious that it is the first thing I ever did but it makes me feel so special that he was the one who taught me how to do that and he loved something so simple so much :-)

Awww, how sweet! What a precious memory!

deranged_damsel 05-28-2010 01:46 PM

8yrs old. I started with drawstring bags for pencils or toys then on to doll clothes. all by hand of course, my mother wouldnt let me use her machine so when I was a teen I would use it when she was out.

CAROLJ 05-28-2010 07:14 PM

A pair of pants that I never hemmed and I was about 9 or 10.

JackieG 05-28-2010 09:00 PM

I started hand sewing Barbie and baby doll clothes when I was about 8. We didn't have a sewing machine and then I took Home Economics at 12 and was hooked.


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