I have been sewing since the 6th grade in school. But I didn't start quilting until my 30's when I went to a center and saw some ladies making a quilt. I got hit hard, and have been making quilts ever since.

Started sewing (officially) at 10; hand embroidery earlier. Made all my clothes all through school; bought a treadle after we were married; (don't remember what happened to it); finally took up oil painting! Did that for about 10 years, then worked 12 hrs a day and not enough time for painting. That's when I started quilting. I had to have a creative outlet or go nuts. So in the late 80's, I bought all kinds of quilting supplies and used most of them. Started in earnest in '90 and have been going strong ever since.

What a great thread; it's so nice to learn everyone's background. Wonder if our backgrounds have anything to do with our preference of style of quilt we do.

For years I had been admiring a friends gorgeous green & purple quilt (that she had bought). When she told me she was taking a quilting class, that pushed me over and made me look into it. The times never worked for me, but that was fine - I found you guys instead! I did find an acquaintance though who is a great quilter - and I intend on getting with her for some hands-on help.

I have a Granddaughter that's 3 years old. She loves to take my fabric and lay it out and "make" her a quilt. She loves to browse thru my quilting magazines and look at all the quilts. I believe she will be a quilter! Yah, I will teach her everything she needs to know. I can't wait.

I have read some very sweet and some very sad stories on this thread. So here's my story. No one in my family sewed while I was growing up. Grandma crocheted but that was the only craft in my family. Never slept under a quilt, we thought they were for poor people and believe me there weren't many famlies poorer than us. I am the oldest of 11. I started teaching myself to sew at a very young age. I started "sewing" by cutting up my brother's socks to make doll clothes. Daddy bought Mom a treadle sewing machine (early 50's) Why I don't know. I taught myself to sew on that old machine. Used treadle machines until I went to high school and took Home Ec. I mostly made clothes for myself. Made the first quilt in 1967 for my first born. Didn't have a clue about what I was doing. Quilt lasted through both my children. DD has it now. My precious MIL quilted. She got cancer, gave me her quilt blocks with the intention of teaching me to quilt. I struggle along, even hand quilted from frames that hung down from my ceiling, (cats you know). When I quit work I didn't need many clothes I couldn't quit sewing so I started quilting. Clothing wise I have made at least one of anything you can think of. Now I make my bras, used to make my panties. I have make my DH suits, used to make all his shirts, made shirts for DS, wedding dress for DD and DIL. I just love to sew.

My story is really funny with me being a guy.

I found an old sewing machine in my house that I restored and live in now. It was a 1911 Singer 27 that was in rough condition but looked like it would work if I tinkered with it a bit. I found a treadle with another machine in it for parts and I played around with it until it sewed a nice stitch. That was the first time I ever used a sewing machine.

Needless to say the collecting bug bit and I started amassing machines and building a fairly nice collection. Then I thought that I needed to do something with them other than sitting around collecting dust so I decided I would try making a quilt.

I did not have any patterns nor instructions on how to make one I just got some material and started cutting and sewing. I made a nine patch and when by the time I finished it I had received my first quilting magazine and found out that I actually did it verbatim to how they described sandwiching, quilting, and binding.

I thought this is pretty neat and I think I want to make another one. It is the quilt in my avatar.

And as everyone here knows I only use a treadled machine

Billy

I love your story. The fact that you made your quilt without a pattern or instructions means you are a natural.

I had an Uncle (deceased) that could sew, and could sew well. He was taught by his mother who felt that all of her kids (boys and girls) should know how to sew. My Aunt on the other hand didn't sew at all...guess she felt "why bother" my husband sews.

I have always love the "geometrics" of quilting and of course the colors but what brought me to it was a new sewing machine and the Elm Creek books.

Swimmom, what kind of machine do you have?

MY Mom taught me to sew on her Singer treadle machine when I was so small, I couldn't reach the treadle with my feet, she did that part, with me sitting on her lap. As a child I made clothes for my dolls, then myself as I got older. My Mom and Dad always had some kind of project going on for somewhere in the house. I majored in Art in college and took many different studio classes, but was always drawn to anything with fibers. I liked weaving on a big loom, but that wasn't trully "it" for me. When my kids got old enough, where I wasn't needed so much, I started exploring this 'quilting thing' that was happening. I stopped by my LQS, found a pattern by Maple Island and bought a focus fabric and four other fabrics to go with it. The rest is more fabric, more patterns, books, more fabric. It hasn't stopped and probably won't. I like expressing myself with the Art quilts I make. I especially like the piecing process. There's a definite sense of accomplishment when you see what you've made. I also love the feel of the fabric between my fingers and the play of color between one fabric and the next.