My Mom was a first-class professional level tailor/seamstress. By that, I mean her repertoire consisted of the full circle of anything she was asked to do: ie, wedding gowns? yes, ma'am; do you want the groom's suit as well and the rest of the wedding party? When the answer was "yes", she turned out some of the most beautiful work I have ever seen, my own wedding dress included. HOWEVER...she could NOT teach me much at all. I learned most of what I knew then in Home Ec class and she tried to encourage (berate!) me at home through this. I think her problem was that things came so naturally to her that she just could not teach, even (especially??) her own daughter. However, I DID "get even" with her when she was about 70...I taught HER to quilt! And found myself in the same situation she had been in all those many years ago...didn't even know where to start! But...before she passed away at age 80, she was better than I was, by far! The only thing she told me about quilting was that she didn't realize how hard it was to keep those "little" seams to 1/4"....and gave me a look that said..."but I will!" And...she did. I gave her last three quilts to her grandchildren and they are thrilled to have such a remembrance of her.

My mom was a seamstress, but I never caught on to the sewing. She tried teaching me when I was 12 on her industrial Singer and I got a thread nest underneath the bobbin. I was immediately discouraged. I haven't touched a sewing machine for decades.

I'm 43 and took a Sewing 101 class 2 months ago at Joann's with a friend of mine. It was then and there I decided I wanted a sewing machine and I was sick of paying a tailor to hem my pants for me. I'm pretty much self taught in crochet, knitting, and soapmaking. So I figure why not self teach myself with sewing. And somewhere along the line, I got bit by the quilting bug. I haven't made my first quilt yet, but it will be soon. I also have the charm packs and jelly rolls sitting on my table, waiting for me.

My Mom taught me to sew. I then took 5 years of home economics just to get two new outfits every year! What fun!

My mother didn't care much for sewing (but did have a sewing machine she couldn't get to work right for her). I took 4-H in 5th & 6th grades and remember my first project being a brown & white check (very small check) scarf, that you had to sew a single seam around the whole square (about an inch in from the end) and then fringe it to the stitching line. And I also had Home Ec in grades after that!!

jody

My grandma was babysitting me and my 2 younger brothers. I kept hitting them so Grandma gave me a scrap of fabric, needle and thread an a button to sew on. It kept me busy for a long time. I even asked for another button. I was about 3 1/2 years old at the time. I don't ever remember not sewing.

I learned to sew in Home Ec in 8th grade. I am so grateful for that class. That was the only formal teaching I had and no one else in my family sewed. I loved it from the very beginning and just practiced and read, read, read to learn. I have been sewing now for 45 years, making my clothes, my childrens clothes, and then grandkids clothes and home deco items. A few years ago I started quilting and I must say that quilting is so addicting and I enjoy it more than any other type of sewing I have done. With quilting I was lucky enough to join a friendship quilting group and I have learned more from them than I ever imagined possible. Learning from others is so much easier than learning from books and so much more fun! I am now teaching one of my granddaughters to sew. Sadly, neither of my two daughters were ever interested.

Miss Lydia Snow, home ec teacher extraordinaire, taught me to sew in Grades 7 and 8. We made a skirt using a border print, a shirtwaist dress and an apron. She also taught us how to make creamed onions, which I have never made again.

As a child my mother sewed all of my clothes but had no patience to teach me and wouldn't allow me to use her machine. When I was out on my own at age 17 I borrowed a sewing machine and made all of my clothes including a lined winter coat. Made my first 9-patch quilt at the age of 27 for my baby daughter and haven't looked back.

Last week I was paper-piecing like mad and this week I'm updating my work wardrobe with some professional-looking t-shirt knit tops. Thank you Miss Snow!

My Mom taught me on the machine she got for her 8th grade graduation in the 1930's. I was about 5 years old and she put a phone book under the pedal so I could reach it. she also taught me to knot, crochet, embroider, and the beginning of quilting. After my Mom passed away a wonderful woman at the time in her late 70's taught me quite a bit beyond the basics of quilting..The bug bit and I am infected with quitling fever still...Of course many times as I work I find myself talking to my Mom and Miss Vivian as I work...

My mother taught me the basics. Dad was in the Air Force so we didn't see aunts or grandmothers much. I learned to quilt on my own. It was pretty much the school of hard knocks. Rip it out and try again 101.

My mom taught me to sew when I was 8- we made a doll skirt designed it made the pattern and did marking and all the detail work, once we finished that she let me use her feather weight which she still has, then when I was 15 she bought me my very own machine and said "you get this on one condition...... You use it" I still have that beloved singer my daughter has it to do some basic sewing, I have gone to much higher end huquvarna machines, and now have my long arm too.... Seeing as I'll be 50 this year I have been sewing a very long time, sewn everything from cloths for me, to costumes an
Ned wedding stuff -turned to mostly quilts a few years ago... I too took home ec in jr high learned lots but got more out of the many classes I have taken elsewhere.