PMS - does that mean what I thin it means? I haven't seen this ROTFLMBO version before!

Loving this thread! Loving the stories!

Here's why I quilt:

I learned to embroider from my dad's mom. I learned to hand quilt (not piece) from my mom's mom. I always had some sewing project in mind when they were coming to visit or I was going to see them and they would help me.

But, neither was interested in teaching me to piece a quilt. Gram said she didn't 'do that' anymore and Ma never did quilt. I took home ec in middle school but we only learned about clothes. That wasn't really my interest. My mom did mostly clothes sewing if she was making something back then.

When I was in college, I took a beginner class. I've never stopped. Now it's taken over my free time. I love to sew late into the night, during nap times and early in the mornings. I've participated in swaps and mystery quilt classes. I love seeing the finished quilt in the recipients' hands and know they will love it like I have. I love looking at fabrics, organizing, stacking, ironing, smelling it. I love the whole process of quilting and sewing.

I don't sew very many clothes or curtains but I can if need be. I prefer to make quilts for friends and family. My mom has even started making quilts! It didn't skip a generation after all!

My grandmother got me started when I was expecting my dau. We pieced & appliqued a Dutch Girl quilt for her. I took Home Ec 3 yrs in High School and got proficient at making clothes. Years later, I decided to make a Sampler Quilt I saw a pattern for. It was the traditional blocks most everyone knows. Several years later, I made an Irish Chain quilt for dau and tied quilt for my son. Since starting my small sewing business, I'm working on potholders and other items. I've made a 4 inch quilt top that is pinned & ready to quilt for a dear friend, plus have a quilt with lots & lots of French knots that I made about 15 or 16 years ago, which is pinned and needs to be hand quilteds. Working on a Sunbonnet Sue doll quilt and plans for my list of quilts to try. And on we go!

I used to cross stitch and loved it. Babies came along pretty fast for a few years though and I stopped. When I tried to start back last year to just didn't hold the same attraction for me...I could do it but I wasn't into it. About 6 years ago we cleaned out my Grannie's house in preparation for her going to a nursing home. I found about 10 Sunbonnet Sue squares that she made in the early 70's. I remember her drawing out the pattern and working on them at night. We spent every weekend at my grandparents house. My grandfather died in 72 and she put them away and I guess forgot them. No one else wanted them (no one sews) so I brought them home. Its taken me 6 years to get the courage to quilt! I came across the squares earlier this year in the linen closet and had them out looking at them. Grannie no longer knows who we are and it just mad me sad to think about her making these. I kept them out and after looking at them a few days decided to make a quilt with them....then it became several quilts as the thought came to divide her squares up, make more myself, and give my daughters and sisters each quilts from some of these squares from Grannie. I also took an online class on quilting and have made a quilt top for that. I'm hooked! I absolutely love quilting! It gives me an outlet and something to relax with while doing.....I've only hand quilted and machine pieced so far and handquilting is just so soothing to me.

Same here. I've always sewed started at 4 My Mom whated one of us to learn. Mom never quilted But boy she could sew and knit up a storm. My Mom had an old Whole cloth quilt that was in the family. ( Don't know what happen to it though) I started to quilt when my DGS was born wanted something diffrent than knit things.

Quilting is just another outlet for the artist in me. It is like painting with fabric. I love the colors and the feel of really good cotton. It relaxes me when I am stressed and gives me great satisfaction when I complete a project.
While staying with my sister a couple of years ago I wanted to learn stained glass. Well that was way too expensive and too far to travel in the winter for classes, which were $695.00 for a 5 week course. I wanted to make something for my son and DDIL for Christmas that year. Since they already had several of my oil paintings I wanted to do something different. So my sister suggested I make them a quilt to match their new bedroom. Well I never sewed in my life and she taught me by starting out with making matching sets of Christmas PJ's for my 3 grandsons. She offered to tutor me on quilting after work at night. You see the result in my avatar. It was my first quilt but not my last.

I love the heritage of it all .... my father's mother quilted and was in quilting bees ... and having just one of her quilts makes it special. I like thinking about the possibility of my quilts surviving through a generation or two ... and knowing that the quilt I give someone now is treasured.

Plus ... the fabrics are just really pretty ;)

I have LOVED reading everyone's story. My maternal grandmother sewed, she taught my mom to sew - who made clothes for me and my four sisters all the time. I remember each Easter we always had new dresses - handmade by my mom - for a long time I never knew how she did it - then it dawned on me (DUH!) there were six kids and she was always busy. But my dad worked evenings/nights and would leave home around six each night - she had all of us in bed by nine - she sewed, I'm sure from nine to eleven or so each night - and then we went to school and she was a stay at home mom... :) In Jr. High I had one semester of sewing - I can still picture the dress I made. I left for college and had a friend there who encouraged me to keep sewing. After I married I sewed for my two stepdaughters, then our daughter. About 5 or 6 years ago I began quilting seriously - I will never not be quilting. I love it and am thoroughly addicted.

Ditto! Ditto! Ditto!

Joey