Katie

My mother taught me to sew....I am so thankful, out of 4 daughters I'm the only one that sews. I told her thank you very often and she was proud. When my mother passed away in January this year all of her sewing things became mine and I am just now starting to go thru it all. I, myself already have a ton of fabric but when I started going thru hers I became totally overwhelmed.

iwanttosew

My mom made most of our clothes and I am sure she sat me at the sewing machine to sew some things. Home Ec in 7th grade was my first real lesson. When I started teaching, I bought a sewing machine and have used one ever since-and that was waaay back in 1973.

Karen1956

My mom taught me and my sister. She made all our clothes growing up. She also was a 4-H advisor and taught many girls. Bless her heart, if she had a girl in our club tha didn't have money for material, off to House of Fabrics she'd go and beg for large remnants or outright donations. Because she bought so much for us, they gladly did it for her and threw in zippers buttons, thread, etc.

I also took Home Ec in school, but every project I did for that was a disaster. Mom was the best teacher. If I wanted something new for school, she'd say "You know where the material and patterns are - make it yourself." She'd help, but we did the major construction.

She started quilting about 3 years before she passed and loved it. When she got quilts made for all her kids and grandkids, she started on each of her nieces and nephews on both sides. She got about 1/2 way done before she passed. Bless her heart, she was one of a kind and I miss her.

Rumbols

I started trying to make doll clothes when I was 6 by cutting a hole in the middle of a men's handkerchief (my dad's) and got the tar beat out of me. Then Mom showed me her sewing machine which she didn't use very much. Mom showed me the basics of how to work the machine and got very upset when I took part of it apart as it wasn't sewing right. But when I put it back together and the sewing machine worked better than it did before, Mom let me use the machine as long as she was around. Later I took home ec (cooking and sewing) in grade school all the way thru my senior year in high school. The high school teacher was a little woman and she was very strick with how she wanted you to sew and would hit our hands with a ruler if she saw you doing something wrong. Almost turned me off sewing. I made clothes for all my aunts and hardly ever made anything for myself until graduation.

JENNR8R

No one... I don't know how to sew. I started quilting by reading The Complete Idiots Guide to Quilting and Quilting for Dummies. I'd love to know how all of those interesting feet on my Bernina work.

pumpkinpatchquilter

Oh I love this thread. So fun reading everyone's stories. My Mother taught me to sew as well, and also to crochet and knit. I honestly cannot remember the first time I used the sewing machine because it was so long ago...I mean, I literally started sewing as soon as I was tall enough that my foot could reach the peddle. I was always watching my Mom sew. Even when she didn't have a sewing room she'd set up at the kitchen table and I'd watch. So as soon as I could start sewing, my Mom had a pretty good fabric stash and would let me pick out fabric to make clothing. We'd go to Jo Ann's and she'd let me pick out 2-3 patterns when they'd go on sale for 99 cents. I remember making pants from this peacock feather print cotton fabric she had in her stash and I loved them! When I hit around 16 I started making those short skirts that Mom wouldn't let me buy. Lol* Even when I moved out and was on my own I'd go buy fabric to take to my Mom's and sew curtains and things for the house on Mom's sewing machine. I didn't discover quilting though unti I was about 24.

granny216

Many, Many moons ago I learned in a Home Making in high school...made an apron and a gathered skirt and never sewed much after that until I decided to take a quilting class at the college in the 70's. Now I seldom use my sewing machines for anything except quilting....they don't do mending!

suzanprincess

I must have learned the basics from my mother, because I know I made some doll clothes of sorts. Sixth grade Home Ec. set me on the sewing path. With fewer machines than students we often had to wait for a spot, but there was one treadle, which we were all required to use at least once; every one else disliked it, but I loved it and after the first week got to use it every class. We had to make a simple gathered skirt with a zipper for our first project, and because of the pretty border print mother and I found I loved that skirt for years. Eighth grade taught sewing again for a semester, and my graduation present that year was a new sewing machine! Mother sold her old Singer to a neighbor and bought a new White for me, though for both of us to use. Wish I had that Singer now! The White was a zig-zag, very useful, but never did a nice straight stitch like that Singer.
The quilt bug buzzed around me during early high school, but never actually bit until a couple years ago. I did lots of garment sewing and I've saved all my fabric scraps all those years since cuz they might be good for a quilt, but now that I have a good use for scraps I'll be darned if I can find them! They have to be here somewhere, as I keep way too much"this might be good for something" stuff....
All my Home Ec. teachers were at least good and some were excellent; the only bad instructions given were to a friend who decided--against the teacher's recommendation--to make a full circle skirt, when the teacher required a 3" hem in EVERY skirt or dress. That skirt was worn once, in our end of year fashion show, and then went straight to the trash; I tried to get my friend to shorten the skirt and put in a rolled hem, but by then she hated it too much after her hours of hand work and hideous results and dumped it!

kimbrennan

My mom sewed...in fact she taught "Bishop" sewing...made lingerie that would make Victoria's Secret blush....lol! There was no way in h@@l I was going to give up the chance to go to the million stores in the mall and shop though....store owners were depending on me! I started cross stitching as a mom...and then we transferred to the middle of no where in Northern Michigan and "borrowed" my mom's sewing machine....my daughter will tell of the hundreds of dresses I made for her...and all the fittings...because I taught myself!Mom was pretty impressed that I must have been listening to something she said.

I am a self taught quilter....never taken a class....but lots of tutes and books. I enjoy simple blocks...putting the colors together is my creative outlet...and right now...3 quilts to bind are staring me in the face, wondering when I will get to them.....

prswgs

Wow,
Interesting thread! I too learned to sew in home ec, with plenty of help from my Mom. The most interesting tip that I remember is to hold the needle and bobbin threads when you start sewing to avoid loops on the bobbin side. I've been surprised to see how many other tips there are for avoiding this problem that aren't quite as simple.