luce321

My mom taught me to sew and I took classes in Home Ec. in high school. I learned on my mom's Singer treadle. I never gave up when I had a problem. One time I was making a black taffeta dress and was having a problem with one of the sleeves. I was determined to get it right and stayed up all night to accomplish it.

The biggest problem I had was adjusting the tension. We did not have zigzag when I learned and use the straight stitch.

I was about 10 or 12 when I learned sew, but only got into quilting in 2004. Took a class at JoAnn's, joined a quilting guild and learned so much from my friends. Wish I had started sooner. I remember giving away so many scraps to someone that did quilt before I knew anything about quilting. Oh Me!!

MimiBug123

My grandmother taught me to sew on my greatgrandmother's 1907 Singer 27 treadle. It now sits proudly in my home in it's original cabinet and still sews a beautiful seam. The hardest thing for me was not being able to reach the treadle, and that problem was solved by growing! I spent so many hours sitting in her lap feeding my little snippets of fabrics while she treadled for me. Precious memories!!!! I started out making doll quilts when I was very young. Sometimes if her scraps were large enough, I just marked and cross hatched a single piece of fabric. I have both cabinet and case machines. I mostly use my Janome 10001 for embroidery and applique. I like one of my treadles for piecing. I use my 15 for FMQing. I use my turquise Morse when I feel like driving a 57 Chevy (lol). As to where I keep all of them...well, anywhere I can find an empty corner! Each bedroom has a couple, there are 4 in the living room, 2 in the dining room, one bathroom even has one! No, we don't use that bathroom, so I don't worry about the moisture or anything harming it.

Maureen

I never sewed a stitch until I retired. Well I made an A-line skirt in Home Ec in 1964 if that counts. I moved into an adult community and in my neighborhood of 75 houses, 5 quilters and 2 seamstresses appeared. I couldnt help but learn or I would have no social life!!! I am so glad I got into this neighborhood. It has been so geat to learn from experts. I have made about 20 quilts and several table runners, purses, and pillowcases by the tons for my grandchildren and friends. My husband golfs and I sew and it is ideal. I used to shop a lot and I still do but now its mostly in fabric shops!!!

Jeanette Frantz

I learned to sew in Home Economics, 7th Grade. My teacher was Ms. Helen Beth Coon, and she was a treasurer. I had Home Ec with her for three years! The machines were straight-stitch. The very first project we did was a pair of pillow cases, then we made an apron, and mercy, I can't remember what else. We finally graduate to garments, the first being a sleeveless blouse with a collar and a gathered skirt to match. I did sew at home, but I married fairly young at 18, and the first Christmas my husband bought me a Singer 328K,which I still have and which I still use a lot.

I've lot track of the number of curtains, drapes, etc. I've made over the years, made some for my sister a few years ago which she still hasn't hung!LOL. I got into quilting slightly about 12 years ago. My first quilt was a Sunbonnet Sue applique baby quilt. The first thing I did with that one was increase the size of the blocks, and then doubled the blocks so that I had a crib-size quilt, instead of a 28" X 36 (lap pad). My next venture into quilting was a whole-cloth embroidered quilt I made by drawing my own design (Arkansas Razorback), outlined the state map, satin-stick embroideredthis huge razorback centered in the map (a wedding gift for my nephew and his bride). I have not done all that many quilts, but I already have four projects on the "board" so to speak. I still work full-time and I still love to sew (or knit, or whatever). My time is limited, so I don't get as much done as I would like. I have had some health issues also which have slowed me down, but I keep on working (don't really know anything else). I have a Baby Lock serger, a Featherweight, a couple of Singer Touch'N Sew models that my son collected, and I have my mother's Singer 1425 (I've never used this one). I'm 67 so Ive no doubt got more years behind me than I have in front of me, but life is good.

Dealing with the tensions on the sewing machines is always a challenge, but I've had my machine apart for cleaning, oiling, etc. Every time I think I've got it mastered, well old Murphy throws in another glitch! I've just concluded that I'll never know everything about the machine, just as I'll never know everything about everything!LOL

cowgirlquilter

My momma taught me. I played underneath her treadle machine, and then eventualy a very expensive (for the time) Singer machine with a cabinet, zig zag and embroidery stitches. I learned very easily and the only time I got frustrated was when I was learning how to put in zippers in my clothers. LOL!
I have (and still use) a very cheap Brother that is a workhorse, and is still one of my favorites. I also have a featherweight (just for display) and a tiny "toy" machine (also for display) as well as an old Treadle machine (Singer) that I also display.
I never learned to quilt....just sewed my clothes. I made very basic big patch quilts when I began teaching and wanted a memento for each class.
I have learned everything as I go. It was just a few years ago that I actually began to learn the process of quilting, and I love it!

Betty Ruth

My mother started me on her Singer treadle machine at age 7 or 8. She would let me sew the long seams of the garments she made for the family . I don't know if she took my stitches out when I wasn't looking or not. When she was not using the machone to make garments or for patching, I was free to make doll clothes out of the scraps. As my skills grew, sometimes I'd make my own dresses, but mostly*we worked together. She'd make the basic garment on the machine, and I'd do all the handwork. I had never used a machine with a zigzag stitch until I bought my own.
Currently , I sit my portable sewing machines on took of a desk. I like the large drawers.
As a teenager,I attended community quilting clubs with my mother but never made any quilts until long after I was married. I'm sure Mom and I talked quilts, as she always had one in progress until her eyesight failed her.

I sewed my thumb with that old treadle machine many times. I finally learned not to jerk my*hand away, leaving a large incision but to slowly back he needle out. This left only a small hole where the needle went through, which healed quickly. Guess that's how you would say how I conquered the sewing machine.

Silver Needle

I come from a family of sewers. My grandmother was a tailor, my mother could sew and design anything, one aunt made wedding dresses and another sewed crafts. I was given a treadle about the age of 8. The hardest part was co-ordinating feet and hands to work together. Now we collect treadles and I still love sewing on them. My oldest daughter got me started quilting. Then I took a beginners class at LQS. Best thing I ever did as quilting daughter lives in San Jose CA. My first quilt I made was Storm at Sea for grandson's HS graduation. I tried a midarm machine and fell in love with longarm quilting. Not so much with the machine. Purchased APQS Millenium on 14' frame. A year later we added Intelliquilter computerized system to the Millenium. Now I am taking private digitizing classes with Suzanne Moreno. I want to create my own designs and be able to digitize other people's designs for them. Quilting and Digitizing are the first thing I think of with my morning coffee and the last thing I think of at night when my head hits the pillow.

Just Me...

My grandma taught me to sew at a VERY young age. At around age 4 (seriously), my cousin and I would have to tie quilts after they were pieced. Everything she made was very utilitarian. I convinced her the following summer that my cousin was the better one to tie and she should teach me to piece, so we could get more done. I learned on a treadle. I remember when my Aunt bought her an 'lectric (Appalachian accent) sewing machine. She was absolutely thrilled! For Christmas one year, my Mom went to Rink's and bought her already cut fabric squares. It was the first time she got to play with design and wasn't using cut up clothes/curtains/etc. to make a quilt. I will never forget those quilts....I still have the one she made me. I used to beat myself up about using a longarm, but then it occurred to me that were she still alive......she would have kept me busy quilting all of the quilts she pieced! I only wish she had lived long enough to see my shop and how far quilting has come. When the "Aunts" all came out to see my shop, one of them remarked....."you can definitely feel Mom's presence here". It was the greatest compliment she could have given me. I still think of her when I am piecing and quilting and wishing she were with me. She still is....in spirit!

Auj

I love reading all the posts to this thread. Here's my response.
Who taught you? My mother sewed and just like Justflyingin, I got to sew the long, boring seams. I loved it. My mother made most of our clothes and with three little girls there was a lot to do. I remember one summer when I was about 9 or 10 impatiently waiting for her to finish a wrap around dress out of bright blue Hawaiian print for me. (I was too young to realize that taking care of the baby (that one was a brother) and the three of us girls, plus cooking and trying to work around the tiny budget kept her from just sitting down and doing it!) She showed me how to keep the fabric at the 5/8 inch mark and how to carefully step on the pedal and I was hooked. I couldn't wait to sew all the long seams and in a couple of years began making my own clothes by reading the pattern. When I was stumped, my mother would explain what the pattern meant and I was off again. I made clothes for myself and when I went to college I was gifted with a new Singer of my own. Case. My roommate and I both used it and it was with me for all four years. My mom's machine was a Singer, straight stitch, probably from the early 50s and she still uses it! Mine died and I bought a Husqvarna Huskystar 224 which I love. I researched it and everyone who had one said it was a workhorse so that's what I could afford and what I got.

What frustrated you about the machine? Nothing about the machine. When I do get stuck on something, I pull out the manual and figure it out.

What would make it easier to learn to sew? A class, a good teacher, a good basic video. Start with very simple projects, then work up. I think learning as a child would be easier. Few adults would be willing to just sew the long boring seams only.

What kept you going? I needed clothes and it was cheaper to make them than to buy them. I know, that was long ago, but it used to be true.

Where did you keep your machine? My Singer has a case, my Huskystar has a flimsy plastic cover. I have thought about buying a case, but I just keep it on the table and use it a lot, so haven't really worried about it.

How did you learn to quilt? I had a lot of old jeans that I couldn't bear to throw away, so I decided to cut out squares and sew them together. I didn't realize that I really didn't need batting, so my first quilt was denim squares, batting and fleece backing. I made a couple of these and a friend called me a 'quilter'. I objected and started to say, "I'm not a quilter, I just sewed these squares together and . . ." I realized that I WAS a quilter! I also agree with MaryLane that I believe if you can sew, you can piece. I have learned some wonderful tricks to make sure my points and seams match, but it was a no brainer to learn to quilt for me. I love learning new tricks and tips, but the sewing part is easy for me.

When did you learn to quilt? I learned/began to quilt as an adult.