Why did you start quilting
08-02-2010, 06:57 AM
#31
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: ATL
Posts: 205
I got into it with my cousins bright idea of hey you know how to sew clothing, make my sister a quilt 10 years ago. I did it with scissors, no walking foot and poly batting, but somehow turned out a product the new mommy loved.
I got into again 4 years ago when the population boom hit our family with 9 new babies in one year. My quilts were all 4 in blocks with no set pattern. I finally decided to take a class, and it is now a very serious hobby. Hubby likes this hobby better than other love of flying or skydiving.
I got into again 4 years ago when the population boom hit our family with 9 new babies in one year. My quilts were all 4 in blocks with no set pattern. I finally decided to take a class, and it is now a very serious hobby. Hubby likes this hobby better than other love of flying or skydiving.
08-02-2010, 07:11 AM
#32
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: indiana
Posts: 1,379
my gm taught me to sew on a treadle that had been electrified[?] but could never get past hemming dish toels 'cause i couldn't sew a straight seam ! years later my si & i started making baby clothes[babies aren't as picky about straight seams]we really progressed to making clothes until the girls wouldn't be caught DEAD i "homemade" stuff !made lots of mens shirts even a liesure suit for dh!then bf turned me on to quilting...made several q-size ,one or two of qayg.dh bought me a fantastic new machine,top of line,also tol serger.made one qquilt when he died unexpectadly [sp]6 mo later. couldn't bring myself to even turn them on for 10 yrs !!but bf kept egging me on ,& new bf is so encouraging that i started again !have made 2 q-size & 3 baby in the last 6 mo !!! don't know how i got thru the last 10 years w/o quilting,saves mysanity.sorry this is so long ,,,dar
08-02-2010, 07:18 AM
#33
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: canterbury uk
Posts: 1,036
Thankyou for sharing such a painful time with us I can't begin to understand how you must feel as I still am blessed with both my parents but I am sure your Dad would be incredibly proud of you for your courage and perserverance with your project.
Glad to hear that your daughter is doing better and hopefully will continue. I know what you mean about quilting being theraputic. After my dad past away on Christmas Eve I just felt so lost because I had been spending so much time with him the last few months he had and that was one reason I bought my longarm. Then I met a lady that does alot with the American Hero Quilts and I ask if she could use some help. As I was quilting the first American Hero quilt I felt so close to my dad and I knew that I could do something to honor him and make him feel proud of me. So I committed to quilting 82 of the American Hero quilts before what would have been my dads 82nd birthday. I did 82 quilts in 49 days. Each and every quilt that I did brought me a little further thru my grieving process I guess you might say because I thought of dad almost the whole time I was doing each one. I thought of all the men and women who have devoted so much of their time and sometimes there lives to protect people they don't even know. I am very proud of my dad for serving in the Korean War and my daughter for serving 9 years in the Navy and all the other countless people who have done the same. Even know as I type this the tears are flowing but I know that the quilting has helped me alot thru losing my dad. I really have to thank my son for encouraging me to invest in my longarm at a time that I felt so lost. He really understands me. I am very blessed.
Originally Posted by candlequilter
Originally Posted by janedee
I started when my eldest daughter was very ill with an eating disorder (she is now much better) and after 18 months needed some 'me' time so enrolled on a beginners course and lost myself in a quilt!! I still find it very theraputic and my quilts hold many emotions in the stitches :-)
08-02-2010, 07:25 AM
#34
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Daytona Beach
Posts: 133
I learned to sew when I took Home Ec since my mother couldn't even sew on a button. I loved sewing and begged for a sewing machine. I was given an old machine with a long bobbin and a rickety old card table to put it on. My mother knew me too well and was sure this would be like my other plans--soon forgotten. Instead I made school clothes that took me through high school and college. I sewed lots of really cute clothes for my daughter after she was born. I never made a quilt, though.
When my daughter was herself pregnant, we decided to make a baby quilt. Our biggest problem was 1/4 inch seams. We didn't agree on what 1/4 inch was so nothing matched up. We spent a lot of time with seam rippers. I swore I'd never make another quilt, and I didn't for years. I did macrame, knitting, crochet, needlepoint, counted cross stitch and other crafty things. Then I met another puppy raiser who showed me all the quilts she had made. I figured if she could, so could I. That was about 10 years ago, and I'm hooked.
When my daughter was herself pregnant, we decided to make a baby quilt. Our biggest problem was 1/4 inch seams. We didn't agree on what 1/4 inch was so nothing matched up. We spent a lot of time with seam rippers. I swore I'd never make another quilt, and I didn't for years. I did macrame, knitting, crochet, needlepoint, counted cross stitch and other crafty things. Then I met another puppy raiser who showed me all the quilts she had made. I figured if she could, so could I. That was about 10 years ago, and I'm hooked.
08-02-2010, 11:00 AM
#35
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Ohio
Posts: 674
I've been a life longer sewer and then got into machine embroidery. I have a friend who is a digitizer and when she first started I did some beta testing for her. I sewed out her designs on denium squares. At one point I bought a machine from a friend and she said "you should quilt, you would love it!". My words - "Not me, I'd never be able to do a 1/4" and be that precise!" While squaring up the embroidered blocks, they got smaller and smaller. I didn't know how to square up - so I decided a quilt class would teach me rotary cutting & squaring. OMG, my life has never been the same. My first baby quilt was given to a niece who got real emotional - she said "Aunt Judi, Ian was going to be the only child in our family who didn't have a quilt made for him. (Her grandma had baby quilts made, and she died just months before Ian's birth)" I've made many, many baby quilts since then and actually quilt more than I embroider now. My denium quilt got made and I put it in a raffle to make some money for a family member. It was very well received.
Judi in Ohio
Judi in Ohio
08-02-2010, 11:06 AM
#36
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Utah
Posts: 8,845
Years ago when I was sewing clothes for my kids I noticed that I had a lot of good sized scraps left. So I got the idea to save them for quilts. My first one was a 9-patch which I still have. Even though I don't use it anymore because it's pretty worn it brings back memories of all those clothes I sewed for my kids and some for myself.
08-02-2010, 11:59 AM
#37
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: la la land
Posts: 2,173
I had a stained glass business in the early 80's and when I hung up my tools I picked up fabrics. My best friend in high school gave me a quilt she made for me in 1975 and since then I wanted to learn how to quilt. A few years ago I sent her pix and she was pleasently shocked at what I am doing in quilting. That made me feel so good. She unfortunatly does not quilt any more :? .
08-03-2010, 02:49 AM
#38
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: nova scotia
Posts: 62
My depression was getting worse with anxiety and I needed something to concentrate on so I took a machine quilting class and started sewing again. I love it and it has help quite a bit. I feel like I am doing something useful again and my creative side is once again coming out.
08-03-2010, 02:59 AM
#39
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Noblesville, IN
Posts: 1,294
Originally Posted by CorgiNole
I'm not sure why.
I've always admired quilts and envied those who make such beautiful items. But I've also always been worried about my ability to execute such items (a nasty streak of perfectionism).
This spring, I found directions for a Rag Quilt and thought that sounded like a neat way to quilt without having to worry about the accuracy (Um - Nope - Accuracy in seams, cutting, etc. is still a good idea). The more I read about quilting, the more intrigued I got. Then I found this board and learned about Harriet Hargrave's Quilters Academy series.
Now I'm hooked.
Cheers, K
I've always admired quilts and envied those who make such beautiful items. But I've also always been worried about my ability to execute such items (a nasty streak of perfectionism).
This spring, I found directions for a Rag Quilt and thought that sounded like a neat way to quilt without having to worry about the accuracy (Um - Nope - Accuracy in seams, cutting, etc. is still a good idea). The more I read about quilting, the more intrigued I got. Then I found this board and learned about Harriet Hargrave's Quilters Academy series.
Now I'm hooked.
Cheers, K
08-03-2010, 03:07 AM
#40
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Noblesville, IN
Posts: 1,294
I just got into quilting because I have always admired them, and i have been afraid to try it (perfectionism). I went through a realloy hard time past year, and part of the result of that is facing a major life change. I decided it was time to face some of my fears, incluing going on a diet program, and part of the "new me" is trying new things, which is very hard for me. I have found wodnerful support here, and I have even been adopted by one of th eladies here who shares my birthdya (we are one year apart exactly!) I am so so lucky. The Lord sends help when we need it!
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