About 30 years. I had all kinds of odd sheets left from sets and a huge box of scrapes left from sewing for my family. We were short of blankets, batting was cheap at the time, so did what my ancestors did. Used what I had to make quilts. The first were just scrap squares sewed together and tied to a sheet with the overhang flipped over for an edge. A neighbor who quilted showed me how to hand quilt with a hoop and I was HOOKED. Have loved it ever since.