I learned how to sew with Gram like so many others. I made my first scrap quilt from bits of leftover clothes she made for me and other grandchildren. I kept that quilt through several moves over the years and somehow it got lost after the last one. I do miss it. I began quilting after #3 son was born. Living in a house with 3 little boys, a husband and a father in law -- I needed some girlie time. So I went to our local Sr Ctr to learn. The class was a log cabin but my Kenmore sewing machine apparently didn't like traveling. I learned how to use a rotary cutter and cut strips and that was about it. I had to rely on Eleanor Burns book to make the blocks. What I didn't learn was the difference between pressing & ironing so my blocks were not square. One day several years later I went into House of Fabrics and met a lady who said she could guarantee that if I came to her class I would finish my quilt top in one day.
Not only did she help me finish the top, she had just started machine quilting and quilted my queen quilt for only $25! I took a few other classes from her and she quilted those for $25 also. Needless to say I was hooked. That was 20 years ago and by strange coincidence she now lives about 2 blocks from me! Of course machine quilting prices have changed since then. Dang!