littlehud

I love to knit and crochet. I also have done a lot of cross stitch, but seeing how much my kids loved the quilt my mom made for my oldest daughter made me want to create something that could be that loved too. It took just one to hook me and now I make them because I love to.

barnbum

I never thought of that--the comforting sound of mama sewing to tucked in kids... neat.

I love this post.... I keep coming back to read additions.

Iluv2quilt

I am now a quilter, I started as a sewer, then knitter and crocheter, moved into a painter and now back to a sewer, a quilter. I lost most of my memory growing up due to electric shock treatments back in 2001. Quilting gives me back memories of my favorite things, being with my grandparents, sewing til 2:00 a.m., designing the next set of clothes, making stuffed animals. What a relaxing, loving environment that was and now still is. A friend showed me how to make log cabin quilts. She gave me all the in and out secrets of patchwork. Then I just took off, sewing all different patterns, designing with color, and loving every minute of it. You see I have bipolar disorder and a side effect is creativity. What a marvelous outcome from such a disabling disorder. And reaching a quilting board like this one has been wonderful in itself. Thank you for the subject and a bit of nostalgia.

suzi

Rhonda

My 11 yr old DGS comes and stays with me and when I sew he complains he can't hear the TV! So I find myself only sewing on the machine during commercials!LOL He sits right beside me and watches my TV on my work table. There is a TV on the other side of the room for the kids but he has to be joined at the hip to me while he is here!! Love him to pieces!!

carrieg

I fell into quilting. My mom put her name in for a prize at a holiday open house at a strip mall about 5-6 years ago. She won the grand prize of $1000! She got gift cards to each store, about 25 of them. Among the ones she gave me was the free class at the LQS.

It was a struggle to make the beginner wall hanging. I hadn't sewed since Jr hi. But I finished it and have been quilting or piecing ever since. That 'free' class has cost me plenty!

My paternal grandmother taught me embroidery and basic sewing. I've done embroidery and cross stitch off & on for years. Those of you who don't think your kids or grandkids will quilt, give them time to get to middle-age LOL. They might pick it up then.

ddrobins1956

I really like the idea of leaving some quilts behind when I leave this world. I have quilts that my gr. mother made and it's very comforting to know that her hands touched that fabric, even though she has been gone for many years. My goal is to leave some special family quilts for my children and gr. children. I'm thinking that I'll not gift them with these until I'm very old or have passed. Sounds crazy I know, but it's really all I'll probably have left for them, as I'm spending their inheritence on fabric and sewing machines.....lol

Bill'sBonBon

I love to quilt for the enjoyment of creating something that I did alone. It also helps me to get AWAY when things get to much for me. As a caregiver for my almost 83 yr old Mother. I have been sewing since I was about 8 yrs old. The Chalenge is what I need to keep my sanity sometimes. :D My Mom had a singer treadle and did a lot of sewing our school clothes by hand and treadle machine. She did crochet and embroidery. I learned to embroider but for some reason the crochet just didn't click with me and Mom didn't push it. But I did love to sew. I sewed play clothes for my 2 daughters, for other people for myself. I always had an interest in quilts have always admired them but didn't know I could do it until about 2003 My sister got me interested in making Quillows for Christmas and it just took off from there. So I really havn't been quilting all that long but I have been sewing a long,long time.
BillsBonBon

Covered in Threads

What a question and the stories are so dear. So please let me share mine.
For myself, my father was the quilter in our family. He was taught by his mother and aunts, using a huge adjustable wooden frame. He then taught his children and many young sailors (he was a boot camp instructor for the Navy) how to hand sew and repair clothing items. My mother did embroidery and sewing of costumes. My grandparents were talented oil and acrylic artists. And I too did the Home Ec scene in Junior/High school and actually was awarded "Miss Crisco" in 1970 but never really did any kid of quilting till later on. Opps, I just gave away my age. Oh well.
I've spent many years sewing outfits and costumes for our daughters and a lot of special customers. When our girls were young I found an outlet for relieving my stress by handsewing and designing my own stuffed animals and lots of other sewn items. And I have sold many of my finished projects at local craft shows and gift shops. This habit helped me quite a bit when I decided to quite smoking 25+ years ago. A few years back while doing a craft show, I lady from a local quilter's guild was admiring my hand work and commented on quilting to me. Well to make a long growing story short, she is now a dear friend and has helped me to become a quilter. In doing so it also brings back some fond memories.
One of those memory was of my father after he retired he actually had a wooden rack suspended from the family room ceiling that he would drop down when company came by. He'd put on coffee, drop down the most recent project and encouraged visitors to give it a try. And he would manage to complete a hand sewn Queen size quilt every year till the day he passed away. The quilts were all donated to his church to do what they wanted with it. I've managed to get my hands on one and it's now displayed in my livingroom.

quiltswithdogs

Covered---Wow, a father who quilted! I never knew anybody who did.

DD,Loretta---I also thought of leaving behind something pretty for those I love. I've only been quilting a few years. When I gave my older daughter a bedquilt for her 21st BD, she was so thrilled and said now she has an heirloom! I think that's supposed to be said of really old things, made by people who are long gone.... but I got the significance of her statement and was pleased it meant so much to her.

So, if I ever need another online name it could be Heirloom Maker!

Rhonda

I have thought about adding my name to the things I make to sell but it would be too time consuming. I make lots of small stuff. I know there are thousands of hotpads I have made over the last 11 years out there. I even had some go to Japan and the Netherlands. So I went international a couple of times! But putting my name on them seems like bragging and with a bookmark being so small and my time so busy I just never did. I like the idea that there are lots of my hotpads and checkbook covers bookmarks etc out there and that people like them. I hope they brighten someone's life.
As far as leaving my kids any -I have done some lap size stuff they either have or will get.