katei

Don't know - my mum was always sewing for us when we were small, so I guess it was just 'in the blood'!

mayday

husband worked several petit point victorian cushion fronts,so had to back/cord ----bought black fabric and made my own stencils for backs ,30 yrs ago.
then inherited lots fabric so make lap quilts for funds of USA charity English toy spaniel rescue

auntiehenno

Good chilly morning from Colorado!
At least this cool will keep my large apt. cool toady. Was pretty hot this weekend.
As for this quilting business - my Grandmother White, dad's mom, was a quilter well before I was born. She was born in 1869 and I was born in 1942 - ya I"m gonna be 68 soon - but don't tell anyone. :)

My mother was a seamstress before I came along, but never quilter.Wonderfull knitter as well. I can knit, but takes me forever. Do better at crocheting. :) She was a genious seamstress for herself, and made my clothes---always stylish. Knitted the most beautiful sweaters for brother as well as myself..When she was in a high school,during Depression - took a suit her father could not wear anymore and made a suit for herself.

Did not inherit my mother's gift for patientce or genious, or talent but, I did learn to sew. As, a child and teen growing up, I was always sewing something, not just clothing but craft things and selling them.

Never realized Grandmother quilted until 10 years or so a her death in the 60's. I tried to make a patch quilt and they never lined up, and just get the scraps in my late father's "Grip' as he called it - briefcase. Didn't learn the tricks of the trade until later.

In the late 80's the high school where I taught, put on the play - ? QUILTER - believe that was the name of it and also a movie by same name came out later. This inspired me to once again try my hand at this lovely art. And it is indeed an art, whether you are a genious or not. Indeed, somedays it take patience, but We like it and we forge on.

Since CFIDS hit me a number of years ago, don't quilt as much, but still buy fabric and my daughter thinks I am silly to do it. She frowns upon it. :(Keeps my creative juices flowing and my mind from becoming stagnet.

Still take a class once in awhile. They are always fun. 8-) 8-)

EagarBeez

When I was very small, I remember the wedding ring quilt my parents had on their bed. As I got older, I did a lot of different crafts, crocheting, needlepoint, to name a few. I then went to a Pennsylvania Dutch craft festival, and I was even more interested to learn a new craft.

Barbara A.

I made all my children's clothing until the "name brand" came to be. That is also about the time I got a job. Well, we had mainly women employed and having babies seemed to be something that goes along with working women, too. I needed something different for showers...this was back in the late '70s and '80s...a baby quilt, a baby afghan, bibs, whatever homemade was considered really GREAT...as long as it turned out nice, the process f putting together wasn't even a consideration. No right, no wrong...just looked nice and it wore really well. Take pictures and duplicate however you wanted to or could do. Now, quilt police would have a hay-day with those beginning quilts...

laurac

like so many of you, i've sewed since i was a kid. i did a lot of crocheting for many years, mostly edging on baby blankets that i gave away.
with the birth of a grandbaby i started dabbling (self taught-seat of the pants) in quilting. with the next grandbaby i stepped it up to a more intricate pattern and now i'm hooked.

AmyM

When I was a kid we had those knee high socks with the elastic at the top. Those made great barbie dresses. Although, my Mother would rant and rave because I'd wear the socks that I hadn't cut up. So most of my sock pairs were of two different colors. After that I saw how my older sister made a quilt out of polyester scraps. My first attempt with polyester scraps almost made me want to never sew again, then I tried cotton. And I was hooked.

chicagoshar

I had been sewing for years, and teaching sewing for 20 years and my BFF asked me why I hadn't tried quilting. I said "cut all that beautiful fabric into little pieces and sew it back together again? Are you nuts?" She took me on a quilting retreat and challenged me to try it - I did and absolutely fell in love with it. I've been quilting now for 15 years. When I first started, I saw so many quilters making quilted jackets & vest with no idea how to fit the garments, so I started teaching quilted clothing. Now I teach quilting and sewing for the local junior college, so I've come a long way - still challenged by it every day and still loving it!

cat-on-a-mac

I was fortunate enough to be able to go from full-time to part-time work a couple years ago, and one of the things I always said I would do when I retire is sew again. Had sewn since I was a kid, but never had much time for it when I was working. But, to me, sewing always meant making clothes, and I really don't need new clothes! Last summer, tho, I watched a movie called "how to make an American Quilt", and I realized that quilting might be a great way to enjoy sewing. And, it surely has been! I have always loved geometry, too, so I find the geometric patterns of patchwork really fascinating.

lilpoohbearie

When I was 7 my mom went to a fabric store near our home and they were selling swatch books for cheap we bought them out. She spent the day sorting and decided to make a quilt. So I asked if I could make one. She never showed me how to sew I just did it. Now 30 years later (I really dread saying that). I don't mean to bring this up evertime I write but it is important to the topic. 2 years ago I had to stop working due to a back injury (I have scar tissue in my spine that involves the nerves I live in constant pain on scale of 1-10 it's around a 9) I decided since I could not work I didn't feel like I provided to society so to give back I created my own business. It allowed me to use quilting as a one way for me to theraputically escape the pain for a little bit and make beautiful quilts. My husband decided to start his non-profit which takes care of police/fire/vets families so we combined them and now I make quick quilts, bargello style and strip quilts. All this from my mom buying material 30 years ago!