GailG

Sewing was a part of my mom's life from the time of my birth. She made her clothes, my clothes, and my doll's clothes. When I was about six or seven I received a little hand-cranked sewing machine. How I wish I still had that thing to place on my sewing room shelf. Her sewing machine at the time was a sleek black Blue Grass. It looked a lot like the old Singers. Her next machine was a Singer 301. It is still in operation today, My mom has passed on and I am keeping my fingers crossed that no one else wants that machine. I want to take it home with me.

The first actual garment I made though was a sundress when I was in the seventh grade. Before that it was embroidery.

AnnR

My mother and my grandmother sewed from my earliest memory. I thought everyone's moms and grandmoms sewed...and maybe most of them did back in the 1940's. When I was little, I played in my mother's button box under her cutting table while she sewed, and I loved to go through my grandmother's scrap bag that she used for quilting while at her house. It never occurred to me not to sew. My mother started me out by helping me make a nighty when I was 8 years old. I started sewing on my own in earnest while in jr. high school and have been sewing ever since. I added quilting to the sewing about 25 years ago. We have given both of our married daughters sewing machines, and they grew up with me sewing most of their clothes, but the sewing bug has yet to bite them. I keep hoping...

sarahrachel

I don't know how old I was but my mom has been sewing for as long as I can remember. But I remember being able to play with her left over pieces and scraps. I had enough for a 9 patch with angles in the corners at one time, and started sewing it together, but I think I must have been about 7 when she gave me a needle and thread. I don't think I ever finished it though and I have no idea where it disappeared too!

hairquilt

I'm like Davis2se my Mom had a sister that was a professional seamtress & she made all our clothes (2 more sisters) What I remember most is going with Mom to buy the fabric-maybe that is where I get my passion for new fabric) My DG had a quilt frame at the top of the ceiling in her sitting room. I never saw her quilt but I always thought I am going to quilt some day. That day was in my thirties when I bought a quilting book at Bransons. I read the book & then it went on my shelf for another 20 years. Then my sister joined a quilt guild & every lesson she had she taught me, As the saying goes I haven't looked back since! What a joy quilting has been for me. At 68 yo I figure in my mind maybe I can make 20 or so more quilts before I die(I hand quilt) I have one put back specialy to drape my casket! Love this board & am slowly making my way around/LOL

gardnergal970

My little brothers and I played with the treadle when the machine was closed. Our family did the feedsacks for clothes. We kids would pick out the patterns we want and the parents would dig through the stack to get them. We all knew how many bags it would take to make our garments. I remember Mom chain piecing for quilts she gave as wedding gifts. I got to cut the chains and stack them up for the next step in the process. I was about 7 when I tried to make a stocking hat for my baby brother and sewed through my finger...Mom was outside helping Dad with chores. It didn't deter me although by the time I was about 10 Mom bought a Phaff 203 and I thought I had died and gone to heaven. It had a zigzag stitch and I could make buttonholes! Like an earlier post, I made most of my own clothes and later those of my family until it was cheaper to buy ready made and life just got too busy with my family of 5 children. About 30 years ago I took a quilt lesson and set out to make quilts for all of my children. I got one top pieced and another started plus a couple of others for my husband's parents. A little over a year ago, I picked up challenge of making a quilt for each child but it now includes 7 grandchildren. I'm having soooo much fun! I'm finishing those 30 year old UFO's and have projects and plans for most of the family plus a few for me to enjoy myself. How thankful I had a creative Mother...even it it was a matter of neccesity. It's a rich heritage.

ShirlinAZ

My earliest memories are of my mother sewing on her Singer model 15. All the women I knew sewed - grandmothers, aunts, neighbors - except 1 aunt. She knew how, but was too proud (I now know), and I was so jealous of the store-bought dresses my cousins had. They moved to the city when I was about 9, so I lost that bad influence and regained my love of home-made. When I got too demanding about style, around 12 yo, Mom said she wasn't going to sew for me any more, I had to make my own clothes. Love you, Mom! I am a pretty fair designer and seamstress, but I now prefer to wear jeans and t-shirts so I buy them. I make dresses for my granddaughter, but mostly I quilt. I'd rather be in my sewing room than anywhere else.

Podunk Princess

My mother made most of my dresses and my dad's and brother's shirts, too. One year for Christmas I received a small steamer trunk with a row of doll dresses hanging inside and the dresses were exact replicas of the ones she had made for me. I was probably 5 or 6 years old at the time but will always remember that precious gift.

bjgallent

My Mom sewed many of our clothes. My Grandma made my sister and me many doll clothes (even an embroidered quilt for our dolls). So guess that is where I got my start of love of sewing, quilting, and embroidery.

Linda1

I don't remember anyone in my family sewing. I took Home Ec in highschool and that is what got me started. I made all my clothes and many of my children's clothes. My husband's grandmother made quilts. She had the quilt frame that hung from the ceiling. She was one of the sweetest ladies I had ever met in my life.

Dakota Girl

I developed an interest in sewing, when spending time with my Great Aunt Olga. She had a sewing machine that worked
with a treadle. My first lessons were hemming flour sack dish towels. That machine was a thing of wonder to me. When I was a very young child, every time I went near the machine, I was warned by older family members to "don't touch, that needle could go through your finger." I guess that is what is called an early warning system for little hands.