montanaquilter

I learned how to sew in Home Ec class. I hated it and swore I'd never sew again! A few years later I decided I wanted to sew and my mother in law bought me a machine and some material-I was terrible at it and quickly got rid of everything that had to do with sewing. This year about 2 months ago my aunt came over to my house and showed me how to quilt. I have been addicted ever since!!! I have finished 10 quilts so far. By no means are my first ones exceptional but I've been learning that practice makes perfect and I am still learning new techniques and my latest quilts haven't been too bad!! Now I am so addicted to quilting, material, magazines and this board that it's ridiculous!!! Happy quilting everyone

Lee

Chele

What wonderful stories! We are products of our environment! My mom sewed all her maternity clothes because she couldn't afford the ones from the store. I learned to sew on that very same machine. Not clothes so much, be we sewed sailboat sails, Barbie clothes, etc. My best friend's mom was a home ec teacher. She taught us some basics. My girlfriend and I had the coolest bikinis during the late 70's! We made them ourselves!

I didn't get the quilting bug until two years ago. My husband bought me machine for Christmas several years ago. I tried garment sewing, but that's so hard! Quilting was easier for me. Now I'm hooked! I have a new machine now, but still love my first Singer and would kill to have the green Singer I learned on. I think we sold it at a garage sale for $10! :cry:

genghis khan

The way i got started quilting is rather interesting even to me. Almost 2 years ago now i started working for a sign shop as a welder building electric signs and such also awnings wich as we know need to be sewn so i tried my hand at sewing and with a few pointers and help along the way i got real good at them, well as things go it wasnt long befor i started sewing small projects at home and haveing fun doing so then one day my co-worker asked if i could sew a quilt for his wife as a mothers day gift and i did its the quilt pictured in my avatar. So after all that work of makeing that quilt came the day i gave it to him and i was done and i realized it was hard to let go of something like that i had put so much time into so almost immediatly i started thinking of what to make for me and i was hooked, i wanted more knowlege of how to do certain things to make them better and all wich is how i found this board and some wonderful,helpful people here wich has helped me alot along this journey i dont see it stopping any time soon i have so many ideas!

Ethel A

I am thoroughly enjoying reading everyone's story. The love for your art shines through your words! I hope more people will share because quilting is really one of those hobbies that is a labor of love. When you make a quilt, you are putting your heart and soul into your creations. Otherwise, why even bother, right? Loving all of these stories!!!

sewhappy57

I took a sewing class in 7th grade my teacher was Jean Wells. If that name sounds familiar it's because shes a very famous quilter now. Her daughter is
Valorie Wells shes a fabric designer. It wasn't until later years I put her knowledge to work and started quilting.

b.zang

Like Patrice and mic-pa, I was matching plaids and tailoring jackets by the time I was in grade 8 sewing and bored to tears by kleenex box covers. Truly, I don't remember learning to sew, it seems something I've just always known, but my mother did teach me. As a teenager in the '60's, I had the shortest skirts and cutest clothes because I made them all myself. Then kids came along and I turned to doll clothes. I tried dressing my tomboy girl in some frilly dresses I made but other than posing for a picture she barely tolerated them so sewing went by the wayside. Instead, I picked up crewel and cross-stitch. When my children were grown, an older friend tried to talk me into letting her teach me to quilt but I was distracted and it wasn't until the impending birth of my 4th grandchild that a friend convinced me a quilt would be the perfect gift. She helped me with a simple pattern, then moved and left me with the desire to learn more. Since then it has been this website that has provided me with the most useful information about quilting. THANK YOU ALL

A couple "side" stories.....
I did all my childhood sewing on a Singer treadle and one night my 4-yr old brother left the table early, went in the other room and put the needle down just below the nail of his index finger. My mom was gagging as she rolled the needle up, then had to cut the thread and pull it out of his finger.
.....and....
I knew that my grandmother quilted, but I recently learned that she made some very complicated quilts - quite a few. Her love for quilting skipped my mother, who gave everything away (including a quilting frame) when she dealt with the estate. :cry:
I am teaching my grandchildren to quilt now.

PrettyKitty

My Mom taught me how to sew when I was little, on a non-electric Singer.

YOU GUYS all taught me how to quilt! Love ya for it! :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Bevanger

My dad taught me to sew on the sewing machine he bought over seas when he was in the Navy. I was maybe 5. I taught myself to quilt by watching shows and joining here to get help

reneebobby

Wow you guys are all lucky to have had someone teach you how to sew and quilt.

Well, here's mine,

Sewing me and the owners manual

Quilting me and the owners manual again, then reading what and how you guys all do stuff. Oh and I watch, Fons and Porter, Sewing with Nancy, and America Quilts.

tslowery

My grandmother was a sewing guru she did any and everything. You could take her shopping and show her a designer dress you liked and she would go home and make a pattern out of newspaper and make you the dress are whatever you showed her and you could hardly tell that it was not what you saw at the store. :thumbup: :thumbup: She was wonderful and she probably made a hundred quilts. She made one out of Crown Royal Bags and I helped cut it out(I gave it to my daughter when she went throught Chemo treatments and she would not give it up she has been in remission for 10yrs now :D :D :D I was told she would not live but maybe 5 yrs at most.) She just gave it back to me and it is in shreds most places :lol: :lol: gives it back when it needs to be thrown away. I cant do that it has memories. My mom also did lots of sewing. I have always made lots of cross stitch and hand work. I want to quilt have made many different blocks of different patterns but I have lots to learn about picking cloth and making a whole quilt. Hoping to learn lots from all of you!!!!! :wink: :wink: :wink: All of you are so talented and I do not even know where to begin.