QuiltingGrannie

My mother made all my clothes when I was growing up. When she made me a pink corduroy coat I called a halt to her sewing for me. (It was not in style then or since to my knowledge, but I'll never forget it. --- That, nor the zipper dress, not the fruit fabric dress....and more. )
Anyway. when I was 10 she decided to make a quilt. She used 4" squares cut from all the clothes she had made over the years. The one side was made in wools, tweeds and heavy warm fabric. The other side was the cottons and other spring summer fabrics. I remember kneeling on the floor putting it all together. She tied quilted it.
It was the only quilt she ever made. I still have it. I is real heavy, and queen size.

My daughter started quilting while in high school. I tried but failed during that time and said I could never learn to quilt.

Then..... I started working in the fabric department at Walmart with a co worker who quilts.
The rest as they say is history - my history. I've been quilting only since August '09 and am so hooked!

Pati- in Phx

Great topic and I have enjoyed reading the stories.
My mom's mother (Grandma) sewed and quilted. My mom did not.
Had jr high Home Ec, and one year of High School Home Ec. But since I was on a "college prep" track didn't take more. (I had plans to go to medical school some day.)
Made almost all my clothes from the time I was in High School. In College I started out as a Biology/Psychology double major, for 2 years. because of some health problems I ended dropping some classes and finally transferred to the School of Home Economics. Got married. Graduated with a major in Clothing and Textiles. Almost finished a Master's in the same, plus coursework towards a Master's in Adult Education. <G> Along the way worked as an alteration's tailor for one of the department stores. Learned a lot about altering clothes, especially men's wear.
Separated from hubbie and there were no jobs to be found in Tucson. Came to Phoenix to visit a friend, checked out job opportunities and had a promise of a job as soon as I moved. Found an apartment that weekend, moved the next.
Ended up doing alterations for a fine women's wear shop for a while. Then after I remarried took some time off.
During all this I was doing a lot of sewing of different stuff.
And I mean "different". Ex was a square dance caller so I made a lot of matching outfits, including a couple of western style jackets for him. Had had tailoring in school and made a wool jacket too.
Also did some sewing of Science Fiction/Fantasy costumes and got involved in the Society for Creative Anachronism, which is a group that "re-creates" the better parts of the Middle Ages. (And where I found my current DH, who is also a science fiction writer.)
Made and sold a lot of "medievals" for a few years. Got my teaching certificate, after tutoring math at one of the community colleges locally. Was hired to teach half time at one of the schools. So I was a Home Ec teacher (but now called "Life Skills". One summer I got a part time job at House of Fabrics. Which turned into fulltime and assistant manager after I quit trying to teach. <G>
That was such a blast. Loved the work and being around fabric all the time. But there was a buy out and yadda, yadda....... In order to not be totally taken advantage of I ended up signing up for some quilt classes. Wonderful and i have been quilting ever since.
And teaching. And joining guilds and on line groups and more.


Pati, in Phx

Marjpf

Wow there are wonderful stories here. I am so glad you started this thread.
My story is similar, yet quite different. I come from a long line of sewers. My fathers mother made quilts, and my mothers mother did upholstery. My Mother sewed all our clothes as kids. I was and still am a needle pointer with the occasional cross stitch piece thrown in. When my daughters were born I sewed some of their clothes but mainly made their Halloween costumes. One day at the fabric store looking for the next Halloween costume pattern, my youngest daughter saw a pattern for a quilt that had bunnies with floppy ears and floppy aprons. She fell in love with it. So, for my first ever quilt project I made it for her. (In retrospect, it was a far more difficult pattern than a beginner should ever attempt.) She is now 23 and still has it, though it's much the worse for wear. After that, I started making baby blankets for every one I know who had a baby. As time went on, I started making a few for myself, too. So, now I usually have a needlepoint and a quilt going at the same time. Beats being bored.

GrammaNan

My mom had an old quilt that her grandmother made. We were very poor when we were little and when my mom had my second brother, she cried when she had to cut it in half so both boys would have a blanket. I remember my grandmother telling her that it was alright, that her grandmother would be proud that she made something that kept her great grandsons warm. I was pretty little when this happened but it left a mark. Time went by and life happened I had three children of my own and one day, things fell into place and I got a part time job at a fabric store. I made my first "Quilt in a Day" pillow. More time passed and, I found myself unemployed a year ago January. I started quilting, got hooked, found fabric at the Goodwill, my youngest son bought me an $89.00 sewing machine and I haven't stopped. I love it so much.

KatFish

My daughters paternal grandmother passed away and she had started one quilt for each of my girls. She was suffering from Altimers(sp?) and had sewn each quilt without a single knot and had used bright pink embrodery(sp?) floss. I ended up blanket stitching the top because we couldn't bear to tear apart her last labor of love for my daughters. After I finshed their quilts I looked at the Library for a quilting book and fell in love with a GFG and just had to try one. Good thing I didn't know that it wasn't a beginner quilt. I made it out of flannel shirts. I call it all the men in in my life. So far I have made 19 quilts. I am hooked. LOL

laurilli

Hi. I started doing embroidery when I was about 5. When I was 7 my Grandmother gave me my very own sewing basket with floss, thimbles, pillowcases and tea towels to embroider AND her old pair of sissors. I thought I had died & gone to heaven! When I was 10 I got my own sewing machine
(most likely cuz. I waas making my nuts working on hers.
Mostly made clothes for myself and my sisters. I didn't start quilting til I was 17, I made a baby quilt for my bast friend, A hexagon design I didn't a pattern, but no one told me I couldn't do it so I just did. I embroider the baby's name & birthdate on it. I think it turned out pretty good. When I got married we bought a couch at an auction (it was SOOO ugly) I made a fitted crazy patch cover for it. I was kind of embarassed by it (this kind of tells how poor we or I felt at the time) until a friend brought a friend over and told me how much she liked it.
I have been quilting since then, about 35 years now--where has the time gone???

zz-pd

I am an art type person and me and hubby always loved looking at quilts, so I have wanted to learn for a while, even bought a elna 3 or 4 yrs ago. but right before I be came disabled last yr. they had done an MRI on my lungs, because I kept coughing. they found what they believe is glass lung. I could not get the biopse done because I became disabled and had no insurance, so I want to learn to quilt because I want to give my family a meaningful gift just in case life is all to short. and I want to thank you ladies from the bottom of my heart for sending me fabric so I can learn. Penny

zz-pd

I am so so sorry for your loss, my heart goes out to you. Penny

N.J.linda

As a child I LOVED FABRIC!!! My grandmother always had piles of it that she collected to make rag rugs. I would go into her dresser and play with the fabric, wrap my self in it but most of the time I just organized the piles and folded it neatly. In High school I took a sewing class and made dresses, but was bored. Then one day I saw the title on a Woman's Day magazine that said "make a quilt in a weekend", it was trip around the world. That weekend I cut, measured, and sewed until I was cross eyed, BUT I did make the quilt. And that was the beginning to this addiction of mine, it started 25 years ago, and isn't going to slow down any time soon.

cpfrog

To I Love2Quilt:

WOW! you did make that to give to your MILaw. What a gift! Bless you! and God bless her soul.