maryb119

I have been sewing as long as I can remember. I learned from my mother and both grandmothers. None of them quilted. I was married young and by the time I was 20, I had two babies of my own. We moved to Texas where my now X was stationed at Ft. Hood. I was a stay at home mom and the days were long. My DD was ready for a "big girl" bed and I decided to make a quilt for her. I used fabric paints on the blocks and when I pieced it, I used 5/8 seam allowances. I wrote to my grandmother and told her about it and sent a picture. She surprised me with a subscription to Quilters Newsletter Magazine for my birthday. I read it cover to cover and learned so much. I have been quilting since. My daughter still has her quilt (she's 36) and I still subscribe to Quilters newsletter Magazine.

Zoe

What a great thread to learn of our different stories...much as the quilts themselves must be! I started sewing fabric squares together that my mother, a talented seamstress, had saved. I must have been around eight or nine years old, old enough to use her Singer sewing machine. This was in the Louisiana Bayous years ago. Then my quilting stopped after my marriage and my leaving the area to travel all over the world. As fate would have it, I was in a sewing group in North Africa (Tunisia) that had American women of all ages and talents. One of our oldest and dearest members was sitting in the corner, quietly sewing away. I asked "what are you sewing?" She said she was sewing a pattern called Cathedral Window and offered to teach me.

As others have posted, I was hooked. This marvelous lady even showed me how to make cardboard templates that I used to fussy cut the motifs from my little daughter's clothes. I, too, did not realize how much work was involved, but I did finish that square which hangs as a framed artwork in my now-grown daughter's home.

When I returned to the States, my mother came up to visit and to spend the summer. She brought a quilt top pieced by her oldest sister called Birds in Air. Mom and I hand quilted that top, and I have pictures of us sitting at the drop-down frame doing that hand quilting.

I treasure these memories more than anything...that of Ethel H. who got me restarted and of my own dear mother, enjoying summers with me (no cooking, no housework) just quilting, shopping, and eating.

"The heart hath its own memory, like the mind." --H. W. Longfellow

Grammie Sharon

My best friend's mom had a business in her basement making drapery. My girlfriend, Terri and I learned to sew from her mom and would help her when she made the drapes. She always had scraps leftover and would let us use them to make shorts and skirts. My parents then decided to buy me my first machine a Sears Kenmore. I really enjoyed sewing clothes for school and Terri and I made our first quilte by tieing it with yarn. I took more sewing classes in school and made my own prom dresses. When I graduated from high school I wanted a machine that did some stitches other than zigzag so after seeing a friend's machine I bought an Elna SU. When I got married I made my wedding gown and I loved sewing when my children were little. my next attempt at quilting was making some simple blankets when they were babies. When my daughter got married about 6 years ago and I had not sewn in a long time. Somehow life got busy with children activities and work but I wanted to try making her a quilt for a present so I took a quilting class and I was hooked. I love sewing and when I do I always think of my dear friend Terri. She would get so mad because her mom when teaching us would make us practice putting in zippers, tear them out and do it again. I only wished I learned more about drapery. My dear friend passed away from cancer two years ago but I smile when I think about putting in a zipper. We truly had load of fun sewing together as young girls.

franie

My story is not as interesting. I have sewed since I was about 10 or 12. I used to make my own clothing and then I made a lot of my children's clothing and even made hubby's shirts. I have always loved the look of quilts. Life had gotten in the way a lot and I was working and not much sewing was happening--I was doing other needlework. Then I got laid off from my job and hubby was close to retiring and said don't bother to go back to work. So I decided I was going to learn how to quilt. I started with a wallhanging from a book--it was kind of like Greek. So decided to take a fundamentals class which got me into a dif mode for sure. And I have not stopped since. I have never sent a quilt out to be quilted. I felt like it was not my own work if someone else quilted it. About 15 years later I have made so many quilts and tried so many things and have a stash to die for. I now also have a Tin Lizzie and take in some machine quilting on the side. I sew with groups here in my area and I love the social end of it as well. See, kind of boring compared to having grandmothers doing quilts etc. that influence. My mother was a sewer but she never tackled a quilt.

cjomomma

I am sending a big {{{{{{{{{{{{{{HUG}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}} and a THANK YOU to everyone on this thread. These are the threads of our lives, what has made us who we are today. QUILTERS with a passion for our loved ones and friends. We are never alone as long as we have this board to come to. Our lives have now been threaded together. We all now have more of an understanding of each other and our passions. The sharing of stories and the sharing with each other thru the mail has made this big world amazingly smaller.

My story is much more then what I wrote. Let me put it this way, Dh says if it were not for my quilting I would have lost my mind and he would have lost his wife.

Please keep the stories of your quilting lives coming. All stories are welcome.

GrammaNan

God Bless you. Please post a picture of your quilt when it is finished. I think we would all love to see it.

Sewnique

Well, I started sewing in Jr High. I made my first outfit to wear in a beauty pagnent. Then, I started making all my clothes and I have twin sisters and made a lot of their clothes as well. After marrying in my Senior year, I worked on my wedding dress! Then when my son came along, I made a lot of his clothes and some for my DH as well. My grandmother and aunts quilted and I remember wanting to learn how to do that. An aunt, brave as she was (still living at 92y/o) took me under her wing and taught me a few things. Recently at my church another lady and myself have started a sewing club two Saturdays a month to teach other ladies in the church how to quilt. I have sewn ever since and the rest is history. Since I stumbled onto this site and love the board, I have learned a wealth of knowledge on it, which I greatly appreciate! Everyone is so knowledgeable and when I read something, and I have a question and before I can get to where I can ask my question, someone else has ask it for me! So, I just love this board! Thanks for asking for our stories. I look forward to reading others to come.

pam1966

I have sat here and read all these stories- they are amazing.

My mother sewed a little for us when I was growing up. I took home ec in 8th grade and was NOT impressed. I think I might have sewed my shirt to whatever project I was supposed to be doing.

A good friend of mine introduced me to cross stitch and plastic canvas needlework right after I got married. I did both for years. After my dd was born, for whatever reason I decided I would try sewing again. Got myself a cheap Singer and made my dd some clothes.

Life got busy, then we moved into a big house with a LOT of windows. Well I just decided I wouldn't pay a lot of money for nice curtains, I would just make them. Keep in mind that the window in my "formal" living room is 24 feet high! By this time I had upgraded to a Babylock Espire. Now I know that was a good machine because I put that poor thing through hell.

I would make crafty type things now and then, tote bags, made myself some clothing (by this time my dd was a teenager and wouldn't be caught dead in something homemade). Then I had the surprise of my life when I ended up pregnant at age 41.

About a year ago I decided to make a quilt out of my ds's baby blankets (he's 2 1/2 now). And the rest is history- I love to quilt!

And I'm so so SO glad I found this board- so much wonderful advice, inspiration, and encouragement!

sueisallaboutquilts

I just read every story and loved them all!!
Nobody in my family was into sewing although I have white pillow shams that my grandmother crossed-stitched her initials on . She died when I was 3 months old and they are precious to me. My other Gram knitted, my Mom knitted and still does and sewed a bit but not much. Anyway, I thought sewing was for dorks (what a brat I must have been!) My girlfriend and I got signed up to take a sewing class by our Moms during the summer we were 15 and we never went!! We spent the hour or whatever it was walking around, smoking, etc. We were way too cool to sew. BUT I always loved making things,from as long back as I can remember (Girl Scouts, school projects etc) The lady I babysat for taught me how to knit and I did some knitting in high school and college (still do)During my first pregnancy I got interested in embroidery and made a wall-hanging for my baby. Then I decided to learn to sew so I could make him little clothes. I took a sewing class and the teacher was wonderful. I sewed happily for many years, making some clothes for my boys, but lots of crafty type things too. I loved machine applique b/c boys clothing patterns were so blah that I added cute little things to their shorts and pants. Then cross-stitch,more knitting, you name it. In 1986 my friend wanted to take a quilting class and asked if I wanted to go with her. Quilting never crossed my mind until then. I got hooked immediately and haven't stopped. The funny thing about that class is that my friend made that one sampler quilt and never made another!We still laugh about it. Carol Doak took the same class but a few years before me!!! She got her start right her in Ohio :)
Right now I'm working on a series of 3 quilts made entirely of antique cottons I've collected that I will machine piece and hand quilt for each of my 3 sons. I'm so excited about this new project!!! Each one is a Log Cabin variation that suits each one's personality. I don't care how many UFO'S I have- I want each of my boys to have several of their own quilts to have long after I'm gone. I've made them all quilts but these are hopefully going to be extra special.
And I hope I live long enough to finish all my UFO's and at least some of the ideas in my head :D
Thanks for all the great posts. They are so heart-warming!!!

bjdemir

Mom started teaching to sew and crochet. Learned how to knit in 4-H and continued learning to sew. Had my own alterations business for 11 years and taught sewing, knitting, crocheting and cross stitch for 4-H for 20 years and now Judge 4-H and open class textiles at County and state fairs here in Oregon and a some in Washington. I retired 7 years ago and about 2 years ago saw a picture of a quilt that was picture pieced which drew my interest. Bought a pattern and off I went. Made my first quilt last year for our first great nephew and have completed 3 more quilts - 2 of which are out being quilted. One I just finished myself for my sister. I have 2 others in the making - one is last years shop hop - I need to make it bigger with more blocks and the other is a block of the month which I have completed 16 of the 24 - a few more months to go. I am also in the process of make a memory quilt for a friend. The top is about 2/3 done. No pattern, just add on as I go. It does have a few structured block but most is ab lib. Looks okay so far. It is being made out of the gentleman's shirts. Hope it turns out well.