My mother and grandmother taught me how to sew and later I took up cross stitch.

Then about 5 years ago, I wanted to read 'The Little House' books again by Laura Ingalls Wilder (I've not read them in years)... in the book, their mother was sewing blocks together.

Well, I wanted to know what she was sewing and bought a book about Pioneers and their quilts... I was hooked and bought all the stuff to embark on my own quilting obsession.

I had always made my kids clothes until one day my son came home and said "Mom, can I have a pair of pants that say Lee on them?"..go figure...so I decided that it was time for them to wear something besides always homemade clothes...but what would I do...hummm....had seen quilts I loved...so when it was time for me to buy a new sewing machine I went to the LQS and told her I would buy the machine if she would teach me to quilt...boy did I get suckered...I bought the machine...she sold me Quilters Almanac book...I took one class..because I was a working single mom and didn't have time to go to classes...so I taught myself mostly...I do take classes sometimes now that I am no longer working and raising kids...I love it...that was oh about 10 years ago and sew many quilts...each one is a learning lesson....but still love it.

When I was young, my mother would tell me I am not related to Betsy Ross because she couldn't sew well and didn't have the time to learn so she never encouraged me. I also have fumble fingers and a habit of quitting if something is not perfect the very first try. Three strikes against quilting for sure but I have always had a healthy respect for pioneers and how hard their lives were (I read Little House too). Despite this they made "silk purses from sow's ears" in their quilts. I also love color and texture.

As an adult I learned that I could not let impatience and imperfection stop me or else I would just have to quit life. I also believe that women are divinely ordained to be creative and since I could not make children I would make other things. So I signed up for a quilting class. Then another. I love it but am resigned to be mediocre. Maybe that is why I don't have kids??!

Necessity. I had six kids, no money and a lot of clothes to use when they were done passing down. Made great bed covers. Now I do it for fun.

I have always been 'crafty', experimenting with crocheting, leather tooling, macrame and decoupage (Boy, does that date me as a hippie girl). I had long admired quilts but wasn't much of a seamstress. However when my only daughter went off to law school I missed her so much, the empty-nest syndrome compelled me to take a beginning quilting class at the local adult ed ctr. That was in 1989 and the beginning of a new and wonderful time of my life. I have learned so much and a lot of it has not been from taking classes but from other quilters who so generously share of themselves and their experience. Thank you all for that!

I became interested in quilting when I took a non-credit leisure class through the local community college to give me something to do while my then husband was in graduate school. By the time I completed my quilt top (12 weeks later), I was hooked. That was 38 years ago. Although I've taken some breaks over the years to do other crafts, I've always returned to quilting.

Oh about 25 yrs ago stopped at the LQS and saw a sampler quilt and thought I can do that (I have always been a sewer and silly me thought this would be the same thing) Well that quilt, which I still have and use, was the beginning of my addiction: fabric, quilting, magazines, quilt books, etc.

My DIL, who is a master-award winning art quilter, said when I said I thought maybe I could make a quilt--[I was primarily a sewer who like made my hubby and I western shirts] said " you can't make a quilt"---so----I made a king sized log cabin quilt first time out---wish I had believed her cause now I'm hooked and not doing hardly any 'sewing' any more---ha ha ha!!!!---love it!!!!

My DIL, who is a master-award winning art quilter, said when I said I thought maybe I could make a quilt--[I was primarily a sewer who like made my hubby and I western shirts] said " you can't make a quilt"---so----I made a king sized log cabin quilt first time out---wish I had believed her cause now I'm hooked and not doing hardly any 'sewing' any more---ha ha ha!!!!---love it!!!!

Hmmm---now how did I send that twice???---oh well----