PenniF

I guess i'm a weird - Neither my Mom nor Gram sewed...i did - from my HEc preteen days - my own clothes, then later my daughter's...made small quilt projects over the years without really knowing the "rules". But as i got into quilting more, for me, it's both "therapy" and a chance to express myself. Let's face it, despite wishing i could, i'll never write the great American novel, or paint a Mona Lisa, or play / write music - but i can make something that's pretty, that someone can use and enjoy, and that makes me happy...with the added bonus of having fun teaching my grand-daughters to quilt !

Nina Baker

Mother left two quilt tops when she passed. One was made from scraps from the garments we had worn, and she had made the garments. My daughter wanted that one finished. I took a quilting class so I could do that, and the die was cast.

MaryLane

Mostly boredom. I have always done garment construction. I considered quilting part of the home decor portion of sewing that I didn't care for. After the kids all grew up and I wanted to sew it seemed the most reasonable thing to do.

MargeD

My Mom taught me to sew before first grade. In the beginning it was an embroidered pot holder, then aprons and by the time I entered high school I made 90% of my clothes. I drifted away from sewing for a few years, but I did buy quilt magazines. My daughter wanted me to make here a quilt from a pattern in Spinning Spools by Georgia Bonesteel and I even purchased her video on quilting. Kari's quilt is the only quilt I hand quilted because I developed carpal tunnel syndrome from years of typing as a secretary. Then my husband spotted a "crib size" quilt with baskets. Of course my simple mind decided that it would be easy to make a king size quilt - I just had to make more blocks. LOL In short the "Basket Case" quilt grew to be an oversized king quilt (one good turn deserves all the covers) and managed to machine quilt with my Sears Kenmore sewing machine. No one told me I couldn't do it - so I did, but I did manage to take some quilting and machine quilting classes which helped tremendousy. Then when the quilting group at church decided that they didn't want to make more raffle quilts for the church fair, a group of us got together and made a beautiful floral stenciled quilt, which made a lot of money for the church. The rest, as they say, is history,I've lost count of the raffle quilts I have made as well as hundreds of quilted baby blankets, table runners, placemats, wall hangings,etc.etc. I made my DD's quilt when she was 8 or 9 and I've been quilting ever since. I'm now 65 years old, and although I'm recovering from a spinal cord injury to my neck which sidelined me for 4 months in the hospital and rehab. I'm happy to report that I'm regaining the use of my hands and legs, but I'm starting to quilt again, which makes me very lucky that I can. Since I've started to quilt (small things for now_) I'm much happier, which makes my family glad as I get very "grumpy" when I can't quilt. Now - on to clothes and more quilts for our wonderful grand daughte Zoe - maybe some day she may want to learn to quilt. Happy quilting everyone..

janedee

I was going through a very difficult time with one of my daughters who at that time was seriously ill with an eating disorder (she is now recovered thank God) and all my time was revolved around her and visiting her in hospital when I saw an advert for a beginners quilt class just for a few hours on a saturday - so feeling incredibly selfish I signed up - it gave me space from all the problems and I found then as I still do 10 years on very theraputic .

Deborahlees

I first started sewing when I was 5 years old, simple needle and thread. Then learned to sew on my mothers little Singer Featherweight machine. Made my own clothes, then for both my sons and all my nieces..... I love the concept of quilts and have been sewing/pieceing and quilting for well over 40 years. Quilts, unlike clothes, can last forever. They are history from the person who sewed it to the person who receives it....After my husband passed away, I kept some of his shirts and made a quilt for each grandchild, and included in the quilt a photo of them with their grandpa....now that quilt might now be in a closet somewhere, but I have the satisfaction of knowing I made it and gave those kids a memory for life....I also sew for the Linus Project, a local homeless shelter and our local military hospital, passing onto them my love of fabric, design and hopfully bringing them a little joy. What more can be said about this fantastic passion.

Halo

I started sewing doll cloths when I was little. Then advanced to making all my school cloths & went on to making all my kids cloths. My girls didn't get their first bought dress till they were twelve. Once all the kids were away from home, I had a heart attack. I wasn't able to do hardly anything for such a long time I really felt useless. Then I heard about the Linus project quilting for kids. That gave me a reason to go on & I started my quilting adventure & haven't stopped. I truly feel this is what saved my life.

kathymarie

Mine is a classic reply I guess....My grandmother made over 300 quilts and supported her large family from the 30's through the '60's by selling quilts made on her treadle sewing machine Even after she got a new electric machine with cams in the sixties she always preferred and usually used the treadle. She was the dearest person in the world to me. While she was living I thought quilting was for "old" ladies...I liked getting a quilt from her but never thought about making one myself. She passed away in December of 1975 at the age of 86 when I was newly married and living several hours away. I was heartbroken and depressed for many, many months. Early in 1976, as a Bi-Centennial grant project, a free quilting class was offered in my county. In an effort to feel close to Grandma Emma again I took the class.....was almost immediately hooked and have been quilting ever since and am now a professional quilter myself....and my youngest of three daughters is named Emma as well.

quiltingshorttimer

My mother was always sewing clothes, etc for all of us so the machine was always available. She basically taught me how to sew despite the fact that I did take a home ec class in jr. high--my mom's way was much more pragmatic--bought an easy pattern and said do it--ask if you have problems! But the first "quilt" I made was in 4th grade when we studied US pioneers--we had to do something for class. My effort was hand sewn and mess! So my Mom made me re-do it correctly and I still have it! (it's a doll quilt)
I sewed clothing for my kids when they were little, horse show clothing and other stuff and always wanted to quilt--but the pre-rotary cutting era was too daunting for me!
when I moved to the "country" the local guild has beginner classes for the price of membership yearly--2.5 years ago my daughter and I took the class and I've been hooked every since! I find I really don't like making clothing anymore(especially after recently sewing some wedding clothing with that awful, fraying, slick material!) but find that quilting allows me to be creative and productive and I just love it!

Latrinka

Always did just love fabric, but started making scrub tops, and having a lot of scraps, so one day I just started cutting out squares, by hand, then cutting them in half triangles, then mixing up, sewing together into strips, then wah-lah, I had a scrappy patch work quilt. Tied and binded, made several of these. Hated home-ec in school, don't like making clothes, except the scrub tops (easy peezy).