GammaLou

My dear grandma taught me to sew and made most of my clothes in elementary school (on a treadle machine)!! I remember having to help her rip out (unsew) seams, so learned even the best sewers need to do that occasionally.

Lavada

My mom and Mrs Hunnicut(my home ec teacher) out of seven girls only two of us sew, embroidery,crochet,knit or even pick up a needle. Both are long passed but i love both and thank them for the skills they taught me so quilting just came naturally

janiesews

I have really enjoyed reading this thread this am. Wonderful stories. My Mother and Granny taught me how to sew. When I was in the 5th grade I got a beautiful treadle machine for Christmas. I was makng my own pajama's ; doll clothes, simple slacks and tops. Took home ec 6 yrs in Jr. high and Sr. High. I loved it. Had good teachers and I was ahead of many of the other girls and didn't have to wait for the teacher to help me. That pretty treadle was loaned to a cousin when i was a couple of years older and had rec'd my 2nd.treadle and we went to visit my cousin one day and i asked her where the machine was and she said her dad had gotten tired of it being around and had taken it to the Salvation Army store. I was not happy. I still have my 2nd treadle. Yesterday my granddaughter and I made cute little makeup bags. She learned to put in a zipper and line the bag. It was a good pattern and we had a good time. I told her I hoped she liked to sew because when I am gone she may be the one to inherit my stuff! Through the years I have done lots of clothing construction - making clothing for my tall husband, and my daughters when they were younger. Got into quilting in the last 10-15 years. Love sewing.

bibi

I learned how to sew from books as an adult after I purchased a simple Kenmore sewing machine, just as I am teaching myself how to quilt now. I did know how to knit and crochet and hem by hand though, something my mother had taught me as a child.

nanna-up-north

It has been so much fun reading all the posts about who helped you learn to sew. I learned from my older sister. Mom doesn't sew... she will be 92 this month and still mends. We only had grandma's treadle when I first started sewing at 5 and I had a hard time working the treadle and sewing a seam but my sister was really patient. Mom bought a new Elna when I was 8 because my sister did a lot of sewing and I was learning. The one trick my sister taught me that I still use to this day is how to set in a sleeve without ever a wrinkle..... it's pretty neat! I grew up to become a home-ec teacher and I hope I taught many a student. I hated the apron and gathered skirt I had to learn in jr-hi home ec and I taught how to do certain skills and the students had to pick a pattern that they could use those skills. It was kind of hard on me because every student had a different pattern but we all managed. I loved to teach sewing. I have 1 daughter that I taught to sew in 4H. She hated it at the time but now is so glad that she knows how to sew. And I have 1 granddaughter that I helped make a dress and a quilt for 4H. She got blue ribbons for both. Then, they moved 750 miles away and I don't get to sew with them. Now I have a greatgranddaughter that is 3 and I love making dresses for her and her older step-sister. I took a class to learn to smock so I could make those beautiful dresses. When they get to come for a visit I hope to work with them to help them learn a little about sewing.

My quilting love came mostly from my husband's family. His grandmother and aunts all quilted and I thought it was so beautiful. So, I started quilting about 40 years ago.... before rotary cutters, etc. I hated the first quilt I ever attempted and threw it away.... stopped quilting for quite a few years. But now, I'm back to quilting... full force.... love it... it's my passion. I still sew for the babies, knit, spin, tailor, etc., but I love quilting the best.

bglock1

My grandma taught me to crochet when I was 5 or 6, but I learned sewing from reading books and manuals. I'm a bookworm and can learn just about anything by reading (if I'm interested enough). Over the years I've taught myself to cross stitch, embroider, quilt and knit. I loved making clothes when I was a teenager. This was in the 1980's and very little was taught in home ec classes, so my friends were always amazed!

Caswews

I learned to embroider, sew at my grandmother's side.. she was so patient with me, until she became ill. Then I took a class in Home EC and the teacher said my skirt wasn't good enough for the fashion show. My mom picked out the material and I made it; a very simple A line skirt-flowery with gold thread running through it. I can remember this to this day the teacher's words and how hurtful ( I should of made a flounce skirt like the other girls and gold thread-what am I a hoity toity person? NO It was something my mother picked out and I wanted to be different than the other girls, in sewing what I thought was nice). So I read all I could and am pretty much self taught on quilting, crocheting (with help from DH's wonderful Grandmother who showed me many things in crocheting). BEST tip I ever received-well actually 2 tips- Take your time, and be sure you have your sewing pattern in the right positions on your material -both from my grandmother (bless her soul!). I read alot of books and internet sites to keep up on the latest trends (for the GD's sake and making their clothes!LOL).
I swore when I taught my kids or grandkids I would never be as mean as that teacher and when it comes to the GD's I am very patient and very helpful.

WMUTeach

I learned to sew from my mother who was a depression child. She would turn collars and cuffs and save buttons. I enjoyed playing with her sewing notions. She taught me to embroider when I was five soon to turn six. I made bibs for my baby brother that arrived a few months later. I sat at the sewing machine when I was a full six and used a pattern for Shirley Temple Doll Cloths by Mc Calls. I was an early reader but I had seen my mother use patterns so it was so easy. I sat on catalogs and pillows with the foot peddle on another chair so I could reach it. I was just a bit of a mite so we had to be creative. I never sewed my finger, made lots of mistakes but was never afraid of any pattern, technique or instruction. I love hand work and crochet, embroider have done nearly every needle craft known to man and still love it. It kept my children in tennis shoes and music lessons for many years because I did sewing piece work for a store. Thank for the opportunity to honor my mother's wisdom to teach me to sew.

Old hen

I think I have loved the feel of fabric in my hands since I was born! I taught myself to sew, then in High School took all the Home Ec. classes that were available. Even now I'm a sucker for sewing machines and fabric, and still love the feeling I get when surrounded by bolts, fat quarters, thread, scraps, etc. If there's a quilt class going on, I'll probably be there. I think it's all a learning experience, and I certainly don't know it all yet...........and never will!

VixQuilts

My mom taught me to sew when I was in 4-H using a treadle sewing machine. First was an apron, next a pleated skirt. I remembering ripping out a lot of stitches to get it perfect for the fair. To this day I can't stand a stitch that isn't straight but am learning to ignore that when I can.