sak658

I learned to sew from my mom, but we had 4 years of home ec in school..my senior year, we had to make a baby dress with french seams and smocking all by hand..I still have that dress and that was in 1960...I have a dress my mom made for me when I was probably around 3 months old..you can't touch it, it will tear...cause it's going to be about 70 years old pretty soon..LOL I made all my two daughters their clothes, dance recital costumes and twirler costumes till they reached junior high and blue jeans became popular..now I piece tops and quilt. I still sew quite a few things, I just made my sister an apron and love to make pincushions..Taught myself to crochet and to knit..and cross-stitch, embroidery and needlepoint...Only thing I haven't been able to learn is tatting..I've tried, have all the necessary things but just haven't mastered it yet...maybe one day....I just love all kinds of needlework especially by hand...I won the Betty Crocker award my senior year...in Home Ec..

JustAbitCrazy

Nobody taught me. I would love to be able to say my mom or grandma taught me, but alas, I'm self-taught. They taught me lots of other neat things, but not sewing. Mom hates to sew. (I did have a sewing class in junior high, but it didn't teach me much at all---teacher was a great seamstress who couldn't teach to save her soul..) And no one in my family ever quilted. I think I'm a mutant.

jcrow

My mom and my sister taught me to sew. My mom taught me the basics and my sister took it from there. I was in a hurry in high school and was making some jeans to wear for the night, and when I was done, I held them up, and...oh no!, I ended up with one big leg. I started crying after all the work I had done, and my sister told me to go get ready and she fixed my jeans. When I was ready, I had a real pair of jeans...two legs and all. My sister then taught me how to sew all other garments and finally in 1992 taught me to quilt and took me to my first quilting retreat. I then started quilting and going to retreats with her. She died in 2003 from cancer. She found out she had it on August 4th and died November 16th...very aggressive! I inherited most of her quilting items except some of her blocks went to her kids. Now I quilt all the time, thanks to her.

carolaug

8th grade the basics..a pillow and skirt and a dress...then did not sew agian intil my 40's. I searched the internet and thankfully for all of the free advice and also this board I started to sew again...I would not have if I had to pay for classes. So glad we have the internet and all of the people in the world willing to share. It really does help to keep the hobbies a live.

Weenween

My 3rd grade home ec teacher taught me how to sew on a button and tie the knot in thread I was hooked I made a skirt outfit in high school then stoped for a while,I learned how to crochet also took that up for a while now I do both mostly sewing though.

miriam

I learned at home. I sewed some of the dress I wore to first grade. I'm appalled at some of the Home Ec class stuff you all mention. I always wondered why they made us make aprons when nobody wore them? Or gathered skirts when they were so out of style? CREAMED ONIONS??? We made tuna biscuits - ick... Nobody eats that now do they? Why didn't they do something kids wanted to learn? Maybe they would still do Home Ec.

MarlaMars

I had Home Economics in school and we made a pillow and baked cakes but that was the extent of it. I am mainly self taught although Home Economics started by journey for my loving of baking and sewing. The birth of my grandchildren pushed my love of sewing toward quilting. As for what is the best advice while sewing? Well I find that when I get tired I start making mistakes and the more I keep sewing the more mistakes I make so my rule of thumb is. If you make a mistake you must be tired. Stop and correct the mistake. If you make another mistake take it out, correct it and now it is time to stop sewing and start fresh tomorrow. Two mistakes in a row signals to me that it is time to stop. If you don't correct the mistake it just gets bigger and bigger. Just like in life right. So that is my advice. Correct your mistakes in sewing as you would correct your mistakes in life. If not they will continue to happen or they will just get bigger and bigger.

Suzan88

My grandmother, my mother and a Home Economics teacher. At school we had to make an apron with perfect cross stitch embroidery - lots of taking out and redoing - a gathered skirt and baby doll PJs. I've never enjoyed making clothes because I've never been a stick insect and my sewing doesn't account for curves.

MissM

My mom taught me to sew when I was very young. I was also in 4H and I took Home Ec and had sewing classes there as well. I have sewn my own clothes, sewn for my home. However, the quilting that I did as a young girl was always done all by hand. Mom had a huge quilting frame she and the ladies nearby (rural area) always worked on quilts as time permitted. Stitches had to be perfect, no long or sideways stitches permitted. So I never did any quilting after I left home and not until I had my boys raised. I started quilting because I found it could be a stress reliever for me and I could allow myself to make mistakes.

cjaneky

When young I joined 4 H..my mother taught me learn how to sew.. I actually won 2nd place at the State Fair for a blouse and a wrap a round reversible skirt..boy was that a very long time ago....didn't sew much after that till my daughter was young..made our clothes for church till she wanted ''store bought '' dresses...took another 35 years and started quilting last year..my only regret was not paying more attention. I sure miss mom telling me to rip out that seam and do it again, but learning to do that part really well now !!