miriam

Who taught you to sew?
What frustrated you the most about your sewing machine?
What would make it easier to learn to sew?
What did you do to conquer the sewing machine?
What kept you going?
Where did you keep your sewing machine? Case or Cabinet?
When did you conquer the sewing machine?
How did you ever learn to quilt?
Did you use a straight stitch or zig zag sewing machine to learn to sew?
Were you a child or an adult when you learned to quilt?

asimplelife

My mom taught me to sew. She was an expert - made clothes, sewed for the home, sewed bridal wear on occasion and did alterations for a local men's store when I was in high school. She scrimped on some things, but not on her machine. I learned on an Elna and that was what I bought when I got married. I sewed clothes for myself in high school and sewed for my daughter when she was born.

My 1st quilt was a log cabin in high school. Cutting the logs with pattern pieces was the WORST! It was black, red & white. My mom finished it when she started quilting years later and it's on a bed at her house.

My "real" quilting started in 2002. My mom showed me her cool rotary cutter, ruler and mat. I was hooked and took a beginning quilting class that winter. I replaced my Elna with a Pfaff (built in walking foot) and still love my machine. If only I could somehow carve out more harp space!

Jingle

I learned to sew in junior high school. I learned to make quilts about 20-21 YO and learned to quilt on my own. Learned to machine quilt by reading quilt books and just doing it. My Mom showed me how to make quilts. She made quilt tops, with five kids she didn't have room or time to quilt them. I learned to make clothes for myself and two girls, made pjs for my Son. Made cutains for the home. Now I just make quilts, just finished 14th quilt for 2012. I have another I am starting. I finish one and start another, trying to use up as much fabric as I can.

alleyoop1

I learned to sew as a child on my Mom's treadle machine (which I wish I had today!) making clothes for my dolls. Eventually I graduated to simple patterns, which my Mom taught me to use. She was a beautiful seamstress and made most of my sister's and my clothes as well as both of our wedding gowns. When I married I got a portable machine which I used to make clothes and curtains. Over the years I have had several machines, moving up in quality and features. I leaned to quilt mostly watching Alex Anderson's "Simply Quilts" when it was on HGTV. I would watch it and then try to duplicate what I saw. Since then I have graduated to a computerized machine that does embroidery and quilting. I attend a sewing group and am still learning!

SuzyQ

Who taught you to sew? My Mom taught me as a child. She made our clothes when I was growing up.

What frustrated you the most about your sewing machine? Thread tension. Mom was always afraid of the tension so I never learned how to make adjustments or how to do anything except straight stitching. The machine I have now has a drop in bobbin and a dial for tension which makes it much easier to adjust.

What would make it easier to learn to sew? Taking a beginners class that will also teach you about the machine.

What did you do to conquer the sewing machine? Just kept trying ... which is hard because I have no patience LOL

What kept you going? Stubbornness

Where did you keep your sewing machine? Case or Cabinet? On a table. I'd love to have a cabinet but the table was free.

When did you conquer the sewing machine? I still have to make adjustments when I change stitches but I'm no longer afraid of it.

How did you ever learn to quilt? I took a beginners class at a local quilt shop

Did you use a straight stitch or zig zag sewing machine to learn to sew? the machine had both but I was only allowed to use the straight stitch

Were you a child or an adult when you learned to quilt? Adult. I wish I had caught the bug much earlier.


Suzy

asimplelife

Oh my... how could I forget sewing Barbie clothes - thanks alleyoop1~! My mom made tons of them and I loved watching her do them. Later she sewed quite a wardrobe for my daughter's dolls of all sizes and made her princess Halloween costumes.

jo ford

I learned to sew in high school Home Ec. My mother had a Singer Treadle and I used that at home. I don't remember that the school machines had a zigzag feature. If they did I did not use it. As an adult, my first machine was a Morse. I sewed for myself, my children and my neighbors on that. I have replaced my machines to upgrade features as often as I could afford. Bought my first Bernina in 1987 and still have it but recently replaced my Bernina 180E with a Baby Lock. Bernina is out of my price range and the Baby Lock has features I need, especially the 11.7 inch throat.

I stared quilting about the time I retired almost 20 years ago. Most of my quilts were given as gifts but I slept cozy last night under one of the first I ever made. I hand quilted until my arthritis no longer allowed me to. I machine quilt now. I did not conquer my machines. For me the biggest problem with sewing machines is dull or damaged needles.

Michelekolt

Who taught you to sew? High School and college classes

What frustrated you the most about your sewing machine? My first machine was a Singer and I didn't know back then they needed to be oiled. Still have and my daughter is learning to sew on it now.

What would make it easier to learn to sew? Youtube and online classes have taken my sewing and quilting farther then my college sewing class.

What did you do to conquer the sewing machine? Learn from others mistakes, and taught myself the features of my Viking 875.

What kept you going? Things I have been making are so beautiful.

Where did you keep your sewing machine? Case or Cabinet? On my desk, quilt daily now. With cover to keep the cats off my machine.

When did you conquer the sewing machine? Still learning

How did you ever learn to quilt? taught myself, watching videos and reading books I found on what I wanted to learn.

Did you use a straight stitch or zig zag sewing machine to learn to sew? Yes, my singer was a 5 stitch and my Viking has hundreds of stitches.

Were you a child or an adult when you learned to quilt? When I was in grade school my older sister got a singer for christmas and I tried to make a 1/2 triangle pillow, but most of the time she wouldn't let me use her machine. I started Quilting about 3 years ago and I have made many quilts already.

lfstamper

My mom taught me to sew when I was six! I made barbie doll clothes which I still have. (My mom is a saver at 87 YO.) My mom's machine was a straight stitch White which we wish we still had. My first machine was a brother which I later traded for a Kenmore. Both machines were Dogs but had a sturdy straight, zig zag and button hole stitch and could sew on anything. I made drapes for people and later clothes. I made most of my clothes as well. I gave up sewing for many years after this as the joy was gone. About 7 years ago, a friend introduced me to Bernina and quilting and I was hooked. Keeps me going in retirement. Wish I had learned math through quilting...haha.

kristakz

My mom taught me to sew when I was about 8. First thing I remember making was a pair of flannel pyjamas. This is where I learned about shrinkage - we pre-washed the fabric, and it was no longer wide enough to lay out the pattern pieces as instructed! Definitely a learning experience that has stuck with me.

I have never had a sewing machine I didn't like. *My* first machine (as opposed to using my mother's) was ahigh school graduation gift from my parents - I've only had 2 others since then, and my sister still has the first one which I gave to her when I upgraded after college.

My current machine lives in a sewing cabinet - the cabinet folds up nicely and closes everything in, but I don't think it's been closed for years. I started quilting in 2004, when I made a block for a friendship quilt for a friend who was diagnosed with breast cancer. I loved it, and was hooked on quilting from that day forward.