Good Morning, Quilters!
Here’s a sad fact…
Not one of my five daughters (all adults) knows how to run a sewing machine! I wouldn’t hand any of them a rotary cutter…
They all dabble with hand stitching, and love to design quilts and pick fabric…
Based on the grammar school art above, there was a weak attempt at some point…but they were so busy with soccer, swimming and softball.
What about YOU?
Do YOUR children sew or quilt?
What did YOU do to encourage a hobby?
Who taught YOU to quilt/sew?
How old were YOU when you started quilting and sewing?
We’d love to hear!
#teacherfail
Lori
PS…All tutorials, images and information are the property of Lori Kennedy at The Inbox Jaunt and are intended for personal use only. Feel free to re-blog, pin or share with attribution to The Inbox Jaunt. For all other purposes, please contact me at lckennedy@hotmail.com. Thanks!
81 comments
Linda Chesler
My daughter is 29 years old and never sat behind a sewing machine. I took her to a volunteer sewing activity to make dresses to send to Girls in Africa. Her job was to merge the edges. After that, we spent the entire summer together because she wanted to learn how to quilt! What a wonderful experience for both of us and she has now made three quilts! A new quilter is born….
dawk2012
I took a sewing class at the Girl’s Club when I was 9, which got me started. My girls know a few basics, but don’t like to sew. I am teaching my 5-year old granddaughter to quilt as an activity to do together. She’s still fidgety, and we can only work on it for a few minutes at a time, so it’s me that has to be patient. It’s our time together, and the goal is to have fun, not get it done this time. We’re at the “How will we quilt this?” stage, and I want to let her FMQ a bit to get that bug started.
Christine kamon
My love of fiber arts came from my grandmother, skipping my mother. My daughter has avoided learning my love but has admired the fact that I have this passion. She is now pregnant with her first child and is showing interest in making baby headbands out of jersey. Baby steps! No interest in fiber arts apparent in my daughter in laws. Maybe my granddaughters??
Kathy
Don’t give up. My daughter enjoyed picking fabric but showed no interest in piecing quilts until she was about 30. Less than 10 years later she owns 3 sewing machines, an impressive fabric collection, has made many beautiful and creative quilts and is my favorite quilting partner.
dragee
Hi Lori, in my case it is the opposite, my daughter introduced me to quilting, the first time I visited her in the States.
I was 58 and since then quilting is my hobby number one. As a welcoming gift I found in my bedroom, on the wall in front of my bed a school houses top she has made just in time for my arrival. Then she quilted it and now this quilt is in my home in France . I can’t tell you how I cherish it !
My daughter told me how to make my first block, how to choose fabrics, and offered me all the supplies I needed, as well as several quilting books and magazines.
Now I am 74 and 3 weeks ago I tried FMQ with your lessons and I am so happy climbing a new step in my hobby, quilting under the beloved school house quilt of my daughter.
Thank you Lori for sharing.
Deb
I taught myself to quilt,when I was in my thirties. My daughters enjoy my quilts ,one loves to help with fabric colors,the other one loves to sew clothes
Gertrude
I was a real outdoor girl as a child, a bit rough and tumble. Sitting still was virtually impossible for me. I also had rather poor fine motor skills so, even though my mom sewed all our clothes and was an amazing, self-taught sewer, I didn’t get that bug (and I resisted her attempts to teach me). ?? But in my teens I did suddenly realize, thanks to home-ec in school, that I actually could do a decent job and when I became a mom I took pleasure in sewing for our sons. As life got busy with homeschooling our four sons sewing kind of took a back seat but now I’m at it again and loving it.
One of our sons lives close by and I am teaching my daughter-in-law to sew. It’s been a lot of fun and gives us a real focus when we have a day or half day together.
I also have a 10-year old grand daughter who lives 1800 km (2-day drive) away. I see her twice a year and when we are together we sew together. It is always fun. Her mom encourages that as well so it’s a real fun journey.
This blog has just made me realize that I always considered myself a totally unlikely candidate to teach sewing because I always thought I wasn’t very good at it. Sometimes childhood memories get us on a wrong thought path! Thanks for helping me to realize that, Lori!
Rebecca Shaffer
It’s a wonder that I sew because my first experience with sewing was in my 7th grade home ec class. I had a teacher who seemed to do all that she could to make us hate sewing. She terrified us! Luckily my h. s. Sewing teacher was nice and I learned a lot from her. I sewed a little while I was working, but my daughter was a gymnast and spent all of her free time in the gym, not sewing. After I retired from teaching I happened to attend a local quilt show and was blown away! This was something I wanted to try. I took too excellent classes at the local vo-tech school and the addiction began! Last fall I started to teach my great niece to sew and last month we started her first quilt. I signed her up for a rag quilt class with three other girls near her age and she loved it. She’s doing well and the quilt is going to be cute. She’s enjoying making clothes for her American Girl doll, but I’m hoping to start her on a pieced quilt soon.
Suellen Franze
Lori, I was one of five girls, and my mother was a talented seamstress who taught us all to sew when we were barely out of diapers! The love of all kinds of sewing remained with all of us. I am now 70 years old and have only one living sister. (Incidentally, I just noticed your photo of the cross-stitched Williamsburg sampler from 2014. I did the very same one in 1968 and still have it on my wall.) I had three boys – no girls – and when granddaughters started arriving, I started looking forward to teaching them to sew. No dice! So far, they are not interested, but I still hope… Nowadays, quilting is my passion and I’m learning – with your help – FMQ. Thanks for your tutorials.
June Neigum
I made my doll clothes by hand when I was a little girl. My mother gave me a hand crank sewing machine when I was about 8 (wish I still had it) and eventually graduated into my mom’s little used singer straight stitch. When the electrical burned up on that about 5 years later there was a new straight stitching sewing machine sitting on my table in replacement. My mother never sewed just knitted and needle pointed, but she encouraged me to. My Home Ec. teacher was my mentor and I learned everything her.. I graduated from college with a Home Ec. degree and bought my first Viking 6020 for a graduation present to myself. and sewed all my clothes. I owned a sewing repair store and taught machine embroidery before the embroidery machine was available to the home sewer. When I went into my last job of twenty years, i had to wear a uniform so I did not need to make clothes and discovered quilting. Now that I am retired at 68 I quilt 24/7 and discovered your website and my longing to free motion rejuvenated. I just got a new midarm quilting machine. My daughter would rather bring mom her repairs as it was easier than getting her machine out from under the bed. I hope to encourage my granddaughter to use the quilting machine but she is busy entering high school. Hopefully I will be able to find someone in the family to give my stash to before I die.
Melody
I have one daughter that is great with a glue gun, but has no interest in sewing anything. My younger daughter made her first quilt at eleven and she has made two more for baby shower gifts. I am hoping that she will eventually learn to love sewing as much as I do. I started sewing and embroidering when I was six. I have always had the creative bug. I love creating pretty things.
Lorraine Doyno Evans
My love of sewing started with a Girl Scout Sew off and fashion show. The first year my mom helped me as I really didn’t know how to sew….she instructed me what to do but I mostly sewed it. I won first prize that year with a durnal skirt and peasant blouse. That was it!!! I started sewing up a storm with one of my best friends and the following year I entered the Girl Scout Sew off again. Mom warned me not to be upset if I did not win again…..but again I won first prize. The same warning the third year and again I won first prize. That was the start of my sewing hobby. Then I continued to take home ech and tailoring classes. I saved what must have been 6 inch squares from left over fabric from my highschool years and put them in a shoe box before I even knew about quilting thinking I would some day make some sort of quilt but not knowing how. Every so often I would take them out and lovingly arrange them on the floor. When I moved out after college those squares were stored somewhere in the basement of my parents home. A several years later they moved to Florida and I at some point told them they could get rid of anything I haven’t already taken from the basement. Big mistake!!!! I had forgotten about those squares and it was too late once I remembered. Around age 28 a few of my co-workers were into quilting and they got me interested since I was a sewer. I dropped clothes making and took up quilting full time! I still think how wonderful it would have been to make a quilt from fabric from my early days. I still see some of those prints in my mind.
rascassepoule
I’d learnt sewing and embrodering with my mother,but my daughter is not interested
Kathy
I’ve been quilting for about 25 years. My daughter had no interest at all in quilting. Her in-laws were killed in a car accident and she turned to quilting to deal with the grief. Now she is a better quilter than me. We take classes together and that’s special to me. I’ve already told my 4 year old granddaughter that Gaga will buy her a sewing machine when she’s older and teach her how to quilt.
Carol Ethington
My two daughters both sew. The older one (missionary, home schooler) sews home dec items. The younger one is more adventurous. She has always sewn for fun and also out of necessity. She has even made a couple of quilts! Time is an issue for these working mamas. I have taught all of my grandchildren to sew. They love spending time in my studio. Sometimes they play with fabric, and love to use my sewing machines. In kindergarten, my grandaughter got a blue ribbon for a quilted table runner at the state fair.
Norma C.
Well, I don’t have kids, but I am the youngest of five daughters. My Mom sewed up a storm – all our clothes when we were kids, but she didn’t quilt. We all learned to sew a bit in high school home ec class and with Mom’s help, but it didn’t really stick with some of us. Two sisters don’t sew. Two sisters have been quilting for decades and can sew clothing, curtains, etc. When I was in high school my oldest sister started me on a quilt which I finished (poorly!), but I didn’t pick up quilting again until a few years ago (somewhere over age 50 is all I’ll say!) when she and the other quilting sister ganged up on me (LOL) and I got the quilting bug. And my Mom always hoped she would learn to quilt when she retired but macular degeneration has prevented her from doing any sewing unfortunately.
Karin Pavlovsky
yes, my daughter sews and quilts. Anything I did when she was little she wanted to so too so I taught her. My Nana was a tailor so I think I was born sewing. I learned to sew in school as my mother was not a very good teacher. If I asked a question she would take the project and finish it for me. I had an elderly neighbor who would answer all my questions and give me hints how to do it better. I started taking classes from a local quilt shop in the 70’s and have been quilting ever since. I have even taught my grandsons to sew on the machine because I think everyone should know how to at least fix a seam.
Conchita Quilt
Oh Lori, I know how you feel. I don’t have children, only the furry kind but there are loads of kids close by, neighbours and family and none of them are interested in Quilting. They do however like me to make things for them but that’s as far as it goes. I have one nephew, he’s nine and when he was younger showed an interest, but nope, nothing, nada, just me all by my lonesome. The most I can get out of them is sharing afternoons doing crafts with Mod Podge and suchlike.
I learnt to quilt and sew when I was 35 and learnt to crochet when I was 45 watching Mikey from the Crochet Crowd on YouTube. I learnt the very basics from a local clases in my neighbourhood but I learnt the brunt of it also on the internet from LADY ELEANOR BURNS (God Bless her) also from Carol Doak, Alex Andersen from The Quilt Show and been learning new things here and there from Jen from Missouri Quilt Star and Jennifer from Shabby Fabrics.
I also learn something new called INKLINGO created by Linda Franz. If you don’t know it, it’s worth checking out. I love it and it saves so much time and the results are perfect piecing.
It’s a shame that no-one else is interested, neither my sister nor my cousins, no-one. My Mum sewed all her life but she never taught me, weird I know but I didn’t know I was so “crafty” ? until I got much older. ?
Anne Sarphie
My mother, a true Southern Belle, insisted that “those things like sewing” always skipped a generation. My grandmother & her friends taught me to sew. My daughter does not sew. Maybe she was right…as usual!
Tammy
Timely question! Yesterday at my guild’s monthly meeting we were asked if any of us are interested in working with the local Girl Scout troop to teach quilting. Several, including myself, said YES! I learned to sew and use a machine at an early age from my grandmother. I’m the oldest of eight, and since my mom never learned to thread a needle, I did the family mending. I had a friend in highschool who also loved to sew and we made dresses to wear to school. Since our parents wouldn’t let us wear them as short as we preferred, this was in 1968-70, we took needle and thread and folded up the hems while wearing the dress and riding the bus to school! I taught myself to quilt when I got married but only made a few small quilts until I retired a few years ago. Then, Katie, bar the door!
Ann
I give my grandmother the first credit to my love for stitching. She taught me how to cross stitch (on red gingham, with a pretty big needle) before I was in school. My first attempt with the sewing machine was when I was 8; thanks to 4-H Club I accomplished my first skirt and top and there was no holding me back after that. Eventually (about 20 years later) I grew dissatisfied with the garments I was achieving and realized that a big flat surface like a quilt would be far more pleasant – and exciting – to make than sleeves and facings. By then, my mother was starting to quilt, too, and we shared a lot of quilting talk and memories throughout her retirement years.
Ann
AND – on their own, my two daughters have both become quilters with such creative ideas!
Cheryl Parker
My youngest son made a quilt at age 12. He helped design his HS graduation quilt, and knows how to make one. He hopes to make another when he finally finishes college, and claimed my mothers old Kenmore as ‘his’. My oldest doesn’t quilt, but, taught himself how to make fleece vests and such. He has 4 of my vintage Kenmores in his room. I wasn’t interested in sewing/quilting until I was in my late 30’s. I took a class at church, and, am self taught on the rest. Now I sometimes teach others how to learn the basics.
Grandma Jane
My son and daughter learned to sew by osmosis….while I never “taught” either to sew, I was always making something. Now both of them do quite well. The grandsons are sewing, too–the 7 year old has taught his 5 yr old sibling to thread the machine and ” make it go”. Do you know how proud they make Grandma feel when they see readymade things and declare, ” Grandma! We could make that!”
ferne
At about 12 I taught my son how to use my sewing machine to sew some sort of patches on clothes and he was so excited. Soon his friends had him sewing for them. He never learned to quilt, but he keeps watching me at 32 and asking questions so there is still hope. He did get into tile work which uses some quilting concepts. I learned to sew from my Grandmother when I was about 8. She was a Mennonite farmer and always quilted and sewed and eventually owned a quilt shop. Wish I had lived closer I would have loved to work in her shop for her, but alas California is a bit far from Iowa…how did I end up here?
Barbara Frasier
My three adult children all can use the sewing machine. My 30 year old son finished a quilt this year that he started at age 12! But the most fun for me was having good the youngest grandchild sew 2 small projects this week. Presslie, age 5, sewed a 4 patch pillow, and a doll blanket.
Diana @ Red Delicious Life
I learned to sew at a very early age and had to do some in college (for costuming in theatre) but I didn’t pick up quilting until 2012 and haven’t looked back. My son is 6 and has expressed interest in sewing so I’ve let him play around and help. So far he’s made his very own mini for his room (http://www.reddeliciouslife.com/2016/04/spring-break-project.html) and helped to make his teacher’s year end gift (http://www.reddeliciouslife.com/2016/06/my-little-gift-maker.html).
Mary C
My daughter know how to sew but prefers to have me do her work. I am teaching my granddaughter how to sew and also a grandson. Next session, we move to using the sewing machine to either make a simple garment or a quilted pillow. My mother and my grandmothers sewed but I learned a lot from trial and error.
gcotten
I have 3 sons, no daughters. None of my children or their wives have any interest in sewing at all, but the granddaughters. . . ??? Well, we shall see!
Susan
At age 26 my daughter asked for help making a baby quilt for friends. I said it would be expensive and suggested a price. She OKd it. I bought a flannel charm pack and yardage for borders and backing. Gave her my old sewing machine and taught her about the 1/4 in seam. Then gave basic instructions along the way with help using a rotary cutter. I quilted it on my longarm. It turned out great. When she wanted to do more I said she had to take a beginning quilt class at a shop. She is hooked. She comes to my quilt guild to sew once a month and has a new sewing machine. Next is to get her to come to the Quilt Shows for more than one day. We are having a great time together and I always know what to get her for birthday or Christmas.
Sally Acomb
I started to sew early with a gift of those sewing cards popular in the early 1950s. My great gram and gram both hand sewed beautifully. We would all sew together. My Mom was an inspiration as she sewed and often took night classes in tailoring and other sewing related subjects. 4H was a must a age 8 on the farm and thus I had a cadre of sewing minded people further my skills. Thankful they were very patient and I learned to strive for the perfection demand from the 4 H judges. Sixty years later, still sewing – quilts now but ever thankful to have sewn swimsuits for sale, suits for men and a zillion lined curtains for the. Homes we have had in our many years overseas. There is nothing I can not sew! My two sons can also handle a sewing machine and my father inlaw did a bit as well. Hoping to help two granddaughters learn when we can get together.
Mrs. Plum
My grandmother put a needle and thread in my hands when I was five, and started my life-long passion for all things fabric. My mom could sew, but was just not interested in it. When my daughter expressed a curiosity about sewing, I made sure she had lessons. Though she dabbled a little, sewing never ignited a fire in her. Her two daughters are very young, but I hope and pray at least one of them will want to learn to quilt, because I would love to teach them.
pamela green
I learned to sew in 8th grade in public school. Unfortunately public schools are not teaching those types of classes any more. I have two daughters and while they weren’t interested in my sewing machine, I made sure they had some basic skills before leaving the nest. They both knew how to hand piece a quilt, basic crochet, basic knitting, and cross stitch. Only one of them has continued to have any time or interest as an adult. The other is busy with a young son. If they never go beyond basic skills I’m happy. I know that they know how much work goes into making hand crafted items and they appreciate the work that others create.
Valerie Beaver
None of my children sew at all. Before they left home I made sure they could do some clothing repairs -stitch up a tear and put a button on – they each have a small sewing kit. I am watching for a likely grandchild! My mother taught me to sew, she is a wonderful sewist especially with clothing. My grandmother taught me to do some quilting. She made tied “utility” quilts. The bed size ones were made with old clothing, yard sale finds, and lots of double knit – they wear like iron! Many of her battings were old army blankets or electric blankets bought for $.50 at a yard sale that no longer worked (she separated the layers and removed the wires). For a long time her backings were drapery lining material. She had a friend who owned a drapery shop and she would get the bolt ends to use. The baby quilts were made with a variety of fabrics and included applique. I still have the quilting frame my grandfather built for her. It is composed of four long 1×4 boards wrapped in layers of flannel with C clamps on each corner, it hangs from the ceiling. You can raise it up and down with a quilt in it. The quilt is pinned to the flannel board wrapping. I use it sometimes to square up and baste large quilts. Or to tie a blue jean quilt. Memories! 🙂
infanteacherH
I taught myself to quilt when I was 26 to make a baby quilt for my daughter who was to be born. It was a hand applique Sonbonnet Sue and Bill quilt which was then hand quilted. I still have it. I taught my daughter to sew, and she is quite competent but rarely sews. When she does it is mainly costumes for parties or other events.
Kari Hoyes
My daughter is 25. She is a quilter, but her duties as a high school teacher keep her busy enough that she only quilts during the summer. I quilted passionately all during her childhood, so she grew up with it. She participated in several kids’ quilting workshops and classes at the local quilt shop when she was middle school age and caught the joy of it back then. During high school she didn’t quilt at all, but then during her last year of college, she pieced and machine quilted a throw-sized quilt. And this summer she worked on a quilt for her bed. Although my mom sewed nearly all my clothes when I was a kid, she wasn’t a quilter at that time. My mom, my aunt, and I all learned to quilt around the same time, when I was in my early 20’s, and we have been avid quilters ever since. I feel blessed that my daughter happens to enjoy it too!
Gwen C Bruington
At age 14, I was taking Home Ec and between the teacher’s instruction and my mother’s guidance, I learned to sew and began making most of my clothes. My great grandmothers (who I never knew) and both my grandmothers all sewed too.
When I began having children, I also made most of their clothes. The sewing machine was always up and often running and the kids naturally became interested. My oldest sewed her first project on the sewing machine (with me hovering over her) at age 4! She’s still sewing. When my son was in middle school, boxer shorts were all the rage and I told him that if he wanted some, he would have to make them himself. And he did!
All 4 of my daughters know how to sew, including my deaf, mentally-challenged daughter, who makes quilts with me. I never would have guessed that she would be able to sew, but with some adaptations and lots of help, she does and loves it as much as I do–she’s my quilting buddy!
I’ve mentored my 2 daughters-in-law into sewing and quilting and they come over here about once a week for a family sewing activity, along with some of my daughters from time to time. When they are here, the grandkids are all underfoot, playing with spools of thread and fabric scraps, so the expectation is that someday they too, will be sewing. We are definitely a sewing/quilting family!
Cheryl
A kind older neighbor taught me to hand sew Barbie doll dresses when I was very small (still have those). I made a pair of culottes in a Sears sewing class when I was 10 and was hooked. My mom never sewed but I sewed almost all my clothes in junior and high school. Prom dresses, pillows, curtains. Dad was so proud that I was sewing he would take me for fabric, I would make a pair of pants or dress that night, wear it to school the next day and he would ask if I wanted to go buy more after school. I sewed on a very old black machine, straight stitch only, and he bought me a new Singer with cams you changed for fancy stitches. How I loved that machine.
I made most of my two daughters clothes, Halloween costumes were a favorite and they always won prizes (saved all those too and now the grandchildren have worn them). I learned smocking and loved that. Started sewing for a doll shop. Oh those tiny dresses! I have been only been quilting for a few years now but it is my biggest passion now and neither daughter has shown interest. I often wonder what will become of my huge stash and machines when I am gone. Maybe they will take it up then. Someone will have to finish my UFOs!!
Dana Robbins
My daughter and daughter-in-law would not know how to even turn the machine on. I have taught the granddaughters to sew and quilt. They have made pillow cases and doll quilts. The 8 year d has made two baby quilts for friends. She was six when she made the first one.
Linda
My mother could sew, but worked, so I was taught to sew primarily by my babysitter – a wonderful “country woman” who seemed to be accomplished in all domestic skills. When I was 4 years old (1960), I was hand-stitching doll clothes from her sewing scraps. At 5, I was given a little pink Singer child’s machine to use, but, it had no bobbin – produced only a chain stitch – and I soon became dissatisfied with it. By 7, I was doing all of my sewing on my babysitter’s and mother’s machines, and by 9, started making some of my own clothes. At 11, I started my own little business making Barbie doll clothes, which I continued for many years, and also expanded to other items to sell. I can’t imagine any skill that could have been more useful to me over the years than sewing has been. I made all of my maternity clothes, which made the rounds with at least 7 other friends. I made most of my boys’ play clothes when they were little, all of the curtains and drapes in the house, and even slipcovers. Starting in the early 1980s, I taught myself to make quilts – which was really a blessing when I went to law school, because I could put away a project when I didn’t have time to sew, and get it out again when time permitted. Same is true now – and it’s my own personal therapy when I need a little escape from an all-consuming profession. I always hoped for a daughter to whom I could pass on the joy of sewing, but I had two boys, neither of whom showed any interest. But, I’m content to be the grandma who makes quilts that I hope will still be around when I’m long gone.
Gloria Zchandler
My daughters took a sewing class in high school at my insistence. I thought they should at least know how to sew a button on. Alas, neither of them quilt. I keep hoping one of them will decide to begin quilting. I have enough fabric to open a store and in addition I have a nice Koala cabinet and every other quilting tool availabel. It would be nice to know that I could “will” this to one of them. Otherwise, I guess my husband will have a huge “quilting” garage sell when I die.
Rita Long
None of my daughters have taken an interest. However my granddaughter, Lynnox has been sewing with me since she was 7. I just gave her a sewing machine. She is now 12 and made her first quilt. Now she is her own because I’ve moved 1700 miles from her. I hope to continue encouraging her by phone.
annwalsh2015
My mom taught me to sew when I was about nine and I started sewing my own clothes soon after that. She got into quilting many years ago, but has always been a hand quilter. I’ve sewn most of my life, everything from tailored outfits to curtains to all my kids’ clothing when they were young, but was never interested in quilting. One day last year I wanted to make a braided fabric mat for my kitchen, found a pattern for a woven one which used “jelly rolls” and I had no idea what those were. I googled them, found ideas for quilt tops that were “fast & furious” and decided to make a couple of friends with the plan of having someone else quilt them for me. While waiting for my fabric order, I decided to set my machine up for FMQ and just see what it was all about. From that first try I was hooked and I now consider myself obsessed! I’ve made over 90 quilts since the beginning and I now do custom quilting for others. I would never have imagined myself here 🙂
My daughter, however, while great at encouraging me and admiring my projects when I want some feedback, doesn’t sew! I did try to teach her but she was never really interested beyond fixing a tear in a seam or running a line of stitching when she needs to. Funny how so many of us are lovers of this craft and have daughters who never sew!
JCinTX
Neither of my daughters (39 & 41) have EVER expressed a desire to sew. I learned to sew/knit/embroidery/crochet at age of 9. My very first knitting experience was when Santa brought me the Barbie Knit kit (around 1959?). I still have the tube case, needles and all the outfits — Barbie had a meltdown years ago!
I started quilting @ 56, 10 years ago. I never saw my mom/aunts quilting but when I cleaned out my moms sewing items after she died, I found their rusty nailed quilt frame, 2 original 1930’s quilts — one labeled very clearly. I remember using 1 as a child (feed sacks & ‘just green’ background), the other is pristine w/pepto-bismol pink background!! I had no idea what I had until a bee member (also an appraiser!) saw them at my house one meeting.
Now I primarily quilt — most going to my youngest daughter & her 2 boys. Working on Tula Pink’s giant Butterfly quilt for her now. The other is not so much into my quilts, would rather order through a decorator and overpay! Oh well!!
Debbie Horton
I have one daughter who has attempted a couple of quilts. But she crochets really well! I was taught to,sew by my mom before I was 10. A pastor’s wife taught basic quilting skills when I was in my 30’s. It wasn’t until my late 40’s that I took quilting classes with a friend and have never looked back! Though, I do have a 10 year old granddaughter who quilts with me. She has already pieced a couple of doll quilts and a lap quilt.
Debbie Horton
And, yes, I most certainly did buy my granddaughter a sewing machine for Christmas when she was 9 years-old.
Phyllis
My Mother taught me to crochet and embroidery but not so much sewing although she sewed a lot of our clothes. I sewed a few dresses for my young daughter and then got busy with another child. Then I started sewing for myself. Forward to my move to be close to my daughter and granddaughter. Had made a baby quilt for my granddaughter with a kit from Nancy Zieman and then I found Craftsy.com and got hooked on quilting. My daughter has only done cross stitch which I’ve never done but when she saw the quilts and designs that were created with quilting she decided to do Bonnie Hunter’s Mystery quilt with me and now in her 50’s and a grandchild she is hooked on this craft. Would never have believed that this is what we would be doing and now going to our 2nd quilt retreat with the Missouri Star Quilt company this month.
How can you top that?
Judy M.
My paternal grandmother and my mother taught me sewing at an early age, and I’ve always sewn. Quilting is a relatively new hobby, first picked up in 1989. My oldest daughter knows how to run a sewing machine but the bug never really bit her. Another daughter and son like the finished quilts and that’s the extent of their sewing/quilting interest. Two of four grandsons (the two middle ones, 8 and 6) want to make a quilt, so there is hope of passing the art down! The oldest grandson, at 15 wants to play with my longarm, but hasn’t made the time to do so yet.
Ellen Rittenhouse
My “sewing” began 70 years ago watching and pushing the peddle on my mother’s non-electric machine. A few years later with the addition to an electric motor to the machine I made a summer outfit of shorts and a halter top with some assistance of my mother. After watching my mother sew nearly all of the clothes we wore I didn’t think she was “doing it right” so I didn’t return to sewing until I took sewing in home ec. There I had a wonderful teacher who taught “proper” technique and loved it. Did you notice that “I know better” attitude of an early teenager?
I continued to sew a bit through college and then in my first job I bought myself a sewing machine and continued to make my own clothes.
Fast forward 10+ years when my girls were showing an interest in sewing I decided to allow them to sew on their own instead of trying to “teach” them my ways. It was fun to see them experiment and then ask how to put zippers into little bags etc. They all had home ec where they made the required garments/projects and then didn’t sew again for years. One of the girls has ventured into designing halloween costumes for her children with some questions for me even though she is very capable of working it out for herself. Another began to quilt during her first job and still is doing so nearly 20 years later. The third daughter has not actively pursued sewing but is accomplished with handwork. In each case I see evidence of my teenage attitude and ability to work it out for themselves and am glad I encouraged from a distance instead on being intrusive.
Even now as i near 75 years I find it more rewarding to encourage others to try quilting for charity without the pressure to be perfect. Anything we do for others will be a blessing to them and ourselves!
vlquilter
My first experience with sewing was in my 9th grade home ec class. My mother was not a sewer. I continued sewing clothes for myself and my children when they were small and then got busy with other things for many years. My daughter has never shown an interest in sewing.
My sister-in-law encouraged me for a couple of years to try quilting. So I took a beginner class a couple years ago and fell in love with this new hobby. Shortly after that, we moved to FL and I joined a group of ladies in our community who get together and sew once a week. Sometimes we make little projects together or everyone does their own thing. These ladies are so willing to share their knowledge. We even plan periodic field trips to quilt shops. At 67, I am enjoying learning everything I can about quilting. I I have made 4 quilts so far and love every minute of it.
Mary Silva
I have been sewing since childhood when my grandma taught me to use a needle and thread to make doll clothes. As I grew up, I made clothes for myself during junior high and high school. Most of my sewing was garments and some crafts. My daughter started sewing when she married, but did not care much for making garments. She started quilting, graduated to using free motion, then obtained a long arm quilting machine. She now does long arm machine quilting for customers and has a website called laurie@finishingtouchesquilts.com and is really good at this. She has taught me so much about quilting, but so far I have done only a relatively small bit of free motion. I love your web site and follow it along as much as possible. BTW, I don’t sew garments any more, only quilt tops which my daughter quilts for me. Thanks for all your help too.
Linda
My senior year in high school was the beginning of garment sewing. I didn’t tackle a quilt until my late 40’s when a friend offered to teach a small group of us. The addiction grew and grew, as did the stash.
Comments are closed.