# What got you started sewing/quilting?



## ginnie5 (Jul 15, 2003)

I was reading Macybaby's thread and she said she had re-discovered her love of sewing and it made me curious. How did you discover your love of sewing? 
For me some of my earliest memories are of sitting beside my Grannie while she sewed. She wasn't a great seamtress but she loved to sew. She worked in a cottin mill all day long and came home and sewed for herself at night. I also remember sitting at my great-grandmother's treadle and treadling away (no belt and the machine was down) but I did some big dreaming of what I was making lol! Then I made my own Barbie clothes from Grannie's scraps. My Barbie's had some stylish clothes I tell ya! I took 4H a few years and made several skirts and tops for that. Then my parents split, the teen years hit, and life went downhill for a long time. When my oldest was born I felt the itch to make her clothes. I got my Grannie's old machine she no longer used and started on that. I even tried making bibs to sell. Then I got caught up in wanting the newest, best machine........:ashamed: and with that machine I made diapers........yep an $$$ machine to make diapers. When I no longer needed diapers my machine got put away for several years. Then one day I found those Sunbonnet Sue blocks Grannie had made years ago.........and they made me want to sew. So off to the fabric store I went. That was 4 years ago and now that $$$ machine site idle.....replaced by a love for vintage machines and treadles. When my oldest gets married it will go to her new home with her. Right now all she does is fix seams or hem pants but who knows? Maybe she will one day get the urge to sew?
Oh and my Grannie's old machine? Is now a handcrank and goes with me yearly to TOGA.


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## Taylor R. (Apr 3, 2013)

Nobody in my family sewed, but my little brother (of all people?) was fascinated by it. He prompted me to take a life skills class in HS that included a sewing unit. There I made the worst pair of pajama pants ever, got a C in the unit, and decided maybe sewing wasn't my thing. Until I had kids. I love sewing for my children, and I've mercifully gotten a little better since HS.


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## Kris in MI (May 30, 2002)

Taylor, I learned to sew in school too! 7th grade home ec: it was one semester split into three areas--6 weeks sewing, 6 weeks cooking, 6 weeks of interior design. (And boy, have I used those skills over and over and over in my adult life!)

It was many, many years after that, though, before I really started sewing. When my youngest child was about 2 years old, I bought a sewing machine at Goodwill and started making dresses for my daughters. That led to pjs for all four kids, and costumes for the grade school plays. It's gone in spurts the last 13 years; sometimes I sew alot, sometimes I hardly sew at all. Once the kids got big enough they didn't want Mom sewing their clothes, I switched to making quilt blocks and learning to quilt on my sewing machine. I'd say until the last couple of months, I've done more quilting than sewing of clothes or other items in the last 5 or 6 years.


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## Taylor R. (Apr 3, 2013)

My girls love their dresses and tops that I make them, plus I always make hair bows to go with them (after my first experience with pants, I've pretty much avoided them like the plague, but I guess someday I might give them another try). I do a lot of applique for my son since his sensory issues don't allow him broad wardrobe choices. I'd like to start actually quilting (I've done rag quilting stuff), and hopefully someday I'll have time to learn that, too.


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## Katskitten (Aug 5, 2010)

In our family sewing was a given. Our mother made a lot of our clothes and costumes for us. That was only part of what got me going though.
I remember getting insulted in front of friends in grade school because of "hand me downs" that I was wearing. Someone recognized the out fit as one that belonged to another person the year before and was laughing at me because of it.
I went home and told my mother "I would never wear another hand me down ever again. I would make my own clothes before that happened." Her comment was something like "Ok let's go." At that point she dropped what she was doing and we went shopping for fabric and patterns.
I always seemed to be just a bit ahead of those in my class as far as the sewing classes in school too.
Some where in the early 80's I took up arts and crafts and setting up at street fairs with things that I had made. Since then have made $$$ that way at times. Have also come to a bit of a burn out on it too.
What got me into quilting finally was the challenge here a couple years ago to finish one project and I chose to make that jeans quilt. Put close to a hundred hours in on it too. 
Now between Joe and I, we have made 3 full size quilts, 1 lap quilt and are about 1/2 way through with another jeans quilt that he calls his "all machines quilt".

Elaine


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

I'm another one that all of us learned the basics (boys too) from Mom. Though only a few of us took it much farther. I was looking at some old pictures, and by the time I was 10 I was making some of my own clothing.

My Mom sewed a lot of our cloths -to fill in around the hand-me-downs from the cousins. I have pictures where all five of the younger girls are in nightgownss made from the same fabric, and the boys have matching PJ's from a more "manly" print.

I started on the old 201 singer with a knee control - good thing as my feet didn't reach the floor. When I got good enough and tall enough, I was able to use my Mom's fancier White machine. I remember having my Grandma (Mom's mom) put button holes in for me. 

Since I'm one of the younger kids, by the time I was learning to sew my Mom had several boxes of scraps we could dig through to play with. I made lots of doll clothing (baby doll, not Barbie doll). I remember one Christmas getting my own sewing basket, and Granny had filled it with odds and ends of trim, buttons, lace, along with scissors, needles and pins - I was in heaven!

I got my first horse at 15, and then I didn't sew as much. Got married at 18 and sold the horses and then sewing was my number one thing for about 10 years. We got our first house after being married for 11 years, and I discovered gardening. My Mom did not like gardening and her Mom loved to, so the Grandparents grew most of the food I ate growing up (they put up huge amounts each fall). Funny part - I don't remember ever helping Granny to put of veggies - but she really didn't like having kids underfoot when she was working in the kitchen. She was a wonderful cook and raised 4 daughters who barely knew how to turn on the stove when they got married . . . 

There is a funny family story how my Dad decided to marry my Mom for her wonderful fried chicken - then found out it was his MIL that made all the food, and Mom didn't know how to cook. She sure did learn though.

Anyway - my first real job was in an alterations shop when I was 18, and I worked in sewing related jobs until I graduated with my Accounting degree. In fact, I learned to love Accounting from doing the bookwork for my own sewing business - so you can say sewing is what led to my current career. 

So after getting into Accounting and buying our own place, I fell in love with gardening and sewing started taking a back seat - then I got back into horses and the kids got older and I sewed less and less. Then we sold and moved to the country and sewing ended up on the back burner . . . And then moved an bought a 135 year old house that needed serious work, and the sewing machine didn't even get out of the case for months at a time.

And now I'm in my 50's, kids are gone, back and gone again, cutting back on the homesteading deal (only chickens but still have a big garden) house is done and I'm loving that I'm back into sewing. Life has seasons - who knows what the next one will be (cheese making is next on the list of life skills to learn). Though I don't plan on getting back into food animals until we have retired.


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## partndn (Jun 18, 2009)

My memaw sewed everything for herself and 3 girls. My mama was the only girl who really took it up. She sewed for herself and me growing up. No quilts though. Mama was/is (no sewing these days) really good at making clothes, fitting, etc. But she has a very feminine figure.. hourglass.

I learned from her, and have always been interested in learning anything the "old" way. But I have NEVER been able to make clothes like mom. I have an athletic figure identical to my daddy, and patterns don't come close to being even adjustable. :grumble:
I do okay for crafts, bags, curtains, gifts, home items, quilting, and plain fitting things like lounge pants or skirts.

If I could ever have a pattern made right for me, I do think I could follow it and succeed. But I'm pretty sure I would never be as good a seamstress as mom.


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## FarmChix (Mar 3, 2013)

I learned from my Grandma, as well. Sewing totally skipped my Mom. I have a cousin who is a year younger than me. Everything my Grandma made was utilitarian--not for looks. It was my cousin and my job to tie the quilts with yarn. I convinced my Grandma that if she taught me to sew, my cousin could tie them and we could make a lot more quilts. The rest is history. I learned on her treadle....and my cousin hates quilting to this day! LOL (I do feel kinda bad....) My Dad died a month before I turned 3. I used to load up and go to Granny's for a month or two every summer to give my Mom a break. She needed slave labor for her garden, and I learned more about sewing, gardening, canning, making soap, homesteading, etc. than any one person could ever learn from a book. How I miss her now. I still feel her presence when I am quilting....or when I am out working in the garden.....I just look up and smile. Boy do I miss her.....


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

I wish someone had taught me. My mother had a Kenmore. One day she needed a part, went to Sears and they told her they did not service old machines, she had to buy a new one. After that, it was only Singer! I have tried to make clothes, but always make a mess of the collars. If one of our shops taught a sewing class, I'd take it, and I'm 59 years old! 

Still, when my DD was born I made her a puff pillow quilt on an old machine I got used. Then, I made her a few things, including her First Communion dress. A few years later I got into sewing again, but only quilts (and a few aprons). I have sewn a couple of baptism gowns, but I did those by hand.

I loved my Viking simple machine and when it died in a fire I bought another, then a Pfaff. I've given up on modern machines. Now I use my 1901 Singer treadle, or my Singer 301. I have a Singer 201, but the handwheel broke when it was shipped to me two years ago. I guess I've gotten over the disappointment because today I bought a hand wheel on ebay for the 201.

I've finished a couple of full size quilts, and made baby quilts for, I think, 15 babies, hand pieced for the 7 grands, the rest machine pieced. I prefer hand quilting, but since my treadle does a beautiful job of quilting, I am doing some machine quilting, especially when pressed for time. I don't want to leave this house and move to our retirement place, but I am getting excited about the sewing room I will have.


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

I learned to sew when I was little. Both Mom and Grandma would sew with me. 

I got in to quilting, though, after Hurricane Katrina. The local quilt guild put out a call for anyone with a sewing machine to help make a bunch of quick, stripped quilts for evacuees and I caught the bug.


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## housewife (Mar 16, 2006)

I remember being fasinated by my grandmother and great aunt who were always doing something, mostly knitting. I use to watch them watch tv, the speed of the knitting depended on what was happening in the show!  No one sewed much by that point. My great aunt did make two tied quilts that I still have. So a bit of home ec and I put it down for years.
Fast forward to marriage. My parents got me an old metal kenmore 12 stitch, I still love that machine. When we knew we where having a baby I started sewing seriously. We were on the west coast on an air base. Diapers and baby stuff was expensive and you don't join the military for the pay.  Once I found out the local school ran weekend sewing cources I usually got one or two a year as a present. Good thing too if I hadn't learnt to alter patterns or I may have given up!!! My DD doesn't fit the patterns other wise. I kept it up till DH retired from the military. We moved to a city and I was drawen in to some of the city ideas :ashamed: The kids grew and with work and illness I drifted away from sewing. I had planned to get back went the kids left but you know how life happens while your planing  Now I'm gearing up for my grandson and getting requests from my niece for her kids. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed sewing. I am really enjoying it and getting to know everyone here.


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## cc (Jun 4, 2006)

My grandma and mama both sewed and I always watched them making almost everything, my grandma even reupholstered furniture! Then there was 4-H and home ec. classes in high school. Quilting was something I always wanted to do but never even tried until about 5 years ago and when I took a beginners class at the LQS.


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## mizlew (Jun 13, 2012)

My grandmother and mother sewed. I lived with my grandparents until I was 9 and I remember my grandmother making me dresses with matching panties out of feed sacks. (Should have saved them, who knew?) My mother was a wonderful seamstress. She made her clothes, clothes for her 3 daughters. One year for Christmas she made my dad and brother robes and pajamas. I remember her making us girls a wool straight skirt, wool slacks, white shirts and then knitting a long vest. One got black, one got navy blue and one got gray. You could take her to the most expensive dress shop and show her a dress you liked, but maybe you would like different sleeves or neckline and she could go home and reproduce it. My step grandmother made utilitarian quilts out of all the old clothes her grown eight children would drop off, jeans, overalls, wool suits, etc. I sewed for myself as a teenager, taught by grandmother, mother, and home ec in 8th grade, costumes for my son, and quilts in my later years. Have only grandsons, so they got costumes, shorts, and quilts. Even the dog has a quilt. Made quilts for all new babies (my dh is one of eight) and for my nieces and nephews. Went from my grandmothers singer to a fancy machine. Old singer still makes the best straight stitch. Sorry for the long post, good times to remember.


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## Katskitten (Aug 5, 2010)

J Miller Here

My first exposure to sewing was when I was about 6 or 7 watching my mom sew her finger into the fabric on her old black cast iron machine. I don't know if it was a Singer or the HOTHER she had for so long. I had to help her unscrew the needle clamp so she could get the needle out of the machine and then out of her finger. She stood at the kitchen sink across the room running her finger under cold water, and after the bleeding stopped she put a band aid on the finger, rethreaded the machine and went back to sewing.

Some many years later about the late 70s the head liner in moms car fell apart. The fabric was still good, but the thread died. I wanted to do something nice for her so one day I let her take my car to work and I pulled the head liner out of hers. Set up a table in the back yard and got out her HOTHER machine.
She didn't know what I was up to so I was really faking it. Since the machine was already threaded I just used what was on it and started.
The problem was the foot controller had a dead spot. It would start OK, then quit, then go full throttle. That scared the crap out of me so, I resewed the head liner by turning the hand wheel by hand. Talk about muscle cramps. But I did it.

As time went on mom's eyes got worse and she'd have fits threading the machine. I was near sighted so I was the official needle threader for a while. Strange how much you can learn about things by just helping a bit.

She made clothes, curtains, pillow cases, hot pads ( we're still using some she made nearly 35 years ago) and other things.

In the early 80s Katskitten and I married and I watched her build things on her Singer 538, so then I had two ladies to watch.

Some time around the late 80s mom retired the HOTHER and bought herself a new(er) ZZ cabinet machine. I think it was a Kenmore, but don't remember. I helped her oil it and thread it as she worked on things.

The HOTHER ended up on a shelf in my wife's sewing room next to the bath room. Water leakage from the tub soaked up into the shelf and soaked the bottom of it's case. Mold, rot and age took it's toll. The case all but fell apart.

We moved to IL in 98-99  and I lost mom in 2001. Her Kenmore is still in AZ out in a shed on my Aunts property. I want to get it out of there but it's a long drive. We still have the HOTHER.

( Yes, I'm getting to the point.)

Sometime around mid 2011 I got bored. My health isn't what it used to be and I'm not working so I was looking for something to do. A member of The Ruger Forum mentioned he had a Singer treadle machine and used it to make things. I had an epiphany. I'd get the machine out of the garage, clean it up and learn to use it. That started it.
We had a couple other machines we had rescued and a couple we'd bought at thrift stores so I began to repair their cases and refurbish the machines and wiring. I found I enjoyed doing this and could actually make the things work.
But, in order to understand how they should work I asked Elaine ( katskitten) to teach me how to sew.
I started on the treadle, oh what a pain, and learned the basic steps at the same time trying to keep the treadle going forward. 
Then I began to work on the other machines too. Each time I'd make one go, I'd make something with it.
I hunted up the HOTHER, carefully pulled it out of the case and found to my great joy and delight, it was still in good shape. For some reason it was missing the bobbin case, but we had an extra. I threaded it up, plugged it and and after sitting for over 20 years, she started right up and sewed.
The machine is serviced,and the cranky foot controller is fixed, and I've rebuilt and recovered the original case. I use this machine as often as I can and think of mom as I sew with it.

Around the last of 2011 another HST member told us about ShopGoodwill.com. Oh dear. Elaine found a 319K and that started the obsession. 
As my skills increased I've designed and made my Wacky bags, 83 pieces of fabric sewn into a shopping bag as a test project for each machine I fix. And then the quilts.
My "All Machines Quilt" and it's little brother the lap quilt, the two quilts for my aunts in AZ and many many other little things.

I've got to finish my Queen size All Machine Quilt, then on to something else. Lots of ideas, but we need more space.

Basically my sewing escalated from nothing to an obsession.

Perhaps someday I can really do something with what I've learned. 

Joe


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## countrysunshine (Jul 3, 2008)

My mother would stay up all night on the night before Easter to finish dresses for my sister and me. I wanted to sew what I wanted not what Mom wanted. So, I started when I was pretty young making doll dresses. I made the same pattern over and over and over until is started looking right. Then I moved onto my own clothes. I think I was around eight when I started making my own. Mom was not the best teacher. She just told me to have at it. When I had a problem I would holler and she would holler back.

I HATED home ec with a passion. I had also learned by the sixth grade to NEVER tell anyone I made my own clothing. It was looked down upon at my grade school to where "home made". We moved when I was in the sixth grade and I didn't tell a sole at my new school. One of the "in" girls figured it out a year later and she couldn't believe I didn't shout it from the rooftops. My boys' wives are the same way. They asked and I made all the bridesmaids dresses for their weddings.

I like garment construction best but I want to sit down and sew it from start to finish with nothing interrupting me. I used to make all sorts of clothes for my boys including their winter coats. Now, mostly I piece quilts until I get annoyed and put it away. I have several machines, both TOL and vintage and I like sewing on all of them for different things.


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