I learned to sew from my Mom, didn't really make much until Home Ec in 8th grade. Did more mending than sewing, but at least I knew my way around a machine. Also have done handwork since about age 10 (needlepoint, cross-stitch)

In about 1986 I wandered into a LQS and at some point bought a book and 2 sets of templates (remember those? LOL) rectangles & triangles. BUT... I never did anything w/ them. (read the book, didn't sew...) got married, had babies...life gets in the way...

Then around 2000 I saw a friend's t-shirt quilt, and wanted to try that for my boys, whose closet was running out of space!! Luckily, when I went to the fabric store to buy backing (polar fleece!) the sales girl told me about using interfacing to keep the knit from stretching all over. I designed the layout & figured how to put it together on my own. I
n some order, my memory doesn't work chronologically, I made a blue-jean quilt, found Simply Quilts on HGTV (by accident), made a 9-patch quilt using a simple method taught by Billie Lauder, got hooked, took 2 basic classes at LQS (piecing and machine quilting) and have done everything else on my own. Lots of books.

Funny thing is my favorite toys as a child often involved manipulating geometric shapes... blocks, magnets, etc. and my school doodles probably could all have been quilt designs. Thus, I say I've ALWAYS been a quilter, just didn't make a quilt until recently.

Florence

I took sewing in 4-H and have been sewing ever since. I picked up quilting when we moved to MI 5 years ago. Self taught with a little kit from Joann's, but have taken classes to learn new techniques. I've always been good at reading patterns, following instructions, and being creative enough to just wing it sometimes LOL

I am just curious after a discussion we had at our last group meeting. How did you learn or ARE LEARNING to quilt?

Learned from an older quilter / relative / friend. I learned to sew from my mother a drape maker. She had made many of our clothes as kids til she got a job away from home. I also took HOME EC in high school so I learned there. When I was young I tried to design my own clothes and took a lot of STRETCH AND SEW classess... do you remember those? I was self taught til a couple of years ago when it came to quilting... I would read a book then try and make the quilt in the book. I tried alot of the failed quilt making techniques... you know the ones that were a fad then I reverted to real classes when a shop opened with a great instructor only 5 miles away from where I live. I now belong to several guilds ... to learn and socialize... I get more QUILT RELATED reading done then actual quilting.

I also watch as many quilt shows and DVD as I can... my current spending vice is DVDs about quilting.

Joined a guild and learned from quilt members and classes.

Always sewed, just fell into quilting...

Self taught

Read quilting books.... I own over 250 and read them none stop at bedtime.

Took classes at a shop? How many?

I basically took 8 classes and joined several block of the month sessions this past year where learning to quilt accurately was the focus.

Types of classes taken....

Took technique classes.... My favorite class is learning a technique I can apply in other quilts. I like doing my own thing and try to make quilts no one else has. ... following my own designs even if I use the same setting technique as other quilts.


Took a class to learn a specific quilt block/ settings

Watched DVDs, quilt shows, etc to learn techniques and gather new information.


Right now I am into BOM quilts that use the blocks in contemporary settings.

I have sewn forever, made some baby quilts in my 30's when I was having my own kids, but then wandered across HGTV one day and caught the segment where they were showing how to make watercolor quilts. That piano quilt mesmerized me! I began taping those shows (2 a day!) and watching every minute. Soon, I was making quilts, and it is now a passion / addiction. I have an incredible library of quilt books on different techniques, etc. (that's almost as big a passion as quilting), and love to spend my time poring over them.

I'm not sure how we all find so much time to be online AND quilt, too, but it sure is fun!

BethMI

I started sewing when I was about 9 or 10. I found some wonderful fabric at the five and dime that I wanted a shirt made out of. My mother used this as the oportunity to teach me to sew. When my children were young, I made all their clothes. I was always drawn to quilts and just love them. I took a class from a local quilter about 9 years ago. We made a sample quilt (its on my profile and I've still not finished the hand quilting!) This group of women eventually became the quilt guild that I'm a member. I've not had a lot of time to quilt over the last 9 years, but this is my passion. I watched Simply Quilts and read many books and magazines and now have TQS! I gave my mom a beginners quilting class for Mother's Day last year and took the class with her. Now Mom quilts!!!

The first quilt-related thing I did was buy a QNM mag because of the cover quilt. Then I started watching Simply Quilts, then I checked out every library book on quilting one summer. I've never had any formal classes. Right now my lessons are coming from here!
Sherry

My mom taught me to sew when I was a little girl. She had always encouraged me to try quilting. She gave me a pattern and fabric to make the cat pillow on my profile and I enjoyed it. I took one class that taught rotary cutting and basics, bought books and magazines and found TQS! I did join a quilt guild and hope to take a few classes through it.

Hello, all. I, too, began sewing at a very young age from my mother. She made all my clothes, and then I started the same. I made all my kids clothes and even suits for my DH!!! After I retired in 1986 I began quilting...it just evolved. My first was made with kettle cloth (remember that?) and my hand quilting stitches were really toe catchers. But over the past 20 years I have learned so very much, from books (I have lots), classes, inspiration of friends, membership in a great guild, etc. Right now my main interest is in making Quilts of Valor for war wounded. Also, of course, the TQS BOM.

Nancy in NC

I am so very fortunate to have a wonderful LQS who has wonderful teachers. I love taking classes there and have learned so very much. I started with a Rotary Cutting Class, and proceeded on to Begining Quilting, I have taken seven other classes in jut this past year and feel I have learned so much. If it is a technique class, the students have to buy the book. This has helped me start to build a good quilt related "library." I am constantly going back and refereing to the books from the classes.

I've sewn since my Mom taught me when I was a little girl. I used to have my own fashion design business and have made everything from tents to wedding dresses..sew, when my daughter in law got interested in quilting, she encouraged me to do so too. It's been a blast. Recently, I've been trying to improve my techniques by taking the video classes offered on Sharon Schamber, watching the Quilt Show for all the wonderful ideas here, and learning from books. I can see for myself that my quilt making and quilting itself has improved by miles just in the past few months. Thanks for asking this--the answers are really interesting.



Cheers

For me it was first self-taught, then books and when Simply Quilts came along I started running and finding my passion in quilting. Didn't take a class until a few years ago and still don't take many. But they sure have been worth it.

I learned to sew in Junior High School, Home Economics class! I had only a vague idea what a quilt was, but I've always been drawn to them - the idea of creating something beautiful out of scraps intrigued me. After I lost my job in 2000, I decided to tackle my box of scraps that I'd saved for years, mostly from clothing construction for my family. I bought a book at Wal-Mart and started following a pattern. Around that time, there was a retreat (very inexpensive, I might add!) that was sponsored by a near-by church group at a Bible Camp our church helped support. I decided to attend, and met some wonderful quilters who taught me so much. They meet monthly, year around, and then have 2 retreats each year. Then I started to buy books, magazines, watched Simply Quilts, and started exploring on the internet!

In 1962, we were temporarily in Oklahoma City, OK for 9 months. Our son was a year old at the time. We didn't know anybody there. Since DS wasn't much of a conversationalist yet, I needed some sort of hobby to keep my mind occupied while DH was in school. I went to a dime store (anybody old enough to remember those?) and bought one of the Aunt Martha pamphlets and made a quilt top according to the directions in it. I had that first one quilted by a lady in MI. The second one was also from one of those pamphlets, and I quilted that one myself. I still have it, and you can tell I didn't know much--there are knots the size of ladybugs on the back, since I didn't understand what they meant by burying the knot when quilting. I'm still learning, 46 years later, LOL.

Pat in Rockport, TX

I learned by taking a class by one of our local people. The quilt was "Log Cabin" from Eleanor Burns. I didn't have the book but just teacher directions. From there I did my own thing by getting a few more books with quilt patterns and watching Alex on "Simply Quilts" and Eleanor on "Quilt in a Day" and of course "Fons & Porter" I Made an attempt when my children were growing but just didn't have the patience for anything at the time. When I retired after ten years I was at a loss for something to do. So took the class. Never sorry that I did. Nan