I too enjoyed reading about how everyone started quilting. Like many of you, sewing clothing came before quilting, but I was destined to be a quilter. My paternal grandmother was a prolific quilter and we grew up with quilts on our beds but didn't know at the time that they should be treasured so they became pretty worn. Many of my relatives on both sides of the family were also quilters. My maternal grandmother who was also a quilter in her younger years, before my memory starts, loaned me the money for my first sewing machine when I was 18. I still have the cabinet but sold the machine to a neighbor when the wonderful computer machines came out many years ago.

I don't remember how old I was when I started sewing or when I made my first quilt but my mother says I watched her sew and she was always careful to do it right. I do remember sewing Barbie doll clothes by hand in grade school and sewing on the sewing machine for the first time at age 12 after I got brave enough to ask my mother if I could use it.

I sewed mostly clothes for 10 years until getting married and purchasing a home, then I sewed mostly home decorating items and started making quilts at that time. I redecorated my kid's bedrooms about every year for awhile and handed down the old quilts to relatives. I didn't just make quilts, I made pillows and curtains etc. to match and they were handed down too. I also crocheted more afghans than I made quilts and was called the afghan lady at the local yarn shop for awhile.

Then after my youngest started school I started making smaller gift items to sell hoping to make a little profit. There wasn't much time for quilting for the next decade. By 1999 the craft business was no longer working for me as I had to spend too much time helping with the bookkeeping for the family business so I closed my last booth at the craft mall. Then I spent the next 6 months walking the aisles of the craft stores wondering what I should do next. I needed a creative outlet to survive.

On July 31, 2000 (I remember the date because it's my oldest brother's b-day) I had an idea for a quilt that I wanted to make, which led to another and another and so on. Soon I too became a prolific quilter.

What FABULOUS stories.. I love to hear how each of you started to quilt!

I only saw one utility quilt prior to quilting. If you see my lecture I have it in the lecture!

Sewing clothing since I was in about 9th grade... but no quilting until 15 yrs ago.

My friend told me I HAD to learn... and it was TRUE LOVE from then on out!

I started sewing on my DGM treadle sewing machine when I would stay with her for a few days each summer; my DM said I could not use her electric Singer until I was 10, so the time spent on the treadle was extra-special. I went on to make doll clothes, and then my own clothes for many years, taking Home Ec in HS and 10 years of 4-H, up to and including tailoring (was 1st IL state runner-up with a Pendleton wool coat as a HS senior in the old Make it Yourself with Wool contest). I continued to sew for myself and some for our three kids, as well as home dec, with knitting, crocheting, and then counted cross-stitch in my “free” time. My DM took up quilting the last few years of her life, and I was mildly interested, but regretfully did not do anything about it until a couple years after she passed away, when my DD and I took our first quilting class together. I was hooked! and now she is mildly interested…but much younger than when I was at that stage. I originally thought quilting would be a retirement activity, but am really glad I got into it earlier…retiring is still several years away, and I’m loving soaking up ideas, building my stash and library, and doing what quilting I can in my free time. Nancy

My mom taught me how to sew so when I had to take Home Ec in Jr. High I was bored out of my mind sewing pillows. I made some of my clothes during high school. When my first baby was coming I hemmed many, many cloth diapers and then I quit sewing it was too stressful. I started crocheting more and I loved it. When my first grandchild was due six years ago I wore out my machine making baby blankets and I went searching for a machine that would make little holes in the flannel so I could crochet around the blanket. I purchased a Bernina and started taking the classes well some of the ladies in the class had the Bernina 440QE and I watched them embroider and I fell in love so I traded in my first machine for the 440QE. I loved watching the machine make those embroidered designs and I kept making little flannel receiving blankets and some crib quilts. Well for Christmas I decided to try my hand at making quilts out of minkee fabric cut into squares and then I started finding lessons on the internet and it has just snowballed from there. So I'm a new quilter and I'm really enjoying it. Two days ago I finally accomplished some meander free motion quilting on a pillow for my grandson it was tons of fun and even looked good--but no magnifying glasses allowed

I was cold at night! We were very poor and were camping out in a small cabin without electricity, running water, or adequate heat. I made a quilt out of materials found at the local thrift shop, and was able to sleep warmer. This started a lifelong love for quilting. Rebecca
http://www.quilterscrossroads.com
Check out the free patterns and quilting fun.

In 1992, I was chomping at the bit to conceive our first child, on the time schedule we had agreed to. Husband wanted to wait a bit, and I was pretty upset. After years of embroidering, crocheting, knitting, and cross stitching, I needed something to occupy my hands (to keep from throttling him). I also wanted to make quilts for the nieces & nephews that had started to come along. I made baby quilts & in most cases "big girl or big boy" quilts for each child, and made a blue baby quilt and pink baby quilt for us. Son was born in 1994, and daughter in 1996, and she still sleeps with her pink baby quilt every night.

My grandmother & great-aunt were great quilters, but sadly, I never was taught by them -- they had to go back to work late in life. Out of my 20+ first cousins and several aunts & siblings, I am the only quilter. Now that I have covered every bed & wall several times over, I am concentrating on making heirloom quality quilts for my children to inherit. This is such a fun hobby!

Kathy B.

My mother taught me to sew when I was a really little girl and I improved on that throughout life making mostly clothing, bags, and household items like curtains. About 25 years ago I had my own fashion design and tailoring business, designing and making both men's and women's clothing. Then we moved and I went back to sewing just for myself and my family.

My DH died about six years ago. Before that happened, I had taught my DIL to sew clothing while my son, her hubby, had been doing some work that took him away for weekends. She went on to quilting and found she liked that best. So when Marvin died, and I moved closer to them, she pulled me into quilting. It has been a great joy and relaxation for me and as an added bonus, we share so much fun over it. It's neat because she likes traditional quilting and I like art quilting, so we complement each other a like. We are planning on some collaboration in the future.

I've been sewing since I was little - 10 years of 4-H and continued to sew garments and crafts for many years following.

When we moved to MI 5 years ago, I was looking for a new craft to get into. I picked up a kit from JoAnn's for a wall hanging, made it with few problems and I was hooked! I make anywhere from 6-10 quilts/year - the tops come much quicker than the quilting, but I'm trying to get better at the quilting.

I guess I'm the only one who hated to sew as a kid. I was too busy roller skating, riding a bike, playing baseball, you name it. :shock:
In High School, we had Home Ec in senior year, and it was only sewing. This was at an all girls' Catholic HS. I made it through without ever doing a zipper or buttonhole and I got a C. Fine with me.
We took the kids to the Amish country when they were very small and I went into the shop in Intercourse, PA. That's when the quilts hit me! This was probably around 1989 or so. I searched in my area for classes and finally, in 1994, I found a Continuing Ed class. We did everything by hand and with templates and scissors. That way the teacher knew that we knew the basics and could go on from there.
That's how I got going,
eileenkny

Like so many of you, I don't recall not knowing how to sew. I remember the "sewing cards" we'd "stitch" with yarn or shoelaces, and by the time I had home-ec in 8th grade I already knew my way around a sewing machine, but I didn't sew doll clothes, I think I mostly sewed & embroidered patches on my jeans! (oh what a hippie I wanted to be ) My DM and DGM both sewed some of our clothes, did the smocking, etc. (3 girls) and also did needlepoint, crewel embroidery and knitting. But they didn't quilt.
If you read my profile you'll see I say I've always been a quilter, I just didn't make my first quilt (or block or anything) until around 2000. I always drew "quilty" patterns & doodles & played with geometric blocks, magnets, etc. making any kinds of designs I could. In 1984 I visited a "country" fabric store that was near my home, as I recall more than once, and at some time actually bought a book and templates... but I'm not recalling anyone at the store encouraging me, I felt on my own, and apparently didn't brave it... not to mention that I didn't have a sewing machine...
Fast Forward to late 90's, I saw my first "t-shirt quilt" about the same time my twins' t-shirt collection was about to bust out of the closet. (Could these sports & camps not LOWER the enrollment fee if we brought in our OWN shirts ) By this time I had a yard-sale 60's era Kenmore, pretty much like I learned on, so we were a good match.
So I decided that was what I'd do. I went to Hancock's to get polar fleece to back it, and luckily the gal at the cutting table asked me what I was going to do w/ it, and she gave me advice on interfacing. I'd have had a mess on my hands if she hadn't!
So, I boldly went forward & made 2 t-shirt quilts, just tied, then made one for my BIL and one for my brother.
Somewhere along that time I ran into a really rough spot in my life, and ended up taking almost a year off from work to get my head together, but that put me in front of a TV in the morning (instead of a computer) and I found SQ-- or maybe it found me. It was just what I needed. I got brave, doing something for ME, and took a class at a LQS where the women were actually friendly and I haven't looked back. One class on precision piecing and another on machine quilting, everything else I've learned from SQ, books, and now TQS. Love it, love it, love it!
Florence

I started 8 years ago when I was doing pottery for my hobby. I felt like I was spending too much time away from my daughter and wanted to find something that I could enjoy at home vs go to a studio all day on the weekend.

My mom and grandma both taugh me to sew before I was 10. Both my grandmother and great grandmother were incredible seamstresses, so I was fortunate to learn the basics from a pro!

I started sewing when I was 10 or 11, sewed most of my clothes as a teen. I quit after getting married, sewed a bit while I was pregnant with my son. I made his layette, beddings, wall hanging for the room, a couple sleepers and that was it. I didn't sew again until 3 years ago. He is 19 now, so I had a long break.
My Mom had been trying to get me to quilt for years and she finally handed me a pattern for the kitty pillow in my profile, enough fabrics to make it and I fell in love with quilting. I still feel very much a beginner, but I am having the time of my life learning. I find it very relaxing picking fabrics and colors and designs. I even like ironing!! My fabrics, not my clothes. LOL I am very lucky that my hubby is very supportive, encouraging and has a great eye for color, and this annoying habit of finding the one little block I turned the wrong way! Sandi in FL

I started sewing all of my own clothes after I learned to sew in Home Ec in 7th grade. This was back when patterns only cost a quarter and fabric was a quarter a yard. Mom had made my clothes up until then. She told me that there wasn't enough money for store-bought clothes but she would buy me all of the patterns and cloth that I wanted to make my own clothes. I ended up with a very large wardrobe! I eventually stopped after I went to work and my old Kenmore sewing machine sat and collected dust.

My sister found out about a class to learn to make soft-sculptured dolls. I figured, why not. I made so many dolls that I lost count but everyone in the family and everyone I knew received one, personalized with hair color and eye color to match the child receiving the doll. I finally got burned out making dolls and stopped sewing again for a while.

Then in late 1990, I found out that I had to have surgery and would be off work for 6 weeks. I had accidently come across an episode of Quilt In A Day when channel-surfing. I thought, if I can make clothes, I can certainly sew a straight line and make a quilt. So prior to the surgery, I bought Eleanor Burns' Irish Chain Quilt book and Log Cabin Quilt book, a mat, rotary cutter, ruler and fabric for two quilts (one of each pattern). Then in February, 1991 I started quilting. I made the Irish Chain quilt first for my nephew. My sister was jealous. She didn't know that my next quilt was going to be a KING-SIZE log cabin quilt for her. She still told everyone that she thought a sister should get a quilt before a nephew even if it was her son. I made quilts for a few years and gave them all away. I have no idea how many.

Then money got tight and I couldn't afford quilting anymore. I gave it up until about 7 years ago when I received a postcard for a LQS announcing that Pat Knoechel would be there for a demonstration. I don't even know how I got on the mailing list because I had never been to the shop. But I figured for $6.00 it would be a fun night out so what did I have to lose. Well, I lost my mind and every penny of extra money that I had. I bought the Delectable Mountains Quilt book and made a queen-size quilt, pillow shams, coordinating dust ruffle and three pair of 84 inch curtains for my bedroom. When the Fans annd Flutterbys book came out, I made two coordinating table runners to use as dresser scarves. I haven't stopped since and I'm loving every minute of it.

I graduated from the Kenmore sewing machine to a small Bernina then a year later I bought a Husqvarna-Viking Rose just before they were discontinued. I'm using the Rose but I haven't parted with the Bernina. This has been the best form of stress-relief that I've found!

Diana in Hornell, NY

Like some others, I can't remember when I didn't sew. The year I turned 40 I lost both my parents, and my DH and I separated for several months. I sank into that hell called depression.
It was quilters and quilts that drug me back to life, and now they are my sanity!