http://daisyquilts.blogspot.com/ and http://tonyassewingroom.blogspot.com/ have posed a question for their followers: Where did we begin to sew and/or quilt?
My paternal grandmother was a quilter and was very talented at embroidery, although she lived in another state 500 miles away, so I can't say I was influenced much by her quilts. I have one small doll quilt she made for me as a gift, and also have some pretty embroidered pillowcases. Wish that I even had some pictures of her quilts!
My maternal grandmother knitted, crocheted, and tatted beautiful lace. She did a little sewing as well, but wasn't into quilting. Three of her 4 daughters also grew up loving fiber art of some type. My mother was the oldest of the girls and she earned her living working in garment factories during WWII, and later did a lot of custom sewing for people as I grew up. In fact, most of my clothes were made by her until I was old enough and accomplished enough to sew my own. She made lots of quilts - but kept them simple and all were tied, not quilted. She didn't like working with intricate patterns.
My first sewing lessons were making doll clothes with needle, thread, and scraps of fabric Mom would let me have from her sewing projects. I was around 6 at the time. But I didn't get to use her sewing machine until I was about 10 - and was pretty proud when I finally reached that goal. I was hooked!
My first real "quilt" interest came from seeing a gorgeous cathedral windows quilt being made by one of my mother's friends. That quilt was all hand stitched, so I watched it progress over a couple of years. It was so pretty and made me hope to own a quilt like it some day. And someday I will.
My first quilting project of my own was a little over 20 years ago and inspired by my sister-in-law Kathy. She is a terrific quilter. She got me started sewing some log cabin blocks for a quilt top she was working on for a friend. That little project led to some making a quilt for myself. And the rest is history . . .
Now - how did you get started quilting?
4 comments:
Sara, I haven't begun yet, but I am getting the bug, big time. Do you think at almost 65 I can learn to quilt? I am fascinated by the possibilities... My mom and my aunt were both very good seamstresses. Mom sewed for all six of us kids, but being the youngest girl and the next to the last child, usually my baby brother and I were shooed outside and out from underfoot while my big sis or my sister older than me would help cutting out the patterns and doing the sewing. Mom quilted some with the ladies at church for a time, but raising the six of us then having her first heart attack when she was 48 cut back extra activity for her.
That's a great question... I'll stop back to read some more responses.
Helen
Dear Sara, thankyou so much for telling us and sharing your story... I'm loving this so far.
Would you please link your button to the 'actual post' on my blog, so people can follow along and share their stories too!
I hope this goes on and on and we get to read many inspiring stories..
(the instructions to link up are also on my blog)
Thankyou so much. :D
hugs
Robyn xx
Helen - it's never too late to start something new. Besides, I've heard that 65 is the new 25.
Sara, you write a great story. For those out there far away, my dear friend, Sara, got me started quilting a little over a year ago. Her work is beautiful and so is she.
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