I
had never sewn before, as my own Mom did not sew. So we learned about
fabric and thread, and sewing machines, tracing wheels and zippers. And
each one of us made a garment!
After
graduating from High School, I realized that making garments was fun and
challenging. I ended up taking another garment class through Adult
Education offered in our public schools. 
After marrying and starting a family, I found the local craft stores offered
different classes. Cake decorating was a great asset to make birthday
cakes for my little children. But the class that changed how I looked
at a sewing machine was the quilting class.
At
that time, we used scissors, templates and we hand stitched everything.
When our class was almost over, our teacher brought out an instrument
that she said would make cutting our fabric easier. Can you guess what
it was?
Yep,
it was the first time I ever saw a Rotary cutter. None of the students
were impressed, saying "How could this pizza cutter take the place of
scissors?" Not only were we wrong, but my sister in love took a class
at a new quilt shop and learned Eleanor Burns Quilt in a Day method.
Sewing has never been the same for us since ;-)How about you?? Who taught you to quilt??
11 comments:
I pretty much taught myself so in "the early years" I'm sure I had some pretty "interesting" features in my garments:) After college, when I was in an apt. of my own, I needed a throw for in the living-room. I made what I call a cheaters quilt - 3 layers sandwiched together and tied. The addiction proceeded from there~
We too had home ec classes in 7th and 8th grade, though my best friend from across the street and I had been making doll clothes since we were 9 or 10. My mom didn't sew much so I'm totally self taught as a quilter. Been quilting for nearly 40 years now.
I took home ec, in junior high. My top turned out twice as big as the pattern, even tho it was checked at every step. I don't sew clothing. I learned how to quilt from a lady at church. She made us all stitch our first quilt by hand (only 16.5" square). We were introduced to the rotary cutter (it was 2001), and drew our stitching line on each piece we cut out. I show that quilt to the ladies I teach, to let them know that you can improve with each quilt you make (thank goodness).
My mom taught me garment sewing and the quilting part was self taught with lots of trial and error efforts.
My Mom did not sew. I had Home EC classes in Jr high. Was a quick lesson we made a pair of pants! I did take away the machine part so was never afraid to try to sew on my own. I did have my Great Aunt Mary who I spent some time with and she showed me some sewing tricks then gave me her machine! Rest was self taught.
I did do sewing and cookery at school, but only for a year, so I pretty much had to teach myself in later life as my mother didn't sew (or cook come to think of it).
Oh my - I FLUNKED Home Ec!!!! I never did finish my dress. It started out pink, but by the time I'd ripped the seams out a thousand times, it was grey and holey.
I saw a quilt on the back page of a magazine, and asked my friend's mother [that I adopted] how to make it. I too used scissors and cardboard templates, and it took me 20 years to finish. But then I slept under it....and I was a goner. I've been quilting ever since!
I have been a piecer but didn't know how to do the quilting so kind of lost interest in making quilts because I couldn't finish them and couldn't afford to hire someone else to do it. I just learned how a few months ago (did a whole blog post on the person who taught me) and couldn't be more excited!
I have been a piecer but didn't know how to do the quilting so kind of lost interest in making quilts because I couldn't finish them and couldn't afford to hire someone else to do it. I just learned how a few months ago (did a whole blog post on the person who taught me) and couldn't be more excited!
I also did sewing at school, had to make a lingerie item, smocked one,and a blouse for the GCE exams when I was 15, we were not taught cooking though.
I would be lost without the rotary cutter and mat I do not think I wold have taken to quilting if I had to use scissors and paper/card templates etc
I took a sewing class through 4-H when I was nine. My mom sewed and my grandmother (father's mother) sewed, so it was natural and I made all of my clothes. I got married in 1977 and joined a crafts book club. There were wonderful books about quilting and I bought several. However, things really got started when we moved to North Carolina in 1980. There was actually a quilting show on North Carolina Public Television with Georgia Bonesteel. This was still the template making phase of quilting and Georgia's books made it easy. I have been quilting ever since. Patti K.
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