I started sewing when about 6 yrs old and was gifted those sewing cards with the holes punched into them and you used yarn to outline the object. Both of my grandmothers did lots of handwork but it was my maternal grandmother who taught me how to sew garments. I’ve never stopped sewing! I moved from clothing to quilting about 20 years ago and never looked back.

My mother did more mending than sewing garments on her Singer sewing machine, but she was always, knitting or crocheting on something. She just needed to see a picture, and voila' - new pot holders, or doilies and other items were being made. I did knit a few slippers for my dolls, but I especially loved to cross-stitch and embroider. I actually didn't enjoy sewing garments, till after high school, when I could choose my own patterns and fabrics, but still found garment sewing frustrating in making things 'fit' properly. It wasn't until a few years ago, when discovering traditionally pieced blocks, that my love of quilting took off - and each quilt fits perfectly - no matter the size :)! Love it!!

my Mom made clothes for us when we were kids, but she never taught us to sew. I started hand stitching when I was little, making doll clothes. I took a quilt class in 1974 and that was my introduction to quilting.

My Mother and maternal grandmother didn’t sew at all. My mother in law is an accomplished seamstress and quilter. She got me started in sewing early in my marriage and we took our first quilt class together with her daughter (my sister in law). We’ve all stuck with quilting for over thirty years now. It’s my favorite hobby and I’m so thankful she got me started!

Great stories but don’t forget Grandma. My mother didn’t sew but I got my love of fabric and sewing from my grandmother and now I’m passing it on to grandchildren

I began using a needle to embroider when I was about six years old and used my mom's sewing machine a few years later to make doll clothes. My mom was very patient with me and I am forever grateful that she encouraged my love of fabric and sewing.

My mother hated sewing and didn't ever want me to open up the Singer machine cabinet because of the mess sewing made. She wanted me to play golf with her - I refused. I knew I'd hate to golf! The only real instruction I ever got was a kind 4-H leader who brought me to her home for a whole day and we made a pink gingham gathered skirt to enter into the fair. Whenever Country Threads gave a program and Mom was there, she'd jokingly say " And I taught her everything she knows!" Haha!

Well the long comment just said we don't connect so will this connect?

My mother sewed- kinda. She had a beautiful Singer in a gorgeous cabinet that I now own. She did repairs and made fantastic Haloowee costumes. October31 was her bday! My Godmother was a seamstress and I spent time with her playing with fine fabric making doll clothes. But my passion began in grade eight home ec. Back then half the year was cooking then the other have sewing. My teacher agreed that since I already knew how to cook and bake I could take sewing for the whole year! That began my addiction. At age thirteen I received a brand new Kenmore! I made all my clothes and later on my children’s too. When I was recovering from a back injury I needed something to keep me busy and get me out of the house so my husband signed me up for six week quilting class, the rest is history. Twenty odd years later I’m still learning.

i just lost my Mom suddenly Tuesday of this week. She could do anything with a sewing machine & fabric. She was always mending, patching, hemming clothes for other people. She also taught my sisters & I to knit, crochet, cross stitch, tat, very crafty, not to mention a fantastic cook from scratch. She will greatly missed not only by family & friends, but the whole community. Angel has another angel. Everyone give those Mom's that are still with us and extra hug.

My mom taught me to sew. She bought a Singer Featherweight in the 30's and sewed with it all her life, even making my father's suits. Later she won a newer Singer, but gave it away and kept sewing on the Featherweight. But she only sewed clothes and toys. I could never get her to quilt although I did teach her to cross-stitch.

Mis recuerdos de mi mamá son confeccionando su ropa y la nuestra, para mis hermanas y mía desde muy pequeñas, siempre acompañándola a escoger telas, sentirlas al tacto, olerlas, caminar por los pasillos viendo mucho color en cada tela y al final en un pequeño vestido, con el transcurso del tiempo mi mayor placer ha sido coser, lo que sea, actualmente elabora un quilt o un vestido es el mayor placer, tranquilidad y recuerdos que tengo, Gracias Mamá !!

My mom encouraged me to start with hand sewing clothes for dolls, then I was taught to use her machine to sew my clothes. She gave me a Kenmore machine when I was 12 years old, mostly to get hers back, I'm sure! Fast forward to the year 2000, when we were together at a quilt store and saw a flyer for a Project Linus chapter starting up in our area. We came to the meeting in October, and have been churning out quilts ever since then! Mom has made over 900 quilts for Linus, and I am almost up to 600. We go almost every Saturday to one quilting session or another, and on several quilting retreats each year. I am so thankful to spend this time with her, doing what we both love!

My mom didn't love teaching me to sew--mostly because there were usually tears and frustration (from me). She made all her clothes, as well as my sister's and mine, and later made lots of clothing for her grandkids, mostly dresses for her only granddaughter and pajamas for the grandsons. When I was a teenager I had clothing made by her that was the envy of many of my friends, not ugly homemade things, but very stylish, custom made clothing. She loved dreaming up a project and let my sister and I plan and decide what we wanted her to make.

Mom made tied patchwork quilts for years, taking up more intricate quilting designs and hand quilting in the last 12 years of her life, her first quilt was a "nosegay" design. She listed me as the future recipient on the label, because I was quilting already and encouraged her to do it, as well as helped her shop for the fabrics in it. She made a quilt for each of her five grandchildren, with the intention that they be their future wedding gifts. She finished the one for the youngest when he was five, and it seemed to early but I'm thankful she did that!

So much I learned about how to do things in my stitching--the way to move my hands or to turn something--just from watching her. We spent many hours talking about sewing and quilting, and planning what we'd make. I miss that most about her, I think.

My mother did not sew, but my paternal grandmother and great aunt did. They grew up during the depression, children of an Appalachian coal miner, and had to be very resourceful. They taught me to sew, quilt, crochet, cross stitch, and hook rugs. After they both passed away I inherited all of their old sewing machines, cabinets, supplies, and quilts. I wish there had been some old fabric left over! My grandmother's Singer 301 is still my go-to for piecing.

My mom and aunt were both remarkable seamstresses. They sewed all their clothes in the 1940's because they wanted to look fabulous and stylish. My earliest memory of watching my mom sewing was when I was about 4 years old. In the evenings, as we all watched TV, she would sew on her White Rotary machine in the corner of the living room, making dresses for my 2 sisters and I and also making our Barbies' clothes (although most of those tiny Barbie clothes she sewed by hand!) It seemed like such a normal thing to have a mother that sewed. Yet, as I grew up it turned out no one else's mom sewed. In fact, my mom eventually started sewing outfits for her friends and neighbors, including evening gowns! My aunt would come over about every other weekend to lay out fabric and cut out patterns with my mom on the kitchen table, and I sat listening and absorbing everything. I found it fascinating! When I turned 8 my mom finally showed me how to use her White Rotary and helped me sew my first Easter dress. I began sewing from then on. I stopped sewing in the 1980's because it seemed that it was cheaper to buy clothes than make them. The price of fabrics, patterns and notions all seemed to skyrocket during that time. I began cross-stitching at that time, and still do. My oldest sister was never bitten by the sewing bug, but she crochets beautifully. My other sister absolutely hated sewing, especially on a machine, but she draws and paints and has a wonderful eye for detail and color. That sister began quilting in the early 1990's, and mostly all of her quilts were pieced and quilted by hand. I learned a lot about quilting from her. In 2006 I made my first quilt and surprised my sister with it for Christmas that year. She returned it to me, though, saying that she wanted me to keep it, as to cherish it as the very first quilt I made from start to finish. I continue to quilt and now consider it my passion. All in all, I am so grateful to be part of a family of creative, hands-on women!

Linzee - your timing is perfect, I love this post.

My Mom sewed, mostly out of necessity rather than a real love for it. What she loved was making something for someone she loved - like the rather large wardrobe she made for my Barbie doll one Christmas when I was five. We were living in Colombia so buying Barbie clothes wasn't easily done. She "taught me to sew" by insisting that I take a class at the Singer Sewing Center because "best I learn my own bad habits instead of hers."

I particularly love this because my Mom's birthday always fell around Mother's Day and she's been in my thoughts all week. Thank you.

- [ ] I was so fortunate to grow up in a house full of “creatives”! I am one of four girls born in five years to a farmer’s wife. Our mom practiced many different arts throughout our childhood from painting to ceramics to anything with a needle, but she has always come back to her sewing machine as a favorite. One of my favorite stories that I love to tell is how we would go to the lake house for months during the summer and before we were allowed to jump into the water we’d have to make our own bathing suits! The best part...Mama was smart enough to add ruffles across the seat so that when we sat on the end of the dock we wouldn’t rub holes through them! She made countless Easter dresses with beautifully smocked details. She sewed more than one clogging dress with endless gingham ruffles for each of the four of us! She even created a pair of beaded heels that matched my prom dress perfectly!
- [ ] The best part of living in a house like ours was that she really instilled in us the power and beauty of being a life long learner. Mama was always signed up for a class (and bought the book) to learn the latest technique and if we ever showed any interest she’d happily sign us up too. One time we even made these sweet mice from brown towels, complete with blue aprons, hats and whiskers! Fun! Throughout our teenage years she added to our style in any way that was “cool” and created things we’d wear with pride. I can’t tell you the number of scrunchies the four of us “needed” during the 80s! We also had the best details added to our cheer tryouts shirts or dance costumes. We could dream up whatever and she’d guide us through our wild ideas with patience and love. She’d never tell us no, but there was an expectation to try it ourselves. Mistakes were necessary for learning and figuring out a fix was secretly her favorite part! Since we’ve grown up and added more to the troupe Mama became Granny and her desire to share this passion has multiplied. Pinterest has blossomed and 13 teenagers have LOTS of access to literally millions of unique ideas. The best part...they all know “Granny will be able to teach me this!” So the kids (even the boys) can come to Granny’s sewing porch with any kind of project or request and she has the fix in a drawer or in a book out there somewhere. Our mom is the best teacher and in just a few minutes she’s got whichever one of us fulfilling our Pinterest dreams!
- [ ] I think my favorite thing about my mom is how passionate she is about learning and then sharing her craft. There isn’t a mathematical calculation she can’t figure out. She tweaks patterns to make the cuts more efficient and she’s always ready to share a new way to save time or materials. She loves to share and always has resources readily available, but never pushes anything on any of us. When my daughter was just toddling we went to visit my parents for an extended stay and upon arriving back at our house she quickly announced that she wished we had a porch like Granny’s. I had to just lean my head back and smile! Yes, Audrey, yes a porch like Granny’s would be wonderful, but it’s nothing without my Mama to go with it!

My mother's mother was a professional seamstress. I can remember her making a white slipper satin wedding dress with cathedral train and long fitted sleeves with a loop to go onto the brides middle finger to keep them tight. She never used a pattern, but she sure used up every sheet in the house that was not currently on a bed. If we stood still long enough, I think she would have covered us with a sheet to keep the dress clean. At 70 she became the alterations lady for one on the finest lady's stores in our hometown. She was also a great cook who never used a recipe.
Grandma taught me to sew on her treadle machine (the same one she used for the wedding dress). I can remember Mother sewing some and mending, but when I was grown, she told me she was so glad when I learned to sew so she could quit.
She did quilt all of her life. Always by hand. She was one of those children who played under the quilt frame when it was set up. When she got older, she graduated to playing on the quilt in the frame. Her mother always told her that she didn't quilt so her daughter and mother could. Someone had to work on the farm.
I thank all three of them all the time for teaching me the value of fabric and what could be done with it.

Barb Groves--Thank you for reminding me of those bleach bottle totes! I had one, too, although it hasn't survived until now!

My Mother taught me to sew when I was just 9 years old. She was a talented seamstress and made clothes for my sister and me and also for every doll we loved! She would sew late into the night and I can still her with "pins" in her mouth! She handmade only one quilt - a Cathedral Window which I have and so treasure. When I began making quilts she was thrilled. As she grew older and lost her vision, she would visit quilt shops with me and spend her time talking with the sales personnel while I shopped. To this day each time I sit down to the humming of my sewing machine I feel a deep connection to my mother :) I have been told my hands are a mirror image of hers and I feel sewing is our bond.