How long have you been Quilting-Piecing-Appliqueing-Paper Piecing- Machine Quilting-etc? ~~Whatever technique or method you consider part of this creative process known as quilting. And were you a sewer before you started making quilts?

As a new member of this select group called "quilters", but a very experienced seamstress -I always feel I need/want to qualify my sewing experience, because that tremendously gives me an advantage in understanding the process and skill set required for a wonderful outcome. I look at it as learning another unique piece of this wonderful world of sewing. I took my first modern day piecing class 1 year ago. Prior to that I made quilts in the 70's & 80's the very old fashioned way. In fact, every so often, something jogs my memory and I remember a quilt I made for a gift using whatever method we used then. No rotary cutters/mats/rulers/patterns/or specialty pins. So, maybe I've been fibbing when I say I am new to quilting :). I am new to modern day quilting~LOL~having taken a 25 year break from true piecing & quilting, except making the occasional whole cloth quilt for whatever reason - bedspreads, comforters, duvet covers, etc.

So, how long have you been quilting / sewing?

I love colors and working with combining colors. I still take classes constantly and go to any show I can.

I didn't make another quilt until the late '80s when I was in college. I saw a picture of a Grandmother's flower garden and made that...king size, with templates, on the machine.

After graduating college I started making baby quilts and things took off from there. I guess I've been truly quilting for the last approx. 20 yrs...

This piece was never backed, batted, basted or quilted. But it stayed with me until after college and got used as a picnic blanket, a cover in the back of my Pinto station wagon (when I didn't want outsiders to see what was in there, like at the Mall), a warmer cover on those cold nights, something to wrap in at football games, and lastly as fabric to put down in the back of a car/trunk whenever I would haul things that were dirty like pine branches at the holidays, potted plants, etc.

In the mean time, I took a sewing class in High School to learn clothing construction. As a new Bride, hubby bought me my own machine our first Christmas. I have sewed ever since, and spent many long nights sewing clothes for myself and my three daughters. Christmas, Easter and the start of the school year meant trips to the fabric store for patterns and fabrics. I probably have nearly every pattern I ever bought, and they do come in handy for things like costumes if I can find the right silhouette.

Most of my clothing choices for the girls was 100% cotton. Quilting was a natural extension of that. I started working with graph paper and colored pencils and decided that I could use the scraps I had kept from those dresses to make my designs. That was probably 1988 or so, I did some teaching of basic quilting at a local fabric store and fell in love with my artform of choice.

I maintain a fairly vast library of books and magazines devoted to my art, and of course my stash seems to be neverending ... well, the search for more fabric to go into it, that is! I try to get in some form of quilting every day now that I only have 1 daughter left at home. It keeps me sane and keeps my blood pressure down.

I've gotta say, this is a great question.

I sewed my baby's entire layette and then made him a postage stamp baby quilt. Only I had never quilted before, so I didn't know the blocks didn't need to be scaled down to that size. It was a humdinger. LOL. Then I started him an embroidered quilt in puppy patterns and never finished it until my g'son was born seventeen years ago. So, I gave it to him.

I have actually only been quilting about three years. I did no learning, just picked it up and did it. No quilting tools, had no clue what a rotary cutter was. I've come a long way since, even though I have a long way to go.

However, I have been sewing since about eight. My mother always said she couldn't sew, but she was a good seamstress but didn't teach me, because she thought she couldn't sew. LOL. I had a sewing class in school at about age twelve, and flew with it.

I was just upstairs thinking about it before I logged on. I've sewn two of my own wedding dresses, formals, coats, bathing suits, curtains, tailored MIL's dresses, because she was so petite and rotund, mens clothes, etc. Got away from it for about fifteen years and then when I started quilting, actually make a piece of clothing now and then when I want something and can't find it on a sales rack.

Three years ago I thought I'd try to crochet another afghan, but found out my hands get too spastic for the constant holding of the yarn. I decided to make a Cathedral Windows instead, and my mom asked me to keep an eye out for extraordinary fabric for her Grandmother's Flower Garden. It turned into one for me, one for her. And then two for me and one for her. And then....well, you get the idea. I decided to do a fabric album quilt--Applecore charm.

I put the CW away, away, away. Too many black squares! I had more fun cutting my applecore pieces. My neice got pregnant with her second when my mom's eyes were messed up with cataracts so I said, Never fear! I will make this baby's quilt! I'm pretty sure my niece was bummed and worried, and mom was sad. I did the absolute best I could. It turned out well all except for me finding a lost quilting needle inside it after I washed it.

My mom took it, and fingered every inch of that quilt five times while she was listening to books on tape and her eyes were all patched up. The first round of fingering found TWO more needles, and the last four rounds were needle free. The eyes got well, I got both praise and happy mom instruction on keeping up with needles, and assorted other things I needed to know along the way. My sweet niece was almost rude in her stunned surprise and pleasure when we presented the quilt (couldn't have satisfied me any better!) I've pushed her into actually using it by saying I need to know early on how my stitching will hold up to wear.

So, all together, that's three years for me.

beverly

Over the years I made formal gowns and skirts for school, then I took tailoring in college. After I got married I made curtains, pillows, maternity clothes and little overalls for my two boys. Now I make my own nightgowns, simple dresses for work, curtains, and accessories for my home.

I stared quilting in 1984, making a lap quilt for our sofa. Then I took my first class, making templates out of cardboard! Ha! So I've been quilting for 25 years. I've also done a little knitting, crochet, cross stitch, macrame, toile painting, etc. etc.

Teresa

I only made one or two quilts a year - mostly baby quilts for the DH's young co-workers - for the next 15 years or so.

Now I make 10 or so quilts a year - I quit my sewing job, so I can now enjoy my sewing hobby, LOL.

I had forgotten about that ugly gingham apron we had to make in Home Ec.- mine was orange, decorated in cross stitch across the bottom. I found mine & my older sister's in my Mother's dresser drawer when cleaning out her house after she died - she had kept these for 45 + years!!!

When I asked this question, I never dreamed your answers would be so insightful and interesting. I was really wondering how long it would take me to rate myself higher than an advanced beginner based on how long you all had been quilting!! ~~LOL~~