I'm 69 and I've been quilting since about 1970. But, I grew up with quilts and with my great-grandma's quilt frame hanging from hooks in the ceiling in the bedroom. She would let it down during the day to quilt and then pull it back up at night. Whenever I spent the night, I was always afraid that it would fall on me. I started sewing clothing in high school and at one time, I made about 80 per cent of the clothes for me and the kids. But, quilting took over and I've never looked back. I'm a confirmed fabricholic and never want to be cured.

Barb Mcf

I'm 33 and grew up around sewing but never really tried my hand at quilting until about 6 years ago. Up till then I did basket weaving, cross-stitch, and crochet, among lots of other crafts.

Hi , I am 44 years and quilting for about 7 years. I gave up smoking and exchange one habit for the other. Im on the needle now and need my fabric. lol.

I will be 55 the end of this month. Have been quilting off and on for 35 years. When I met my husbands grandmother. She was blind and quilted buy touch and feel. She started going blind in her 70's but loved quilting so much that she continued until her heartattack at the age of 98. Her family helped her get the quilts in the frame and threaded the needles and she did the rest. I have a quilt she did in the early 60s that has started to rot where the blacks and the Yellows are. ITs kinda the grandmothers flower garden only they are set in Diamond shapes.
Then when I was 16 my neighbor made me a Puss in the Corner Quilt and then at 18 as a Highschool Grad gift I was given a Grandmothers fan from the same lady.
I had a great-uncle that started quilting in his 70's he lived in Eastern Oklahoma. He made only Red White and blue hand pieced quilts They were beautiful. I was also to get on for Highschool Grad but sad to say he passed away before he could get it made and the top disappeared.
He was native American and he made many quilts and gave them away to people in need and for gifts for special occations. I have a cousin that has one of the tops that is arrowheads.
Uncle George wanted to find a pattern for a seven pointed Cherokee star quilt, made in the Cherokee Colors. But didn't live long enough to do it....anyway this morning I was thinking of him and so I did a search and lo and behold I found a pattern So one of these days that is a quilt I want to do....In the Cherokee colors in honor of my dear great uncle George.... I could go on and on about the quilts but I'm going to tell one more. When I was about 6 I saw and slept under my very first quilt I took a nap at this old womans house and it was on a feather Mattress and she covered me up with a Sunbonnet Sue overall Sam quilt. I told this to my aunt a few years ago (the old woman was her mother) She said she didn't remember that quilt then about a year ago after the death of her sister she found 5 blocks of Sunbonnet Sue that her mom had made tucked away in a fabric stash.
She had the blocks framed and passed them on to her Brothers and sisters.

Quiltinglass-

Do you mean that the grandmother's flower garden variation is made up hexagons set in a diamond formation rather that in concentric rounds? If I understood your description correctly, then you have what is called a Mosaic pattern. It is a much older pattern, although that doesn't necessarily mean your quilt is old.

Mosaic paterns first appeared in Godey's Lady book around the 1820's. Grandmother's Flower Garden was introduced as a pattern in the late 1920's or early 1930's, which is why so many Depression-era quilts are found in that design. It was very popular as it used every minute scrap of fabric which was too scare and too valuable to waste.

The best way to date your Mosaic, if it doesn't have a label or some other provanance, is by the fabric. Many fabrics can be dated by the color or motif. You want to find the most recent fabric in the quilt, you know your quilt can't be older than that. Older fabric can be used in newer quilts, but not vice versa.

I loved the comments about DH's grandmother. My mother can remember being a little girl in the 1920's and going to visit her grandmother. Her job on every visit was to take all the empty needles in the pin cushion and thread them onto a spool of white thread. When her grandmother was ready to sew, she could feel the first needle, hold it in her right hand while holding the remaining needles with her left. She would pull out the lenght of thread she wanted, hook the thread in the notch on the spool to hold on the rest of the needles and clip her thread, already needled. I think that was very clever! Those old gals sure knew more than one way to skin a cat, so to speak!

Ohio Thanks for the info. On the Quilt the pieces are in little Hex. I'm dating the quilt because of Western Shirt Fabrics used in the quilt. They were pieces Of western shirts she made my husband and father-in-law in the late 50s

Debbie, what lovely stories about your quilting family.

So far as I know, I am the first quilter in my immediate family. Looks like my daughter, Marissa, who is 20, will be the second ... ... this makes me very happy.

I am 55 and have been quilting about three years now, although I did make baby quilts many years ago for all three of my children. Maybe that is why my DD wants to quilt, too. I made her a purple and white "kitty" applique baby quilt, crib rail pads, and pillow. She still has the pillow, which is a bit thread bare, tucked up in the bookcase at the head of her bed.

Happy Quilting! Pat

I'm 55. I was in 4-H as a child, so I've been sewing since then. Made 90% of my clothes and most of my children's clothes when they were little.

I made my first 'quilt' 25 years ago, but it was simply a solid colour whole cloth comforter rather than a pieced quilt. I did a simple diamond design for the quilting lines.

I have been using (paper piecing) quilting squares for making blue jean tote bags for about 5 or 6 years and have 2 actual quilt tops in the works at the moment.

quote:

Originally posted by Cookie:
Hi , I am 44 years and quilting for about 7 years. I gave up smoking and exchange one habit for the other. Im on the needle now and need my fabric. lol.

Hilarious!! That is too funny. That is awesome you gave up smoking. You will love the quilting.

I am 52, was born w/ a addiction to fabric....love love to stash!!! I am a self taught quilter, don't follow directions just sorta a free flow type of gal...but I vowed to take a class and learn.
dee
cedar city ut