Sew Thinky Thursday: My Sewing Beginnings

I caught wind this morning of a new linky party going on at Mommy's Nap Time and was intrigued.  I've been thinking about what I would say and decided to go ahead and join in!  Emily is asking a quilting/sewing related question each week and asking people to link up their answers.  It will be a great opportunity for us to talk quilty talk without boring our husbands to death!  :)

Here is this week's question:

When did you start sewing? Tell us a bit about your sewing history. When did you realize you were really hooked?

My mom sewed a bit when I was  little, but I never took much interest in it myself.  She made lots of clothes for us as babies, which we later used for our dolls.  Both of my grandmas (now passed on) were very much into traditional quilting.  There was always a quilt on the frames upstairs at Grandma J's house and one year Grandma R made quillows for every single one of her grandkids - which we all cherish because they were the last things she made for us before she died of cancer.  I also have a quilt on my bed that Grandma J made when I graduated from High school.  I wish they were still around to see me learn and become engrossed in this new quilting movement. 

My Quillow from Grandma

When I was around 8, I went with two of my cousins to spend a week with my Aunt.  She taught us how to crosstitch and transferred some simple designs onto dishtowels to keep us busy during the week.  When I got home, I begged my mom to buy me more crosstitching supplies.  Crosstitching has been a major hobby of mine ever since.  My family watches a lot of movies and I loved having something to do with my hands.

 

It wasn't until after I got married that I started getting the itch to make a quilt.  The Hubby hates watching movies with the lights on, so my crosstitching hobby was slowing down (plus I was leaning towards learning new skills that actually produced useful things).  I have always wanted to make a jean quilt, so we saved our jeans for a year or two and then I spent practically a whole summer (in between school years - since I was teaching at the time) working on a quilt.  Since I really didn't know what I was doing, I spent most of my summer at my mom's house, using her old all metal Bernina since my cheap Kenmore couldn't handle all of that denim.  That quilt is probably still my husband's favorite.  

I tied it, because at the time I had no idea you could quilt a quilt with a sewing machine.  I thought you had to use frames every time, like my grandmothers did.  But then I started doing some research and learned about denim rag quilts.  

About a year later, my husband went on a trip to Peru (with BYU) for a week or so and I needed something to keep me busy.  So I bought a fat quarter bundle of flannels from Joann and made my first rag quilt in 2010.  I think I started to become hooked when the Hubby came home and I showed him my new rag quilt.  Then I asked him if I could make another one and he agreed!  He even agreed to let me look for a new sewing machine.  

Then the real clincher came when I discovered the world of quilt blogs and from there learned how to make and quilt a quilt completely by machine.  

First machine quilted quilt made in 2010

Some of the very first blogs I found are Oh Fransson, i Have to Say, A Few Scraps, Jaybird Quilts, PS I Quilt, Tallgrass Prairie Studio, and Amy's Creative Side.  Now I have almost 100 blogs (eek!) in my reading list and I don't plan to quit being inspired OR making beautiful quilts anytime soon! 

 Now go check out the linky party!

The Real Reason I Started Sewing...

It's time for the truth to come out!  My whole life I have wanted more than anything to be a MOM.  When the hubby and I first got married, we knew we wanted to wait a little while to have kids, though.  We were both still in school and I was going to be a teacher - not the best source of income, plus I wanted to have a year or two to try it out and see if I really liked it or not.
WELL.  About two years ago, I finally sat him down and we made a plan.  We weren't QUITE ready (hubby still had a long way to go in school), but we made a PLAN!  That was a good feeling.  And then the time came when it was almost time to start trying.  I was so excited I almost couldn't stand it!  Hubby went to China for two weeks and I decided to occupy my time making a few baby sized quilts - just for the fun of it.  I had already made my first jean quilt a few years before and remembered some research I had done about rag quilts.

So that is where I started.  This is what I came up with first.  I'm kind of embarrassed by it, but there you have it.

Then Hubby came home and I convinced him to let me make another one - he even came with me to pick out fabric.  This was my second shot at a rag quilt.  Much better.

And from then on, I was hooked.  I discovered the world of quilt blogs and haven't turned back since!

But the whole obsession started with a desire to make something in hopes that we would have a baby soon.
Well, now we are another year later and I am happy to report that my second dream (second to marrying my sweetheart) has come true!  I'm going to be a mom!  And the best part is... there are two!  I couldn't be more excited.  I just started a new quilt project - matching baby quilts.  Rainbow colored for now, since we don't know the genders yet.  One of these days, I will have to try making some little clothes!  I hope we have at least one girl...
I made these little stockings to tell our parents with.  We gave two to each of the Dads for Father's Day.  It took both of them awhile to figure out what they were for, but once they did, they loved them!  I'm due right around Christmas, so I figured this was the perfect way to make our big announcement.  Plus, I got to try out freezer paper piecing for the first time - it went great!

And for those who want to see, here is our babies' first picture.  Aren't they amazing?

The Story of My Sewing Beginnings... in Pictures

The 90s:
(insert picture of first cross stitching experience here)
(apologize about the lack of style in clothing when I was 10)



2002:
(insert picture of bookmarks made for a YW project)



2006:
When I got married,  I realized I wanted to sew stuff for some reason.  Maybe I wanted to feel more domestic.

2007:  I graduated from college and got a job as a third grade teacher.  Of course, I had to make this for my classroom.  (I made one for our couch too, but it was even uglier...)




2008:

2009:

*Note: I didn't actually MAKE these dresses.  I am not nearly that talented.  However, I DID add the lace to the bottom to make them longer.  An accomplishment for me.

2010:  (The summer I broke down and bought a new SEWING MACHINE :) :) :) :) )