How did you learn to sew?

[weeirishlass]

Sewing has always been so natural for me. My great-grandmother was a seamstress for the rich ladies of Philadelphia society, and my mother always sewed us things. I grew up sewing. I made my clothes throughout high school and college, and now things for dd. It just always seemed logical to me, and I don't feel like I ever really *learned* how to sew, I just knew.
Just recently, I was talking to a friend about sewing and realized she had no idea how! She freely admits that she can't even hem things. And I just didn't get how you could ever not know how to sew.
But I think I might be the odd one out. So how did you learn to sew? Did you have to learn, or did you just know?

[courtenay_e]

I, too, grew up around it. My mom's grandmother taught her, and I lived with it my whole young life. I, too, was sewing at a young age (I remember hand stitching a pillow at six), and was making dresses etc in junior high. I was taught certain things by my mother (how to alter a nice gown, for instance), and other things when I worked in the costume shop in college (For instance, how to be QUICK, which drives my mother crazy, as this method includes cutting things without first pinning them..., or how to alter something and not have it be permanent, so that it can be REaltered into something else for the next show...or the next five year old's costume!)

I know that it is such a valuable skill that my children will both know how before they leave home, I'll be sure of it.

[Mamma Christi]

It came very naturally to me as well. The first time I ever did it was in 9th grade in a home ec. class, my teacher said then that I was a natural and since then I've just been sewing up a storm!!!

[Leersia]

My mother always sewed, and of course my grandmothers, who also knit and crocheted. I did OK in home ec in high school, but found no inspiration in the tote bags projects, although I always loved to embroider (Holly Hobbie, anyone?) and hand sew and do various types of crafts. Then, in grad school (in my late 20s), a friend ripped a futon and I hand-stitched it back together for him. He looked at my seam, and said "wow, you can sew!". For some reason, this awakened some latent passion - I bought a sewing machine and have been sewing like mad (well except for about 2 years after my twins were born ) ever since. The ability was just there from my previous experience, and a strong desire. Unfortunately, knitting talent was not included in the package - oh well!

[Roo_Online]

Same as the others. I had a mom, older sisters, aunts, and grandmothers who sewed, knitted, quilted, embroidered, etc.

I first learned to sew on a machine in 7th grade home-ec. That Christmas my mom got me a sewing machine, which I still have. I was never as good at sewing as my older sisters, but I can do it.

My mom taught me embroidery, and she taught informal classes for the neighborhood girls in handicrafts. My mom also taught me how to hem and mend clothes.

I learned to quilt by taking a class. My 3rd grade teacher taught the whole class how to crochet. I taught myself knitting.

I have friends younger than myself who didn't learn to sew in school or from a relative. I get the feeling they think it's "quaint."

I'm thrlled that my DD loves to sew.

Roo_Online

[mightymoo]

My grandmother sewed all my moms clothes, my mom sewed me some doll clothes when I was little, but left off pretty early (like when I was 6 or 7), after that her sewing machine was usually covered in a pile of clothes she was supposed to repair or hem.

Really I learned in home ec class I think. I think I had a pretty good idea how everything worked before then, but I think that was really the first time I sewed anything, it always just made sense to me though. We would have to make something, I would be done like day one and would make 3 others while I waited for the class to catch up.

I'm no master sewer or anything, but I generally am not daunted by a project, so I go ahead and try it even if I don't know the techniques that well and I figure it out as I go, that's how I learn best.

[majazama]

yep, me too, have a history of sewers/quilters/knitters, on *both* sides of the family.

I remember making little purses at about 6-7, and trying to sell them on my moms craft table. No one bought any.:

I made stuff with my moms machine till I moved out. after that I had a few old machines that I hated and eventually got broken, but now my mom gave me that old husqvarna, and I'm sewing like mad. That husqvarnas been going for almost 20 years!!! awesome machine.

I want to do more felting etc, but have no family history of that, so maybe that's why it's harder to get a hang of.

we are quilters though, that's for sure. All we use is wool quilts, and always have. When I went to my friends house growing up, seeing their poly-quilts, I actually felt kinda sad for them. wool quilts are where its at.:

i have so many good memories of my mom ,and grama sewing with me... I hope to pass on those good feelings to my girls once they are a bit older.

[sapphire_chan]

I have background that should mean I can sew--grew up watching and helping my mom sew, took home EC in middle school--and I'm running at about a 30% rate on projects right now. The rate drops to around 10% if I ignore projects that are only rectangles--like the draft excluder I made.

Plus, by the time I finish a project to the point where it's usable, I've spent so much time on it that I haven't been doing any real finishing work on seams.

Anyway, I dearly wish I had a way to learn to sew.

[scrapadoozer]

Practice. I never really learned how to sew as a kid even though my mom sewed sporadically. What really inspired me to learn was having DD and wanting to clothe her in my own designs. I started out pretty bad but have improved quite a bit in the last year and a half.

[goosysmom]

My great grandmother, grandmother and mom all sewed pretty well. They hand smocked (crazy ppl) and made all of their childrens clothing and mom made most of mine..even my prom dress..

I had NO INTREST in it until I had dd and saw the cute dresses and stuff out there that were $$$$$ and I thought "hey, I can make that myself"..So I am pretty much self taught. Mom got me the Reader's Digest Guide to Sewing hardcover book 2 years ago for Christmas and I've learned from that mostly and trial and error...Won't be tailoring anytime ever though...

[eepster]

I'm different from the PPs. My mom was never much of a sewer. My GM (mom's mom) only did the basics. I never saw my nanny (dad's mom, it means GM in gaelic BTW) sew even though I've heard she could.

I learned from TV. I watched shows like Sewing With Nancy and Quilt In A Day on PBS. I started out making clothes for my stuffed animals from fabric swatches my parents had from when nanny worked in a fabric store (long before I was born.)

By the time I hit middle school home-ec class the projects were a bit of a joke, but I did learn to use a machine. If you've ever hand sewn an entire garment learning to use a macine is really nice.

I got my own machine for my next b-day.

I also picked up lots of stuff working in a fabric store for several years and even briefly worked for a pattern company.

[Amatullah]

I taught myself. Nobody in my family ever taught me any crafts. I taught myself to sew, knit, crochet... even to cook. I get a tinge of jealousy everytime I hear that someones mother or grandmother taught them at a younge age how to sew or knit etc... it must have been neat learning from a loved one.

[goosysmom]

I would love to learn to knit or crochet like my mom...she makes such beautiful things and some things that come out of the craft swaps here are just sooo great...

Mom won't teach me bc she's right handed and I'm lefthanded...I don't know any left handed crochet or knitters around me and can't afford classes...

Yay for craft swaps

Hand sewing an entire garment....whoosh!!

[eepster]

Originally Posted by goosysmom

Mom won't teach me bc she's right handed and I'm lefthanded...I don't know any left handed crochet or knitters around me and can't afford classes...

Have you tried using a mirror?
Instead of facing each other, place a mirror in front of you and and watch each others hands in it.

[FillingMyQuiver]

I grew up around sewing, my mom is a terrific sew-er. She made pretty much all my clothes as a babe (also a hand-smocker : ). She tried teaching me when I was younger, and quite honestly, I thought it was the stupidest thing ever I've always known the "basics" of sewing and as a kid, I made a *few* things, y'know, a doll skirt here or there or a pillow, but I never really took to sewing until last year when I had DD and hated all the little girl clothes I saw at stores. My mom got a new machine for Christmas so for my b-day in March, she had her vintage Singer cleaned and the maintenance work done on it and gave it to me. I've been sewing since. It's all basic stuff right now while I hone my skills, but my mom also got me a Simplicity book on sewing which I turn to when I'm unsure of something.
Now knitting, I'm self-taught. My grandmother could knit and crochet, but she passed away before getting a chance to teach me. Last year while pg, i decided I wanted longies for the babe and taught myself to knit

[~Quse~]

"wool quilts are where its at.: "

That's right!

I just bought the whole family new cotton quilts. They'll have to do until I can get around to quilting everyone some wool ones.

I learned by trial and error. I started piddling with sewing in high school. I still consider myself a beginner. I'd really like to take some classes at the local sewing shop. I want to start making dd's dresses. I can't find much that I like in the stores. I think I would learn better from a person, rather than a book.

Neither my mom nor grandmother's sewed very much.

[ColoradoMama]

My mother taught me. She starting teaching herself to sew in the 60's. She said she used to sew with me on her lap when I was very little. I love looking at old photographs and having her point out to me which outfits I was wearing that she made. It's cool.