Are you self-taught or lessons?

[Marilynsgrammy]

I had never even touched a sewing machine... was totally clueless.... when DMIL died there were two adopted granddaughters...no one even gave them a nick nack ( not even their adopted father who was in charge of the will.... jerk) to remember their grandma who loved them so much.... DH inherited some quilt tops and I told him to go get me a cheap sewing machine... I think it was about $100.... I bought some fabric... don't even remember if it was cotton... and some batting.... and made my first sandwich..... flipped the backing over the top to make the binding... only sewed around the edges of the binding and no quilting of any kind in the center anywhere....I included a note to each girl about how much their grandma loved them and sent them off....

Chriss

[QUILTART39]

My mom and both grandmothers taught me to sew when I was a young girl , and then taught me how to quilt , which I started back in 1985 . I sewed my first quilt , a sampler , on an old antique Singer machine , learning different squares then . My mom died end of May this year , but she taught me many good things , which I am very thankful for . Other stuff I have learned from my church quilting group , and I saw Eleanor on Alex Anderson " simply Quilts " , and have learned exceptional good things from QIAD !!
Belinda Mobile , AL

[MDQuilta]

I took HomeEC in junior high school and went on to make a huge amount of clothes for my whole family.

I made 3 quilts in the 80's from a book and then put it away for years due to a busy life. Things slowed down and I discovered Simply Quilts. Then I learned from there, and lots of computer sites. THEN I discovered QIAD on TV. That made me buy some of her books.

I got better and better from practice and making mistakes. I now teach beginners for our county at night. That is just awhole lot of fun birthing new quilters. We go slowly and make 2 different blocks into a nice small sized quilt--right up to the binding. Mostly I want them to have fun and realize it is their quilt. We do a nine patch to teach cutting, stitching, etc. Then we do an applique heart so they find out that is easy before someone tells them applique is hard.

[mamaw]

I took a half dozen lessons in the fall of 2005 and just took it myself from there. Have a nice stack of books and some wonderful friends to help with my questions.
Happy Quilting!!
Mamaw

[QIAD-Linda]

MDquilta,
You would make Eleanor so happy! She loves to bring new quilters into the "fold." I hope you keep going and teaching and encouraging! What a great mission you are on!!!
Linda

[MDQuilta]

LINDA

I think there are lots of people out there who could teach beginners through their county. They just lack the confidence to realize that they could actually do this. I really love it when I get ladies under the age of 40.

I met EL at the Show and Tell in Nashville with my Quilt of Valor from her Delectable Mountains. She let me read a letter from a soldier that was very inspiring and moving.

I take many of her techinques and and say "just get rid of it". It always makes the students laugh.

[Sharen-Lee]

Throughout the last 30+ years of watching Eleanor Burns on various programs; purchasing & reading her books; purchasing Videos to match the books (so I can watch & listen and follow along) I have quite a library collection, along with seeing her at Road to California & she'll sign your book(s) & videos!! What a Beautiful, patient Lady, I come down off of the San Bernardino Mountains, My sister comes up from San Diego & we have met there at the Quilt In a Day Store in San Marcos for several of her "Demo's" (the Magic Vine & Victory Quilt books) We would love to Adopt her & we call her "Auntie El" & in our family we too have a brother name Bruce. Opps getting off track, so I would have to say...Some self taught, but a follower of Eleanor Burns, she does not assume you know all the basics like to "set the seams", etc., & She is consistant throughout all the steps in her demonstrations. Her staff at the San Marcos, CA store is so helpful & patient too.. WE LOVE HER DEARLY!!!!!!!!!!!! GO AUNTIE EL!!!!!!!!

[sandyw7388]

Sort of self taught and sister taught. She got me started on the basics & I went from there. My first one was a total mess. Then, I shopping with my sister and spent the weekend with her and she taught me how to do a Turning Twenty lap quilt. It was so easy it gave me the confidence that I really could do this. So, I have only made a couple of lap quilts and I made a beautiful Cross wall hanging which I gave to a very dear friend of mine. And now, I am working on finishing up a king size quilt for my bed. It has been a challenge. I thought I had picked an easy pattern, but everything is not always as easy as it looks!
I did the quilting myself on the wall hangings and am going to try and do the quilting on the lap quilts, but the quilt is definitely going to a long arm stitcher! I only like about 6 rows finishing it and I am having surgery next Monday so I'm hoping to get it finishing and the backing bought and get it to the quilter before I go into the hospital. Kinda cutting it a little close! But I have learned that you have to gain the confidence to be able to do this. If you tell yourself you can't then you won't be able to. But if you really have the desire to learn, then you will try. Just start small, and if you make a mistake like I did on my first one, toss it and start all over. I wouldn't suggest you purchase your material from a quilt shop for your first quilt if you are a beginner. Walmart would be much better. That way if you have to rip it apart, or toss it completely like I did, then you are wasting alot of money. I waited until I got a little more confident before I bought the $8.00 a yard material or the $2.50 fat quarters, etc. And be careful if you shop on Ebay. Sometimes they make it look like you are really getting a good deal, but if you figure up how many fat quarter they are selling, and what they are asking, you could do better at your local quilt shop.
Sorry to ramble on, but I just wanted "newbies" to know that it's ok to make mistakes and they CAN learn on their own. And Eleanor Burns is the best teacher I know of. Unfortunately I can't get her new shows because our PBS channel is one that has her show on. But I do get to watch alot of her old shows. And I mean OLD shows. But they are great. I have learned so much just from watching them and have made blocks I would never have made had she not shown the easy way to make it. Good Quilting!

[Roben]

I'm self-teaching (I don't know enough to consider myself 'taught' yet! <G>) After wanting to know how to quilt for a long time, I caught one of Eleanor's programs on the internet - and it finally started to make sense to me! I went out and got the Still Stripping book, and haven't looked back I joined QNNtv so I could watch the shows on the patterns I wanted to try since none of the PBS stations here carry her show. Of course, I had to get the companion books so I could follow along....<VBG>!

My Viking/Babylock dealer asked the other day if I would be interested in coming if Eleanor came to town - and I just gave her 'the look', as in 'You have to ask???' LOL

[cindyg]

Sandyw - do you have satellite TV? Can you get RFD-TV? El's show comes on that station. It is at odd times so I DVR it and watch it later.