In the theme of other blogs this weekend, started by http://www.lindsaytsews.com/2009/01/whats-your-sewing-back-story.html Lindsay, here's my story.
I can't remember when sewing wasn't around in my life. My mother sewed. A lot. I think one of the reasons she wanted girls (vs. boys and we were both adopted) was so she could sew for them. And she made us some beautiful dresses. We always had special ones for Easter, Christmas, our birthdays, St. Patrick's Day, Valentine's day, Forth of July, well you get the idea. As we got older we were not so appreciative of the matching outfits and, to my eternal shame, started whining about wearing the nice things she made and wanted the cheap junk from Sears or J.C. Penny's - "Like everybody else". But, at the same time, it rubbed off on me. I made Troll clothes - nothing more than squares with armholes cut out, doll clothes, and Barbie clothes (those things are tough! they're so small!) and a stuffed lady bug. And then moved on to real clothes.
My Aunt Mae made everything she made, not that she was a style guru - she lived in the country in cotton house dresses. And she used the scraps for the most beautiful quilts. And I don't have a one of them. She tried, bless her heart, to teach me to quilt, but it never took. I just never got into it. I wanted to, but just NOPE. She did show me how to crochet. But not how to stop. Somewhere, there's a purple granny square the size of a queen bed. Unblocked.
My mother had a Singer 201, purchased in 1952, likely as a wedding gift. And I'm sure she couldn't imagine life without a sewing machine. That's just how you got clothes to wear. She even made my dad's shirts for a while - not the dress shirts he wore to work, but all his "Saturday" shirts. This machine is cabinet mounted 
and now resides in my sewing room. I used it today for button holes.
and now resides in my sewing room. I used it today for button holes.By the time mandatory HomeEc hit in Junior High, I was an old hand at this. While the others made elastic skirts, I made the most coolest pair of hip-huggers. White denim with anchors (think nautical) up and down. As I recall, my waistband didn't work and I didn't have enough fabric to re cut it. So I turned it into a facing and wore them to death. They much have been really low slung, as they started out as hip-huggers and then missed the waist band. Whatever. I was cool. We had a fashion show and I was the hit. The only class member not in a skirt.
In high school, I went through a bizarre "Little House on the Prairie" phase and made a lot of dresses and skirts. I loved full skirts and little flowers. (Don't judge me, you had your days!) The fuller the better, and I remember mom complaining about how much fabric it took.
The sewing machine moved all over the house, sometimes in my parent's room, sometimes in the dining room, in the rumpus room, in my room. But I always cut on the floor in the living room/dining room area. It still feels odd to cut on a table.
Other than HomeEc, I've never had a class, and I knew as much as the teacher for that. Mom taught me most of the basics and I was fearless. If I wanted it, I did it. In college I didn't sew much, no machine except at home, and other things to do. After we got married and Mom got sick, she gave me the machine. I used it sporadically, some for clothes, some home dec, Halloween costumes. Then my son got busy in school, I went back to school, DH started traveling and the machine got tucked into a closet.
Fast forward until last year. I'd been thinking about it for a while and finally just did it. I was convinced the old Singer had problems (like, I had never oiled it. In 20 years!) so I went on a search for a new machine. With the help of my BFF and SG I purchased a Pfaff and started up again. It's been fun and hard.
