People who sew, at what age did you start sewing?

Question

What was the first project you made?

Answer 1

When I was 5, my grandma was a cutting room forman in a pajama factory. She would bring home scraps and we would make nighties for my dolls on my little sewing machine. I still have it; it is one of the old metal ones that clamp onto the table, and you sew by turning the crank.

Answer 2

Actually, I was about 5 when I first learned to sew by hand, and made my Grandmother a handkerchief, which she saved and gave back to me when I was grown. As far as machine sewing, the firsr thing I made was an apron for 4-H, right proud of it,too, as I got a purple ribbon on it. I'm now almost 65 years old and still enjoy sewing. The first machine I used was an old treadle machine, which was a far cry from the electronic wizards they make today.

Answer 3

I started sewing when I was ten. Mind you, my mom did not sew at all but she had a sewing machine hanging around the house.

My two older sisters started sewing first when they were in 5th and 6th grade. They sewed clothes for the 3 feet walking dolls that were popular at that time. From there they started making their own clothes. By the time they entered high school they were sewing for their teachers.

Then, I came along. They would not sew for me, their sister. After pleading with my mom to make them sew for me, it was apparent that I would have to learn on my own.

This was in the sixties, when the full skirts were out. I used to take old dresses aloose at the waist and take out the hems and iron the skirts to make fabric to practice on.

After much effort, my mom gave me money to finally go and purchase a "real" piece of fabric from JC Penney. I was so excited. I still remember it. It had a white background with tiny blue flowers all over.

That first piece was created into a dress, then called the "tent", a full a-line dress with short sleeves and a standup collar.

When I finally took sewing in 7th grade I was bored to tears, because I was so far ahead of what I was being taught. But, I had fun in the summer when the teacher had a sewing class where we worked at our own pace.

I have now been sewing for 40 years. and for a while my sisters and I had a line of ethnic clothes in JCPenney.

Sewing is a joy to me.

Answer 4

When I was a toddler my mom taught me to sew with a blunt needle and scraps. The first REAL project I made was a pair of pants when I was 6. By then I had learned to use my own sewing machine (one of those tiny ones for kids!) My mom is a seamstress who has always worked out of our home so I was surrounded by sewing!!!

Answer 5

5 years old. My first project was just sewing scraps of fabric together for a doll quilt. These scraps were left over from my grandmother's quilts, and she taught me how to use a needle and thread so I could sit and sew with her. She died when I was six and I missed her so much. However, I still have several of her quilts and I will be 80 years old on April 10, 2007.

Answer 6

At 13 I was forced to take Home Economics in school. Stupid school! I would have preferred to take shop, but back then gender discrimination was acceptable.

The worst thing about Home Ec was that you couldn't choose your own pattern and fabric, so, my first project was a hideous "Easy Sew" dress pattern created with a horrible polka dot fabric.

Anyway, I finally appreciated learning to sew when I got into drama a few years later. I was able to design and sew my own costumes. And now I make awesome Halloween costumes for my family and friends and costumes for the plays that my children are in.

Answer 7

I learned in home ech, when I was in High School I liked it so much I took it both years, and my dad bought me a sewing machine... I sewed until I moved to FLA stayed there for 20 yrs and moved back to GA now I sew and Quilt and love it just as much as I ever did....In Fla the live was too rushed to enjoy the pleasure of sewing..

Answer 8

I started sewing in Jr. High as part of the home economics class, so that would be age 11 or 12. We made our gym bags and an apron, both of which had to be embroidered with our names. We used the gym bag for bringing our gym clothing back and forth and the apron for our cooking class. Useful and not too hard.

Answer 9

I was around 8 years old when I first tried sewing, but didn't really make anything of any size until junior high. Made a light blue cotton blouse with a drawstring collar, I remember.

Answer 10

I started when I was quite young, six or so, and the first thing I made was a small drawstring bag for collecting rocks. I made it by hand, it had a bit of embroidery on it and I was quite proud. I've been sewing ever since, for forty years. My mom found the little bag a few months ago and returned it to me.