quilting beginnings

This is where my quilting journey began as far as me personally quilting. I made this topsy/turvy doll for my niece/godchild Allison back in 85 or 86 or so. Actually I did pretty good getting those pieces to line up properly.

Mom had taught be to sew years before that. I remember back in the early 60's cutting off the cuffs of worn out socks and hand stitching spaghetti straps of thread onto them the cuffs to make Barbie doll dresses. Probably some little glimmer of talent was seen and I was shown how to operate the machine. LOL, much like picking out the notes to "Mary had a Little Lamb" on the piano meant years of piano lessons.

Barbie doll clothes though--how in the world did I get my fingers into those itty bitty things when I won't hardly touch a strip less than 1 1/2 inches wide now?
Mom taught me about clothing construction, how to cut out a pattern and so forth. She also taught me how to knit and crochet. I hated to hear the words "it is not right--take it out" but really those words still echo in my ear when I don't have seams that line up properly. I am not a perfectionist but I do want things to look like I at least tried to do it right. Some things get the galloping horse rule but other things have to be re-done.

Eventually I took a sewing machine away with me to school and my first apartment-- her old Kenmore in a cabinet. It was a contrary thing with tension problems. My complaints got me the response of "if you don't like it, get your own". I did eventually--a Brother cheapie but what I could afford at the time. The day I decided to make a cover for the trundle bed that doubled as a couch and a bed, I guess I would try about anything.

Well, blogger is definitely not being cooperative in posting another picture or 3 with this narrative so I'm publishing this and will try another tack.