Asking about embroidery

A little while ago, I asked about people's relationship with embroidery in the Flickr group. I asked how people got started with embroidery, what it means to them and why they keep doing it. I am going to do a post that relates to each of those 3 questions, this is the first one (obviously!)

What made you start embroidering?

The replies to this is quite interesting. If you read about 'Modern Crafting' in books or online it sounds like everyone is pretty much rediscovering everything and that crafting has sort of skipped a generation because all the mothers were working and crafting was seen as oldfashioned. However, a lot of the replies to this question suggest that atleast half were taught as a child by their mother, grandma or other female relative. Like Fiorinda:

I started cross stitching when I was about 6 yrs old. I am guessing it was because my mother wanted us to leave her alone so she could do her crafts. My mother was always sewing when I was a child, and I learned to love going to the fabric store and feeling all the textures and picking out the perfect color threads.

And cathairlady:

I started when I was 7 when the teacher told us to do a basic sampler on aida. I went home and Mum showed me her Encyclopaedia of Needlework and I was hooked!

So maybe this 'lost generation' is a myth?

Others have learnt from a friend or sibling when they were grown-up. Another big group (in this very large sample total of 20 replies or so!) have taken a class or taught themselves from books or online resources.

aubribanana says:

My experience isn't so traditional I suppose. I was going out of town for a job interview. We were already moving to the city whether I got the job or not and I was going to be alone for four days. I went to Michael's to find something to do and picked up "The New Crewel" some embroider thread and some needles to keep myself busy. I loved it and have gotten some more books to teach myself.

Amanda Panda Pants:

I started embroidery because of my younger sister. She is the artistic one in the family. She paints, knits, draws etc. etc. I was looking for a cool gift for her two Christmases ago, and came upon Sublime Stitching. The designs were perfect and right up my sister's ally. On a whim, I decided to get one for myself. That was all it took. I became obessesd with embroidery.

Personally, I learnt cross stitch from my grandmother when I was very young, but I never took to it for real. Not until a few years ago when I got a couple of books from the library and taught myself more stitches.

Please join the discussion in the Flickr group or add your comments here. I'd love to hear how/why others have started embroidering.