I was about 9 yrs old, I made a small pillow filled with lavender - my mom helped in sewing. I stopped bc I've had an accident and my right hand was useless for almost 14 yrs. Now I'm at age 29, got well and started stitching again. :)
My mother taught me Embroidery when I was 12 and I did that for a couple of years - I loved all things crafty - anything I could get my hands on (literally). I didn't start to cross-stitch until I was 35 - I got curious (my Mother didn't cross-stitch so I never learned), so did a bookmark - very simple - it's been over 25 years and the projects have gotten much larger and I still love it.