Hi and welcome from AZ. I'm a hand quilter and love the peace and tranquility that I experience from hand quilting. The repetition of the needle flow puts me in another zone of relaxation that's very calming and addictive. Our own type of runners high I guess but in reverse. It's so calming and relaxing it certainly relieves the worlds stress at the end of the day. Maybe we should advertise it as the only stress reduction activity that also keeps a piece of Americana alive and well. welcome and Happy Quilting...Andie :-D