Yes, beyond the comments that have been made already about the many aspects of quilting, I also find these relaxing, stress free activities related to quilting: I love going to the library, browse through my favorite quilt books and take several home, I can "park myself" at a comfy chair, sofa, or bed and am "content, calm, and at peace with the world." I do the same thing when I am in a quilt shop. I don't have to buy even a needle or a fat square. I also love "music" as I am quilting. I can forget who I am and where I am. Then, seeing all the quilts that are on this quilting board, going to a quilt show, watching a PBS quilt master, and LEARNING brings JOY.

Absolutely it is therapeutic.... I am alone with my thoughts... I am creating something for someone else, be it family or for charity etc. I also find the fellowship of my guild friends and the QB very comforting. We all are walking through this world together experiencing the same life events be they happy or sad. Yes, I find great comfort in all my quilting activities no matter what or where :)

Love this thread! I agree with all who agree it gives comfort, pleasure, creative outlet, and satisfaction. Had to clean up my living/quilt room over a week ago for company coming, and now am itching to pull everything out and mess it up again. It's supposed to rain today, so I hope to get in my walk and then get going! But there are so many interesting topics on this board today....

My son was killed in a motorcycle accident in 2007. The week between his death and memorial service I started cutting out and putting together a quilt using beautiful calming fabrics. I don't know if I would have survived if it hadn't been for the hours I spent making this quilt. I called it "Sanity". I decided to hand quilt it. It is now in a basket in my bedroom and not completed. But that is OK. Every so often I will get it out and work on it for a while and then put it away for a while. It holds many tears and thoughts and if I never finish it, that is OK also. Most of the time quilting is such a happy time for me now. I love going into my quilting room on a sunny day and working on a quilt. As I am 72 and long retired,
I like having something to get up for each day. Having a quilt waiting for me is a good reason to get up and greet the day.

Quilting keeps me sane, fulfills my need to create, & challenges my mind. Doing a bed quilt or lap quilt takes care of the need in me to be practical and doing something "artsy" takes care of the need to create something unique. I love touching, looking at fabric & dreaming of the possibilities.

Yes, absolutely. And I love working on charity quilts because then I get that little extra comfort from knowing it's for somebody else who will appreciate my work.

yes yes yes.............I live with my daughter and if I didn't have my quilting I'd go nuts with what goes on around here. Did I mention she has a 15 year old daughter that just started driving and I have to go evertime she wants to go somewhere?

Mostly, yes. But I'm finishing a quilt for a show next weekend, that I'm really sick of...everything has gone wrong - I've cut pieces wrong, seamed them together wrong, screwed up the quilting and had to take it out. If this weren't for a show, it would be in a box waiting for another time. But I have to keep going, and I'm about ready to spit nails with it!!
But, 95% of the time quilting is wonderfully peaceful and relaxing!

Oh yes. I like it so well that I don't watch tv anymore. I used to quilt years ago and quit due to family and job obligations. Now my kids are grown and I only work part time so I have plenty of time to quilt. At present I am making tops for my husband, 2 kids, 4 grandkids, and 9
great grandkids. After I get the tops made I will decide how to quilt them. I thought about taking the full sized ones to my LAQ and trying to do the twin sized ones on my machine at home.

I find that before I self taught myself to quilt, that knitting and crocheting were "sanity savors" as well as doing something constructive. I have three daughters (not one of the sews), and I made most of their clothes, still do sewing for g/daughters now. After I retired 10 years ago, I bought a "Quilting 101" book and learned the basics of quilting from that book. I am a widow and have lived alone for the past five years. Quiltiing is a comforting or any type of handwork is very comforting to me. When I hear women say they are "bored" I just don't know what to think. I stay busy all the time doing my "hobbies". I agree with everything else that has been mentioned in this thread. I love this board too!!!