Thanks for sharing this. I know that playing the piano, canning something, gardening, sewing, crocheting, quilting, wine making, etc, most of which are "work," are very soothing to the mind. I think things that make us slow down during a task and give us time to think are wonderful therapy.

ditto

I couldn't agree more.

http://www.sewing.org/html/guidelines.html Please check out this web site it has tons of ideas and tutorials.

Sewing is great for stress, Hope all works out for your family

With homeschooling and 2 part-time jobs, I cherish my sewing time as my sanity keeper, too!

Getting lost in a project is the best therapy out there. Everything else just floats away for a while. Sure hope things settle down for you and your family. (((((Hugs)))))

Good luck with everything and keep sewing.

I understand completely!!! Glad that you have the "constant" in your life. Trust that things always have a way of turning out ok. Wishing you better days.

Praying for you, your father and your hubby. I just went through the same thing with my school district last year. Ended up teaching 2 subjects I hadn't taught in 17 years. I hope he gets a better deal!
:lol:

All my therapy is either hanging (crossstitch) or on somebodys bed.

I love this!

I join my prayers for you and your family. It's never easy to move, I know, I had to leave my home of 33 years and move to an apt., can't keep the house when all you have is SS and the savings and 401K are gone trying to pay medical bills. We did move 3 miles from my son, his wife and 1 year old granddaughter Zoe, so that is a plus. Like the saying goes, when life gives you scraps - make quilts. My husband used to tell me to go quilt when I got cranky, and it worked most of the time. I'm just not happy unless I'm quilting, although my arthritis is slowing me down a little. A few years back I would get up, get dressed for work, sew for a half hour or so, go to work, come home, make dinner and sew some more - I was in quilter's heaven and the church fair had a lot of quilted projects to sell. I've been able to quilt a lot more since Jan and I got my sewing spot set up in my bedroom. Even when I have to clear my bed before I can go to sleep, it's worth it. Hang in there, things will get better.

That's a lot to take in one day. Aren't we lucky to have our love for sewing. Hang in there maybe your husband will get a position he loves even more?

Yes, Jana, because it's a touch of our "normal" life now that your world has been rocked. The routine of life is so comforting.
Hope your life gets settled down soon.

sewing= therapy and cheaper than a dr !LOL well unless you have to buy a machine.LOL

Whenever I am stressed I either sew or quilt! helps me out alot for sure ! The ripping out of threads is my real "patience" therapy~LOL

Forgot one thing - prayers for your dad and your family also !

So sorry to hear about your Father. For me sewing is my therapy also. Good times it is just fun to do but when I'm under stress quilting is the only to calm my mind and spirit.
Best wishes to you.

Mom has advanced ALZ. Yes sewing and everything that goes with it is my therapy. Work full time which is also part of my escape but still need to sew and sew and sew and sew.

Prayers for your father's safe recovery. We all have our form of therapy when things get a bit frazzled. Mine is raking leaves....yep, what a weird therapy but I find I can take out my frustrations on those leaves. LOL

Hugs and prayers. Thank goodness for sewing.

Sewing can be the greatest therapy in the world as far as I am concerned. I have a small building away from the main house, and I use it for sewing. I run to it everytime I get stressed or worried. I can lose myself in my sewing, just fighting with the sewing machine can be great at times, it puts your mind on something else. I have an ailing husband and a 94 year old Dad that I care for, and I don't know what I would do if I couldn't sew. I hope your Dad gets well soon. Deanie

I can SO relate to what you are saying. Right now my Mom (who lives with me - she's 77) is going through chemotherapy for a breast cancer recurrence. She is having a really hard time with it. She also wants me to be with her all the time when I'm home and not working. So, I just bring one of my sewing machines down to the living room and stitch away (on a tray table, no less!), while we chat or watch TV. It truly is keeping my sanity intact. Plus I've completed two quilt tops in the past week, which is like mass-production compared to my usual super-slow output of projects.

I hear ya! I can't venture too far from home. My husband is plagued with several terminal illnesses. He's a young man, but he's been sick with one thing or the other since he was 14.The majority of them are rare disorders. Between the depression, the multiple Dr appointments, and the aches, pains, and side effects. Well, I need an outlet. I never new I was "sew" creative.

In 2005 when my mother's health was failing from a brain tumor, I had signed up for a BOM at my LQS. Sewing those blocks when she was doing poorly helped keep my sanity. In 2007 when my company was going through a REALLY BAD transisiton, the Sales manager, also good friend, was "let go". In the situation we were in, we found out 6 months later that the boss had stage 4 cancer, but it was so chaotic and his personality changed and he was becoming a tyrant. The day he fired her I went to my LQS and just walked around looking and calming my self down. She had done everything he asked, and as soon as she did, he was telling her NO, I want it done this way."
So yes, at my machine or not, I do use it as therapy!
Happy Quilting, Susan

God Bless you and your Dad.

I hope everything works out well for you. And yes, the sewing machine is a great therapist - a great listener, and never talks back!!

Jana I have 4 friends and we all have sewing theropy ..all of us have our own sets of cercumstances but we all sew to cope and love it ......

YES!!! Doing any craft or spending time lovin' on my critters calms me and makes me feel better. Lot less expensive than talking to a shrink.

((((HUGS))))

Prayers for you and your family.

Sewing has saved my sanity many times over the years. When the kids were babies, my sewing room was a walk-in closet across from their bedrooms (this was before baby monitors) so I could hear them if they had problems. Since DH was traveling a lot, this kept me from being to stressed to be a good mom.

Thank you all for the thoughts and prayers. As an update my father was released from the hospital today, which is great news for all of us. They think his marrow is not producing the blood that he needs. I am not sure what they will be doing for this because he did not wear his hearing aid so he only picked up a bit of it. My mom was there but is having memory issues and does not remember what they said.

Just that much has gotten better - hopefully the stress my husband is under will change as quickly!

Thank you all again, you all have a special place in my heart.

Jana

Me too.

You and yours are in my prayers. So good you have something that gives you some peace of mind.
Robin in TX

Three things to be blessed by.
1 your dad is doing better (thank goodness).
2 your husband is being told he does, still have a job.
3 your ability to sew and quilt which gives you a moment of simple control on something in your life. Isn't it wonderful how it can sooth the soul.
Good luck on everything.

I quilted a quilt by hand that was 120x120. It was great therapy for me when my only son died. I quilted everyday and had a goal of having it completed by the 1st anniversary. I made my goal!

We all pity ourselves sometimes when we feel tied down with ailing parents and husbands, then we hear or read about others problems and realize there is always somebody with the same situation or and even more demanding one. I can get out once in awhile for a short time, I love to shop the thrift stores and fabric stores, so I guess I am not as homebound as a lot of others. I always look forward to postings on the quilting board. I am glad I have a sewing building I can do my sewing in. Perhaps a time will come when I can't be outside the house. We love our loved ones and most of us enjoy caring for them. I am an only child from my Dad, so I am his only caregiver. He has been an awesome Dad.

Remember - God gives you only what he knows you can handle. And, he must have guided you to quilting to help you handle it all. Bless you all.

I have always called my sewing room "my sanity refuge" and then I would add that I am not sure it is working.

Jean

My prayers are with you and family.. yes, quliting is good
therapy...