It calms me.

For me its a great stress reliever. I have a very stressful job and as soon as I get home I run to my quilting room.
DH knows not to bother me until I appear again. I also get a great feeling of accomplishment and I learn something new with every quilt I make.

I find quilting as a way to relax plus I do other crafts as well to keep busy.

It's all of the above. I never considered myself very artistic, but I'm finding with quilting - which I'm fairly new at, by the way - I'm learning to "step outside the box" and combine patterns in ways that I never would have thought about before. I was always afraid that I would come up with something that clashed, but I'm getting much more confident now! I'm not quite to the point where I'm ready to be more adventurous in the actual quilting - still sticking to mostly straight lines or stitch in the ditch - but that will come. The biggest barrier to branching out? I don't think I can fmq on my machine. Still breaking needles and can't quite get the tension right. But, I think I can do some patterns with my even feed foot, just not the elaborate ones that some of you do!

For me its what I love to do and enjoy making quilts for charity also sell baby quilts, so it is extra income for me so I can buy what I want, although my hubby doesn't ever deny me anything I want.

For me, it's my ADD therapy! It's the only thing in my life I have been able to do for hours at a time.

I love the sense of creativity and accomplishment in the whole process. Every step is a fun challenge. And when it's done and given to it's intended recipient, I get to contribute to their heritage, and become part of their history. Like Celine Dion says, "...My quilt will go on and on..."

That is how it goes, right?

For me quilting is a link to the past! All of my grandmothers quilted and my aunt who is 90, my mother and so on. I'm lucky enough to have a quilt a g-grandmother made and my nephew has one made by a g-g-grandmother. Guess you could say it's in my blood, plus I love when I'm finished and it turns out well (so far, anyhow!)

Quilting is my hobby. I make just for the fun of it. Some are for Doll Quilt Swaps, some are for presents and some are just made and sit waitig for a home. Quilting is also my stress reliever. If I can not sit at my sewing machine for a week, I get very jittery!

That sums it up for me, too.

For me it is my form of creative expression. The more I quilt the more I want to quilt.

It is also my form of stress relief. I have a very stressful job and there is nothing better than to turn on my audio book and dive into my project. I have actually taken my blood pressure when I got home from work and after I have been quilting for an hour and it is down at least 20 points. Just what the doctor ordered. If I could quilt all the time I probably could get off my BP medication.

It's a hobby and social network, like this board. I also belong to a guild and have made many nice friends.

I just enjoy it. I've thought about it and can't pin it down to just one or two things. I love the process, it's therapy. I get to be creative. I just love all of it and when I'm done I have something beautiful and useful to donate or gift to family or friends.

It started out as something I always wanted to do. When I found out that if you took it one step at a time it really wasn't that hard to do. Then I realized that you can adapt any pattern to the way you want it to look and I took off. Once you realize a pattern or kit can be done in any colors you want the whole world of fabrics is open to your picking...So for me it is an expression of myself to others. Come join the fun one and all! :mrgreen:

It's my passion that's for sure. It's a from of escape and creativity. I always, always have something fun to do.

it's cheaper than a therapist, and i don't have to change out of my jammies for a "session". it's instant joy when i find the right fabric that clicks with me. it's carrying on a tradition that began with my grandmothers, fresh from sweden. it's caring for my family and friends, keeping them warm, both physically and emotionally. it is love made visible, made so with caring hands. it's an ongoing education of techniques and color and patterns. it's an inspiration to learn about old machines, and to use them--and to learn about new machines, and stretch my brain.

it's a challenge that waits for me, accepts me on my own terms, and if i respond to the challenge, it gives me results, both expected and unexpected in the process. it keeps me busy and centered (like i need another task). my family knows where to find me.

and it's good, clean fun!

My sanity. Hobby, creative release, making something useful.

Quilting is my hobby, art , therapy, relaxation. Also my thinking time. Kinda fills most catagories.

The thrill of taking that pile of fabric and making it into something beautiful! To see the finished product and know that you created it! Quilting is my solace in life!

I have to agree with quilterguy27...also, I tend to be a bit OCD...okay, maybe alot OCD and I know my quilts will never be "perfect" in the perfect sense. Once I realize this, I get over it. I no longer expect perfection from myself and end up loving what I've accomplished. I love love love giving my quilts away.

Quilting is my "Me" time, and I can forget the world as I sit at the machine and quilt away. Mental Therapy

I dont think I could call my quilts art...not yet anyway. Quilting for me is rather like a refuge from the rest of the world (for a little while) where I concentrate on constructing something pretty from very beautiful fabrics and color combinations...and then give them to someone I love.

all of the above, art, passion and therapy!!!!

It is so many things for me......excitement over the planning and creating stage.....relaxtion during the piecing and quilting process.... and joy when it is completed. :)

To me, quilting is my hobby and a form of artistic expression which I hope to convert into a business for me one day. It's definitely therapeutic and takes my stress off a busy work day!

quilting for me is a hobby/extra money maker and a giving back of the talent God gave me. The more you do for him, the better your life is.

Quilting is calming for me. -- J

I agree w/you - When deciding on a project, I LOVE thinking about the colors, design etc for the person/cause it will be made for. Helps me REALLY think about that person & their likes, dislikes & interests & perhaps learn a little bit more about them.

Sitting at a quilt frame has really helped me think thru some 'trials' in my life, & also to enjoy remembering MANY HAPPY OCCASIONS.

I love art, the beauty and creativity that making a quilt brings out gives me such an incredible feeling. I can put colors, designs, shapes together with fabric and it's such an expression of myself.
It's also relaxing

I always like to have something to do with my hands. Some sort of needle work, crochet, knit, embroidery. Quilting gives me a sense of accomplishment and pleasure when I give one away. I always get BIG thank yous. Most of my quilt gifts are used for display they say they're too pretty to use. (They're not but as long as the recepient thinks that - it's ok by me.) Plus now I get to quilt with my daughter!!! Always a plus.

It's a hobby and a stress reliever. I make lots of charity quilts so it also makes me feel that I'm helping others with my skills.

It means everything to me, my sanity is counting on it!

Quilting is my creative therapy. I need it with two teenagers and abusy husband. Don't seem to be myself when I haven't sewn in a while.

It's my therapy. The colors and textures of the fabric soothe the inner beast. The structure in the patterns satisfies my inner drafter/designer. Prepping the job makes the process person part of me happy. Working in my sewing room lets me be in denial about the sad shape of the rest of my house. It is an artful hobby with benefits.

Ditto to Sherri B. I agree it just takes out all of the stress of the world. I just cut, sew, iron and put it together and then long arm it. Makes me soooooooooooooo happy!

For me it's a life saver. I am home 24/7, can't work, can't get out. SILs both just moved away. I have one neighbor who takes me places and my DH when he's home. If I didn't have my quilting, I would just be sitting on the couch doing nothing just withering away. But quilting has brought fun and excitement back into my life and I've even joine our local quilt clube here in town. I love all the girls there. And it keeps my creative juices flowing and flowing and flowing lol

Love what you do and continue to spread it around through your quilts. You might have a lot of sleepless nights just thinking how this is going to come out, or get up and start to work on it. lol

All the previous posts here I agree with - the connection to those who have gone through either technique or fabric...seeing a recipient's face (and the feeling of accomplishment within yourself) when you give it to them and they go "You MADE this?!"...the creative expression itself. Quilting IS an art! Just because it doesn't utilize a paintbrush and canvas doesn't make it any less creative. Oh, one other thing...I don't recall anyone staying warm on a cold night beneath the Mona Lisa either!

For me it is a way to make personal gifts that gratify my soul. I love the feel of fabric, quilts and love looking @ wallhanging, etc. It is a passion!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Quilting takes me back to the days when my grandmother and I would sit in front of her wood stove and do crafty things and talk. She always had time to spend with just me. She tried to teach me knitting and crocheting, but only quilting stayed.