I grew up in a home where my Mom sewed for us 5 girls. She taught us early, I did the 4-H thing, Home Ec, the usual. Over the years, I sewed for my own children and for pleasure. It was hit or miss, when the mood struck me. But last December 8th, my hubby was in the local hospital when his heart stopped. After 45 minutes, he again had a pulse, was transported to a larger hospital, and 13 days later he had a defibulator and pacemaker implanted. The DAY we came home, I started cutting quilt blocks and sewing. I haven't stopped since. Piecing quilts has been my salvation, my nerve pill, it has saved my sanity. It destresses me, keeps me from worrying. Now the garden is needing work and I am having to divide my time. It's hard to lay the scissors down and walk away.

Good for you to have outlets! Quilting does the same thing for me!

I'm a novice, but I find it comforting too! There's just something about creating something beautiful from nothing that is satisfying and soothing. Now if I could just figure out how to use this machine on the frame.......

how is your hubby doing and glad you are back to quilting, have fun

I find it relaxes me to, andits so nice when you finish one, and think, WOW, I finished a whole quilt!
Hope your husband is doing better!

You have just put my life into words. DH has had all sorts of serious health problems during the last 30 yrs. But 5 years ago it became more serious... doctors, hospitals, meds. I went out and bought a new Elna (my old Singer wasn't working right) and decided now is the time to start quilting. It de-stressed me, especially the handquilting, quiet time and prayer.

I kept my sanity and DH is soooo much better. And now I have a very creative hobby, ummm, addiction. :-D

I agree . . . but I'd like to know HOW to SHUT OFF or TURN DOWN all the thinking I do while ironing or sewing 'on automatic'. You know where thinking isn't needed.

its a great stress reliever, saved me to keep my sanity many times

I know what you mean about how to shut off the thinking.... I listen to inspirational cd's which are also in my ipod. Also audio books of favorite authors (Diana Gabaldon and Lauraine Snelling).

The obstacles and problems that we encounter with quilting are usually fixable and within our control. Whereas life's issues are not always within our control. It just feels good to be in control sometimes...ya know?

That's it! you are so right.

same thing here. Not health problems but quilting lets me keep my sanity. Three years ago dh had either his midlife crisis or just a mental breakdown. Either way it changed our lives drastically. I had hard decisions to make. I started quilting a year ago and can't stop. Depression meds kept me out of a dark hole but that was it. Quilting gives me a purpose. I still have 4 kids to get up and out of the house and I imagine I will be quilting for a long time to come. When I'm working on a quilt for just a little while I can forget everything else. I can forget the money issues we have, I can stop worrying about the kids and dh, and just concentrate on my quilt. And at the end of it i ahve something special. Plus I feel a connection with other women who lived before. I sit there making the quilt and I think that countless women before me have probably used quilting to soothe themselves too......it just makes me feel a little better to know I'm not the only one in these shoes.

I quilt for all the above reasons, and then there is the pleasure it brings when someone just falls in love with a certain one and I present it to them.

I began quilting when my grandson was born, I wanted him to have a quilt from his Ya-Ya. I'm one of the lucky ones in my family, that recieved a quilt from my grandmother when I was a teenager. Although the quilt from her has almost disintergrated over the years (brown and red fabrics). My grandson never ceases to melt my heart, last year he asked me to make a specific quilt (huntin) for him, then called me and told me it's his "lucky" quilt. (he's 6) My grandson now has probably 10 quilts from me and as long as he asks for another one he will get them :) :) My SIL actually asked me to make him one after my grandson's last quilt. I finished the borders yesterday and will start on the binding this week.

Quilting is excellent therapy; I find it really relieves stress. And I have something nice to show for my time.

I quilt to be creative. I am a pudgy, non descript middle aged woman with a wicked sense of humor. I quilt for me, to make the things I want, and I want to see and touch. I use a riot of color, while I usually just dress in black. My quilts are a way to put the REAL me out there, not the one you see on the outside.

I also love the idea that what I am doing has always been done, and always will be, a common thread running through eternity.

Great story, and I think along the same lines. Quilting takes my mind off of things I can't do anything about.
I know I am not the best quilter in the world, but I do lots of other things, so figure if I like it, it is fine.
Hope your hubby is doing well. There are so many advances in medicine in most every field it is amazing. Things we never even heard of, even 10-15 yrs. ago, they are performing daily.
Prayers for you and your hubby.
]Mariah

I am home all day by myself and some of the time the din of the house drives me nuts. I do quilting and other crafts just to keep busy and keeping myself from getting depressed some times I just give up and do nothing.

I quilt because I love it. I can create and make and do for others all in one thing!! :)

I live, therefore I quilt!!! Seriously, I quilt for many reasons, because I love the process, because I love fabrics, because I love quilts, because I love spending time with my quilting friends, because my grandma did and I feel her watching me - using her machine, her fabrics, because there's such a wonderful feeling that comes from creating something beautiful and showing it off!! Because it's just a large part of who I am. I am and always will be a quilter.

My heart and prayers go out to all of you with health issues or family with health problems!!

Quilting exercises the other half of my brain, the non-technical, creative half. I'm not smart enough to be a star at work but, lo and behold, my quilting sometimes gets me a "That's beautiful! you're so clever!!" I don't need much praise, or very often, but I can be satisfied with those little sparks for a long time. _:-)_

My little quilting room is my space. I love rainy/snowy Saturdays because I can hole up in my haven, turn on the SciFi channel, and quilt to my heart's content.

Hope all is going well for you hubby. I find quilting to be relaxing and that's why I do it.

He is much better, but will never be well again. He is 56 years old, has 7 stents in his heart, the defibulator will restart his heart if it stops again (God willing). Nothing is 100%. I also battle depression and take meds. But I have discovered over the years, sometimes we have to kick ourselves in the hiney in addition to what Doctors can do for us. Quilting gives me peace in my soul, causes me to exercise my brain. It also gives me a legacy to pass down to my 8 grandsons. Each and every one have claimed one or several of the quilts I've made. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.
Donna

My thoughts are with you. My husband had MS and I was his caretaker (best moments of love I cherish). During those years (about 8) I did many projects to save my sanity and the fear of losing him. For many many hours I did redwork embroidery (hundreds of blocks). Little did I know that was going to give me a reason to quilt after he passed. I did not think of anything but quilting when working at it. I believe our mothers were right when we were told, use your hands to make good, cook, preserve, create and your mind will be okay. Thanks MOM

Quilting releives my stress too. My husband too has had sever medical problems that has changed our lives completly.
When I sew I feel like I am in another world and the problems are going into my quilting. Glad I'm not alone.

Glad to hear you hubby is doing better. My hubby had very bad heart troubles too only his heart would race all the time, like 1000 miles a hour all the time, and he had something put in that would start his heart again when it would stop. And now I am all alone day & night, except for my pet, Max, and I don't go anyplace sometimes for a month or better, so quilting gives me a reason to get up every day. I have always done crafts or any and all types ever since I was about 8 years old. Now I just turned 56 this past Saturday, so I have been crafting for a lot of years.
It keeps me from bordom a lot of days.
If I ever loose the use of my hands, you might just as well shoot me.
Good Luck to all
Bev

Port Huron is beautiful this time of year! Max would love to go to the lake, take him for a walk.

First and foremost, I am so glad that your husband is OK. Secondly, yes quilting is a great stress releaser and I to am glad to be one of the many who enjoy the peace it brings. You are both in my prayers.

I like the "I live therefore I quilt. My grandmother and my mother both quilted and I never wanted to until I quit my job and saw a beautiful embroidered quilt in a quilt store-I wanted to make it for my granddaughter. My husband bought the machine and I set to work on a quilt with no pattern and have been hooked ever since! I find it relaxes me and I have with drawal when I haven't set down at a machine for a few days.

Ditto! Keep it up girl. If you can, hire someone to do the yard work and keep quilting. If not, I hope that gardening brings you the same feelings. I am here for you if you need a shoulder

I can't paint or write a book but the creative part of me can make wonderful quilts, and it's so relaxing.

My husband also has a defibrilator and pacemaker. He is on his 2nd one. He was 48 when we found out about all of his heart problems. I think almost every part of his heart has something wrong with it. However since he had his 1st implant he has done so much better. He still works but want to retire next year. He does the yard work and pretty much whatever he wants to do within limits. I retired 2 1/2 years ago and started quilting about a year before that. I love being able to create things for others. dh is very supportive of my hobby. He goes to quilt shops, shows ect. He is a keeper.

If I did not have hand work I would be dangerous!!!!

I really started after my Dad, Mom and last remaining Grandma passed away in 87 days time. That was two years ago and I felt so empty and need to be alone with my thoughts and feelings. I looked at my great grandmother's beautiful quilt and thought, "what would I leave behind?" I started quilting a table runner to put on my Grandma's beautiful table. I have found it has been a avenue of joy for me in a time that my life was falling apart. Life is getting easier through the help of my faith and family. But my growing passion for quilting has helped a lot.

I used to say it is cheaper than a psychiatrist however....by looking at my stash...not sure that is true anymore!!!

I agree to say that it de-stresses me. I can be in my own little world. Everyone at work thinks I am crazy when I say I will go home to relax while I quilt. And I agree that I have a hard time leaving the house when I really need to be in the garden. :) I started quilting after my mother died suddenly 6 years ago. She taught us 3 girls to sew. I also did the 4-H, Home Ec, etc thing.

HAPPY QUILTING!

Bless your heart! I pray for your husband's complete recovery, soon! Thank goodness we have quilting. I know I don't know enough people to give away all the quilts I want to make, but that's ok - the process of making them is my sanity.

Next month I will be married 29 years.19 of those years I was an Army wife. I always sewed, but one fatefull day I walked into a quilt show and was invited to learn to quilt. Through all the years of deployment, sick kids and being lonely, quilting was my salvation. It kept me sane. I learned about me, and how to be strong and independant.Now, he's retired from the Army, the kids are almost grown. The last 2 will be on their own next year.

That's what my hubby did....... his heart went into V-Tack (ventricular fibulation). He was on a moniter at the time and was in the hospital for his stomach...NOT his heart. I'm not sure how much longer I will have him, but since Dec. every day is a gift to me, to us and to our family. I am never alone.we have 8 grandsons who visit, stay over.and now with school out, they tend to live here. Told my son tonight he may have to help with groceries. Not sure how long I can feed these grandmonsters! They are 14, 14, 13, 11, 5, 3, 1 & 9 months.

Quilting has also been a stress reliever for me for various reasons, loss of my DGM, loss of a family pet and a variety of health issues. I'm not as able to do yard work, so I create in the sewing room. I just escape and relax. My DH is very supportive in my addiction.