Quilting Therapy
There are many therapeutic benefits attributable to the activity of quilting
Have you ever thought of quilting as a stress buster? Had a bad day, and just want to escape to your studio or quilting cubby and de-stress? Yup, I can hear most of you saying aaaaaahhhhhh! And the ones who are shaking their heads and saying noooooooooo are the ones who need some help with their quilting - the block isn't coming together as it should, or your quilt isn't square and you don't know how to fix that. You are the people I had in mind when I decided to create Quilt Lovers Guide. I truly want to help.
Quilting is a wonderful way to create a thing of beauty (although beauty is in the eye of the beholder!) either to give as a gift or to use and love and then leave as a legacy to your family. Lucky are the ones who inherit the quilts. None of my ancestors quilted, but since I began about 25 years ago, a few relatives have come on board the quilting express and are creating masterpieces in their own right. It has been a pleasure to watch them progress and achieve their goals.
I've become aware that many breast cancer survivors start quilting after their treatment as a form of recovery therapy. Learning to quilt occupies the mind and keeps our hands busy. It also provides a sense of achievement and pride in ourselves and our creations.
Creating a gift for a loved one who is ailing can provide therapeutic relief from worry. And I am certain that putting all that love into a comforter for them contributes to their convalescence. Sometimes we can't be there in person to help them, but we can send our love and support in a quilt. Not only does it make the recipient feel better, but we also feel better knowing we have done something to help.
What about those other special gifts, like a memory quilt for a 50th anniversary or a special birthday? It can include photo transfers and bits of fabric or memorabilia from the recipient and bowl them over with the uniqueness. I guarantee you will get smiles and hugs, and what can be more therapeutic than that?
Yes quilting is therapy, for both the creator and the recipient.
There's retail therapy involved in quilting, too
You don't need to be a shopaholic to enjoy purchasing fabric. And any quilter can tell you just how addictive quilt fabric can be! The car seems to automatically turn in at the nearest quilt shop. Mind you, there's nothing wrong with that! And there's no reason you can't shop online in your jammies too. I love it when the anticipated parcel arrives with my new fabric or latest quilting tool in it - it's just like Christmas!
And what about friend therapy when we head off for a retreat
It's a few days of pure bliss - sewing and problem solving with our best buddies! Yah, that's what it is all about - talking and sewing into the wee hours. Of course a glass of wine does no harm either! And chocolate, don't forget the chocolate!
Don't overlook quilting's contribution to sleep therapy
Trouble sleeping? I don't know about you, but when I have things on my mind, sleep is elusive. What do I do? I go to my studio and play with fabric or piece blocks or rearrange the blocks on the design wall. And while my hands are busy, my mind is slowly dealing with the backlog of things that kept me awake. Once I feel I have accomplished something on the design wall or at the sewing machine, or I have just relaxed enough, then I can return to bed and drift off. Talk about therapy - that's sleep therapy!
Yes, quilting provides a lot of therapy for me and countless other quilters too, I'll bet. It may even be beneficial to our children. Often when I'm sitting on the sofa doing some hand quilting, one of my children will sit down with me and talk about their day at school or some problem they are having. It seems as if the serenity of quilting affects them too and they can relax, open up, and talk it over with Mom. They knew, although my hands were busy, I was there for them and they could talk about their important issues while I quilted. It's a Norman Rockwell moment!
So keep on quilting or start now and teach your children to quilt. We will all be rewarded with a little sanctity (or is that sanity?) in today's world of hustle and bustle. Take your quilting therapy where you may!
Jackee Thaysen ~ QuiltLoversGuide.com
Jackee has been quilting for over a quarter of a century and teaching for a decade. Although quilting began as a hobby, in 1999 she started a machine quilting business, Jackee's Quiltworks.
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Teach Yourself to Rotary-cut
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Whether you’re an experienced or a new quilter, you’ll want to keep this valuable guide on hand. Learn to cut your quilt pieces with precision and speed using the essential technique of rotary-cutting. Clear instructions, helpful step-by-step photos, and a beautiful collection of rotary-cut quilts are sure to inspire you. Starting with basic strips and squares, and progressing to triangles, using templates, and the more advanced techniques of fussy cutting and squaring up blocks, this collection of timeless projects contains all the information you need to get started. Projects include: * Feed-Sack Patches * Hole in the Wall * Round the Twist * 25 in 25 * Bow Tie * Pinwheel Panache * Twist and Shout * Independence * Tipsy Trees * Building Blocks (3 pillows) * Scrappy Maple Leaves * Heading North * Streaks of Lightning * Snow Stars * Jane’s Kaleidoscope * Town Square Picnic * Slice and Dice
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The Quilting Zone - Quilting Therapy
Log Cabin Quilts Unlimited:
The Ultimate Creative Guide to the Most Popular and Versatile Pattern
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Quilters can explore the creative possibilities of the most popular and adaptable patchwork pattern. Log cabin is the quintessential quilt block, at its most basic strips sewn in order around a square center. Generations of quilters have been fascinated with the limitless variations possible by changing the central shape, the widths of the strips, the arrangement of blocks, and the interplay of lights and darks. Log Cabin Quilts Unlimited provides everything a quilter needs to design and create an original log cabin quilt: options for block construction, 18 block styles with many variations, setting options, photographs of outstanding quilts from primitive to contemporary looks, and a workbook with full-page diagrams. This is the ultimate guide to the ultimate quilt block. Patricia Cox is the former director of the International Quilt Study Center at the University of Nebraska and the author of American Quilt Classics. Maggi McCormick Gordon's previous books include The Ultimate Quilting Book and 1000 Great Quilt Blocks.
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Hawaiian Quilting: Instructions and Full-Size Patterns for 20 Blocks
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Hawaiian Quilting - Instructions and Full-Size patterns for 20 blocks is a very user friendly reference book for those wishing to commence their journey into Hawaiian quilting. It includes detailed instructions, 20 full-size quilting blocks (each 18" square) for creating exotic floral motifs: orchid, waterlily, hibiscus, and 17 others. Author Elizabeth Root takes her time to bring you up to date with interesting background about the origins and history of this fascinating art form. For those who have always found it quite difficult to understand the instructions for folding your pattern paper into eight, Roots's instructions are so straight forward and easy to understand you'll wish you'd come across this publication much sooner.The general instructions clearly outline the steps for creating a Hawaiian quilt, specifically - cutting the pattern, laying and tacking the pattern to the background, and appliqueing the design. Consideration has also been given to the presentation of the 20 patterns. Each pattern is on its own page, with a blank page behind it so there is no chance of chasing the incorrect line when tracing.
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Japanese Quilt Blocks to Mix and Match
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Modern Japanese quilting blends Eastern and Western techniques to create quilts of extraordinary style and beauty. Using designs borrowed from a rich decorative arts heritage, and often incorporating traditional kimono fabrics, Japanese quilters have developed a distinctive style based on unusual motifs and striking color combinations. With Japanese Quilt Blocks to Mix and Match, any quilter can create exquisite and unique works of patchwork art in the Japanese tradition.
The book presents more than 125 different block patterns, each with complete instructions and a color photograph, representing a variety of pattern sources: kamon (family crests), hakone yosegi (parquetry) and traditional textiles, such as kasuri weave. Each 9-inch block includes a full cutting guide and fabric palette; suggestions for use, either mixing and matching or adapting to an all-over design; and icons indicating techniques and skill level. The blocks on each spread are related in design and technique.
In addition to the Block Directory, Japanese Quilt Blocks to Mix and Match features an Inspiration Gallery, showcasing examples of finished quilts from leading quilters. Using these examples, author Susan Briscoe explores such topics as color ideas from traditional Japanese textiles and quilts, motifs, and recommendations for combining fabric patterns and block designs. An extensive section on technique, as well as several pages about the fabrics themselves and a listing of suppliers and organizations make this volume as practical and informative as it is beautiful.
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Sew Easy Rag Quilting
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Rag Quilting is sweeping through the quilting world. And with good reason. It's fun, fast and fabulous! There is no batting, no binding, and often, no quilting. When the quilt top is finished, the whole quilt is complete. Results are satisfying for quilters of all skill levels. Easy enough for beginners, this book includes twelve projects based on five different designs: Simplicity, Allegiance, Cottage Row, Honeycomb and Flamingo Flurry, which is featured on the cover.
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The Quilting Zone - Quilting Therapy
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