Quilting Friendships & Therapy

Over the last year and a half, I have found that quilting has literally taken over my personal life. I have never found such joy in any hobby (and I've had a lot of them!) as I have with quilting. I have found it has carried me through the grief of a dear friend who died of cancer last Spring and of my uncle who died of a brain tumor. It has helped me celebrate life again, by using shirts from my uncle and re-purposing them into a quilt top that I designed. I have made baby quilts, quilts for my sisters-in-law, mother-in-law, parents, brothers, friends, and strangers. I can't think of another way to celebrate better than with something handmade, and quilting satisfied my desire to do something personal for others, while being therapeutic in my personal life!

I have also found that the new group of friends I found through quilting has brought me such joy, and have been my rock through very difficult times. I have had a best friend in my life before, and still maintain that relationship. However, this group is something different--they just seem to get my habit...scratch that...hobby, because they have the same NEED to use quilting in their lives. We just get each other, and I am so grateful that somehow, our lives intersected and I became part of that small group. It's kind of like an old-fashioned sewing bee once a week. Being old fashioned at heart, I truly love that connection we have.

These are just a few of the recent quilts I have made for others.

 

This quilt will be for my cousin and his wife, who are expecting their baby in February.

 

This quilt was given to my niece and her new husband in celebration of their recent wedding. (They are expecting their first baby in May 2015!)

 

These are photos of a Quilt of Valor I made for my younger brother, who recently retired from the US Air Force, after 17 years of service.