Quilts & More - USA (2020 - Summer)

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Brain & Mental Health

Try improvisational piecing.

Let your creativity lead you

down unexpected paths by

making improvisationally

pieced blocks. Sew

together pieces at random,

and even try chopping

up your pieced block and

putting it back together.

The lack of a pattern to

follow can be very freeing.

Make your sewing room

a social-media–free zone.

We love posting our quilts

on Instagram and other

social media platforms,

but if keeping up with

social media is distracting

you or stressing you out,

give yourself a technology

break. Put on some music,

get in your sewing groove,

and relax.

Be a little selfi sh.

How often do you fi nd

yourself sewing projects for

others, especially projects

with deadlines? It can easily

turn your relaxing hobby

into a source of stress! Start

a project that’s just for you—

one with no time limit where

you get to pick your favorite

prints, blocks, and colors.

In a 2019 Harris Poll survey, 36% of American women said they are more

stressed in their daily lives than they were fi ve years ago. And 81% of the

women surveyed said that “we live in a society that glorifi es being busy.”

Stress, anxiety, and burnout are on the rise.

Studies done on the effects of crafting on the brain have shown it

increases the amount of the neurotransmitter called dopamine,

which helps fi ght against anxiety and depression.

Crafts, such as knitting, have been used as therapy for years, including as

occupational therapy to treat soldiers from World War I who had post-

traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Sewing is my escape from life’s stresses.

It’s my outlet to let my mind create and run

wild. It brings back my sanity so that I can be

present with all my other life

responsibilities.

— Jamie Siel, designer of Rays of Sunshine on page 

I have found so

much friendship

and love in the

Instagram quilting

community.

Someone is always

willing to lend a

hand, offer support,

or share their

stash. Being part

of such a close-

knit community is

important to my

well-being.

— Stephanie Luiere,

designer of Breath of Fresh Air

on page 

Did you know?

Sew Healthy

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Hand sewing, including

embroidery, English paper

piecing, and hand quilting,

has seen a resurgence over the

last few years as crafters look

for ways to slow down and be

intentional with their stitching.

Focusing on the smooth,

repetitive motion of hand

stitching can be a remedy

for the stress of daily life, and

it distracts a person from the

various anxieties that might

otherwise occupy her mind.

Don’t discount the benefi ts of

machine sewing! Sewing as a

hobby gives sewers a creative

outlet to express themselves

amid the busyness of their

daily responsibilities, which

can be emotionally draining

or frustrating.

ILLUSTRATIONS

SHUTTERSTOCK/IVECTOR

Mindful Making.indd 15 FINAL 3/18/20 8:07 AM