In the last few days of 2021, we started on a hard road through a family crisis. As we discovered quickly, this is not going to be an easy journey to make. This is going to be a long-term change and careful steps will need to be taken each day. However, quilting during hard times is a wonderful way to help physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally.

Quilting has seen me through many adventures, and both good and bad times over my lifetime. There is something very therapeutic about keeping the hands busy. It is nice to see something created and maybe finished during these roller coaster rides through life.

Maine Ocean Waves

This beautiful ocean wave quilt was pieced by me in 1990 at Loring AFB, ME. The scraps were from previous projects. The solid green centers, and the border fabrics were from my stash.

While I do not mention it in this post on the old blog, my emotional being and my marriage were in serious trouble while I pieced this quilt.

We had returned from five years in Germany. Readjusting to the American culture, the strain of moving twice in 12 months, the financial issues, and dealing with marital stupidity were more than I could deal with easily.

Add in a five-year-old boy who felt the strain between his dad and I very much, and it was not smooth sailing.

As son picked through the scraps “helping” me cut and organize the pieces, my mind was able to slowly work the problems around mentally into a manageable solution.

This is very much the benefit of quilting (or any hand craft). Somehow busy hands allow the mind to slow, organize, and prioritize a problem.

So what now?

I know from being around many, many quilters in my lifetime that quilting truly soothes the soul. Busy hands help get us through good and bad times.

Quilting during hard times seems to make those times so much easier to journey through.

Ask any quilter and they will have a quilt with a story that helped them get through some emotional upheaval in their life. I think that is why quilts speak to people – both quilters and non-quilters. Quilts comfort and wrap us in love and belonging.

As quilters, we do not have to share the problem we are working through stitch by stitch. We quilters can be happy and silly as we quilt, or quiet and mourning.

Either way, the quilt or quilts we work on comfort each of us. And by us being comforted, we are able to pass that feeling along to others who may need a “hug” today.

Smile, hug, and love someone in your life today. Keep your hands busy doing something good.

“She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands” Proverbs 31:13

PLEASE NOTE: 
ALL PHOTOS AND WRITTEN CONTENT ARE MY OWN UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.