Why Do you Quilt?

Why Do you Quilt? is a question I often get asked. Why do I quilt? well lets start from the beginning…I never was a fan of quilts…shocking i know…but as i grew older i began to think how cool they were. I have also had sort of a fetish for fabric..I’ve always wanted to buy tons and hoard it i mean use it but i never knew what I wanted to do with it. Flash forward to my giving birth to my 3rd child, I had horrible PPD (postpartum depression) I didn’t know what to do with myself. Having PPD isn’t like normal baby blues were you can maybe make yourself feel better by getting “dressed up” or “going for a walk” no PPD is different. You don’t want to get out of bed, you have such anger inside of you that its terrifying. You often think of how your family doesn’t need you around yeah its bad. I finally got help and put on medication but I needed something else.

That’s were quilting came into the picture. Quilting helped me to put my mind at ease, all the bright colors and wonderful patterns really soothed me. Sounds weird huh? quilting saved my life? It did…it really did. Being so low and really contemplating things I never in a million years thought I would wish onto myself that quilting would help me.

Being able to make the simple pieces of fabric into cool,interesting patterns was so neat to me. I’ve only been quilting a year but in that time its really helped me at my most weakest of times. If I was ever feeling overwhelmed or upset id sit down at my sewing machine and start sewing, the rhythmic sound of the sewing machine was so comforting. I often get frustrated when I’m quilting but its a good frustration i have to make my brain work harder.

The other day I was thinking of a friend of mine who had suffered from depression rather badly and she did get help, but I often wished I could be faster at quilting so I could send her something to remind her she wasn’t alone. She’s lots better now(yay!) but she’s still on my list of people who I want to gift a quilt to. While thinking of her I also thought of my struggle and while I wasn’t completely alone (thanks to some special ladies in my life) I still felt like I needed someone near me who could understand. I was thinking maybe I could start up something around here for women who are in my same predicament and maybe teach them how to quilt or maybe even start donating quilts to women who suffer from PPD/depression. Having a quilt to me is like having a constant hug. I wish I could of had people around me who could just give me a hug now and then because man that would of made my day.

It’s probably a silly idea but its something so near and dear to me, having depression isn’t a disability as some like to make it seem, it also doesn’t mean you are weak. I’m hoping one day ill be able to help a ton of women like me with just a simple quilt to let them know I am thinking of them and that if they ever need a hug well they can snuggle up to the quilt i made.

Anyway that’s my answer to that question Why do I quilt? I know this was a bit of a downer blog but honestly getting the word out about PPD is very much important to me, I want people to know they arnt alone, that their are others out there like them.

Now my question to you is Why do you quilt?

thanks for reading and happy quilting!!
Catherine