May 6

May 6 Quilting is My Therapy

It was a very long winter and the morning broke just as grey and dismal as the last and a thought struck me;

‘How am I going to get out of bed? Why should I get out of bed?’

The answer came in the form of my (then) 4-year-old son who wandered to my bedside and rested his head on my shoulder before asking for some ‘breksit.’

The kids were the reason to get out of bed and although I was able to get on with my day it was clear there was something very wrong and it took my husband gently telling me he was worried about me and I should consider speaking with my doctor before I acknowledged I needed real help.

Diagnosis: Anxiety and Depression.

After the initial diagnosis and therapy sessions it was recommended a hobby was found, one that was truly enjoyable and one that could genuinely be used to divert a chaotic mind to one simple task. It could range from just a quiet walk to finding a spot to read a book.

I chose quilting and although this hobby wasn’t new it wasn’t one I had ever considered conquering. I love to do embroidery and I always enjoyed spending the winter months quietly working away on a project, however it wasn’t until I was using Pinterest that my feed started popping up with quilting blocks. I began taking an interest in it and eventually decided I’d have a go - it was the beginning of a lovely way to find calm.

Quilting has become my newfound therapy; I take enormous pleasure in choosing fabrics for a project, or just for stash purposes. I enjoy choosing a block to make and turning it from drawing on paper to a full-blown quilt top. I take great pleasure in seeing friends or family receiving one of my quilts and I also donate quilts to charity to remind myself that although I have dark days, there’s always someone out there who may be going through worse.

Quilting, for me, brings peace. I have control, I have time and I have the willpower to work through the project. I ensure my space is my own and my family knows that if Mummy is quilting, to just leave her be! Often I will play music or soothing sounds; I’m a big fan of jazz and will often play 1940’s hits or french jazz. I also love the sound of birds as it signals new beginnings so if I want to be reminded of Spring I ensure my space is filled with the sounds of spring birds!