With stress, I lose interest in everything and will sometimes just read or watch TV till I get over it. Once re-covered, I get on with life. Planning a new project in new colors is often the inspiration I need.

I tend to sleep a lot until I am over the hump.
Theresa

When I'm stressed I clean. Quilting is usually done when I want to retreat from the rest of the household and just be by myself. There's very few souls in this world who dare come into my sewing room that are two footed. The four footed ones I swear look for the fabric I'm working on!

Oh, I quilt when I am stressed. DH has commented on how peaceful I look when I am quilting.

beverly

Boy, I wished I cleaned when I got stressed!!! It depends what the stress is - job, work, etc ---can't quilt -
Family and health stresses - quilting / sewing calms me....allows me to focus on something I can control - even the mistakes...I am controlling the mistakes.

Everyday stress - I yell :) - should clean instead.

Most of my stress comes from quiltng.lol. Seriously, I think I escape to the quilitng room when things get out of control but the computer is a great outlet as well. I mostly just deal with it. Takes too much effort to be stressed.

Beverly, my dh said the same thing to me. He said I have a whole different look on my face in my sewing room. I just hope he doesn't ever think it's because he's NOT in there!

I think it works the same way that doing various puzzles works for me. I have fibromyalgia and part of dealing with that is being in a chronic state of confusion. Making pieces/puzzles go together seems to make re-connections in my brain. Once I do something physical that "connects the dots", then my mind is clearer, too.

Kay

I have to be clear headed and in a good mood to sew. Otherwise, I tend to make mistakes and that does not improve my mood. I too clean/organize when I have a lot on my mind. If you ask my DH, he thinks I'm not in a bad mood enough! :).

Rebecca

quilting soothes me & my mind.

I saw a little wood plaque on the wall of the quilt museum in Lancaster, PA that still resides on my camera (on purpose). It's the first photo stored so when I scroll I always come across it. Someday it's going to become something I put into a quilt/wallhanging, something.

"As I concentrate on quilting, the pieces of my frazzled life settle into focus."

With 3 kids under 10, homeschooling, housekeeping, schedules/activities, etc. it so totally fits me!

Kay, I hope the same thing! My DGS had decided he wants to learn to sew, so my room is not always quiet. But when he is concentrating, he is very centered and quiet, so it isn't too bad. I plan to set him up his own little machine so we can both sew at the same time.

Jennifer, I don't know how you find the time to quilt! You are my hero.

beverly

Thanks to all for the posts.......gave me some great chuckles!
I can identify with so many of you.
This is valuable therapy for everyone. To find company!!
Just went through a stressful period and now I know that I lose interest in everything, including quilting. Back from the doldrums, and it feels sooo good!

Sewing, quilting is a stress relief for me. When I was going through alot of personal stress, I escaped reality to sew. I was very creative and tried lots of new techniques. I've noticed that as there has been less stress in my life I'm not sewing as much. Still love to sew but now I can really enjoy what I'm doing.

Quilting is my stress relief. Sometimes it can be just thinking about quilting, or looking at quilts or fabric on line, or visiting this forum.

Kate

I'm glad I found another person who cleans when they are stressed. The more stressed I am, the harder I clean. If you ever come up on me when I am down on my knees scrubbing floors with a brush.........if you know me at all..........you will probably want to turn around and go the other way. In times of conflict, my house is its most immaculate. I suspect it not only helps me release tension through physical activity, I see the the analogy of putting my house in order and feelings of gaining control.

The sewing room is my get-away or escape. I steal an hour in the morning with my cuppa and use it as quiet time to meditate or wake up for the day. Sometimes I use it as a way to wind down at night. I just schedule it into my day like someone else might schedule in a trip to the gym. I don't sew if I'm distracted or unfocused or upset. That's when I sew in sleeves backwards or rip out and resew the same mistake three times in a row. LOL.

Quilting helps me, if I can get to do it!! Lately, I've had so much going on, I can't seem to get to my machine. I'm working on changing that, though!

Robbi