A whole lot has been written about the many advantages of quilting, but it is merely within the last couple of years that scientists and scholars really started to study this claim. A long time ago, quilting was done for an extremely practical reason -to keep carefully the family warm especially during the cold winter months. This isn’t really required the maximum amount of anymore because of advances in technology and with women working more beyond your home, there’s been less time. Surprisingly and thankfully, however, this did not cause the demise of quilting which continues to be alive and popular as a kind of hobby and expression of creativity.

Some time ago we did articles about How Sewing Fights Depression.

In the event that you missed it, please take a look. We were delighted that article was widely shared and reprinted by several major sewing associations. Based on that interest, we thought i would do a bit more research on the countless benefits associated with quilting specifically and it turns out they may be indeed amazing! Today, quilt makers do their craft for many different reasons. And here’s what some scientists and scholars have discovered.

Solid Quilting Fabric Relieves Stress
According to occupational therapist Victoria Schindler, were surviving in a continuous state of stress. It is because our brain cells haven’t actually evolved to inform the difference between the next appointment with a possible client or an impending attack from a tiger. The glad tidings are that the repetitive motion of crafts like quilting activates our parasympathetic nervous system. This, subsequently, calms our body’s instinct to fight or flight.

In a very paper entitled The Neurological Basis of Occupation,” Schindler and her co-author Sharon Gutman argue that repetitive activities such as quilt making or painting elicit a flow that regulates stress and other strong emotions. Consequently, quilt making is an effective remedy for all those facing frequent stress in the conduct of our day to day lives.

Benefits of Quilting and  i need fabric

Quilting IS WAY BETTER for Your Health than Physical Exercise
Exercise is wonderful for your wellbeing, but a report created by a team of researchers from the University of Glasgow has found out that quilting has some amazing health benefits beyond what could be achieved with physical and outdoor activities.

In a very paper published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Public Health written by graduate student Emily Burt, quilting is said to help the cognitive, creative and emotional well-being of folks especially among older people. It is because quilting offers problem-solving challenges like math and geometry while building self-confidence. In addition, being around all the bright colors uplifts the spirit and the activity, as we already know, relieves stress. You can see some terrific examples of both geometric shapes and the bright colors inside our recent article Contemporary Quilt Makers Who Paint with Fabric.

The research was conducted by using qualitative research and was done by interviewing twenty nine members of an area quilting group. As well as the paper concludes that quilt making have properties that boosts your well-being in such a way that cannot be done by physical activity. This finding is obviously great for those who cannot do physical exercise anymore.

great things about quilting

Quilting Makes Happy People
Doing something that results in meaningful work makes people happy. This is said about quilt makers who’ve something beautiful and tangible showing because of their efforts as well as something to talk about using their friends and families. A study found out that when quilt makers view their finished product, their brains get saturated with the happy chemicals called dopamine and serotonin. That is according to Dr .Kelly Lambert, who’s a member of the neuroscience department at Randolph-Macon College. This sense of accomplishment also decreases the stress and anxiety chemicals in the mind. In short, generally, quilting makes people happy, contented and accomplished.

benefits of quilting

Quilting Keeps the Doctor Away
Quilting decreases stress levels and causes the sensation of a feeling of accomplishment as it increases the reward chemicals in our brains. Because of this, it also lowers the chance of coronary attack and stroke. An entry in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows evidence that quilt making decreases the blood pressure, respiration and heartrate. Harvard neurologist Dr. Marie Pasinskis also points out that quilt making calms the brain and results in a sense of wellbeing. It definitely is a terrific way to keep carefully the doctors away!

Benefits of Quilting
Quilting Builds Community
Humans are social animals. Friendships and community are crucial for keeping us linked and healthy. It has become increasingly challenging with today’s sprawling suburbs which tend to distance us from each other and make everyday social gatherings rare. The issue is further exacerbated by the isolating effects of modern tools that will keep people in their own little digital worlds or at best only connected electronically to acquaintances who remain unseen and unmet personally.

While there are certainly plenty of online groups you can join and follow about quilting, one of the very most amazing benefits associated with quilting is the fact that almost everywhere going there are groups and associations who meet regularly and personally to pursue and practice their love of quilting. I got recently in a tiny town in rural Australia where I visited an incredible event called Quitarama and which I’ll write more about shortly. The sense of community and connection was amazing and a shout out to the Country Women’s Association of New South Wales for putting on such an excellent show.

great things about quilting

Some would say a lot of the effectiveness of early American pioneer community originated from the many quilting bees that brought frontier women together and created strong bonds of friendship and a shared sense of reliance and responsibility. My sense is our communities could certainly use more of the today.

Conclusion
There’s never been any doubt that quilting has benefits. Being surrounded by bright colors and a solid group of friends, especially through the bleak winter season, can elevate our moods. The repetitive motions involved in quilting help us enter a flow that is both relaxing and we can just forget about our problems and worries. However, because quilting needs our problem solving skills, it also constantly provides us with new challenges and makes our lives more interesting and fulfilling. Lastly, quilting has a built-in reward mechanism just because a finished quilt brings satisfaction and a feeling of achievement to the quilt maker as well concerning friends and family.

I’m sure experienced quilt makers know about the countless amazing benefits associated with quilting, but it is a lttle bit more satisfying to know that scholars and researchers have confirmed what quilt makers have known all along! If you’re interested in getting started off with quilting, we’ve a significant amount of quilting-related materials on So-Sew-Easy.com to truly get you started. Just use the search box at the top for the right-hand column and search “quilt” or just just click here to scroll through everything we have on quilting.