Quilting and depression...

finished - after seven years

When I was twenty I had my first run in with depression. I was a student at Texas A&M University and every Tuesday and Thursday would drive by a little quilt shop on the way to one of my off-campus education classes.

One afternoon I walked in and three old ladies taught me how to quilt. They started me with a five and a half inch log cabin block. If I had known anything about quilting - I would eased in a little bit and chosen a larger block with less detail. I pieced it with a machine and then hand-stitched every seam on this queen sized quilt. It took me seven years.

this weeks work...

In those seven years, a lot of life happened. I graduated from college, got married, worked, traveled, moved across the country, bought a house, had a baby... a million joys and sorrows filled the space between.

Thankfully my depression passed long before I put the final stitches on this quilt. It will always be my favorite... partly because it took me SO VERY LONG to finish. But mostly because it reminds me to be hopeful... and know that seasons change.

I have found that (subconsciously) sewing often ends up being the thing I do when I am feeling sad. This week I did a lot of sewing. Someone we love dearly lost her father quite suddenly. I made blankets - reflecting on the brevity of life and feeling heartsick for a friend.