Healing Through Quilting

Through reading patterns, taking notes about the quilting process, working through written healing processes, literacy skills are strengthened.

Math is a big part of the quilting process. Through using various rulers, simple math functions, such as adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing as well as geometry, math skills are strengthened.

Through collaborating, problem solving, organizing, planning skills, managing time, budgeting, speaking in a group, and the increased sewing skills, life skills are strengthened.

Through new skills around self care, self love, self esteem, exploring personal tastes and preferences self growth and discovery expand. This includes speaking our truth, releasing perfection and judgment of self and embracing who we each are as individuals, trusting ourselves, and listening to our own intuition.

It is so important for us to be gathering, especially after people have been lacking the opportunities to do so over the last 2 years. We chat, share and listen to stories, laugh, and eat together. Participants cheer each other on and enjoy sharing and showing what they have accomplished in the quilt room. As people share, others in the room respond with so much unconditional love and support.

We all have such a great time together; there is so much laughter. The groups naturally move through the heavy, dense emotions and experience reaching for the joy, which they quickly master. There is also an opportunity for moving the body using a great online program, “Pow Wow Sweat.” It’s fun, culturally based, and gives us a short workout.

All participants start with “crumbs;” these are the small bits of fabric left over from other projects. The use of these crumbs allows the quilters to practice and get comfortable with the machines as well as the quilting tools and steps. As soon as I share that they will be starting with crumbs they relax and open themselves to the learning process. They understand that with these crumbs they can’t make a mistake. Participants are encouraged to play with the crumbs for as long as they want; when they are feeling ready, they move onto the process of choosing their pattern and larger pieces of fabric for their project.

Ideally the program would run for 12 weeks, meeting 2 days each week, for 5 hours each day, with a 30-minute meal break. This consistency not only provides a framework for the quilts to be completed, but it also provides a steady flow to the healing journey.