A few weeks ago, I finished my first quilt of 2016 and realized I have a super power. Don’t believe me? Let’s start at the beginning.

Two years ago, I spent a chilly Mardi Gras day-off-work playing with my first sewing machine: an Elna Air Electronic. I tackled a variety of projects in the weeks that followed, including clutches, clothes and quilts; my goal was to learn as much about sewing as possible. Then last year I focused my creative efforts on modern quilting.

Why quilting?

I don’t remember what got me interested in sewing. Maybe it was the desire to hem my own pants (#shortpeopleprobs). Maybe it was Brent’s prodding to pick up a hobby after I complained I was bored. But I do remember what got me into quilting: the desire to make a gift to celebrate the birth of my niece.

Baby quilts are a gateway drug.

It’s true! Do a Pinterest search for “baby quilt patterns” and just try not to be sucked in by all the cute. The shapes are simple and the relatively small size makes baby quilts a quick and easy sewing victory. They’re also great projects for people interested in owning the quilt process from start to finish. I settled on See Kate Sew’s modern ombre + b/w triangle quilt and got to work.

As soon as I gave the quilt to my sister and experienced the deep sense of pride and satisfaction that comes from seeing someone I love enjoying something I made, I was hooked. That was a year and a half ago, time to turn it up a notch.

From Clark Kent to Superman

Sewing—the process of cutting apart perfectly good fabric, manipulating it and piecing it back together in a completely different way—is my super power. That’s not to say I’ve learned all there is to know and have mastered every technique; far from it. Sewing is the first art medium I’ve found where I can perfectly transform the ideas in my head into physical objects. That’s powerful stuff! And it never happens when I’m painting, drawing or dabbling in graphic design.

For me, quilting is:

• A creative expression

• A productive way to keep my hands busy and my mind focused

• A pursuit of knowledge and an opportunity to try new things

• A pipeline to new friendships, both in person and online

• An exercise in patience, which I tend not to have unless I’m sewing

• A method of spending my disposable income that isn’t just junk accumulation

• A much, much, MUCH better use of my time than reality television

I have yet to find my quilty kryptonite and I hope quilting continues to be a fun, enjoyable and sustainable hobby for many years.

What’s your super power? Leave a comment below!