"Sewing and quilting have always been a part of my life since I can remember. My grandmother has been a quilter for decades and my mother is a talented garment seamstress. Through my high school and college years I dabbled with a few sewing projects here and there. And then when I started my career and had my son, it was hard to find time. However, as my son grew older and into his own hobbies and sports, I found myself having more time for self-healing activities, like sewing. I started with a few baby quilts here and there for friends. There's just something about the quilting process and the joy of gifting a homemade gift. I find much satisfaction in this. Then COVID came. I found myself sewing a lot more and joining various quilting groups, locally and virtually. This creative outlet, along with connecting with other quilters, has helped me throughout the pandemic by being a source of stress relief, finding a purpose in uncertain times- something to look forward to, and self-growth; I have learned so much about the quilting process and various techniques in the past two years."