For all it’s
been portrayed in the past as a little old lady activity, let me tell you this
straight up – quilting is not for
sissies. What seems like an innocent creative process is in
fact, rife with danger – a regular landmine of potential for bodily harm! In fact, it’s a good idea to be in tip-top
shape if one wants to complete with the big girls and avoid being sidelined by
potential quilting injuries. Perhaps there
should be a warning label on your sewing machine-something like this:
As with any activity, see your doctor
before attempting quilting activities.
Possible side effects occur with every stage of quilting and may include
the following: Cutting fabric, which depending on design and size of
the piece, can take hours – many
hours-of standing in the same place and carries
the risk of moderate to severe varicose veins, sore feet and bunions. Repeated hunching over may increase crick in
the neck and crossed or blurry eyes due to lining up and squinting at fabric
for hours at a time. Tendonitis may
develop at wrist or shoulder from repetitive cutting motion, and the potential
for blood on the fabric and extreme annoyance may arise from using a sharp
rotary cutter, especially exacerbated when drinking alchohol while operating
machinery.
Please note: A cutting table that is the incorrect height
may lead to mild to severe sore back. It
is recommended therefore to have the exact correct dimensions before attempting
this stage of quilting. ( I do my
cutting on my kitchen island, which was handmade by my husband for our family,
and so is the perfect height for 5 foot 11 inch me. But the kitchen is downstairs, and my studio
is upstairs, so I often find myself going up and down the stairs 50 times a day
, which greatly increases the chances of tripping and falling down the stairs
and sore knees, not to mention extreme fatigue! )
Seemingly the least dangerous of the quilting
activities, piecing carries some of the most worrisome health hazards for the unsuspecting
quilter. The potential for smallish injuries such as
sewing one’s fingers (yes I have done it and yes, it hurts – badly) or poking
one’s fingers with the needles while changing them, or sticking pins in your
hands or legs while pinning is greatly increased at this stage. While obviously not life-threatening, these
wounds can be quite painful and annoying–
like paper cuts - they seem like they shouldn’t hurt at all, but they just bug you all day. A less
common, but most serious side effect is the slight chance of heart attack or
stroke. (This risk is increased by
certain activities, for example, let’s say one is doing curves and it is going
badly…naturally this is not a risk for the
zen quilter, but still, the potential for extreme frustration must be mentioned. ) Running oneself ragged going back and forth
from the sewing machine to the iron (which carries the added risk of burns) has been known to occur in some
quilters.
Sandwiching the quilt is potentially
backbreaking work, especially if one is doing it on the floor. Make sure to have good ventilation to avoid
inhaling the harmful chemicals of the adhesive spray and also, a pillow is recommended to protect the knees from severe arthritic damage. Dizziness may occur from the awkward position
one is in while pinning. Dry mouth and
even severe dehydration from sweating profusely are the most commonly reported
side effects of sandwiching. Remember: the larger the quilt, the more potential for
harm to back, knees, shoulders – a queen size has the potential for more serious problems and a king
size – well, that could lead to death.
Aside from the aforementioned hazards of sewing machine operation, the
act of quilting carries with it an inherent danger of mild to severe crick-neck
and hunch back and less common but more problematic is the potential for
moderate to serious shoulder injury from pushing the heavy quilt around for
countless hours at a time while tensing muscles to control the direction of
the quilting. ( For example, I have
developed such a pain in my shoulder from quilting a queen-sized quilt on an
eleven-inch armed quilting machine that it is keeping me awake at night! It took me a while to realize that this is
what caused it as I hadn’t had any obvious occurrence that would have caused
this much pain, but now I refer to it as
“my old quilting injury.” But it’s not
all that funny, really, since it hurts,
and it’s stopping me from further quilting!)
It should
also be mentioned that quilting carries with it the potential for accelerated
aging due to additional wrinkles that might occur from squinting at tiny
stitching, or even broken teeth due to tensing jaws or clenching teeth while
concentrating for countless hours or spending endless frustrating moments
pulling out said tiny stitches in the pursuit of perfection.
It is
recommended to stop quilting if severe side effects occur, and immediately seek
a doctor’s help (preferably a psychiatrist) if despite above injuries you still
continue to have quilting symptoms. Regular exercise is recommended to prevent
further quilting injury, including sit-ups, yoga and deep breathing to relieve
stress. Do drink alchohol while
operating this machine, as it may help reduce the symptoms of frustration and
rage associated with quilting.
Last, please
see the insert for the further warnings and additional mental health risks
associated with quilting, all of which cannot possibly be addressed on this warning
label…
Yep,
quilting can pose a serious health risk - I’m surprised anyone over forty even
attempts it! But despite my injuries and
even the potential for rapid aging, I still love it and I’ll take the risks
again and again - probably until I am
one of those (not so little) old ladies myself.
And I’ll have the scars to prove it...IF I make it that long!
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