Bring balance to your life in the marriage of beauty and function!From selecting fabrics to threading the needle to piecing together your project, the steps you take to create a beautiful quilt will allow you to calm your mind and bring harmony to your life. Master quilter Sandra Detrixhe shares what she's learned through years of creating art out of scraps of cloth: Quilting is a type of meditation. It's both absorbing and mind-freeing. Sandra and several of her colleagues relate stories about the quiet, mindful experience of quilting--choosing fabrics with a purpose in mind, adding pieces with special meaning, and finding a community of quilters.Each chapter includes a suggested activity that will show you how to find peace in the process. You'll soon be able to turn every minute you spend patterning, basting, and binding into enjoyable, mindful moments. With Zen and the Art of Quilting, you'll learn your wonderful, handmade quilt isn't the craft's only reward. The meditative practice of making your lovely new piece is something to be treasured as well.