The  “Whistle while you work” is a playful tune written by Frank Churchill and Larry Morey that made its debut in Disney's first animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). Snow White cleans up the dwarfs' messy cottage with the help of her animal friends and this upbeat song. To Snow White and her friends the activity of cleaning is synonymous with having a clean cottage.

S-E-W too for those involved with patchwork and quilting – participation in the activities is just as important as the end product. We are aware that this art form provides its participants with many benefits beyond the practical result of a colourful, unique, and often useful item.

Spending time in solitude doing patchwork can help you disconnect from your worries, reflect calmly, and come up with solutions for problems that keep you up at night.

At the same time, though, patchwork has a strong social component: you can talk with other people (especially fellow aficionados) about how your project is going, you may participate in an coordinated planned activity to learn a new technique, or you could get together with a couple of others and simply spend the time stitching, chatting and munching.

Being involved with patchwork is s-e-w therapeutic as it can help you overcome depression, stress, and anxiety. It also can help your self-esteem, because it helps you see that you’re able to create something beautiful and unique.

Through patchwork you can still discover your artistic side. You can create your own patterns and choose the shapes, colours, and textures you want to use. In the end, a quilt can be as beautiful and as much a form of artistic expression as the Sistine Chapel ceiling painted by Michelangelo.

If you’re interested in the “slow living” philosophy, patchwork and quilting is a great hobby for you. It’s as much about the process as it is about the result. You can dedicate as much time as you want to your sewing; it’s not a race. You savour the work, and the goal is to make something that will last and be cherished, not simply used and discarded.