She's a Big Law litigator by profession, but in her personal time, Sidley Austin partner Paige Montgomery of Dallas pieces together a hobby that provides serenity for her and comfort for those in need.

Quilting has enabled Montgomery, 40, to slow her pace of life to a meditative crawl—and she has left behind piles of beautiful quilts in the process, while touching the lives of family, Big Law colleagues, and even strangers in need as far away as Costa Rica.

“In our work, we have investigations and cases and those things have intermediate deadlines, but they don't have quite the same sense, 'It's done,' that you get with a finished quilt,” Montgomery said. “I'm a better-rounded person than I was before I started doing it. It lets me express parts of my personality that otherwise wouldn't come out.”

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