I find that my quilting interests skew how I decode the personal meaning of objects and news. Just the other day I went to an art exhibit that included beautiful stained glass kaleidoscopes. The artist had made some simple ones the viewer could peek through. I did so, looked at the various paintings with it, and immediately thought, what a great tool for designing a quilt. Yes, I know Paula Nadelstern’s work. (Fun fact: Her last name means needle star in German.)
Another example is my reaction to the Pantone color of 2015 – marsala. All I could think was that fabric in that color would really bleed. My personal experience with a burgundy (the wine theme again) colored binding has scarred me for life.
I find I look at photographs differently. A photo of a vintage Knoll furniture ad inspired a quilting design.
And of course photos are wonderful sources of quilt design ideas. Here’s one that I hope to realize in silks, possibly silk organza. I’ve already mentally edited this image, so most of the foreground would be eliminated.
I’ll save examples of how I and other quilters look at trips to a hardware or drug store for another time, but I know my husband thinks I’m strange for saving the styrofoam trays from the grocery. He doesn’t understand they make great paint palettes.
The Snarky Quilter 
What you say here is so true! My hobbies influence the way I see the rest of the world so much. Whether it’s weaving, quilting, even the candy making, everything I see is processed in terms of the possibilities for creativity and expression.
I recall the different way I viewed the physical dangers of my house – table edges, stairs, and the like – when my son was a toddler. I had forgotten that view until I spent some time with a great niece. As I age I may be spending time reviewing those dangers once again – for me.