Stitch it Out

Life is unexpected and with the good can come the bad.  I am finding myself realizing this even more as I get older.  They often come overlapped rather than compartmentalized which is how they always seemed when looking back over the years.

But not so, two years ago I had a grandmother and a friend pass while at the same time trying to keep on track with my business to get my shop Christmas ready. In May when my other grandmother passed I was also trying to settle on our house that same week.   And now.... coming home from my honeymoon and having to say goodbye to my sweet 14 year old canine companion, Jasper.

This is real life where you have to take things as they come. We all share these same experiences- the good/the bad and often both at the same time.  We all need to have some kind of outlet to get our feelings out.  To heal, to express, to mourn. What I turn to is stitching.  It allows me to express what I am feeling without saying a word.  I can sit in silence and immerse myself in the stitch. Everyone deals with things differently but what we all share is the need to deal with it in some way or another.  And for me- the answer is to stich it out.

Lend a Hand

I often talk about how stitching is a powerful form of therapy.  It can lower stress, help you find focus and create personal satisfaction. The power of crafting is not only good for your well being but it can also be used as a way to help others!  Money is not the only thing that can help a charitable organization. Many organizations are in need of knitted or quilted blankets, winter accessories, baby items and other daily needs.

Donating a hand made piece to an auction is another way of giving. Currently The Muse is in its fourth year of their Lend a Hand Art Auction. Every year I create something for it which is then auctioned off for a local charity. This year's theme was based on the Chinese Proverb of the Red Thread which states that we are all connected by an invisible red thread which can not be broken.

I chose to interpret this by focusing on women.  When you remove our outer shells, at the base of it we are all connected.  We all have our roles; our struggles and our celebrations. This is a theme which I have explored before and is always a topic of interest for me 

 

I started out by creating a background fabric of fused pattern pieces to muslin. I added some color but muted most of it out. I wanted a monochromatic piece to echo my intention of sameness and commonalities.

 

 

Then my favorite part- the stitching. As each slow stitch was created, my mind was free to wander and my relaxation set in. Creating this piece for the benefit of others was also for the benefit of me. When you create as a form of giving back, your rewards to yourself are two fold- the joy of the creation and knowing you have helped someone else.

 

 



Treat Yo Self-Meditative Stitch Workshop!





There has been a lot of positive feedback to this blog and to the idea of meditative stitching in general.  As a shop owner selling handmade items and facilitating craft parties, I often hear from a lot of customers that they love making things but they just "don't have the time".  I think that is what is so appealing about my morning stitching meditations....you only need 10 minutes!  (Often you have so much fun that 10 minutes turns into 15...20...)

 

Doing my morning stitch work has helped me in so many ways- I am more relaxed, self satisfied, and ready to start my day!  I want to show others how this can work for them too!  On Wednesday August 5th from 7-9pm I am teaching through The Muse! My friend, Heather Stang, owner of The Frederick Meditation Center will guide us through a meditation practice to begin the class.  I will then help people pick a mantra or favorite word or quote to transfer onto vintage linens.  We will then learn a backstitch to create a beautiful embroidered piece.

 

Treat Yo Self and take time for stitching! Registration is at The Muse, 19 N Market St or by calling 301-663-3632!

Packing

Moving day has come and gone but the boxes remain.  As a creature of habit, I thrive on routine, organization and everything in its place.  For someone like me, moving and change is a huge challenge to my sanity.

To feel at home and less restless, my first priority is to organize my sewing room.   The very last thing that I packed besides the obvious essentials was my trusty Bernina sewing machine.  I had not even used it in the last month but just knowing that it was available was a source of comfort. 

For Nick, I noticed that his favorite drum set was the last item to be packed.  As a drum teacher, he plays everyday however, that specific drum set had not been played for some time either. His drums mean to him what my sewing machine means to me. They both represent a huge part of our identity. We all have our "thing" whether it be cooking, gardening, reading, writing or whatever. I can't imagine a life void of a passion. It is that "thing" that keeps us going, keeps us grounded and makes life rich.  Embrace that item that you can't bear to pack in a box- it is what makes you who you are.

A New Project

 

There is a brand new project in the works!  Several posts back, I was waiting on news to see if we won the contract on our dream house. After waiting on pins and needles, we received the good news! A gorgeous home with plenty of unique details...and plenty of work!

 

 

 

I'm so excited to make this house our home. I will share some of the progress as we make the transformation.  Aside from my daily morning stitching, it seems as though most of my art time will be consumed in renovating the house.  With new life milestones comes inspiration.  But unfortunately I think I will be painting more walls and wood trim than fabrics to stitch on!

A Memory Through Cloth

 

 

We said good bye to this beautiful lady earlier this week.  My Nana Dot, as she was called by everyone including my friends, lived to be 95! She was a happy, positive person who never complained.  She loved Big Band music, coffee with sugar cakes and her whiskey sours! As far as crafting and art were concerned, I never saw her take an interest in any of it but she always proudly displayed my gifted hand made wares.  It sometimes even surprised me when I would come across something I made and gave to her so may years ago... Something I had forgotten about would be proudly sitting on her side table or kitchen counter.

 

My mother found a box of vintage handkerchiefs that had been in my grandma's house. She gave them to me knowing how much I would appreciate them.  It's indescribable but there is something about a cherished piece of cloth that holds so much meaning. Opening the box and touching the pieces of fabric, I felt close to my Nana Dot.  I could smell her house and imagine her folding and pressing the handkerchiefs.

 

These pieces will sit with me for awhile.  I will give it time until I know how to use them. I know that eventually I will figure out the perfect way to stitch into them and create something that will honor her memory and help me heal as well.

 

Coffee & Stitches

When you really get into the practice of your meditative stitching it becomes something you look forward to each morning. And for me this means coffee and stitches.  The smell and sounds of the coffee brewing against the quiet of the morning is my favorite part of the day. No matter how rushed I am, I find that giving myself the time to slow down helps me better manage the fast pace of the day that lies before me.

 

My sweet dog Jasper also appreciates this morning routine as it means that he gets a rare chance to be up on the couch!  It also really feels good to have this time with him before I have to leave to go off to work.

 

 

Currently I've been working on a morning mantra piece.  This is going to be a class sample for a workshop that I will be giving later in the summer.  I love the look of beautiful script created with a simple backstitch.  The word I chose was Grateful.  I have so much to be grateful for and it helps me remember that as I stitch out the word on a beautiful vintage handkerchief. Getting lost in the word and what it means becomes easy.  You focus on each stitch and with each stitch is the reward of creating a beautiful mark in the cloth. A great way to begin the day.