Sit, Sip & Stitch

 

Sit, Sip & Stitch.  Even just saying those three little words conjures up an irresistible image of calm happiness. This time of the year with winter in full swing, nothing beats a little time on the couch with a blanket, a warm cup of tea and a stitching project.

 

 

There is something synonymous about winter and stitching.  During the winter months, Mother Nature can force you to cancel all of your plans and push you into hibernation mode. For a person full of to do lists and a busy schedule, this can be quite frustrating but so very necessary. Similarly, working on a hand stitched project is a slow process. There are no shortcuts to make it happen any faster.  You have to slow down.

 

Today, as Mother Nature once again forced me to slow down, I resisted the urge to wallow in anxiety about the things that I knew needed to be done at work. I took my time to relax and clear my head while I did my morning meditative stitching. I reminded myself that I can not change the weather and gave myself permission to slow down.

 

 

 

Her Gloves

My grandmother- my Nana Dot, was a happy and strong woman that lived to be almost 95 years old. She was known for her signature drink; the whiskey sour, her family business; The White Swan and her childhood nickname; Giggles. To me, she was responsible for providing me with my favorite childhood tradition...Nana Dot's Christmas Eve party. To be honest, there was nothing innately special about this party other than it was about family, long time traditions and I loved every minute of it!

When she passed away in May, my mom gave me a box of her old aprons, linens, and gloves. I immediately knew that I wanted to commemorate her in some way through stitch using the stories, traditions, and memories that she left behind. I also knew that I wanted it to be a gift to my mom.

The aprons were beautiful and the vintage handkerchiefs were finely stitched but I was drawn to the gloves.  There is something so intimate about a pair of gloves.  The gloves were so carefully cared for that they did not even look worn but I know that at one time or another, her hands were tightly wrapped in this fabric.  Knowing this gave me a mutual sense of sadness and comfort. Stitching these gloves made me feel very close to her.

 

The stitching isn't perfect, some of the words are hard to read but none of that really matters. Christmas was definitely different this year but there will never be a Christmas that I don't think back to all of the wonderful Christmas Eve parties and remember Nana Dot in her party jewelry, drinking a whiskey sour and hopping around to her big band music.

 

 

Reflecting on 2015

I love this time of time of year, when things slow down a bit, and the new year gives a feeling of a fresh start. With this comes reflections and resolutions. In years past, I would spend hours journaling my chosen resolutions with various sub resolutions and large goals. The problem was, it was too many to focus on and halfway through the year I could not even remember one of them.

Maybe I'm getting older and accepting myself more or maybe it has been by trial and error but in the last few years, I have given up on all of those lofty goals. I have taken a more broad approach to it. The overarching theme is just to be a better version of myself. 

Last year my theme was "dream big". And I did. The year brought about many big things...getting married and buying our home, growing my business, starting this blog and sharing more of my own art. By allowing myself to be more open with my art and words; new opportunities have been presented. My life feels more in balance and satisfying.  Looking ahead, I feel excited to continue down this road, to dream big and have the courage to create without self made boundaries and limitations.

When Inspiration Strikes

Why does it always seem that the best ideas come at the most inconvenient time such as when you are in the shower or on a long drive?  For me it's driving.  I have about a half an hour commute to work.  Typically I listen to a podcast or sometimes music.  After awhile if the topic doesn't hold my interest, my mind starts to wander and that's when inspiration strikes! I hit on an idea and I can feel my pulse quicken. My mind goes from idea to idea with excitement and its all I can do to pull over and write down some notes before it disappears.

This past Saturday, I was hit hard with a solution to an unfinished idea that had been tossed around in my mind for the past several weeks. Luckily I had a supply of napkins in my glove box for exactly this moment...

So how can we get our ideas to flow when we want them to?

It's all about getting yourself into a relaxed semi-meditative state. Showering and driving are all routine events that your body is used to.  Your mind is free to wander while your body is set on repetition mode. Try other similar repetitive tasks such as cleaning, going on a walk, or my favorite- stitching! Keep yourself open to ideas without trying to force them to come. As with driving and showering, ideas most often happen when you are not looking for them. Keep a notebook handy so when the ideas start to flow- you are ready!

Yes, you DO have time!

Throughout my day, I get into a lot of conversations with people about crafting and making art.  And the common phrase that I hear is "I don't have time." Or sometimes there is a lofty promise of the future, "When I retire..." or "When my kids are grown..." My question is What are you waiting for?

We are all busy.  All of us juggle many different hats and often feel like there are not enough hours in the day. If you really want to make art, you need to make it a priority. By putting yourself and your desires first, you will find that it will actually help you in the rest of your day. You will be a happier person to your family, you will be more productive and it will help you think more creatively throughout your day.

While it seems impossible, I am willing to bet that you can find 15 minutes in your day to treat yourself to some therapeutic craft time. According to Neilson's Social Media report, the United States spends six and a half hours per person on social media a month. Wow, think about what you could get done in that time!

I am not immune to the busy excuse but I try very hard to make it a daily morning practice. I know that I am a better person because of it!

Here are some tips on how I am able to squeeze in 15 minutes a day to craft:

1. I set a specific and constant time of the day to do it. (Morning works the best for me and I look forward to it when I wake up!)

2. Find a spot in your home that is comfortable and quiet that is always available to you.

3. Set a timer- this way you don't have to look at your phone and be tempted by your instagram feed or email notifications!

4. Always have a project ready and waiting.  I keep a nearby bowl which has all of my stitching supplies for my current project. The project itself is an easy, mindless piece which does not require creative decision making. (Stitching a pattern, coloring, knitting...these are all examples of good and easy things to pick up.) You will find that by doing a mindless craft, you will keep your creativity flowing and you will be more likely to make more time later to devote to a project that may require more depth.

5. Treat your time as sacred. Put yourself first. Give yourself this gift.

Treat your time as sacred. Put yourself first. Give yourself this gift.

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.