what do you need?
Very little really…
A needle, thread and a piece of cloth
An attitude of kindness- this is just for the experience- there is no right or wrong only an outcome.
There are NO should’s- make as you feel the need or desire
There will be days when you want to stitch but have NO Idea what to stitch- no problem. Pick up a needle and what ever thread and cloth comes to hand and just stitch… wild and wonderfully, softly and slowly … however feels good; an idea, a direction will emerge
Whilst you need very little let me say something about the tools
THE NEEDLE– find something that suits your hand. My hands have never worked so well- years ago I found John James Long Darners and I have been in stitchy heaven ever since- that extra length makes all the difference for me. A quality needle will be sharp and just slide into your fabric.
Cheap needles don’t.
In my workshop I buy the John James Long Darner by the thousand directly from the factory- I wanted my Stitching Ladies to have good tools. In the early years some women lost their needles and bought something cheap from the local market- invariably they would give up, come to me and own up to loosing their needle and needing a GOOD one, precious, it was never lost again.
Get yourself a good needle that suits your hand and has a hole big enough to thread easily for the weight of thread you use.
THE THREAD– what you have, what you like… weight/thickness of thread has a big influence on how easy it is to stitch with AND the mark it will leave on your cloth for all your hard work.
If your thread likes to twist and kink run it through your finger nails…. In the direction of it coming off the skein if you can. That little love often makes it behave. If it going to be cheap and nasty and kink up- get rid of it and grab something easier to use.
THE CLOTH again what you have to hand, what you found in the Second-hand Shop, what you like. Relaxing stitching needs a cloth with an openness of weave so your needle is easy to use.
Do not use cloth that is hard to get the needle through- this is an experience to be relaxing and pleasant.
Mindful Stitching is a practice of using stitching to look after your mental health as well as create something of beauty and perhaps usefulness.
Think of it like a moving meditation- stitching [ or it could be gardening, cooking, many crafts or exercise, fishing…] require focus to reach a nice result, keeping your mind on what you’re doing is a way of destressing, stopping repetitive, anxiety provoking thoughts and finding a moment of peacefulness.
