Mindful stitching workshops are a great place to meet up with like-minded folk, get inspired, and show off your projects. By exploring texture, stitches, and colors, you'll learn how sewing can be about more than simply making something. Slow stitching workshops educate you on the meditation of the slow of stitchwork, and on the importance of opening your mind and heart to the moment. It’s really up to you when a piece is finished, and once your fabric pieces are stitched down you can choose to embellish your slow stitch project with other things as well! The slow stitch movement was originally created by Mark Lipinksi, a well-known figure in the quilting industry. After some health issues he realized the need for slowing down – and the many benefits that can come from a mindful stitching practice. I’ve been able to successfully set up slow stitching on my couch in the living room and in my bed, even if the bed isn’t the most ideal place to work! Mindful stitching is about letting your creative juices flow and just running with it. Mindful stitching lets you turn your thoughts to what you're feeling at the moment and express those feelings with your needle and thread.

Muslin Fabric By The Yard{Don’t go crazy buying a ton – 1 yard is plenty for several small projects!} In the Indian subcontinent ‘Kantha’ stitching (essentially a running stitch) is used for example to decoratively stitch layers of old saris together. Sashiko also refers to a form of decorative reinforcement stitching from Japan that started out of practical need during the Edo era but is now an art form in itself. The important thing is you practice a little gratitude for those supplies and materials – they didn’t come from thin air! Someone designed a pattern and put all the work into creating the fabric you are working with. If you’ve ever spent some time weaving or spinning yarn, you know the time and talent involved! Another thing you can do is get intentional about something you’ve been thinking about lately. For example, I’ve been thinking about opening up my own shop to sell journals and inspiration kits for slow stitching. What better way to stay focused on that than while actually stitching?

How did you find the philosophy of slow stitch?

Of course not! You can still use your sewing machine. The important thing is to practice gratitude and set that intention and focus on the creative process more than the final result. I have had a lot of fun “slow stitching” on my Vintage 1947 Singer Sewing machine! Am I Never Allowed to Buy Anything Again? For a basic project, gather some foundation fabric {cotton muslin or quilt batting works great for this!} and some favorite fabrics from your scrap pile. You only need little bits, so don’t worry if your pieces are small. But if you've spent a lifetime working with set rules and towards specific goals, going into a task without any end in mind can be daunting.

Slow stitching is an organic process. There are no hard and fast rules about what you need or what you should do. However, if you're drawing a complete blank about how to start, here are a few pointers. Step 1: Gather Your Materials Slow stitching is about doing things your way. About {re}learning your own sense of creativity. About not following rules, but settling into what happens when you sit and stitch. Many of my students have grown up being told they have to follow the patterns, pull out rows of stitching when they did it wrong or too messy, that they don’t have any of their own creativity. Slow stitching is a new art form built on old traditions. The movement was originally spearheaded by Mark Lipinksi, one of the quilting industry's most well-known figures. Here are some of the many benefits of why slow stitching is good for you: No Fancy Supplies Required:

What advice would you give to someone who wants to get started in slow stitch?

I use what is called a running stitch, also known as a straight stitch. It’s the most basic of all stitches, but of course you can use other stitches if you want to try some more advanced embroidery techniques. I like to think of slow stitching as the “art journal” of the sewing world – it’s a great place to practice, explore, and experiment with different ideas and learn new techniques.

It seems these times, in the not too far distance, are fast becoming lost. As we slouch on the couch, immersed in someone else’s made up reality, a blue glow on our face. Communication happens from room to room in a home via asking a device to send a message. These are times when we are less connected to our selves, our intuition, our sense of nature and how to be in it. Let’s face it: None of us are perfect and we all have some inner critic who’s going to tell us we’re not good enough or our art is not up to snuff. If you haven't yet heard about slow stitching, then you're about to. After spending the past couple of years building up a quiet following, slow stitching is set to go mainstream. I suggest that you continue this first piece with simple running stitch, before adding in other stitches. This means that you’ll learn the quietness of the doing, rather than worrying about how to do other stitches. I know that once you start on this piece you’ll be looking for all the fabrics and threads to use.While the commercialism of the crafting industry can get tiresome, you are still allowed to buy stuff for your projects. The main thing is you USE those supplies more than you just buy and collect them! What actually is Slow Stitching? It is simply taking a piece of fabric, needle and thread and using simple stitch marks upon the textile. Going with the flow of your fabric, your mind, your thought process. There is no set pattern to follow, no embroidery lines to mark up. Instead you learn to listen to your innate sense of creativity and allow your hands to flow across the fabric. WHY SLOW STITCHING? The focus of mindful stitching is on the intention and the joy of creating. What the final product looks like isn't relevant. If it's got raw edges, so be it. If a few of the stitches are wonky, it doesn't matter. One of the joys of slow stitching is that you don't have to begin with any specific sort of project in mind. Neither are you confined to any particular medium. You could knit, crochet, embroider, quilt, or even combine them all together.