improvisational stitch
Improvisational stitch – find a cozy spot and some scraps- stitch without a plan. One thing leads to another if you let it. This kind of “yes and” stitching always grounds me.
What is it for?
- It fuels everything, directly, in generating ideas, and indirectly, in strengthening or revealing connections to intuition.
- Watching yourself work like this gives you lots of information about how you think.
- Hand stitching is a particularly effective way of recording moments. It creates a time capsule. A snapshot of your process in a particular moment.
Plus it’s a scientific fact:
“A middle aged craft lady at rest tends to stay at rest and a middle aged craft lady in motion tends to stay in motion.”
This kind of stitching is super easy to start and gets you past stuckness and inertia.
Paper mache – all those little pieces of paper, the rhythm and quiet focus. The little boat above or this teacup are both perfect weekend projects.
Or vacuum – is it just me? I find a magic combination of repetition and low key presence.
The same for recreational ironing – not my clothes ( I’m permanently, slightly disheveled)- fabric scraps – all sorts.
Make a gift – the time is upon us. Lot’s of little owls would be nice and they work well in batches.
Smell the November air – it makes such a brief appearance. I’m a such a smell person. If you are too simmer some cloves and orange peels for extra joy – such a cozy aroma.
Play with paint – Artist and Gardener Lorene Edwards makes daily color studies. I love this practice and how much there is to see when you really look. How zooming in changes things. Find her instagram here and checkout her website here. Pick up a leaf or a rock or an acorn etc. and make an appointment with yourself to try it out.
Gratitude is transformative. Always. Annoyingly so. I make a list every single morning. Before coffee even! That’s really saying something… And in challenging moments especially I count my blessings aggressively.
Make some soup. This is a winner.
So many good suggestions Anne, thank you. I’ll add the first one to my Very Important Things to do ASAP!
But sorry, I’ll def skip the ironing and the vacuuming for now… happily. 😉
I love the idea of daily color studies! Looking forward to your calendar!!
The 1st thing I was thinking was How this reminds me of how I sometimes stitch words together. I never thought of a connection before. I rarely neglect words but I have some scraps from 3 generations of women in my family that sit in boxes and tubs and I would really like to have some fun with them instead of having this problem with Having a little confidence about my abilities .
What a delightful post what a sunshiny simply happy post with so many ideas, and soup too!
Thank you Ann.
Your newsletter always uplifts me.
Bindu
Merci, Anne!
Bonne fin de semaine!
Excited for the Circus Elephant pattern!
I agree with you on ironing! I love to mend antique laces and then iron them. I’m in a wheelchair so vacuuming is not my sport. I like to wash dishes, it’s medatative for me.