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.
recovering from a broken wrist, and of course my dominant hand…I am considering slow stitches with my other hand…onward! scissors are the biggest challenge we’ll see
🙂
I too am looking forward to your calendar. Love your creative talent. Always something whimsical and magical about your work. Keep it up!
Your blog and creativeness is one of the things I am most grateful for. When my world seems to shift I sit with needle and thread to regain my footing. Thank you!
Love this Ann….. I am and have been a huge fan of yours for years…..
Oh, the calendar! I am eager for that… Thank you!
Ann, I am so grateful you are willing to share your knowledge and suggestions with me and the rest of the world. Thank you.
From one coffee lover to another, that is commitment making the gratitude list before coffee. Coffee must make the list every morning doing it that way! I got a fun visual thinking of you aggressively counting your blessings during times of challenge. Would love to be the fly on the wall for your aggressive blessing counting! 🙂 Love that you do this, and remind the rest of us to keep doing so as well. Great thoughts for this November. The purple-eyed owl, gets me! Thanks as always for sharing yourself with us!! Happy Friday!!
Your newsletter always lifts me up. Thank you! And I have already started random appliqué, stitchy things this week as my “therapy”, so newsletter is perfectly timed. Btw, I find doing laundry meditative!
Hi Ann. Some lovely ideas here, I’ll definitely be trying them out. I really like the thought of a daily colour study, finding something in the garden to paint. Have you come across Marion’s World on YouTube? She’s recently made a video drawing out a phrenology wheel and that’d be perfect for filling in with examples like the acorn shown above.
Thanks for this gentle start to my Saturday morning, best wishes Valerie.
Oh a calendar, what a fantastic idea and Wassail away! Eagerly awaiting the elephant.
Oh my goodness Ann…a calendar!!!! I am thrilled and I will be watching . I see a journal in the planning stage.
Thank you Ann!
I always enjoy your inspiration & insights! All is
Good for the soul! I love your creativity! You are
A true artist!
Thank you so much for sharing!
Looking forward to NEW patterns & 2025!
Can hardly wait for the calendar! The owls are too cute – I’m gonna’ try a few.
Calmly ambitious. That’s how a feel when reading your posts, seeing your art and creations. Thank you very much for this gift.
What a lovely blog post! Turned sixty yesterday, lots of things to contemplate, your ideas fit in nicely with my inner meanderings, lol. Definitely love vacuuming, immediate and gratifying results! Blessings!
Thank you Ann for the owl pattern…I just started one and I’m stuffing it with Balsam Fir tips. It smells sooo good. I plan to hang it on a maple- tree branch in the living room.