Welcome to the weekly hand stitching party! We encourage you to pick up a project and put some stitches in today.
The only hand stitching I did so far this week was to finish the binding on my mini mug mat and my monthly placemat. Totally relaxing.
I have a new embroidery pattern pressed and ready to start stitching and that is what I will be stitching today.
I came across an interesting article about "Embroidery as Therapy". I did not now that World War I veterans with "shell shock" used embroidery to ease their trauma. I have always believed that hand stitching improves mental health, and as the article says hand stitching can be used to "bring peace, find friends, gain confidence and make a life".
And still today, people around the world are using stitching to help trauma survivors. Programs such as Love Welcomes helps refugee women "begin to stitch their lives back together". They are using recycled materials like old life jackets to create something beautiful as a way to benefit women fleeing poverty and violence. I love their "Theory of Change" and if you are anything like me, and just feel like you have to "do something", maybe this is something you can do!?Here is another interesting article about opportunities to help refugees around the world.
And now, I am sitting on my stitching chair in the back yard, soaking up the last bits of summer weather and slowly putting in one stitch at a time. What are you hand stitching today?
14 comments:
This is a wonderful post, Kathy, so apt for this dreadful past week. Thank you for all the links informing us all of the amazing and timely initiatives and enterprises that are in place to help so many who find themselves in impossible circumstances. It is always joyous to read how creativity, art and craft empowers people, helping them to find their way out of hardships and into a new life building new friendships and relationships, learning new skills and improving their well being♡ Thank you so much♡
For slow stitching today I will do some unpicking (frogging) and more hand quilting with some knitting in there as well. You are right the immigrants will need help I like the sound of that program - have a good day
I love those stories about stitching to help the mind. I have found my stitching to be my calming time throughout this pandemic and through all the stress of caring for my mother. I wish I could stitch outside today, but it is cloudy, rainy and quite cool. Summer ended here on Friday. Happy stitching!
Stitching is definitely good for the mind and soul. Thanks for the interesting links!
I love that stitching is being used to help refugees!
I agree that embroidery (and any kind of stitching really) is good for our mental health! I try to do some everyday. I loved learning that that organization is using it to help refugees - so creative! Have a relaxing, slow-stitching Sunday, Kathy!
I can attest to the benefits of hand embroidery, it is the one activity I do that has helped keep my blood pressure from those awful spikes I used to get, ever since I rediscovered hand embroidery back in 2014 I haven't had any spikes. Thank you for the links.
Hi Kathy,
Love your blue quilt...so pretty. Have a relaxing
Sunday with your new embroidery project. Have a great day!
Great post Kathy! My BIL I think suffers PTSD from his time in the service, and he actually cross stitches. He has done quite a few pieces for me.
Stitching is good for the soul! Your Slow Sunday Stitching crew is very aware of this fact! Thanks for your encouragement in our slow projects. Have a great week.
All types of stitching works as therapy and is good for our mind and soul. Great Post. Kathy!
Your little mug mat is sweet! I remember reading about soldiers stitching in an article years ago--it is therapeutic to create something in a quiet way, letting your mind concentrate on something pleasurable and repetitive. What an awful experience so many millions of young men and women in service endured in war times.
Hi Kathy, I hope that you had a good restful day of stitching. I'm finally getting back to stitching after a couple of weeks off. It does help heal the soul. Take care.
Thank you for the reminder about the relationship between stitching and mental health. The last few months have been stressful (aging parents) and I thought I'd lost my sewing mojo because all I've wanted to do was hand stitch/crochet/journal. Nope....I needed therapy.
Thank you for not only discussing the situation, but for understanding that your article would inspire us to "do something" and for providing a link! :)
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