Something soothingly soft to stitch
In the beginning of summer I made a few little fabric collages to stitch together. I wanted something soothingly soft to stitch on as the days rolled past, faster and faster.
Something to hold on to, to keep close. A little project to pick up when ever I needed it.
Stitching by hand is good like that, almost like a favorite soft toy in your childhood. Soft and comforting to hold on to.
Today I want to share this little summer meditation, because I have enjoyed creating it and the combination of ingredients I used: The fabrics and the thread. The moments with them and what ever audio book I listened to as I stitched through the layers.
My stitching ingredients
The first “ingredient” is a really soft piece of batting. It’s new and it feels like cotton balls in my hands. I have more left of this material, so next it’s just a matter of making a new collage on top of another piece of batting – and to start the stitching process all over again. I also find that thought comforting today.
The main fabric, the background if you will, is a silky piece of cloth that I found in my maternal grandmother’s sewing room two years ago when we were clearing out her stuff after she died. I brought it with me home, along with a lot of plants and some other stuff I did not need. The fabric scraps ended up in one of my many boxes of sewing material (that I haven’t sewn anything from for way too long). But as soon as I saw it again I wanted to use it.
I love sewing on anything silky because it is so soft to handle. I also like the sheen it has, especially stitched down as the fabric then bubbles up a little under the boro stitches. This piece is slightly yellow, like an off-white, and its peppered with really small flowers. The fabric could be in lingerie or a sexy night-gown perhaps, and it makes me wonder why my grandmother had it. Perhaps it would have ended up as lining in a bag. In any case, it was calling me to cut a piece and finally make something out of it (although I only took a very small bit of the big cloth. I can make something more from it later, or keep stitching little compositions like these together).
And then lastly, the pièce de résistance, the small pieces of fabric with birds in these crazy fun colors, green, yellow, pink. It’s a really gauzy, thin fabric, so it was fun to layer it on top of the flowery silk. I love how the neon like flowers look on this fabric, and I love the cluster of birds, the colors, the sheerness of this little piece. It was a very small bit, just a scrap that I think I thrifted once.
Basting to avoid pins
I arranged these fabric scraps on the batting, and then I tacked it down, first using some pins but then I replaced the pins with quick, big basting stitches all around so that I could sit and sew this cloth together without worrying about pricking my fingers. I wonder why I haven’t always done this? It’s quicker than I thought it would be, and so much more enjoyable to stitch and handle the cloth when there’s no pins in it that you might prick yourself on. Note to self: remember to always baste Hanna!
Then I stitched my usual up-and-down stitches through the layers. First I used a thread from my usual embroidery stash, but then I got some neon pink threads, and all of a sudden it was all I wanted to use, all the time. I love the hot pink against the vintage feel of the silk fabric. I think it goes with the vintage but neon colors of the birds as well, and I am in love with this little composition. So fun!
My idea for my little rectangles (I’ve finished two very similar looking ones so far) is to create something usable, and these days that seams to be book cloth, something to cover one of my handmade journals with. But I also like that a little padded piece of cloth like this can become anything you want – the sky is the limit. A pen case, a table cloth, a craft tote, a small bag or…? Your suggestions are welcome. What would you do with these? Find a frame and hang on the wall perhaps.
I have stitched quite a lot of these in the past couple of years. Little stitch meditations of sorts, not intended on being art or even neat. Just made for the making of it. Like a meditation on fabric, just something to do.
I haven’t shared all of those previous ones, because… I don’t know. Because I am waiting for them to be finished things, items, art. But they’re stacking up so maybe it is time to make decisions on their final destiny…
This post is part of NaBloPoMo where I write 30 blog posts in November. Thanks for reading and leaving me a comment, it encourages me to keep going. To follow along subscribe to blog posts via email or RSS. I also have a sweet Substack Newsletter about art, craft and creativity that you might want to sign up for so that we can keep in touch in the future. I’d love that. On instagram I’m @ihannas and on YouTube Studio iHanna. Take care and stay creative friends.
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I love this! I’m currently stitching “veins” on pieces of felt that are leaf shaped, and for the first time, my postcards are done by the deadline, I’ll have to search my email to see if you sent my addresses. Thank you so much for what you do. Crafting has gotten me through some tough times.
Oh how great, I’m so happy to hear your postcards are done. No need to check for addresses just yet. I have been out of bed just about 3 hours since the sign up period ended. It will take me many more hours to even get started on sending out all the address lists as so many have joined this time. Stay tuned. :-)
I am not very good at stitching and have only done only one or two projects. But I can understand the meditative nature.
I like how the stitches crumble of the fabric.
This is beautiful! What a wonderful idea; both creative and clearly a great way to calm the mind while working with the hands in a repetitive motion. I’ve never seen anything like it!
Thank you Elisabeth! I love hand sewing for the meditative reason as well as the freedom of it, you can literary do anything you want and nobody can stop you, haha. :-)
Your stitches are so pretty, iHanna. I can understand why you find it calming.
Not sure they would stand up to close inspections really, they’re not very neat. But I do enjoy it a lot. :-)
That fabric is awesome, and its story makes it even more special. A perfect base for your stitching, and that neon pink is fabulous!
Thank you Rachel. Isn’t neon pink the best? I am a huge fan of it, and when I got it as embroidery thread I was so happy. :-)
I really enjoy that you’re doing all these different types of crafts and don’t just stick with one thing… do I assume correctly that you’re one of these people who wants to do it ALL?? :)