Slow stitch : mindful and contemplative textile art

Sometimes less is more. That's true in textile art too, and this much-needed guide brings a meaningful, sustainable approach to stitchery. Slow down and experience more joy in your craft by trying simple techniques based on traditional practice, reusing and reinventing materials, and limiting equipment.;Introduction -- Slow : What is the Slow Movement and how does it relate to textiles? ; Sustainability and resource efficiency ; Locality and localism ; Natural rhythms: cyclical and seasonal practice -- Materials and techniques : Limit setting: less can be more ; What's in the cupboard?: Using what you have ; Collecting and sourcing materials ; New materials ; Upcycling and re-using old projects ; Slow-dyed threads using local colour ; The right tools: equipment suggestions ; Simple stitches: getting started with hand-stitch rhythms -- Cross-cultural activity : Universal traditions ; Kantha ; Mending revisited ; Japanese boro ; Piecing and patching -- Contemplative : Reflective and mindful practice ; Stitch journals: a regular practice ; Stitching, walking, mapping ; Stitching community: communal projects, wellbeing and health ; Mindfulness and making ; Seed to fabric projects ; The Manitoulin Circle Project ; Narratives through cloth -- Conclusion. Content: Title Contents Introduction Part One: Slow What is the Slow Movement and how does it relate to textiles? Sustainability and resource efficiency Locality and localism Natural rhythms: cyclical and seasonal practice Part Two: Materials and techniques Limit setting: less can be more What's in the cupboard? Using what you have Collecting and sourcing materials New materials Upcycling and re-using old projects Slow-dyed threads using local colour The right tools: equipment suggestions Simple stitches: getting started with hand-stitch rhythms Part Three: Cross-cultural activity Universal traditionsKantha Mending revisited Japanese boro Piecing and patching Part Four: Contemplative Reflective and mindful practice Stitch journals -- a regular practice Stitching, walking, mapping Stitching community: communal projects, wellbeing and health Mindfulness and making Seed to fabric projects The Manitoulin Circle Project Narratives through cloth Conclusion Useful suppliers Further reading Index Acknowledgements Copyright The pleasures to be had from slowing down can be many, with connections to sustainability, simplicity, reflection, and tuning into traditional and other multicultural textile traditions. Slow Stitch is a much-needed guide to adopting a less-is-more approach, valuing quality over quantity, and bringing a meaningful and thoughtful approach to textile practice. Claire Wellesley-Smith introduces a range of ways in which you can slow your textile work down, including: - Using simple techniques inspired by traditional practice (including hand-stitch rhythms) - Reusing and re-inventing materials (reuse even old textile projects) - Limiting your equipment - Mending revisited (practical and decorative techniques) - Project ideas and resources that help towards making a more sustainable textile practice Richly illustrated throughout, and showcasing work from the best textile artists who work in this way, this is a truly inspirational book for those looking to reconnect with their craft and to find a new way of working. Overview: Sometimes less is more—and quality is more important than quantity. That's true in textile art too, and this much-needed guide brings a meaningful, thoughtful, and sustainable approach to stitchery. See how to slow down and experience more joy in your craft by trying simple techniques based on traditional practice, reusing and reinventing materials, and limiting equipment. Richly illustrated throughout, this inspirational book will connect with those who seek a new way of working—whether it's starting a stitch journal or joining a community of like-minded artists.