The quiet power of embroidery. Why a pattern is more than just a pattern
It’s easy to look at a hand embroidery pattern and see just that, a set of instructions. But it’s so much more.
Embroidery has helped many of us in different ways. I’m in the position of being in touch with embroiderers around the world, who sometimes share their stories with me. And being a stranger in one sense, perhaps it’s easier to share more honestly and openly with me. From someone stitching their way through grief – the loss of a baby or lifelong partner – to keeping feelings of loneliness at bay and working through addiction and mental health struggles.
Stitching through sorrow – and joy
Photo: Kevin Malik
Embroidering by hand, following the steady rhythm of a pattern, helps engender calm and peace in the stitcher. The slow, meditative movement of needle through fabric is restorative.
But it’s not only the tough times – although it’d be imprudent to underestimate the power that pulling a needle and thread through fabric has to help someone process, heal and move forward – it’s also the good ones. The positive feelings that doing embroidery invokes.
The excitement and anticipation when dreaming up ideas. The joy and delight at doing it. That sense of satisfaction and accomplishment on completing a piece, or successfully stitching something complex. Embroidery is a way to bring out the creativity in us all. As well as to show we care by giving of our thought and time when we stitch for others.
An invitation to more
There’s power in creating by hand. Where our world today favours screens, speed and distraction, embroidery offers us a retreat. A way to slow down and focus on the moment. The chance to make something tangible from nothing. And a way to keep our hands busy when life isn’t being so kind.
This is why a pattern is so much more than just a pattern.
It’s an investment in our wellbeing, perhaps even a lifeline. It’s an invitation to mindfulness and creativity. To joy and healing. An opportunity to experiment and see what we’re able to achieve. Or simply something to enjoy doing for its own sake.
A pattern is also a way to connect in a world growing more isolated. One of my customers, Elizabeth, put it beautifully: “Your design and my stitching connects us and is therefore so much more meaningful than buying from a box store or a huge online corporation. It’s like an invisible thread tying two humans together. The designs always reflect something of the designer’s personality and makes me feel like we have a friendship of sorts.”
It’s a thread that connects embroiderers around the world. One to cherish.