Slow making and connecting in a Wond’er Worker Workshop
With deepening my mindfulness practice over the last few months, a close connection emerged to my work ethos - the desire to create a sense that each of us can contribute to positive change, a sense of value, and empowerment. I start my workshops with a mindful moment - be it a calm tea ritual, checking in with ourselves and others, or a breathing technique before we take pleasure in creating something with our hands and some simple equipment.
There is a strong sense of empowerment through the simple act of creating together in the present moment. In creative group workshops, we can reclaim time to re-learn the diverse skills, crafts, and heritage that human beings have spent centuries cultivating. Connecting to artisanal techniques deepens the relationship with our clothes and nurtures our inner creativity. And to gain the confidence to re-invent and repair instead of discard garments and precious materials.
“Imagine it, for a moment, instead of throwing items away after a few years, you can learn how to upcycle them or collaborate with designers directly to create custom garments from existing or regenerative materials.”
Let me take you on a little dip into my creative workshops where I invite you to slow down and take pleasure in the joy of creating.
Imagine, a room with a large wooden table and benches with comfortable green cushions. The sun gets filtered through the big windows covering the space in a dreamy blanket of light. You hold a cup of tea in your hands and enjoy the warmth and company of the other participants, chatting and getting to know each other. You flick through smooth and beautiful pages of the books laying on the table next to you. Then between the sewing machines wooden boxes catch your attention, they’re filled with sewing needles, cotton threads, black and white tailor chalk, sewing pins, darning mushrooms, embroidery yarn, buttons, and thimbles - your tools and equipment for this afternoon.
You look out of the window into a beautiful garden where the different shades of colours invite your gaze and thoughts to linger a little longer before you draw your attention back to the space inside. You take another sip from your cup of tea and cherish the calm and natural atmosphere in the room.
Everyone introduces themself and the sewing project they have brought to the workshop, sharing ideas and experiences with each other.
I am here to support you and take a seat next to you.
The blue shirt in your hands is a beloved piece that you bought on one of your travels keeping all those memories and sensations in each fibre. Together we go through techniques and ways to mend the hole in the left sleeve. It ripped while you were gardening in the summer, planting a gooseberry bush alongside some marigold and strawberry plants. From the large cache of fabric offcuts, you choose a soft contrasting fabric before I show you the art of Sashiko repair, a visible mending technique that transforms the piece of clothing into a product of artistry. You thread the needle and touch the fabric with your hands ready to start your first row of stitches. With each stitch you indulge more and more in your work, letting your hands, needle, and thread be your companions on this journey.
There is a sense of ease and comfort running through your body, it’s been a long time since you’ve dedicated some time to yourself and chosen to let go of the day thus far to embrace the moment and learn something new. You look up and see calm hands basting geometric fabric scraps together creating a mesmerizing patchwork pattern. Opposite, another pair of working hands trace the outlines of a pair of children’s trousers onto an old cosy looking jumper. You remember the soft mustard-coloured corduroy dungarees with the ragged knee patches you would never take off as a child, climbing trees and building dens in the wood nearby. Everyone in this workshop somehow weaves together old and new stories to keep and make them last. You smile at this thought.
When you have finished, the even Sashiko pattern and contrasting fabric underneath bring out a unique and imperfect aesthetic and you feel a great proud moment of having created your very own statement piece to be worn and loved for many more years to come.
By lengthening the life span of our clothes, we choose to keep and value precious resources rather than throw them away.
We also break the hegemony of sameness, challenging the system of fast fashion and working towards a more personal and particular wardrobe. When we slow down a deeper connection to the things that surround us, to relationships, and to ourselves emerges bringing us closer to our roots.
I’d love to see you in one of my Wond’er Workers Worshops, simply come as you are with what you want to bring, and together, we can dip into the art of slow making.
