Three Month Course Begins September 1st
Women have gathered in circles to stitch and pray for centuries. Join us as we experience the blessing of slow, meditative, hand-stitching. Using simple materials and needle and thread, you will learn basic stitches for stitching your prayers. You will be invited to create a prayer cloth, amulet, prayer pocket, and a hand-crafted journal to record your stitching process. Each suggested project will be an invitation to use your creativity to discover your personal stitched prayer forms. Individual/personal self-expression is encouraged.
Extensive video tutorials and downloadable hand-outs will be provided. Bi-monthly Zoom practice circles will offer opportunity for sharing your work and exploring various techniques and materials. Additional monthly bonus tutorials will be included. No previous stitching experience is required.
During this course you will learn:
- A meditative slow-stitching prayerful practice
- A variety of simple, classic embroidery stitches for slow-stitching
- The various fabrics appropriate for this process
- Techniques for making various "prayer forms" such as a prayer cloth, amulet, needle case (reliquary), prayer pocket
- A useful transfer process for transferring photos to cloth
- The understanding of a variety of materials/techniques to enrich your prayerful stitching.
- Prayers and poetry to enrich your meditative stitching
The Poetics and Blessings of Healing through Hand-stitching as a Meditative Sacred Practice
We are living in a time of chaos, uncertainty, and information overwhelm. The sacred practice of moving needle and thread through cloth, in tandem with breathing in and breathing out, is healing and restorative for body, mind and spirit.
Hand-stitching, using a simple running stitch whilst praying, imbues the cloth with intention and meaning. In this way, energetically, the poetics and prayers of stitching is impactful. Imagine this stitching practice as a metaphysical way to contribute to mending the soul of the world.
Daily Stitch Practice
Create a daily stitching practice. A piece of fabric, needle and thread, a pencil drawn grid, and your free form stitched prayers crafted with beauty and sacred intention,
Prayer Cloth & Amulet Stones
Each simple stitch on the prayer cloth represents a name for intercession, a petition, a global cause...each stitch prayerfully made. Breathing in and breathing out, one prayer, one sacred intention at a time.
Woven and stitched wrappings on stones create amulets blessed with essential oils and imbued with prayer.
Stitch Process Journal
A journal wrapped with your personal hand-stitched cover. A place to record insights and inspirations you receive whilst stitching. A sacred place to note your visions for your future stitched creations.
Example Curriculum
- The Prayer Cloth as a Sacred Practice (12:18)
- Peace as You Stitch (7:07)
- Prayer Cloth Fabrics and Threads (10:52)
- Stitches Part 1: The Running Stitch and Variations (Cross and Seed Stitch) (8:49)
- Stiches: Part 2 Back Stitch, Split Stitch, Chain Stitch (8:50)
- Stitches Part 3: Weaving with Running Stitch (3:48)
- The Running Stitch Pattern (4:50)
- Orts: The Sacredness of What Remains (3:51)
- Materials and Resources
Sibyl Reynolds
Hand-stitching as a sacred practice is my passion. I am a maker of artifacts imbued with prayer and intention. I bring my heart and hands to this course to offer you the tools to begin to craft and create your personal prayer forms through hand-stitching. I believe that when we stitch our prayers we are energetically mending the soul of the world. I invite you to make a cup of tea and offer your prayers with your needle and thread.
