The usual practices of faith and spirituality don’t seem to offer me the comfort that it offers many others. However, I have found that what does work for me is sewing. All of my aspirations, worries, sadness, joy, hopes and dreams are stitched into each garment I make. Sewing is my prayer. Content advisory: I mention pregnancy (but not loss) and breastfeeding.
Sewing as a time of meditation
Have you ever really gotten into the groove of sewing and lost track of time? It’s in these moments that sewing can be meditative and mindful. I think about what the garment I’m making is for and all my feelings around that.
if I don’t know what to do, I sew and the answers come.
I enjoy sewing in silence and focusing on what I’m doing. Because of this, I think my sewing practice can really be contemplative. It helps me calm down, reflect on what has been happening and find a path to the future. As it happens, if I don’t know what to do, I sew and the answers come.
Sewing is my prayer of aspiration
I’m an aspirational sewist, in the sense that I make garments for the life I’m envisioning ahead. I plan clothes for big events in my life. When I was interviewing for jobs, I would sew myself a new skirt or dress and think about my answers to interview questions. I would further reflect on what getting one job or another could mean for my future career path.
Furthermore, I have definitely sewn for the life I want on many occasions. I will wear something “too fancy” just because I want to. It’s not always practical, but sometimes trying different clothes than the ones we have can help us discover a different side of ourselves. Maybe even a side we didn’t know we needed.
Sewing is my prayer for comfort
When I was pregnant, I sewed clothes that would fit me in my 3rd trimester ahead of time, like this green bamboo spandex, Love Notions Willow Wrap Dress with the Maternity Option, hacked to be floor length.
My pregnancy was not without complications and this helped me envision myself getting to that stage. I also sewed myself some postpartum clothes that I knew would bring me comfort and security when I was plunging into the unknown of parenthood.
I sewed a diaper change pad cover and sheets for my baby’s crib that matched the curtains my mom made for my nursery. All of this was a great reassurance with a complicated pregnancy during Covid. It meant that I could see ahead to having my baby safe in my arms.
Sewing is my prayer of hope
Recently, I underwent surgery and thankfully it went well. However routine it was, it was making me a little nervous. I sewed myself comfortable loungewear, like these Sew Over It Imogen Pyjamas to convalesce in afterwards.
As I was sewing, I thought of the things I wanted to get ready before my surgery. I also thought about how I would manage being a mom that can’t lift more than five pounds with a toddler weighing much more than that. Finally, I thought about wearing the loungewear I made after my surgery which helped me see how I would come out okay on the other side.
Sewing for consolation
As I was going to have this surgery, I also decided to stop breastfeeding. My surgery meant I would have to take some medications that were not safe for breastfeeding. My child was old enough and I didn’t want to start pumping now as I had not pumped at all previously.
I am so privileged to have had the support, means and resources to be able to breastfeed long term, and I wish that for any person wanting to breastfeed. I loved the connection and convenience of breastfeeding, and I can tell you, I definitely miss it.
Even though it felt like this was the right time to stop nursing, it was more emotionally difficult than it was a challenge in practice. Once again, I turned to sewing to help me through this transition. I allowed myself to make some clothing that was not nursing-friendly but that I had been admiring. This helped soften the blow and look to the future. Furthermore, it helped me see some of the advantages to ending this chapter of our lives: wearing different styles and going out at night (still rarely)!
Sewing is my prayer of celebration
Celebration is probably the biggest driver of my sewing since the beginning. My mom and I would sew dresses for all the big and small celebrations in my life and I learned to sew mostly making formal wear. I have met every dart, princess seam, narrow hem, pleat, tuck or gather that the ever-cryptic Burda Patterns and the ever-designer Vogue patterns could throw at me and with my mom’s help. We even made my wedding dress together!
I always sew for Christmas, my Birthday, Valentines Day and beyond. Now, I’m happy to do it for my daughter and I hope one day she will want to learn to sew with me!
Sewing is my prayer of companionshi
Sewing can seem like a solitary practice sometimes, and I will admit that I love that in a hobby. After teaching 100+ kids from 3 to 13 years old every day at work as an itinerant arts education teacher, I relish quiet moments alone at my sewing machine to decompress.
Notwithstanding, sewing has given me occasion to make friends, and as you read above, spend time with my mom. My mom and I love to go fabric shopping together with my toddler in tow. We even went to the last Love Notions Sewcation in 2019; a weekend of sewing, workshops and fellowship with other sewists. I made a friend there that I haven’t laid eyes on since then but we text almost every day!
When I sew tonight, I’ll be thinking of you.
When I sew now, I also think about sharing what I’m sewing with the online sewing community and how I can add to the wealth of this community that has given so much inspiration. With this, I want to inspire you to see sewing as the prayer, meditation, comfort, celebration or companionship that you need. When I sew tonight, I’ll be thinking of you. Happy stitching!