The Mindful Power of Embroidery

Welcome back to TigerTailTextiles: The Blog! I took a break to focus on my exams but now I am ready to start writing again about the fascinating aspects of the world of textiles. This blog post will be about a hobby that I have discovered my love for recently: embroidery and more specifically the mindful benefits that embroidery can have.

As someone that has suffered with ME/CFS since the age of nine, I’ve tried a variety of low energy activities that I can enjoy from my bed. Finally, I discovered hand embroidery which is, for me, the perfect low energy activity that I can pick up and put down depending on how I am feeling. Not only have I found it fun and satisfying to create beautiful pieces of art, I also discovered the mindful and therapeutic effect that embroidery can have.

Daffodil Mindful Embroidery Kit
Shop here

Mindfulness is usually defined as becoming conscious and aware, focusing one’s awareness on the present and calmly acknowledging one’s feelings, thoughts and sensations. Hand embroidery allows you to focus the mind and destress as you develop a repetitive rhythm, pulling the stitches through the fabric. Embroidery also stimulates the part of the brain associated with creativity.

Thistle and Butterfly Mindful Embroidery Kit
Discover here

Hand embroidery has allowed me to enjoy a low energy activity that helps to destress, calm and focus my mind. To spread my love of embroidery and its benefits to others I have created my range mindful embroidery kits. These are kits that include everything you need to make the embroidery pattern with the added self-care items of mini divine chocolates, herbal pukka teas and a lavender bag. My patterns include a flowery Easter bunny (the perfect Easter craft gift!), daffodils, a flamingo, and a thistle with a butterfly.

Easter Bunny Mindful Embroidery Kit
Shop now - The Perfect Easter Gift

In May 2021 (ME awareness month) I created a flamingo mindful embroidery kit which is specially adapted for people with chronic illnesses. These adaptations include the thread being pre-split into the correct thickness, the pattern being pre-drawn onto the fabric and the fabric placed in the hoop, and, the font being larger on the instructions to make them easier to digest with brain fog (to read the full list of adaptations head over to my Etsy shop). If you would like one of the other patterns to have these adaptations for you, please send me a message over Etsy, a DM or an email and I will see what I can do.

Flamingo Mindful Embroidery Kit
Shop on Etsy

I'm also delighted to announce that you can now purchase my mindful embroidery kits and patterns on the Chronic Market - an amazing marketplace full of products designed and made by people with ME/CFS.

I currently only ship my physical items around the UK but if you are from overseas and would like to try mindful embroidery for yourself, check out my PDF digital download patterns that can be sent anywhere in the world!

The Chronic Marketplace: https://chronic.market/store/tigertailtextiles/

To shop all my mindful embroidery kits on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TigerTailTextiles?section_id=33151363

To browse my PDF patterns on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TigerTailTextiles?section_id=33161900

Instagram: @tigertailtextiles_theblog

Email: tigertailtextiles@gmail.com

Shop Instagram: @tigertailtextiles

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