The words 'stitching stories' are written in pink colour and white stitch like borders

The author Anaïs Beaulieu in her book ‘A stitch out of time’ writes …

“Thread is used as a metaphor for speech, time and story — symbolically tying together, so to speak, something deeply ingrained in us. Aren’t we all threads before we’re born, ready to become a story?”

“Then again, embroidering is not so different from taking a stroll. It is an occasion to take our time and observe. Embroidery allows me to resist the pace that is imposed on me, and i am able to find my own rhythm.”

Stitching in different forms has been a cultural practice that has been passed on from generation to generation. Stitching our stories collectively in groups is a way to experience personal stories in new ways of commonality and connectedness. People come together to sew their stories, share their stories, nurture one another and engage in collective care.

“Embroidering is meditative, Each stitch with the needle conjures a thought… and then another… and another. The act of stitchery — a gestural to and fro — can create an experience that leads to other places… and back again.

Stitching stories provides a way to narrate our stories without only focussing on words. It gives space in which to be witnessed and heard for the experiences that have been endured and the insights that have been gained. Stitching stories will help us guide through the gentle seeking of what seems absent but implicitly present in our stories. It firmly holds on to the belief that people are always responding. Stitching stories is a way to nurture these responses, a way to nurture agency.

Together we will explore in this workshop,

the practice of stitching in groups …
how stitching stories can support therapeutic practice …
to understand more about the relational influence on nurturing care and agency through group practices …
explore the confluence of stitching, narrative practices, art and body based practices …