These are the instructions included with our Doodle Stitching Kit (available from THE SHOP). You could recreate the kit contents from items that you alrady have, and use this article as a guide to getting started. If you wish to purchase one of our kits as a gift for a friend, or for yourself, please follow the menu to our shop and we will be delighted to send one to you.
Contents:
Fabric for stitching painted in a random way.
Embroidery floss
Needles
A bag of notions, bits and bobs.
You will also need:
Thread snips or scissors
Objects you might like to add to your stitching (e.g., beach shells, hag stones, festival wristbands etc.)
Useful information
Your kit contains a variety of six-strand embroidery floss which can be split to provide any combination of strands for stitching. For embroidery, it is customary to use two strands, but in this instance the choice is yours as different numbers of strands will produce different effects.
When cutting thread for sewing, try to cut a length no longer than the distance from your elbow to fingertip. Anything longer and you will find it starts to knot and tangle, which can be terribly frustrating.
Don’t immediately throw away your thread snippings, pop them in an old jam jar and use for stuffing toys/pincushions etc. By saving your snippings, you’re keeping them out of landfill and preventing dyes from leeching into the ground water.
Doodle stitching and mindfulness
The aim of this kit is to encourage you to take some time for yourself to create something meaningful to you. You do not need to be an embroiderer, or expert sewist. You do not need to know any complicated embroidery stitches – running stitch is perfect - but if you would like to stretch yourself a little bit, we have included a simple stitch guide so you can try out some new stitches. Our stitch guide can be found here.
If you get really ambitious, you could look at the Royal School of Needlework Stitch Bank website (https://rsnstitchbank.org/) for inspiration.
Select a colour of embroidery floss, thread your needle, and tie a knot the end. Really look at the cloth in front of you and see if a shape, colour or area is calling to you. Bring your needle up from the back of the fabric and start stitching there. Perhaps you feel like following the line, maybe you’d rather fill in part of a streak of colour – start working in running stitch, letting the needle lead the way.
As you stitch, breathe slowly in and out. Be aware of your breaths and how your body feels. Are you holding any tension anywhere? Acknowledge it and then let it go. Concentrate on your stitches and your breathing as the thoughts bubble up, hear what your mind has to say and then let it float away. Don’t engage with your thoughts, just acknowledge them and let them go; if you feed them, they will become more urgent and you will feel you have to act. If your thread runs out, tie the end off and start again with a new one. Don’t worry if the back of the fabric is a bit messy, it’s all part of the journey.
You can continue stitching in this way for as long as feels right for you. You could even set a timer to pull you back into the real world.
You can try out different stitches and different colour combinations across the surface of the fabric. Add in embellishments as and when it feels right to you. Listen to what the thread and fabric are telling you.
You could use the cloth to remember and make a permanent memento of an event that has meaning for you and the feelings it evoked by working mementos and objects into the design or using a particular colour scheme. Or you could just use the cloth to have some fun and me-time. Either way you will end up with a unique piece of stitching.
Things to do with your doodle-stitched cloth:
Use it all (or a part of it) as a patch to mend your clothes.
Frame it and hang it on the wall.
Keep it somewhere safe where only you can look at it.
Work it into a larger project, like a journal cover, cushion cover or wall hanging.
Make it into a pouch or small keepsake bag.
Shove it in the back of a drawer and forget all about it!!
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