It’s almost Thanksgiving here in the United States. Soon friends and families will be gathering together around the table to share in turkey, cranberry relish, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie. Many families will take a few moments before the meal for each person to share something that they’re grateful for in their lives. Today we’re going to extend that Thanksgiving table conversation to talk about a few ways to be thankful in our sewing and quilting practices.
Why Should We Practice Gratitude?
Practicing gratitude can have a positive effect on our everyday lives. It can change how we experience our emotions, help us feel more alive, result in better sleep, and even give a boost to the immune system! We tend to reserve giving thanks for formal occasions (such as Thanksgiving) or momentous events, like a promotion at work, but there is something to be said for taking time to be grateful for the smaller every day moments.
How to Practice Gratitude in Your Quilting and Sewing Studio
There are lots of different ways that we can bring gratitude into our quilting and sewing practice. Here are five ideas that are easy to incorporate into your quilting life.
- Keep a quilting and sewing gratitude journal and write down one small thing that you’re grateful for at the end of each time you sew.
- Did your bobbin thread last through the end of the seam?
- Did your points come out perfectly?
- Did your seams match easily?
- Did you find inspiration for a new quilt?
- Did you enjoy uninterrupted and quiet sewing time?
- Call or Facetime someone you love and chat while you’re sewing.
- Haven’t talked to your parents or children in a while? Give them a call!
- Missed a phone call from your best friend? See if now is a good time to return that call and catch up.
- Keep your conversations mobile by using the speaker on your phone or an iPad for Facetiming as you move from your sewing machine to your ironing board to your cutting table.
- Sew for charity.
- Is your quilt guild working on any charity quilt project? Spend your next sewing session working on one of those quilts.
- If you don’t have any charity projects with an organization, do some quick online research to explore what other charities are looking for quilts! Some search terms to get you started include: quilts of valor, NICU quilts, quilts for foster children, and hospice care quilts.
- Compliment the quilting and sewing projects of others.
- Sharing positive feedback on the quilting projects of others is something you can do in and out of your studio!
- If your guild does show and tell, take a few minutes after the meeting to tell someone how much you liked the project they shared! One small compliment can go a long way in boosting someone’s confidence.
- Like, love, and comment on the projects that others post on social media. Take a few minutes at the start of each sewing session to scroll through your feed and engage with the posts of those you follow. Leave genuine comments on projects that you love!
- Surround yourself with inspirational quilting quotes and images.
- Print out inspirational quilting and sewing quotes and hang them up where you can see them every day in your sewing studio!
- We post a new inspirational quilting, sewing, or creative themed quote every Sunday on the Prairie Sewn Studios social media channels (Facebook and Instagram).
- You can also print out images that inspire you, such as photos of nature, bucket list quilts, and even color swatches
Give It A Try!
November is the perfect time to give gratitude a try, and there’s no better day to start than today! Try picking one thing from the list above and give it a go the next time you get ready to sew or quilt. Let us know what you try in the comments!
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