10:00AM- 4:00PM
Gimli, Manitoba
Instructor: Ev Ward de Roo
An introduction to slow stitching as a contemplative practice. This is for the perfectionist desiring to get out of the head and into the hands and heart, for the creatively stuck desiring to get the juices flowing, for those who have unsuccessfully tried to meditate. The embroidery police are not invited and the inner critic is put on mute as we focus on the process and rewards of staying present with the needle and thread without regards to the outcome. Studies have explored the relationship between creativity and well-being: the benefits of the mesmeric immersion in crafts creating states of contentment and focus. Mindful hand-stitching actually alters brain chemistry by lowering cortisol, the stress hormone. Allow yourself the gift of intentional self care and regulation.
Spend a slow day in the country with like-minded folk. Through thoughtful simple techniques based on traditional practice, reusing and reinventing materials, and limiting equipment you will experience a sense of satisfaction and aliveness that only the process of doing can bring. A less-is-more approach to hand-stitching produces textile art that is more personal and meaningful.
$55
Preregistration with etransfer warderoo@sympatico.ca
Bring:
- your lunch (fridge & microwave available). Herbal teas and coffee will be provided
- your walking shoes to saunter along my forest path or walk to the lake (10 min, 700 metres)
- a journal
- Optional small scissors, thimble, needle case, any old woven fabric such as table linens, tea towel, or handkerchief
- a bathing suit, in case you want to take an optional dip
- an open heart
No embroidery experience necessary.
Ev is a multidisciplinary artist working with textiles, thread, fibre, natural objects, and with sound as a contemplative musician. She likes to hold space for deep connections with others, the sacred, the self, and the earth, through music and art. Music has always touched the very core of her being. Singing has been her connection to Divine Presence throughout her life, a way of joining matter and spirit. She is passionate about empowerment via vocal exploration, music and sound vibration. When people hear her sing they tell her that they feel connected to their inner healer and feel nurtured and empowered. Because she is passionate about gathering, reclaiming and resurrecting, her art is a vibrational mix of natural and recycled fibre. She’s particularly drawn to creating vessels, ephemeral art and hand stitching. For years she studied with the Canadian Embroiderers Guild advancing her techniques in stitchery, basketry, art dolls, surface design, papermaking and handmade books. In the winter she lives in Stratford, ON and strolls the shores of Lake Winnipeg in Gimli the summer.
Evelyn Ward de Roo 