While summer is slowly taking shape outside, there has been plenty happening inside the sewing studio in the attic.
This month, I’ve been returning to one of my favorite slow practices: Sashiko hand stitching. I’m especially grateful for the opportunity to share Sashiko through workshops at Tinkerhaus in Newburyport, and to stitch alongside others in our local creative community. There is something special about teaching a technique that is rooted in patience, repetition, and the simple rhythm of needle and thread.
Back in the studio, I’ve been exploring mending and hand stitching with my naturally dyed fabrics and threads. The subtle variations in botanical color make each piece feel unique, and choosing how different colors, textures, and patterns come together has become part of the making.
I enjoy spreading out small pieces of fabric across the worktable and simply playing—mixing and matching colors, patterns, and shapes to see what happens. A soft botanical pink beside an earthy brown, a quiet plant-dyed piece next to a bold geometric shape. Sometimes the most unexpected combinations become my favorites.
Patchwork has opened the door to another kind of exploration: the geometric world.
Lines, grids, squares, and repeating patterns bring structure to the naturally irregular colors and marks of botanical textiles. I find myself wandering between order and spontaneity, letting the fabric guide the next combination.
This is what continues to draw me to naturally dyed textiles. The process doesn’t end when the fabric comes out of the dye pot. The cloth can be stitched, mended, cut, rearranged, and pieced together into something entirely new.
Outside, the growing season continues. Inside, the attic studio is filling with scraps, stitches, patterns, and color.
And for now, I’m happy to be somewhere in between—following the thread and seeing where it leads.