Happy Friday! Just popping in to sing praises for the latest issue of Making Magazine: DOTS! It’s been so fun contributing to this gorgeous, gorgeous publication, and Carrie and her team at Making are top notch.
My project for the DOTS issue is a diminutive Sashiko-embroidered pin cushion inspired by a meditation pillow. Form, function and Ommmmm — doesn’t get better than that, right?
I sewed several iterations to get the project to match up with my mental picture, so my little sewing area is fully stocked with many, many versions of this pin cushion. Rather than add more to my already robust collection, I’m wondering if anyone would like one of these charmers? I wish I could also include a copy of the magazine, but alas, I have just the one copy and you will have a hard time prying it from me, I love it so. It’s filled with beautifully well-rounded (the theme is, after all, dots) sewing, baking, knitting and even ceramic projects. And that cover!! The texture of the shibori-dyed textile comes through so realistically, I rubbed the cover to see if was in fact made out of fabric. To subscribe to Making magazine, check it out here.
If you’d like a meditative pin cushion, please leave any comment, though I’d love to know what your favorite calming and restorative activity is. The giveaway will be open until next Friday, May 26th and I’ll select three winners at the end of the day. International folks are always welcome, of course. Good luck!!
Have a relaxing weekend, all!
Still painting away
My deadline is coming up
Lather, rinse, repeat*
*”Do you ever not have a deadline?” a friend asked me recently. I realized that the answer is, “no”. But that’s okay. I’m a fan of deadlines; otherwise, I would get nothing done!
Beautiful little pin cushions! The magazine looks intriguing too.
My favorite way to just be is to sit and crochet something easy so that my mind can wander or to work in the garden
Very sweet little cushions! My favorite calming activity is walking along the ocean and picking up rocks. Picking up a few, dropping one or two, until I have a special one left to keep in my pocket.
I have to say it’s yarn for me too. I both knit and crochet and it’s one of the best set of skills I’ve ever learned! A good book is a very close second as it will take me completely away <3
Those are really pretty and I would love one. My favorite ways to meditate is sitting in the dark or outside in the grass doing yoga/meditation. My other favorite way is hand-stitching.
Love your pincushions , will definitely check out he magazine.
Happy weekend!!
Zafu pincushions! Lovely! As a mom to a tween (10.5 years), I have to restore in many ways: running, yoga, breathing/meditating, sewing, knitting. I don’t always find my flow, but they have different purposes and offer different things for my soul. By the way, I recently made your cross back apron with some stashed cocca pear fabric. I love it! Thank you!
I can’t wait for my copy of the magazine to come! For my relaxing activities I will have to say knitting, and also restorative poses in yoga, like laying on my back with my legs up the wall. Helps me to sleep better too. 🙂
The pincusions are beautiful. For me knitting and yoga are the best restorative activities. Calms my brain so much!
Knitting socks is my creative activity of choice but walking my baby Boston Terrier at night, under the stars helps me wind down and sleep better. Thank you for the chance to win such a beautiful magazine
I love sewing as a way to relax. Or playing with my cats. Sometimes both of those activities overlap and end up not finishing my sewing projects. 😀
Sweet little pincushion! I’m looking forward to getting my Dotsl Making magazine. As for my favorite restorative, calming- this morning was about weeding…mindless, repetitive and with birdsong everywhere-and happy.
I love these pincushions! I might have to try to make one of those as Well… my favourite calming activities are gardening (this makes me really happy always) and meditating. I recently started doing that, its not always easy to be disciplined about it but I try to do it every night.
Sooo pretty!
I love to knit and listen to podcasts. My current choice is My Favorite Murder
Oh your pincushions are gorgeous!! My favourite calming activity is to sit in a cosy corner by the fire with a cup of tea and read blogs or a good book with my dog curled up beside me.
My current calming activity is locking myself in the bathroom for a hot shower. I also enjoy Zentangle and sewing things I’ve sewn before (so I don’t have to think about what I’m doing).
Like others have said, knitting is relaxing for me. The pincushions are beautiful!
My favorite way of “meditating” is sitting in my garden chair very early in the morning with my coffee listening to the birds. Unless it is absolutely pouring rain I can sit in the chair, sometimes almost under a blanket and sometimes in the dark, being part of the outdoors.
Sewing! And being outside – camping, hiking .
You are so talented. I love everything you make- I like to calm myself with an afternoon nap or guided meditation from Insight timer- you can search by topic- sleep, anxiety, compassion etc, length of the recording and country of origin. There are some amazing accents of course and it lets you know who else is meditating in the world 🙂
I’m a fan of sashiko and love your pincushions. I’m learning flower arrangement and at times find it very satisfying and relaxing.
My favorite way to relax is a cup of tea, and doing something creative in a totally quiet space 🙂
The pincushions are so sweet! It might sound crazy, but I love laminating things. I work in a busy primary school and when I have some student-free time to laminate resources I thoroughly enjoy the repetitive and calming process of feeding plastic-covered sheets of paper through the laminator 🙂
I’m really tempted to subscribe to the magazine…For me, sewing is a calming and restorative. I have recently tried my hand at sashiko and love it! 🙂
What gorgeous dots!
Whilst I love the results of garment sewing, it’s actually the freedom of drawing or painting in my art journal that I find most calming and relaxing.
Thank you for your lovely, inspiring blog 😊
Jo
Beautiful little pincushions! My favourite calming activity is hand sewing, Alabama Chanin style. And sometimes knitting, but nothing challenging. Oh, and baking. I like being by myself in the kitchen (wearing s Japanese style apron from your book! I made one!) and listening to podcasts, baking with the afternoon stretching in front of me.
Love your work and this pincushion is delightful. It is so difficult to let go anxiety and free the mind from worries… I love to knit and create things for me and for my family and friends but walking along the ocean is really what helps me slow down and feel better. Thank you for your generosity, the magazine is simply beautiful.
I find it relaxing to sew using my favorite, treasured sewing tools. Very calming! I’d like to try shashiko embroidery too.
I ike to sew to relax – nothing with obligation attached – just whatever appeals to me. I got your book a year ago on Mother’s day and, a whole year later, I still go to it for inspiration. Today, after a load of homework, I found myself alone at home and I went to my sewing room, pulled out your book, clicked on the iron and the sewing machine and an hour later I’d made an origami pillow.
I would like to try Sashiko one day, such an interesting technique. I like to sew and crochet to relax in my spare time but I’m just a beginner.
I listen to you tube videos of beach sounds. Very relaxing for me, hearing that big ocean . Have a wonderful Japan trip–and thank you so much for your info about Naomi Ito!
Listening to the lake when it’s stormy out, or at least windy.I love the sound of the waves. Making something is also good, sewing, knitting, crocheting, baking, embroidering, as long as I don’t attach deadlines to it. I don’t do deadlines very well.
Ooh, I just love those pin cushions!
Thanks for the pincushion give away. My favorite ways to relax are gentle yoga and sitting outside or walking in nature. Sometimes being near the ocean feels the best to me.
thanks,
Janie
I love handspinning. It is my form of meditation
Lovely pincushions! I really need to order the magazine. Knitting and sewing make me relax . I can completely loose track of time, as long as the project doesn’t have a deadline. Traveling (for leisure) has a long(er) relaxing effect. And Japan with its beautiful zen temples and gardens (and lovely fabric and patterns) is a perfect destination for this.
My copy of Making is still making its way to me, and I can’t wait to explore all of the projects. Your pin cushions are beautiful! My favorite restorative activity is a gentle walk in nature with my children and husband, but sharing a cup of tea with my family at the end of the day is also quite calming and brings me much happiness. Warm wishes to you!
My most restorative activity seems to involve a cuppa (tea- sometimes light and herbal, sometimes black and milky) and my spinning wheel. Ahhh,
Your pincushions are so cuted and skilled.
So many of my fav restoring activities are already mentioned: walk at the beach, overnighting somewhere alone in the middle of beautiful landscape, yoga or any ecercise. Maybe my most important though is climbing.
Best wishes!
Those pincushions are adorable! I can’t wait to get my copy of the magazine and see the rest of the projects. For me, the most calming activity is walking. I live near an arboretum, so I have beautiful scenery to look at any time of the year!
Ironing my quilt fabric is very calming. Love those pin cushions!
You are such a talented artist. And I love your paintings too😉
Such lovely pincushions! I go for a long walk every morning before work and get to watch the sunrise, which looks different every day. It’s the most calming and meditative way to begin the day.
Your pincushions are so sweet!! I can’t wait to receive the magazine… my sister-in-law would love one of these, as would I !! Making for myself always seems to take a couple of years, but I’m working on that. My favorite ways to
relax are with a cup of tea, a knitting project and meditation.
I love reading, especially craft books. It’s calming, solitary, and gets me inspired and excited about my future! Beautiful pincushions- while I would love to be lucky enough to receive one of yours, I’ll have to try my hands at one those.
Magazines are my downfall. I love snuggling under a quilt with the latest. It started with smocking magazines twenty years ago but now I’ve branched out to quilting and knitting magazines.
Your pincushions are adorable.
To feel calm and relax I like to pray to God it helps…and repay Bible verses I know…sometimes i go for a run just to be in nature and pray those days are usually my favorite. Love the pin cushions oddly enough I never have enough.
Love your work. To restore I sew, read and take walks.
Thanks for the lovely post and for the beautiful things you say and make. I relax listening to music and playing with my dog.
I love these sweet little pincushions. I only have one – the classic tomato. I like relaxing. My favourite activities are reading something I know I will enjoy and knitting.
Those cushions are ADORABLE!
As much as I love to sew, it bothers my husband because it takes to the upper part of the house and he is left alone. Boo! So, to calm my nerves and relax my spirit, I often pay Words With Friends on my iPad. I do love this game and feel it challenges me!