At the recent October speaker meeting, the club was pleased to welcome Sally-Ann a textile artist to introduce us to the practice of Slow Stitch for Wellbeing, a means to relax and de-stress. Sally-Ann talked about her background and how she took the step in her 50’s to go back into education after previously working in retail and having her own business in Design.
Sally-Ann discovered a passion for learning and completed a degree in textiles at Norwich / Carmarthen. Totally hooked on learning and developing moved back to Cambridge to
complete a masters in fine Art.
Finally, Sally-Ann has settled here in Kings Lynn where she feels inspired and loves the Norfolk expansive sky and the wide horizons which give her a sense of freedom. Against a background of emotional stress and lack of self-esteem Sally-Ann has found Slow Stitch for Wellbeing to be a pathway in Art Therapy, using it as a form of meditation. The process of repetitive stitching in a straight line becomes meditative. She now wants to share this as a means of wellbeing for others.
Sally-Ann now has use of space in Kings Lynn Town centre, where she can get started with her exciting plans for workshops in textiles and Stitch.
She showed the group a lovely Sketch book idea where the cover is used for stitches. Pictures are used as inspiration which can be interpreted in an individual way. Examples of Sally-Ann’s expertise were passed around, and the members admired her “Mother Earth” graduation piece a large felted work, hand stitched and beaded.
Sally-Ann provided the members at the meeting with an envelope which contained a lovely card, a piece of fabric, needle and coloured thread. This kept everyone entertained and busy completing their own Slow stitch artwork!
Member Bea led the group in thanking Sally-Ann for her interesting and fun session. Members looked forward to maybe trying the new workshops starting in the New year.