The Joy Is in the Journey
Someone recently looked at one of my pieces and said, “Wow, this must take a lot of patience!”
And I’ll be honest—I was a little taken aback.
Because for me, embroidery doesn’t feel like a test of patience at all. Patience is what you need when you're stuck in traffic, or waiting on hold with customer service for 45 minutes. Embroidery, on the other hand, is something that fills me up. It's where I go to feel good.
I’m drawn to this art form because it brings me joy. The process is just as meaningful as the finished piece—sometimes even more so. If I ever find myself not enjoying the stitching, that’s usually a sign it’s time to switch to another project. (No hard feelings, just not a match!)
One of the reasons I love embroidery so much is how flexible it is. It can be slow and meditative, or breezy and casual—depending on what I need in the moment. I often stitch in two very different ways:
Mindful Stitching
When I want to be fully present, I slow down and focus on each stitch—the sound of the thread pulling through the fabric, the feel of the needle in my fingers, the rhythm of the motion. It becomes a kind of meditation.
Mindless Stitching
Other times, I pop on a great audiobook, podcast, playlist, or trashy reality TV show and let my hands take over while my mind wanders. It’s soothing, immersive, and just the right kind of distraction when I need to unwind.
Both ways are equally valid—and equally wonderful.
I’d love to know: are you more of a mindful or mindless stitcher? Or do you switch back and forth like I do? Leave a comment and tell me what your stitching time looks like—I always love hearing about how others experience this craft.
P.S. Included here are just a few of the projects I worked on this week while listening to the book None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell (a twisty, creepy psychological thriller with a great cast of narrators) and watching the latest season of the dating show I Kissed a Boy (which I’m new to and totally obsessed with).
Happy Stitching!
—Jennifer (aka Bloom and Floss)
I added some fun summery patterns to my Etsy shop this weekend! The rainbow ice cream and ice pop are both available for instant download. They use the same colors, and are perfect for stitching as a set. Each pattern includes a transfer template, DMC colors, step by step instructions, and detailed photos. Enjoy!
Reading about your craft is fascinating because I apply the same thinking to playing the piano. How long it takes is irrelevant: the meditation, and act of doing the craft “fills me up” as well. Your work is beautiful!
Jennifer, you are an artist! When I see your work and read this article, I feel the way I feel when I write, a joyous journey requiring mindfulness, mindlessness, and a ton of dedication :-)