Making Sense of Everything

Well, it’s been almost two months since my last post on free motion embroidery. I’ve been trying to make sense of everything, and when I mean everything, it’s not just the pandemic, but the political turmoil where most of my family live. It has been difficult to process, but I thought it would be good for me to stitch something to channel my energy there instead.

My Growing COVID-19 Lexicon

And so, I have been stitching words that are now part of our everyday vocabulary - words such as social distancing, circuit breaker, to name just a few. It would be interesting to see how I will view this whole episode when I take a look at these words again.

Each word is stitched on paper with interfacing, and carefully stitched on cardboard. Stay tuned for the completed works!

Social distancing - part of the postcard series The Growing Covid-19 Lexicon

Stitching to Help the Pain

Does stitching help me with the pain and grief? It definitely does. Speaking to someone about it helps too but I don’t want to burden the other person with what I feel either. I came across this beautiful quote that helped me get through this difficult period, and I hope it will help you too, wherever you are.

" Grandma how do you deal with pain?"
" With your hands, dear. When you do it with your mind, the pain hardens even more."
“With your hands, grandma?"
" Yes, yes. Our hands are the antennas of our soul. When you move them by sewing, cooking, painting, touching the earth or sinking it into the earth, they send signals of caring to the deepest part of you and your soul calms down.
This way she doesn't have to send pain anymore to show it.
" Are hands really that important?"
" Yes my girl. Thinking of babies: they get to know the world thanks to their touches.
When you look at the hands of older people, they tell more about their lives than any other part of the body. Everything that is made by hand, so is said, is made with the heart because it really is like this: hands and heart are connected. Masseuses know this: When they touch another person's body with their hands, they create a deep connection. Thinking of lovers: When their hands touch, they love each other in the most sublime way."
" My hands grandma... how long haven't I used them like that!"
" Move them my girl, start creating with them and everything in you will move. The pain will not pass away. But it will be the best masterpiece. And it won't hurt anymore. Because you managed to embroider your essence."

Elena Barnabé