The Final Thread - Sewing As Therapy

Life has its ups and downs and during difficult times, many of us turn to sewing as a form of therapy. It keeps our hands and brain busy, gives us something useful and productive to do and can even improve our social life when we sew with others. This month, four women share their stories of how they’ve used sewing to help them manage a difficult period in their lives

- Kerry Green

Relationship Breakdown 

Hi, I’m Sarah. I work in the media and my main hobby is garment sewing. A while back, I was living with a different partner and in the midst of wedding plans. The venue was booked, the dress bought, when he revealed an indiscretion following a work trip. Over the next three months, the truth slowly emerged - he had cheated on me throughout our relationship. I kept this to myself until I could cope no longer. The end of our relationship was devastating and took me to the brink of a nervous breakdown. After we split up, I dived into sewing in a big way.

In hindsight, my creations during this time were not the most inspiring. I was still a relative newbie so often the fabric choice or the fit was off, but the speed with which I was sewing made me feel productive. It helped me turn my brain off for a while and stop feeling sorry for myself. It’s a solitary hobby, something you can do in your PJs, vino in hand and with no one to judge you. It was a ray of inspiration and creativity when my life seemed to be falling apart. When I look back, I know I had to go through that to meet the wonderful person I am now married to. I respect our relationship and the person he is all the more because of my experiences. Sewing remains important to me: it’s a part of who I am, a friend even, and I cannot think of a time when I won’t want to sew. Sarah’s blog: sewing-beautifully.blogspot.co.uk Instagram: @sewing_beautifully

Grief and Loss