How Slow Stitching and Hand Sewing Nurture Mental Health
What is Slow Stitching?
Slow stitching is the gentle art of taking a needle and thread to fabric with no rush, no deadlines, and no expectation of perfection. It's a simple process that doesn’t demand finishing a project quickly or producing something “useful.” Instead, it’s about the process: the quiet rhythm of each stitch, the meditative repetition, and the way our hands and mind slow down together.
I talk about this in my book, Mindful Thoughts for Makers, where connecting head, hands, and heart is central to my creative process, and my art practice. My daily making is a tool to still my mind and body.
And this quietness that happens, while I’m listening to thread pulling fabric, helps slow my breath. By regulating my breathing I’m able to tap into an inner voice that allows me to tend to grief, health issues - mental, emotional, and physical. The nature of this mindful making means that I really am acknowledging anything I’m going through, rather than pushing on and ignoring it.
Textile artist Claire Wellesley-Smith describes it beautifully in her book Slow Stitch: Mindful and Contemplative Textile Art: “Slow stitch is not about speed or efficiency; it is about creating space to think and time to make.” That sense of spaciousness, rare in modern life, is at the heart of why hand sewing feels so healing.
Unlike machine sewing or fast fashion production, slow stitching invites us to pause and reflect. To sit with fabric scraps, loose threads, and our own thoughts. Many makers describe it as a form of mindfulness; just one that uses cloth instead of silence.
Here’s a little more about what actually is Slow Stitching and how to do it?
How Hand Sewing Helps Our Mental Health
It may seem surprising that such a simple activity could have a significant impact on mental wellbeing. However, research is beginning to support what makers have long known: sewing, embroidery, and slow stitching can bring profound benefits to the mind and spirit.
Stress Relief and Mindfulness
A study published in the Journal of Occupational Therapy International (Collier, 2011) highlighted how handcrafts like sewing reduce stress by creating a “flow state”: a psychological space where time seems to dissolve, and the mind focuses entirely on the present moment. This flow state mirrors the effects of mindfulness meditation, helping to lower cortisol levels and calm the nervous system.
Author Rachael Matthews, in The Mindfulness in Knitting, explains: “When we stitch, knit, or sew, we create quiet spaces for reflection that modern life rarely offers.” Those small, rhythmic gestures bring us into presence, grounding our thoughts in the here and now.
The rhythmic nature of pulling thread through fabric is soothing to the senses. The texture of cloth beneath the fingertips, the soft sound of thread sliding, even the gentle poke of the needle, all of these sensations bring us back into the body, anchoring us in ways that are deeply calming. On quiet days, stitching and crafting can be a companion too, something I talk about in this post about craft and anxiety in my life.
There’s something important about the sort of craft you do, though, to help with the feeling of mindfulness. It can’t be too hard, or too easy. It can’t be something that requires too much mental focus, or counting, or remembering patterns and having to compare or overthink. It has to be the Goldilocks of challenging you, without being difficult, allowing you to settle into the flow of work.
It has to be something you can pick up and put down, not have to remember where you were up to, or what stitch you need to do next. You need to be able to slip into the process of the doing easily, without trouble.
Author, and Psychologist, Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, considered the first to write about ‘flow state’, said that “happiness is not something that happens,” nor is it simply the result of “good fortune or random chance. Instead, we can prepare for and cultivate it by taking control of our inner experiences, shaping the quality of our lives”.
Mood, Confidence, and Self-Esteem
Sewing something with our own two hands, no matter how small, creates a sense of accomplishment. According to research published in the British Journal of Occupational Therapy (2013), knitting and sewing were associated with higher levels of happiness and confidence. In fact, 81% of participants reported that crafting made them feel happier, and 54% noted an improved mood.
I know that I can simply start on my stitching project, to feel a difference in my mood. I can thread a needle and put it into some fabric. It doesn’t matter what I stitch or what it becomes, or what I do with it. It doesn’t matter if it’s ‘perfect’ or wonky. Or if it goes anywhere. Or means anything. It doesn’t matter if I’m making something, or making a mess, or I’m simply adding row upon row of straight plain regular stitch to fabric.
Even imperfect stitches can lift the spirit. When we mend or sew, we’re not just making something functional; we’re nurturing our sense of wholeness.
There’s also something about imperfection that builds resilience. When stitches wander or threads tangle, we learn to accept flaws, problem-solve, and carry on. This small yet powerful practice can ripple into daily life, teaching us to meet challenges with patience rather than frustration.
Louise Bourgeois said “The act of sewing is a process of emotional repair”.
Connection and Community
Though slow stitching as a solitary practice can be highly beneficial, there is also a joy in joining with others and stitching together. Stitching circles, quilting groups, and online communities offer a safe space to share stories, struggles, and creations. Research, and indeed personal experience, has shown that people involved in crafting communities experience lower levels of loneliness and stronger feelings of belonging.
Art historian Rozsika Parker reminds us in The Subversive Stitch that embroidery and sewing have always been social and cultural practices—spaces where women, in particular, shared their lives and experiences. That sense of connection still threads through sewing groups today.
Sitting with others, needles in hand, conversations flow more easily. The activity provides us with something to focus on while opening up space for connection; whether that’s through laughter, storytelling, or quiet companionship.
Humans have long gathered around a table, or fireplace, picking up needle and thread, weaving loom, yarn, or plant-made string to create. The practicality of sitting with others doing creative work and craft work means the job can be shared, challenges can be worked through together, and relationships can be strengthened.
I truly believe that a magical thing happens when we sit down to sew - our mind starts to flow a little more, and we’re able to share our hardships, and our joys. When we’re gathered with community, the good things in life, and the laughter can be louder, and the grief and tears can be tended to.
Supporting Mental Health Recovery
Beyond everyday stress, crafting can also play a role in recovery from more serious mental health challenges. A 2018 study in the Arts in Psychotherapy Journal found that textile-based activities supported people experiencing depression and anxiety by improving emotional regulation and offering a safe outlet for self-expression.
Sewing enables us to convey stories and emotions that may be difficult to articulate in words. In this way, slow stitching can become a form of self-care, self-expression, and even self-discovery.
In her book Threads of Life, Claire Hunter talks of how for Mary, Queen of Scots, embroidery became her main distraction during her 19 years in prison, from pain and the mourning of her past. She sewed meaningful symbols from her life, nostalgic reminders of her loves lost, caged birds to represent her imprisonment, an innocent-looking flower to tell of her predicament. And while embroidery and hand work were a distraction from her prison, they were also a way to write her autobiography, to look towards recovery, and beyond the walls of her confinement.
“It is thought that Mary suffered from porphyria, the disease that caused the temporary madness of King George 111 ……. But within her personality lurked it’s more sinister shadow of mental illness.
“In recent years, studies into mental health have explored sewing as a panacea for mental distress and proved its efficacy to regulate moon, enhance self-esteem and encourage a rhythm of calmness. While Mary used it to assert her sovereign power, perhaps there also lay behind her stitching a more basic human impulse: to maintain self-control, create order and exercise choice amongst the tumult of her life.”
How to Start Slow Stitching
If you’ve ever wondered how to start slow stitching, you don’t need a long supply list or fancy equipment. All you really need is fabric, a needle, thread, and a willingness to let go of “shoulds.”
Here are a few gentle steps to begin:
Gather scraps – Old clothing, fabric offcuts, or even a worn tea towel can become your canvas.
Choose the thread you love – Bright embroidery floss, soft cotton, or even recycled yarn. I have a few suggestions of what threads to use for slow stitching here.
Start with simple stitches – Running stitch, backstitch, or cross stitch are lovely places to begin.
Set the mood – Find a quiet corner, maybe light a candle or play soft music.
Let go of perfection – Allow uneven stitches, mismatched colours, and wandering lines. This isn’t about rules; it’s about rhythm.
Read also:
What tools and supplies to use for Slow Stitching - start simple, with what you have.
10 things to make with your slow stitched work - lovely projects for moments of making.
Grab my free Slow Stitching guide here
The Sensory Side of Stitching
Part of slow stitching’s healing power lies in its sensory experience. The tactile nature of fabric and thread grounds us, and brings us to the here and now. Holding something steady in our hands, feeling the weave and weight brings us into ourselves. In a similar way to plunging our hands into garden soil, or picking up a pen and paper, rather than touching a screen or keyboard.
Touch, sight, and even sound are all engaged:
Touch: The feel of fabric softening in the hands, the tug of thread. The coarseness of a fibre, the twist of the thread.
Sight: Watching colours blend, patterns emerge, and small details grow. Teeny stitch by stitch upon your fabric.
Sound: The quiet repetition: needle slipping through fabric, scissors snipping thread. There really is a special kind of feeling listening to the way a needle dips into the fabric, and the thread drags through.
In occupational therapy, these sensory elements are viewed as grounding tools, helping individuals stay present and regulate their emotions. For those who struggle with racing thoughts or anxiety, these tiny tactile moments can be deeply anchoring.
Why Handmade Feels Healing
There’s something ancient in the act of hand stitching. Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers sewed not only out of necessity, but often as a way to share love, pass the time, and steady their thoughts. Picking up a needle today connects us with that lineage of makers, grounding us in a tradition that spans generations.
As Claire Wellesley-Smith reminds us, slow stitching isn’t about productivity; it’s about presence. As Louise Bourgeois notes, mending and making become metaphors for repairing ourselves and our relationships.
And in a world filled with constant scrolling, notifications, and to-do lists, the slowness of stitching is radical. It’s an act of resistance against hurry. Each stitch mends us as it says, “I’m here, I’m present, I’m enough.”
FAQs About Slow Stitching and Mental Health
1. What is slow stitching?
Slow stitching is a mindful and creative approach to sewing that focuses on the process rather than the product. It’s about enjoying each stitch without rushing.
2. How does hand sewing help mental health?
Research shows hand sewing reduces stress, improves mood, boosts self-esteem, and supports mindfulness. It also helps combat loneliness when practised in groups.
3. Do I need to be “good” at sewing to benefit?
Not at all! Even the simplest running stitch can be calming and joyful. The therapeutic benefit comes from the act of stitching, not the outcome.
4. How can I start slow stitching if I’ve never sewn before?
Start with basic supplies: fabric scraps, a needle, and thread. Learn one or two simple stitches, and allow your work to unfold naturally without expectation.
5. Is slow stitching the same as embroidery?
Embroidery often follows patterns or techniques, while slow stitching is more free-form, intuitive, and focused on mindfulness rather than precision.
A Gentle Closing
Slow stitching and hand sewing remind us that beauty often lies in small, imperfect details. Science is catching up to what makers have always believed: that creating with our hands nourishes both the mind and the heart. Whether it’s a few stitches before bed or an afternoon lost in threads and fabric, this practice offers a gentle way back to ourselves.
So maybe the real question isn’t what is slow stitching?—but rather, what might it stitch back together inside us?
Reference journals:
Collier, A. F. (2011). The Well-being Benefits of Craft for Older Women: Implications for Occupational Therapy. Journal of Occupational Therapy International, 18(4), 184–192.
Riley, J., Corkhill, B., & Morris, C. (2013). The Benefits of Knitting for Personal and Social Wellbeing in Adulthood: Findings from an International Survey. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 29(2), 145–163.
Corkhill, B., Hemmings, J., Maddock, A., & Riley, J. (2014). Knitting and Well-being. Textile, 12(1), 34–57.
British Journal of Occupational Therapy. (2013). Therapeutic Benefits of Knitting and Sewing. Vol. 76, Issue 2.
Huot, S., & Rudman, D. L. (2015). Everyday Occupations and Well-being: Crafting Connections. Arts in Psychotherapy, 42, 19–26.
Matthews, R. (2016). The Mindfulness in Knitting: Meditations on Craft and Calm. Leaping Hare Press.
