Stitch 'n Dish

Tag: well-being

  • A shopping hack

    A shopping hack

    The other day I found myself “itching” to shop for yarn or fabric. I had a period of time (lunch hour) and a quilt shop within driving distance. I put the address into my GPS and headed out (10-minute trip). As I drove, I was having a conversation in my head asking myself about the…

  • Life’s simple pleasures

    Life’s simple pleasures

    I periodically go off on a tangent as it relates to a craft – especially knitting or crocheting projects. I recently came across an item from one of these “projects” as I was cleaning out and organizing some space. The piece I found tonight, a crocheted drawstring bag (pictured below) was empty and I was…

  • My fiber refuge

    My fiber refuge

    The news cycle lately isn’t very comforting to anyone, but I am feeling a particularly angst-ridden as a Veteran, because I can feel – in the depths of my being – the great terror being experienced by families across this country (USA) who are impacted by the reality of a troop deployment into a war…

  • Old school crafting

    Old school crafting

    I won’t pretend to know the perfect balance between using what we have and buying new, but I think it’s always a WIN when we at least consider some stash options in our creative projects. Here’s to BALANCE in our crafting, shopping and lives overall.

  • Fighting the Winter doldrums

    Fighting the Winter doldrums

    January and February in the American Northeast/Mid-Atlantic can be challenging in terms of our emotional health. It’s COLD, with snow – which is lovely when it first falls but then gets DIRTY from all the salt and traffic, and the dirty snow hangs around for weeks, making the cold, gray, days even MORE depressing. In…

  • A loss of community

    A loss of community

    Crafters are creative and can transform simple things into works of art. As we continue to process the stages of “grief” around the loss of community that once resided in our neighborhood Joann stores, we can move on into new ways of being in community, finding and/or creating activities and small groups that promise a…

  • Finishing touches

    Finishing touches

    I started this blog several years back to highlight the positive benefits of fiber arts activities for our emotional, mental and physical health. I continue to be awed by the depths of its healing potential – for myself as well as for others.

  • Finding joy

    Finding joy

    The truest forms of joy do not come from BIG, EXPENSIVE things. It most often shows up in the faces of those we love, but it also sneaks into our lives in the form of silly little projects that capture our fancy for a moment. I call that “joy finding” – and have come to…

  • A positive pivot, perhaps

    A positive pivot, perhaps

    As the month of May winds down, and reality around the final closing of every last Joann store settles in, I know I’m not the only person feeling a little “lost”, some sadness, and a distinct sense that we’re witnessing the end of an era. I’ve also started to realize that I’m doing a lot…

  • Stitching life’s pieces together

    Stitching life’s pieces together

    I’ve been working from home since early 2020, and along with millions of others, was recently mandated back to the office 5-days a week. This has resulted in some new normals; most significantly, less sleep each night. Yesterday when I got home, I kicked off my shoes, spent some time with my cat, fed him…