If 2020 has taught us anything: it’s that the importance of maintaining good mental health routines should be a consistent practice, particularly during a pandemic. While it had been years since I experienced a panic attack, recently with the pandemic they have crept back into my life. According to the American Psychiatric Association, “One in five Americans experiences a mental health disorder in any given year.” This past year has tested us all.
Meditation has always been a struggle for me, so I do body scans and have recently taken up needlepoint. While needlepoint may initially conjure images of your grandmother’s floral pillows, during this time of isolation contemporary needlepoint has attracted a new generation of stitchers that have formed a supportive online community.
About two years ago, I started seeing some contemporary needlepoint designs popping up on my Instagram. Pillows displaying Grateful Dead logos and colorful animals with geometric backgrounds caught my attention. Cheeky sayings that made me laugh and brightly colored, preppy canvases made me want to give it a try. I ordered my first canvas, The Spirit Bison, from Thörn Alexander and I was hooked from the start. I found needlepoint to be the answer for my busy hands. It has become a meditative process for me and something I do when I listen to audiobooks or podcasts, on car rides or when others in my house are watching TV. The required detail and repetition are the perfect form of relaxation for my type A personality and at the end of the project, I have a beautiful heirloom that I will pass on for generations to come.
This past year many have felt the effects of isolation and many small businesses have had to shut their doors, yet the needlepoint community is thriving. House Beautiful Magazine has coined the modern-day stitchers, “grandmillenials” or “granny-chic” and this new generation is not hung up on the rules of the past. “There are no needlepoint police” declares Tricia Heaton of Tricia Heaton Designs, in her letter to new needlepointers (triciaheatondesigns.com). The new age of needlepoint is meant to be enjoyed and performed as a ritual of self-care.
Needlepoint has had a resurgence during the pandemic for a few reasons: Jessica Meyers from Lycette Designs in Palm Beach explains, “I think everyone was looking for a way to 1) feel productive during quarantine, to make something tangible 2) to have control over an aspect of their lives during quarantine when so many other aspects of their life were out of control” (forbes.com). Needlepoint also checks the box of supporting small businesses, most of which are women-led. Some of these small businesses pass on their proceeds to important causes or charities. For example, Thörn Alexander donates 10% of their profits to intersectional environmentalism causes and plants a tree for each hand-painted canvas sold.
Needlepoint has been around since the 17th century, and while it certainly was a favorite of the older generations like Grace Kelly, Mary Tyler Moore and Carol King, today women like Kate Hudson and Drew Barrymore are jumping on the wagon. Needlepoint provides a quiet respite from looking at our screens and digital information overload. It is a tangible anchor for community, productivity, and quiet contemplation during a time when every day could possibly present an existential crisis. Needlepoint has helped me ease up on my perfectionist habits and embrace the flaws of the journey. If you have trouble with the traditional forms of meditation or just need a new focus away from anxious thoughts, I highly recommend giving needlepoint a try. Some of my favorite brands and designers are Thörn Alexander, Tricia Heaton Designs, Lycette Designs, Hello Tess, Pip and Roo Needleworks, and Morgan Julia Designs. Both Lycette Designs and Thörn Alexander have a lot of great resources for beginner stitchers and were great starting points for my needlepoint journey.
Loved this. I need to try this
Thank you! Yes, I definitely recommend giving needlepoint a try:)