Busy Hands

"Stitching is a relaxing, mindful and positive process. It helps me relax, unwind and process feelings. I use a variety of papers; old and new and I cut, twist fold and stitch them into heavily embroidered pieces. Most of my work is spontaneous and I enjoy losing myself in the process"

This series of work emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic when anxiety left Laura feeling fidgety and unsettled. She transferred her anxious energy into something constructive and impulsively started cutting shapes out of paper and stitching them down. She continued without much thought, embroidering almost nightly, and started grabbing small windows of time during the day too. This was tricky to do whilst balancing the needs of her two young children and those she was supporting whilst working remotely. Sewing focused and rationalised Laura's thoughts, calming her down and providing escapism. She was able to turn anxiety into something positive and ten months down the line the first piece was finished. This piece became a symbolic reminder of the importance of carving out time to create and from this, a distinctive style emerged which Laura has maintained.