Graduated chain stitch for mindful embroidery

Jul 16
2 min read

Slow stitching abstract and organic shapes

Slow stitching, or mindful embroidery, happens when we allow ourselves to sit down with only a needle and thread (and a hoop if desired) and almost let the needle take over. We switch off everything else - the phone, the radio, the TV and any internal chatter. We suddenly breathe more slowly and our body relaxes.

Abstract and organic shapes and structures really lend themselves to slow stitching because there is no need to give your embroidery a particular likeness to something ‘real’ - you can just follow your imagination (while being inspired by nature). The stitches are what they are, beautiful on their own, without prompting interpretation or comparison.

How I developed the graduated chain stitch

Embroidering these abstract shapes can require you to think outside the box a little bit. When we think of the detached chain stitch, for example, what often comes to mind is the lazy daisy - the depiction of something concrete: a flower.

But there is so much more you can do with a chain stitch, like this pattern I created a few weeks ago, which I’m calling it the ‘graduated chain stitch’ because it starts as a chain stitch and gradually widens into an open chain stitch, before narrowing back into a chain stitch.

The idea came to me because I enjoy making marks on paper with a pen and I have recently started using the Zentangle method. Sometimes I look at those abstract drawings and think: how can I turn this into a piece of embroidery? And so I created this pattern using chain and open chain stitches.

I posted it on my Instagram and lots of people told me they liked it and wanted to try it! The idea that something I created inspires people pleases me immensely - thank you to everyone who liked and commented on my post - you made my week!

A few people asked for a tutorial on this stitch, so here is a very slow embroidery tutorial which explains step-by-step: