Why A Year of Mindful Sewing?
I wrote these prompts in the very early hours of the morning during those tender months of new motherhood, in the 4am windows where I had just an hour to myself. In that season, sewing felt distant, like that part of me was out of reach for a while simply because I didn’t have the same capacity to create as I once did. Writing these prompts for the following year (2026) became a tiny act of hope… a quiet reminder that my making practice was still there, waiting for me when I was ready.
I’ve always had plenty of ideas. My journals are filled with sketches and notes, and my Pinterest boards have been carefully curated over the years. I’ve gathered so much inspiration, dreaming up projects and outfits, but often I find myself stuck. There’s a gap between the world I imagine and the one I actually live in. I realised that while I’d been curating beauty online, I hadn’t been creating as much in my real life.
When I first started my Soften Studio YouTube channel, before it ever became a sewing pattern brand, it was simply a way to bring some of those ideas to life. A way to make something tangible. Over time I’ve learned I need structure and accountability to make that happen, because taking in inspiration is easy, but creating something from it takes much more intention.
That’s how A Year of Mindful Sewing was birthed. Finding myself once again in need of coming back to staying connected to my creativity and to make things I genuinely love. Pieces that feel meaningful. Pieces that remind me that making with my hands is a form of self-care. Creativity can be quiet and slow and deeply personal, and that’s what I wanted to return to. Not just for likes, not something that feels trendy or trying to keep up with the insatiable algorithm. Coming back to the love of the practise of simply making.
If this resonates, you are welcome to join me.
Whether you’re juggling motherhood, wanting more time for yourself, or feeling a little disconnected from your creativity, this is a gentle invitation. To step away from the scroll, make space for yourself, and let each month’s prompt meet you where you’re at. They are completely open to your own interpretation, however much time or energy you have. It’s not about perfection, but about giving yourself space. Not letting those ideas stay in your head but getting them into the world.
Let’s create this year slowly and mindfully, together.
With love,
Melody