10 reasons why your New Year's resolution should be to do more sewing...

Do you need a little nudge to increase your sewing time in 2023? Just for you, here are ten reasons why doing more sewing is the best resolution you could make.

1. Relieves stress

The mindful act of concentration on a particular task encourages you to truly be in the moment. Losing yourself in the creative process engenders positive feelings which last beyond the actual activity, bringing a sense of relaxation and a reduction in stress and anxiety.

2. Creates new connections in your brain

The creativity of learning to stitch improves your brain?s ability to create new neural pathways, and the repetition of these new skills cements these pathways, increasing your mental agility. Evidence also suggests that people who sew are less likely to experience dementia and age-related brain deterioration. What better way to keep your mind in fine fettle than undertaking a challenging quilt involving designing patterns, measuring dimensions and tessellating pieces?

3. Improves hand eye coordination

Sewing enhances your fine motor skills, with your attention to detail, concentration and coordination improving with practice.

4. Increases joy

Acts of creativity increase the amount of dopamine in your brain, which is responsible for happiness. What better reason to pick up the needle and thread?

5. Managing your environmental impact (& saving money)

The act of sewing, whether you are creating quilts or clothes can be a wonderful way to find new uses for pieces of fabric that would otherwise make their way to landfill. Searching thrift stores, jumble sales and even thrifting online can turn up wonderful fabrics which can be recycled into items for yourself or your home.

6. Feeling a sense of accomplishment

Whether keeping it for yourself or gifting your finished piece, there is a huge sense of achievement in having completed a sewing project. In an increasingly crazy-seeming world, you can take pride in having masterminded your sewing project from conception to completion.

7. Creativity is contagious

Sewing and quilting often inspires other mediums of art, and vice versa, in a stimulating loop of creativity. If you immerse yourself in creative sewing you may also find that it spreads to other areas of your life, suddenly the solution to a previously perplexing problem becomes clear!

8. Colour is uplifting

The act of choosing, combining and using brightly coloured threads and fabrics can have a hugely positive impact upon your state of mind and emotional expression.

9. Self-discipline

Committing to a sewing project, however large or small, can also teach us the discipline of having a regular practice. Taking small regular steps to achieve something you really want is a wonderful life skill.

10. Community

Whether physical or digital, sewing and quilting can strengthen social networks and foster a sense of community. Sewists and quilters are able to share their interests within a whole sewing community both online and in person, which encourages friendship, support, inspiration and motivation. We are a welcoming, friendly bunch!