Welcome April 🌱
A social media break, a new dress style coming, and baring my soul. The usual stuff.
Happy April
Hello again friends. Happy April. For some reason the word “april” looks very weird to me today. I feel like it should be spelled “apryl”? That’s odd.
Anyways, how are you feeling today? How is your heart? I always like it when the first day of a new month is on a Monday. It feels fresh and new. I hope that as we transition into the month of April and further into the season of spring (at least in the northern hemisphere), that you can let go of the last 31 days and allow April to be exactly what she is. You are here, now.
Read on to learn about my social media hiatus, some deeper meaning about my recent art pieces and a new dress style that will be coming in a shop update later this month. Also a new tutorial is in the works! Exciting things coming :)
Taking a break from Instagram
In an effort to focus on “being here, now”, attempt to reclaim some of my attention and presence, and give more care for my mental health, I have temporarily deleted Instagram from my phone and am taking a full break from social media for a bit. I’m not sure for how long. I know it won’t be forever, since I do use Instagram for my business and somewhat rely on it for marketing. However, I have found that my relationship with Instagram has become increasingly damaging to my nervous system, sense of self-worth and attention span. I don’t think that social media is inherently bad, but the way it can be used can be hurtful. Plus, it is designed and made to be pretty addictive, so it is good to notice when it is no longer serving us. This is the first time i have actually deleted the app off of my phone ever. I have taken breaks before but they’ve been half-hearted - I’ve taken breaks from posting but have still gone on the app to check notifications or see what others are posting. This time the app is deleted and the URL is blocked on my computer. I am hoping that by taking a little break, I can disrupt my current patterns with the app and can reclaim some of my attention and give some much-needed TLC to my nervous system.
This means that I won’t be sharing on Instagram about upcoming shop updates (for right now) SO if you want to know what’s going on in Thread + Sprout land, please make sure to read my emails :)
Thank you so much for all of your love and support around my latest work
I am so grateful for the love and support I received around my latest shop update including the new art pieces and accessories. I am thrilled to see that you all are as excited about fabric bolo ties and necklaces as I am! And it is very gratifying to hear that the new direction I am going with my art is resonating with others.
I wanted to share a bit more about what some of these pieces mean to me and the prayers I imbued into the stitches.
I know that all of these pieces are very personal but art is personal! I think that is something amazing about art - it may be personal to the artist, but it can also ring true to the viewer and feel personal to them too. This I believe is one of the miracles of art - it can help us to not feel so alone.
A lot of my recent work centers around feeling present in the here and now and in my body, listening to and trusting my intuition, and allowing my true, authentic, higher self to shine out.
Grounding
I feel most “at home” in my own body when my body is in nature and touching the earth. This is the surest way for me to feel present in the here and now and to feel centered. When I am able to feel at home in my body, centered and present, that is when I can feel most in touch with my true, authentic self. This piece is representative of that feeling. The female form is sitting on the earth and while there are distractions around - the rain, a bird singing, a snake slithering by - she is present and grounded. And she is starting to bloom from that place of presence. The snake is also representative of change, rebirth, and transformation and is a reminder that life is cyclical. The cloud and rain in this piece also serve as a prayer for nourishment and a reminder that water, in all forms, is deeply cleansing.
Trusting Myself
This piece is all about sinking into presence and trusting myself. I think that many of us struggle with trusting ourselves, listening to our gut and believing in our inner voices. From what I am learning in my own recovery process, this is particularly true for those of us with trauma. For me, something that helps me to trust myself is when I am able to feel present in my body. And a big thing that allows me to feel that embodiment is working with my hands. When I work with my hands, whether sewing, painting, knitting or cooking, it brings me to the present and allows me to feel safe here which then makes it a lot more possible for me to listen to my intuition and see things clearer.
Ace of Swords
In Tarot, the suit of the swords deals with the mind and the intellect. The Ace of Swords is about focus, clarity, and new beginnings. It suggests utilizing logic and analysis to make decisions and seek truth through objectivity and self-honesty. To me, this means listening to my intuition, turning inward to seek the truth and knowing that my true self only comes from within rather than external sources.
What’s coming up…
A new dress style!
I’ve had an idea floating around my brain for a while now of a sleeveless dress that can be worn over t-shirts, button-ups, other dresses, or on its own on warm days! This new style (name TBD) will be available in one or two colorways in a made-to-order shop update in a few weeks! I will likely also include a nature top or two.
A new tutorial!
The scrappy patchy top tutorial is in the works! This tutorial will teach you how to make a garment (specifically a top but the technique can be applied to other garments) in my “scrappy patchy” style.
I hope to have this done by the end of the month. In the meantime, check out my existing tutorials.
and last but not least, don’t forget you can send a custom order request at any time!
If you made it this far, you’re a true rockstar!
Thank you for being here <3 I hope you can be extra gentle, loving, and kind to yourselves this week.
xoxoxo
Justice
🪡 Website: www.threadandsprout.com
🌱 Email: info@threadandsprout.com