What do you say?

I really love the idea of embroidery.  It feels old, like a practice that once was appreciated and is gaining momentum again. I like sewing machines, the tempo of the thread being pierced into a material. It feels permanent, like how a typewriter once made us slow down and take our time. I love the idea of sitting for a moment and thinking of what you want to say in the threads—the concept that what you wear has life and purpose and if what you wear says something, then it better say something you actually believe.  

There is a great saying in the Yoga community: “Say what you mean, and mean what you say.” So often our words are said but they then can be easily erased or discarded or without real follow through. So the idea of throwing an embroidery event is a great time to not only walk away with a great article of clothing, but one that is significant and unique to you and an opportunity to put something valuable on a piece of clothing and wear it around for you and others to see.

We are teaming up with a great artist, a friend, someone I admire for his craft and his sensibility to design, fun and the creative process. Frederic de Beule and I met through our kids at our shared pre-school, through his talented wife, and we hit it off. We are both tennis players, artists and people passionate about design, community and keeping things fresh and interesting. Above all, I admire his resourcefulness, a skill I lack and I admire in those who have it. If you can build something, fix something, or with your own two hands make something, I admire you. I have been taught and continue to pay people to do those kinds of things, so I admire it greatly in others.  

The other team player here will be one of our tried and true T-Shirt and Basics line, Harlin. And with the purchase of one of their products you get a FREE old school, hand stitched embroidery of whatever it is you would like to say. That is the powerful part—you get to pick and choose something of your own liking and then wear it and express something unique and individual to you.  

We did a test run and I chose to embroider Jake and Jones on my t-shirt. I wear it all the time. Partly because I love the color exchange with the bronzed color t-shirt and the pink embroidery and mostly because it says something that I love and want to wear. For my next round, I am thinking more politically, something that can symbolize my commitment to something I believe in—maybe it will be about our environment, or about protecting families or maybe it will simply be the message of love. Either way, I am excited to get to write something personal and also something that others can see and to support an inspiring craft.

Join me, my friend Frederic, our kick ass community for an afternoon of embroidery.  Come be inspired, watch an old art be reignited and spend some time reading what is important to others.

If you can’t make the event, and you don’t want to miss out, drop me a line and we can see if t-shirts are left what we can do to get you one.

Looking forward to the day together.

Say what you mean and put it on a t-shirt.

x

Jen