A huge Making Zen thank you to our wonderful Platinum Sponsor, Snuggly Monkey!
If you’ve been part of the textile arts community for a while, there’s a good chance Snuggly Monkey has already found its way into your creative world. From beautiful threads and fabrics to thoughtfully selected tools and supplies, Snuggly Monkey is all about helping makers find the materials that make creating even more joyful.
And this Making Zen, we get to go a little further behind the scenes! 🧵Hear from Snuggly Monkey LIVE!🧵
On Day One of the retreat, we’ll be joined by Claudia Martinez of Snuggly Monkey for a special live Zoom webinar. All participants can attend this LIVE event! No VIP pass required.
Claudia will be sharing more about her business, her own crafting journey, and the story behind Snuggly Monkey. It’s a wonderful opportunity to get to know the person behind a business that has become such a beloved part of the stitching community.
We are incredibly grateful to Snuggly Monkey for supporting Making Zen as a Platinum Sponsor and helping us bring another retreat filled with creativity, learning, and connection to makers around the world.
Be sure to add Claudia’s live session to your Making Zen plans, you won’t want to miss it!
💙 Making Zen Online Retreat 📅 September 28 – October 2, 2026 🌎 Online from wherever you are 🧵www.makingzen.com/
If you've been seeing Making Zen pop up in your feed lately and wondering what exactly everyone is getting excited about, let us introduce you. 🧵
Making Zen is a FREE five-day online creative retreat, bringing together 30 artists and teachers from around the world to share their knowledge, creativity, and love of making by hand.
From September 28 – October 2, you'll be invited to explore a beautiful collection of workshops centred around textile arts, slow craft, creativity, and mindful making, all from the comfort of home.
But Making Zen has never been about trying to complete every workshop or creating the perfect finished project.
It's about curiosity. It's about discovering a technique you've never encountered before, learning from an artist on the other side of the world, finding inspiration in materials you already have, and remembering how good it can feel to simply sit down and make something with your hands.
It's also about community. Thousands of makers from around the world come together during Making Zen to share their projects, encourage one another, ask questions, celebrate wonky first attempts, and experience the retreat together.
Whether you've been creating for decades or you're only beginning to explore your creative side, you belong here. There is no pressure to keep up, no expectation of perfection, and no need to arrive with a particular skill level.
Just bring your curiosity. 📅 September 28 – October 2, 2026 🧵 30+ artists & creative teachers 🧵 Completely online, join us from anywhere 🎟️ FREE to attend Registration is now open at makingzen.com. Come learn something new, meet some wonderful makers, and give yourself five days to follow wherever your creativity leads.
This is always one of my favourite announcements to make. For our next Making Zen Online Retreat, we're bringing together 30 incredible artists and creative teachers from around the world for five days of making, learning, experimenting, and connecting.
Each artist brings something uniquely their own to Making Zen, their creative practice, techniques, traditions, stories, and ways of seeing the world through their craft.
Throughout the retreat, you'll have the opportunity to step inside their creative worlds and explore a beautiful variety of textile and slow-craft techniques. Some may feel familiar, while others might introduce you to materials, methods, and ideas you've never considered trying before.
And that's part of the magic of Making Zen. You don't have to arrive knowing exactly what you want to learn. You can simply follow your curiosity and see where it takes you. 🧵
Over the coming weeks, we'll be introducing you to our artists, sharing workshop sneak peeks, and giving you a closer look at everything waiting for you this September.
For now, take a look at this incredible lineup! Who are you excited to learn from? 👇
📅 September 28 – October 2, 2026 🌎 Online & join from anywhere 🎟️ FREE to attend Register for your free ticket at makingzen.com
Have you ever proudly shown someone something you've made, only to be asked: "But what is it for?"
It's such a simple question, but it can make us feel as though our creativity needs to justify itself. Does it need to become a cushion, a bag, a garment, or something useful before the time we spent making it was worthwhile?
I don't think so.
Sometimes we stitch because we want to see what two colours look like together. Sometimes we're curious about a texture or want to practise a new technique. Sometimes our hands simply need something to do while our minds become quiet.
And sometimes we make something simply because making it feels good. There is enormous value in creating practical things, I certainly love a project that eventually finds a useful place in my life! But I also think we need space in our creative practices where usefulness isn't the goal.
A sampler can simply be a sampler. An experiment can remain an experiment. A little stitched piece can exist because you enjoyed the hour you spent making it. The process itself can be enough.
So perhaps the next time someone asks, "What is it for?" the answer can simply be: "It was for me to make."
What if you gave yourself permission to create without worrying about whether you were doing it “right”?
To try a technique simply because it fascinated you. To make wonky stitches, experiment with unfamiliar materials, change your mind halfway through a project, or spend an afternoon learning something that you’ve never tried before.
That idea has always been at the heart of Making Zen. When we first created the retreat, we wanted to build something that felt different, a place where creativity wasn’t another item to tick off the to-do list.
Instead, Making Zen became a place to slow down, learn from incredible artists and teachers, connect with makers around the world, and remember what it feels like to create simply because the process brings you joy.
And soon, we’re doing it all over again.
The next Making Zen Online Retreat is happening September 28 – October 2, 2026, and behind the scenes our artists have been busy preparing an entirely new collection of workshops for you.
There are new techniques to discover, new artists to meet, new projects to explore, and, if previous retreats have taught us anything, probably a few unexpected creative rabbit holes to wander down along the way.
We’ll begin revealing more very soon.
Until then, I’d love to hear from our Making Zen community: If you could spend five days learning something completely new, what creative technique would you love to explore?
What if you gave yourself permission to create without worrying about whether you were doing it “right”?
To try a technique simply because it fascinated you. To make wonky stitches, experiment with unfamiliar materials, change your mind halfway through a project, or spend an afternoon learning something that you’ve never tried before.
That idea has always been at the heart of Making Zen. When we first created the retreat, we wanted to build something that felt different, a place where creativity wasn’t another item to tick off the to-do list.
Instead, Making Zen became a place to slow down, learn from incredible artists and teachers, connect with makers around the world, and remember what it feels like to create simply because the process brings you joy.
And soon, we’re doing it all over again.
The next Making Zen Online Retreat is happening September 28 – October 2, 2026, and behind the scenes our artists have been busy preparing an entirely new collection of workshops for you.
There are new techniques to discover, new artists to meet, new projects to explore, and, if previous retreats have taught us anything, probably a few unexpected creative rabbit holes to wander down along the way.
We’ll begin revealing more very soon.
Until then, I’d love to hear from our Making Zen community: If you could spend five days learning something completely new, what creative technique would you love to explore?
There’s something quietly taking shape behind the scenes… 🧵
For the past few months, our inboxes, studios, and screens have been filled with conversations, creative ideas, beautiful textiles, workshop plans, and glimpses of projects that we’ve been trying very hard not to share just yet.
Which can only mean one thing… Making Zen is coming back.
From September 28 – October 2, we’ll once again be gathering makers and artists from around the world for five days devoted to creativity, curiosity, and the joy of making with our hands.
If you’ve joined us before, you know there’s something rather special about Making Zen week. It’s not about racing through every workshop or trying to create everything perfectly. It’s about discovering new techniques, meeting artists you may never have encountered otherwise, following the ideas that spark something in you, and sharing the experience with a wonderfully encouraging creative community.
And if you’ve never joined us before? We cannot wait to welcome you into this little corner of the creative world.
We’re not quite ready to show you what we’ve been working on… But we will be very soon. For now, save the dates: September 28 – October 2, 2026. More Making Zen goodness is on the way.
One of the themes that kept appearing as I wrote this month's blog was the idea of listening.
Not listening for instructions or trying to perfect every stitch.
Listening to ourselves. Listening to our hands when they become tired. Listening to our eyes when they ask for a break. Listening to our posture before our shoulders begin to ache.
It's easy to think that slow stitching simply refers to the speed of our needle.
But perhaps it's really about slowing ourselves enough to notice what our bodies have been trying to tell us all along.
I've shared some of my favourite habits for stitching comfortably, and safely, in this month's blog.
I hope it encourages you to care for yourself with the same gentleness you bring to every stitch.
One of the simplest ways to make your stitching practice more enjoyable has nothing to do with the needle, the thread, or even the fabric. It has to do with the light around you.
When we can see our stitches clearly, something shifts. Our eyes don't have to work quite so hard, our shoulders naturally begin to relax, and we find ourselves able to settle into the gentle rhythm of stitching much more comfortably. It's one of those small details that's easy to overlook until we've experienced the difference.
I've found that the changing seasons often invite me to rethink my stitching space. The chair by the window that was flooded with afternoon sunshine a few months ago may now be a little dimmer, or I might find myself reaching for a task lamp as the evenings grow longer. Rather than seeing this as an inconvenience, I like to think of it as another way of caring for my creative practice.
Our eyes do an incredible amount of work every time we stitch. They notice tiny details, guide every stitch, and help us appreciate the beautiful textures and patterns that emerge along the way. They deserve the same kindness we show our hands.
One habit I've found especially helpful is following the 20-20-20 rule. Every twenty minutes, I pause to look at something about twenty feet away for twenty seconds. It's a wonderfully simple way to give my eyes a chance to rest before returning to my work with fresh focus.
Sometimes the smallest adjustments make the biggest difference. A little more light. A short pause. A moment to look up.
They're gentle reminders that slow stitching isn't only about caring for our projects, it's also about caring for ourselves.
Do you have a favourite place to stitch? Is it by a sunny window, in a cosy reading chair, or perhaps beside a favourite lamp?
Zen Stitching
A huge Making Zen thank you to our wonderful Platinum Sponsor, Snuggly Monkey!
If you’ve been part of the textile arts community for a while, there’s a good chance Snuggly Monkey has already found its way into your creative world. From beautiful threads and fabrics to thoughtfully selected tools and supplies, Snuggly Monkey is all about helping makers find the materials that make creating even more joyful.
And this Making Zen, we get to go a little further behind the scenes!
🧵Hear from Snuggly Monkey LIVE!🧵
On Day One of the retreat, we’ll be joined by Claudia Martinez of Snuggly Monkey for a special live Zoom webinar. All participants can attend this LIVE event! No VIP pass required.
Claudia will be sharing more about her business, her own crafting journey, and the story behind Snuggly Monkey. It’s a wonderful opportunity to get to know the person behind a business that has become such a beloved part of the stitching community.
We are incredibly grateful to Snuggly Monkey for supporting Making Zen as a Platinum Sponsor and helping us bring another retreat filled with creativity, learning, and connection to makers around the world.
Be sure to add Claudia’s live session to your Making Zen plans, you won’t want to miss it!
💙 Making Zen Online Retreat
📅 September 28 – October 2, 2026
🌎 Online from wherever you are
🧵www.makingzen.com/
#MakingZen #MakingZen2026 #SnugglyMonkey #PlatinumSponsor #TextileArt #FiberArt #SlowStitching #MindfulMaking #CreativeCommunity #HandStitching
6 days ago | [YT] | 6
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Zen Stitching
If you've been seeing Making Zen pop up in your feed lately and wondering what exactly everyone is getting excited about, let us introduce you. 🧵
Making Zen is a FREE five-day online creative retreat, bringing together 30 artists and teachers from around the world to share their knowledge, creativity, and love of making by hand.
From September 28 – October 2, you'll be invited to explore a beautiful collection of workshops centred around textile arts, slow craft, creativity, and mindful making, all from the comfort of home.
But Making Zen has never been about trying to complete every workshop or creating the perfect finished project.
It's about curiosity.
It's about discovering a technique you've never encountered before, learning from an artist on the other side of the world, finding inspiration in materials you already have, and remembering how good it can feel to simply sit down and make something with your hands.
It's also about community. Thousands of makers from around the world come together during Making Zen to share their projects, encourage one another, ask questions, celebrate wonky first attempts, and experience the retreat together.
Whether you've been creating for decades or you're only beginning to explore your creative side, you belong here. There is no pressure to keep up, no expectation of perfection, and no need to arrive with a particular skill level.
Just bring your curiosity.
📅 September 28 – October 2, 2026
🧵 30+ artists & creative teachers
🧵 Completely online, join us from anywhere
🎟️ FREE to attend
Registration is now open at makingzen.com.
Come learn something new, meet some wonderful makers, and give yourself five days to follow wherever your creativity leads.
#MakingZen #MakingZen2026 #OnlineArtRetreat #CreativeRetreat #TextileArt #FiberArt #MindfulMaking #SlowCrafting #CreativeCommunity #HandStitching #CreativeWellbeing
1 week ago | [YT] | 8
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Zen Stitching
Meet the Artists of Making Zen
This is always one of my favourite announcements to make.
For our next Making Zen Online Retreat, we're bringing together 30 incredible artists and creative teachers from around the world for five days of making, learning, experimenting, and connecting.
Each artist brings something uniquely their own to Making Zen, their creative practice, techniques, traditions, stories, and ways of seeing the world through their craft.
Throughout the retreat, you'll have the opportunity to step inside their creative worlds and explore a beautiful variety of textile and slow-craft techniques. Some may feel familiar, while others might introduce you to materials, methods, and ideas you've never considered trying before.
And that's part of the magic of Making Zen.
You don't have to arrive knowing exactly what you want to learn. You can simply follow your curiosity and see where it takes you. 🧵
Over the coming weeks, we'll be introducing you to our artists, sharing workshop sneak peeks, and giving you a closer look at everything waiting for you this September.
For now, take a look at this incredible lineup! Who are you excited to learn from? 👇
📅 September 28 – October 2, 2026
🌎 Online & join from anywhere
🎟️ FREE to attend
Register for your free ticket at makingzen.com
#MakingZen #MakingZen2026 #MeetTheArtists #TextileArtists #TextileArt #CreativeRetreat #OnlineArtRetreat #MindfulMaking #SlowCrafting #CreativeCommunity #HandStitching #FiberArt
1 week ago | [YT] | 11
View 0 replies
Zen Stitching
Have you ever proudly shown someone something you've made, only to be asked:
"But what is it for?"
It's such a simple question, but it can make us feel as though our creativity needs to justify itself.
Does it need to become a cushion, a bag, a garment, or something useful before the time we spent making it was worthwhile?
I don't think so.
Sometimes we stitch because we want to see what two colours look like together. Sometimes we're curious about a texture or want to practise a new technique. Sometimes our hands simply need something to do while our minds become quiet.
And sometimes we make something simply because making it feels good.
There is enormous value in creating practical things, I certainly love a project that eventually finds a useful place in my life! But I also think we need space in our creative practices where usefulness isn't the goal.
A sampler can simply be a sampler.
An experiment can remain an experiment.
A little stitched piece can exist because you enjoyed the hour you spent making it.
The process itself can be enough.
So perhaps the next time someone asks, "What is it for?" the answer can simply be:
"It was for me to make."
#ZenStitching #CreativePlay #SlowStitching #MindfulMaking #CreativePractice #TextileArt #HandStitching #CreativityForJoy #MindfulCreativity
1 week ago | [YT] | 36
View 2 replies
Zen Stitching
What if you gave yourself permission to create without worrying about whether you were doing it “right”?
To try a technique simply because it fascinated you.
To make wonky stitches, experiment with unfamiliar materials, change your mind halfway through a project, or spend an afternoon learning something that you’ve never tried before.
That idea has always been at the heart of Making Zen.
When we first created the retreat, we wanted to build something that felt different, a place where creativity wasn’t another item to tick off the to-do list.
Instead, Making Zen became a place to slow down, learn from incredible artists and teachers, connect with makers around the world, and remember what it feels like to create simply because the process brings you joy.
And soon, we’re doing it all over again.
The next Making Zen Online Retreat is happening September 28 – October 2, 2026, and behind the scenes our artists have been busy preparing an entirely new collection of workshops for you.
There are new techniques to discover, new artists to meet, new projects to explore, and, if previous retreats have taught us anything, probably a few unexpected creative rabbit holes to wander down along the way.
We’ll begin revealing more very soon.
Until then, I’d love to hear from our Making Zen community:
If you could spend five days learning something completely new, what creative technique would you love to explore?
#MakingZen #MakingZen2026 #ZenStitching #MindfulMaking #SlowCrafting #CreativeRetreat #TextileArts #CreativeCommunity #MindfulCreativity #Handmade
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 18
View 0 replies
Zen Stitching
What if you gave yourself permission to create without worrying about whether you were doing it “right”?
To try a technique simply because it fascinated you.
To make wonky stitches, experiment with unfamiliar materials, change your mind halfway through a project, or spend an afternoon learning something that you’ve never tried before.
That idea has always been at the heart of Making Zen.
When we first created the retreat, we wanted to build something that felt different, a place where creativity wasn’t another item to tick off the to-do list.
Instead, Making Zen became a place to slow down, learn from incredible artists and teachers, connect with makers around the world, and remember what it feels like to create simply because the process brings you joy.
And soon, we’re doing it all over again.
The next Making Zen Online Retreat is happening September 28 – October 2, 2026, and behind the scenes our artists have been busy preparing an entirely new collection of workshops for you.
There are new techniques to discover, new artists to meet, new projects to explore, and, if previous retreats have taught us anything, probably a few unexpected creative rabbit holes to wander down along the way.
We’ll begin revealing more very soon.
Until then, I’d love to hear from our Making Zen community:
If you could spend five days learning something completely new, what creative technique would you love to explore?
#MakingZen #MakingZen2026 #ZenStitching #MindfulMaking #SlowCrafting #CreativeRetreat #TextileArts #CreativeCommunity #MindfulCreativity #Handmade
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 9
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Zen Stitching
Every experienced stitcher was once a beginner.
There was a first needle to thread.
A first running stitch.
A first knot that didn't quite work the way it was supposed to.
It's easy to look at beautiful finished pieces and forget that every maker begins exactly the same way, one stitch at a time.
If you've been curious about Sashiko but haven't quite known where to begin, I'd love to help make those first steps feel a little less overwhelming.
That's exactly why I created my free Sashiko Essentials: From First Stitch to Mastery guide.
It's designed to gently introduce you to the tools, techniques, and confidence you need to begin your own stitching journey.
Every beautiful piece begins with a single stitch.
Perhaps yours begins today.
You can download it here:
www.zenstitching.ca/sashiko-essentials
#ZenStitching #LearnSashiko #Sashiko #SlowStitching #MindfulMaking #CreativePractice
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 8
View 0 replies
Zen Stitching
There’s something quietly taking shape behind the scenes… 🧵
For the past few months, our inboxes, studios, and screens have been filled with conversations, creative ideas, beautiful textiles, workshop plans, and glimpses of projects that we’ve been trying very hard not to share just yet.
Which can only mean one thing…
Making Zen is coming back.
From September 28 – October 2, we’ll once again be gathering makers and artists from around the world for five days devoted to creativity, curiosity, and the joy of making with our hands.
If you’ve joined us before, you know there’s something rather special about Making Zen week. It’s not about racing through every workshop or trying to create everything perfectly. It’s about discovering new techniques, meeting artists you may never have encountered otherwise, following the ideas that spark something in you, and sharing the experience with a wonderfully encouraging creative community.
And if you’ve never joined us before? We cannot wait to welcome you into this little corner of the creative world.
We’re not quite ready to show you what we’ve been working on…
But we will be very soon.
For now, save the dates: September 28 – October 2, 2026.
More Making Zen goodness is on the way.
#MakingZen #MakingZen2026 #ZenStitching #MindfulMaking #SlowCrafting #TextileArt #CreativeCommunity #CreativeRetreat #HandStitching #SlowStitching
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 4
View 0 replies
Zen Stitching
One of the themes that kept appearing as I wrote this month's blog was the idea of listening.
Not listening for instructions or trying to perfect every stitch.
Listening to ourselves.
Listening to our hands when they become tired.
Listening to our eyes when they ask for a break.
Listening to our posture before our shoulders begin to ache.
It's easy to think that slow stitching simply refers to the speed of our needle.
But perhaps it's really about slowing ourselves enough to notice what our bodies have been trying to tell us all along.
I've shared some of my favourite habits for stitching comfortably, and safely, in this month's blog.
I hope it encourages you to care for yourself with the same gentleness you bring to every stitch.
You can read it here:
www.zenstitching.ca/blog/sashiko-101-sewing-safely
#ZenStitching #SlowStitching #MindfulMaking #Sashiko #CreativePractice
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 9
View 0 replies
Zen Stitching
One of the simplest ways to make your stitching practice more enjoyable has nothing to do with the needle, the thread, or even the fabric.
It has to do with the light around you.
When we can see our stitches clearly, something shifts. Our eyes don't have to work quite so hard, our shoulders naturally begin to relax, and we find ourselves able to settle into the gentle rhythm of stitching much more comfortably. It's one of those small details that's easy to overlook until we've experienced the difference.
I've found that the changing seasons often invite me to rethink my stitching space. The chair by the window that was flooded with afternoon sunshine a few months ago may now be a little dimmer, or I might find myself reaching for a task lamp as the evenings grow longer. Rather than seeing this as an inconvenience, I like to think of it as another way of caring for my creative practice.
Our eyes do an incredible amount of work every time we stitch. They notice tiny details, guide every stitch, and help us appreciate the beautiful textures and patterns that emerge along the way. They deserve the same kindness we show our hands.
One habit I've found especially helpful is following the 20-20-20 rule. Every twenty minutes, I pause to look at something about twenty feet away for twenty seconds. It's a wonderfully simple way to give my eyes a chance to rest before returning to my work with fresh focus.
Sometimes the smallest adjustments make the biggest difference.
A little more light.
A short pause.
A moment to look up.
They're gentle reminders that slow stitching isn't only about caring for our projects, it's also about caring for ourselves.
Do you have a favourite place to stitch? Is it by a sunny window, in a cosy reading chair, or perhaps beside a favourite lamp?
#ZenStitching #Sashiko #SlowStitching #MindfulMaking #SewingTips #CreativePractice #HandStitching #CreativeWellbeing #TextileArt
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 28
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