Slow Stitch: Mindful And Contemplative Textile Art, Claire Wellesley-Smith

Slow Stitch is a beautifully meditative guide to embracing a gentler pace in textile art—one that values quality, materiality and presence over speed and perfection. Claire Wellesley-Smith invites readers to reconnect with traditional hand-stitching rhythms, reuse and re-invent scraps of fabric, and explore simple but deeply meaningful techniques like decorative and mending-based stitching.

The book is richly illustrated throughout, showcasing work from textile artists who practice with intention. Beyond technique, it offers project ideas, reflections on limiting tools and materials, and resources toward sustainability. It’s as much about the state of mind while stitching as about the stitches themselves.

About the Author
Claire Wellesley-Smith is a textile artist based in Yorkshire, UK. She teaches widely—in adult education, schools, community projects, museums and galleries—often focusing on sustainable stitch, repurposed cloth, and traditional techniques. Her work embodies a commitment to mindful making.

Publication date: 2017
Publisher: Batsford
Pages: 128
ISBN: 9781849942997