Stitching: Spiritual or not?

Stitching refers to a range of textile crafts which involve use of needles, such as sewing, knitting, crochet, tapestry, embroidery or quilting to create clothing, homewares or other objects. Mostly undertaken by women, there have long been stitchers for whom this activity is inherently a spiritual activity. The rhythmic pattern of the work is said to enable mindful practice or a space to meditate on other concerns or contemplation on religious or spiritual texts, and the connections enabled through stitching may be significant. Stitching has traditionally been a way in which women could mould their identities while helping one another or making charitable donations. At the same time, stitching can aid processes of mourning, remembering and resistance. However, there are many women for whom stitching is the antithesis of an activity which they would denote as being spiritual, especially those for whom stitching is a task or chore they are required to undertake. Stitching has become associated with exploitative practices, including poor pay and poor working conditions. In contrast to those who stitch by choice and can exercise agency over what and when they create, those who stitch for a living are subject to timelines and restrictions on what they create, and hence are less likely to experience stitching as a spiritual activity. This paper contributes to the spirituality literature by demonstrating why a generalised delineation of actions per se, as spiritual or not, is problematic.