Sewing for an older adult with medical trauma
· Can work with many participants- into a quilt, or round-robin
· Rhythmic, meditative, quiet work,
· Self-regulation, frustration tolerance grows
· Bilateral
· Textures, haptic sense, comfort
· Clothing- presentation of self
· Mending, altering, redoing, reframing; all forms of transformation
· Portable, accessible materials
· ETC- engages emotional, kinesthetic, and cognitive simultaneously
· Flexible- can concentrate on the conversation, or on sensory input
· Something to use, show off, made from nothing
· Small area of focus to a larger area of focus, executive functioning stretched, working over a period of time to complete
· fewer boundaries to technique, supplies, size
I had a roommate in college who taught herself how to hand sew (before YouTube) from looking at machine sewn garments. She used two threaded needles simultaneously, and alternated stitches, imitating the top and bottom threads of a machine-stitched garment. This technique is overkill, but it got the job done. Also, it shows that sewing is accessible to people without needing a lot of instruction.
Sewing or needlecrafts in art therapy can begin at whatever level the participant is at, meeting them at their level, and providing them with instruction as they need. The rhythmic pull of the thread, in combination with the planning stages, provides an extension of the ETC. Touch and smell activate the sensory component, keeping the mind engaged at a low level to encourage self-regulation while allowing thoughts to filter in and out.
For those with medical trauma, the action of sewing, touching fabric, and selecting threads activate the sensory-kinesthetic level. Depicting the trauma story through needlework may give one a sense of control and agency while moving up into the upper levels of the ETC. Throughout the planning stage, cognitive and maybe symbolic components will activate. The act of sewing often resides in the kinesthetic-affective level. This level may activate a flow state, in which ruminative thoughts are dropped (Diamond & Shrira, 2018).
Needlework has been a part of many cultures as a venue of storytelling (Yi, 2020). Chilean Arpilleras and Hmong storycloths are two examples. Through cutting, piecing, and embellishing fabric with thread and knots, they will be making meaning of trauma. The knots tie together a story, metaphorically providing structure and containment. The circular boundary of an embroidery hoop or edges of the fabric also provides containment.
References
Diamond, S., & Shrira, A. (2018). Psychological vulnerability and resilience of Holocaust survivors engaged in creative art. Psychiatry Research, 264, 236-243.
