Amanda

Midway through her MA in Creative Practice, Amanda Danells-Bewley is carving out a distinctive approach rooted in nature, sewing, and mindful making. We spoke to her about her creative journey so far, her upcoming exhibition, and the ways slow stitching is helping her (and others) reconnect with a gentler pace of life.

“I’ve always loved sewing, but combine it with being outdoors and it’s a whole different level of joy! With a background in garden design and a magpie-level love for found and sustainable materials, I’m endlessly fascinated by the prospect of making things that connect to the natural world around me.

From spending holidays under canvas in my formative years to bimbling around Europe in our VW campervan in my later ones, I love being outside, in nature, soaking up the weather and scenery. Being outdoors is a way of life.

Each morning, I head out with a coffee to sit and listen to the birds. If it’s nippy, I settle into the potting shed and watch the garden wake up. Then I wander around the garden, having a look at what is happening that day. These two early-morning routines - sitting and noticing, walking and observing - really set me up for the day ahead. Lately, they’ve also been a huge inspiration for my stitched work.

I’ve been sewing since I was 8 years old. With two grandmas who were seamstresses, it must have been in the stars for me to be continually drawn back to sewing and stitching.

Preparing for a First Exhibition

This summer, I’m also taking a big step as a maker artist: I’ll be holding my very first exhibition in my garden workshop. It’s a mix of excitement and nerves - this is the first time I’ve created a full body of work to share since my O-Level art course at school!

The exhibition is closely linked to my MA in Creative Practice, which has been pushing me to think about my work more deliberately and explore how mindful making, stitching, and observation of the natural world can come together in a cohesive way. The pieces will feature birds, elements of the landscape (including my garden), and a small retrospective of stitched works I’ve done over the years but never shared.

I’ve been experimenting with single-colour stitching and folk-art-inspired pieces, and I love the similarities to lino printing in how this style can look.

Create And Flo Workshops

Alongside creating my own work, I also run my Create and Flo slow stitching workshops. After my own experience of burnout, I wanted to find a way to share something that had genuinely helped me in my recovery. The mindful making sessions that I’m developing are ideal for those for whom life feels a bit too fast and who want to take a gentle pause to rest.

I love seeing people slow down and leave with a sense of calm and satisfaction. Even small creative moments can make a big difference in how they feel.

The current workshops are focused around slow sewing sessions. It’s not about skill or perfection, but instead encouraging people to experiment and find a little space to breathe.

Each session usually starts with a grounding exercise to help people leave the pace of everyday life behind. From there, we move into stitching, sketching, and exploring textures, all while chatting, laughing, and sometimes sharing a quiet moment of observation. At some point, there is always cake! By the end, we close with a gentle meditation so everyone leaves feeling rested and recharged.

Mindful making, and slow stitching specifically, isn’t just about making things - it’s about slowing down and having fun with the patterns and materials that we find all around us.”

Thanks so much Amanda for sharing your creative practice with us!