I have fallen back in love with hand sewing! – I am involved with this brilliant community tapestry project initiated by Creative Spark in Dundalk. I am so excited to be working with this fabulously talented team and this week we had the most wonderful week of engaged participants who have become involved in storytelling, sharing memories and bayeux stitch workshops. What fun! Everyone, was surprised at how quickly the day passed and the sound of laughter and hearty conversation was a pure pleasure.
This week, I stood in solidarity, at the gates of the Dáil, with Women who are physically damaged and mentally scarred by the latest health scandal that is the MESH Implant. This piece of plastic, that is used in Organ Prolapse and SUI in women and Hernia in men, is not fit for purpose. It is breaking down, eroding into organs and causing severe and permanent nerve damage. On the way up in the bus I started sewing the words onto mesh like fabric and I realised that actually there was no better way for me to contain my anger. The words themselves meant nothing but somehow stitching them in bright red meant everything! The containment within the fabric for me seemed to say what I wanted in a controlled fashion. Each deliberate placing of the needle meant I could control something over which I have no control. The racing heart was stilled and even though I didn’t know what I wanted to say the needle lead the way and just as we pulled up at O’Connell Street, I was finished and felt at peace.
That’s the power of stitch!
