The Art of Slow Craft: Handmade Elegance in a Fast World
Being creative – the slow craft I find being constantly on the move exhausting; I just can’t do it (I need a nap most days). Being somewhat rebellious and going against the trend, I’ve found my own way to live quietly and embrace slow craft. Thinking back, a flatmate looked at me, bewildered, as I petit point embroidered a magnificent Dutch embroidery, and said, “I’m sure you were born in the wrong century.”. Actually, I’m sure a lot of artists and creatives have heard that before too!
Slowing down and being crafty for me two main reasons:
I have an unreliable body. I have a connective tissue disorder that means I am not able to rely on my body for energy, fitness or mobility. Sometimes I’m going well, and then I’ll twist my knee and be immobilised for days. So, I settle in at home, and focus on natural beauty, colour connections, stitching, beading, designing, and painting. It’s a fabulous distraction and great for my mental health. (The washing does pile up though as we have stairs in our house.)
I truly love creating and take tremendous delight in bringing something beautiful to life. This means that I’ll be looking outside and suddenly a new idea will say hello. These inspirations keep my ideas book full and my brain able to find something that is right for the day, especially when my body is wanting a very quiet day.
Importantly, these things all change the way my neurons are connecting and my design and art creatively lifts my spirits.
Slow craft, for me, is a mindset as much as a method. It’s about respecting my beautiful materials and my creative process to produce something wonderful. Sometimes I know what I want to produce and other times I pick up some thread and felt and see what happens, which can take hours or days. Slow craft allows ideas and forms to unfold naturally, just as the slow food movement showed how much more delicious food could be when flavours were allowed to develop over hours.
Elegant yet sustainable I’ve learned that sustainability doesn’t have to look rough or unfinished, it can be beautiful, to the point of being exquisite. I won’t forget the day that a friend told me to use this word (exquisite) to describe some of my paintings. For my felt work, I select wool blend (not acrylic) felt, glass (not plastic) beads, and cotton embroidery threads – thanks to DMC for their amazing range. I minimise waste (with a box of all-size felt scraps that always come in handy), choose materials that last, and I honour what I use, making my pieces more meaningful and sustainable.
Authenticity and the artist I believe the maker’s touch should be visible. I was recently asked by a gallery for the originals of my watercolour prints (see my shop), but I demurred, thinking that there were too many blotches and imperfections on the paper. I’ve since had a change of heart and realise that nothing is perfect, and that the irregularities are what give a handmade image or felt decoration its soul. When someone holds one of my creations, they hold a piece of time, effort, and care, not something manufactured in moments, or mass produced.
There’s a real value in owning something handmade.
The elegance of time To me, choosing slow craft as my metier is choosing sense over speed, and artistry over excess. It resonates with me as I simply hate plastic, pollution and waste. I dream of a return to a more natural rhythm, where sustainability, authenticity, and elegance come together. So, go to a place that you love, browse through a book, or Instagram/Pinterest page that inspires you. That may be enough for you to slow down, but if not, pick up a needle or brush, and rediscover the grace and satisfaction of the handmade.
Best wishes, Sara
Visit Sara Meade Design to explore my exquisite range of watercolour prints, gorgeous greeting cards, and my stunning 2026 calendars are SELLING FAST! I also sell elegantly embroidered and embellished fantastic felt ornaments with an Aotearoa-theme, and downloadable DIY instructions for the felt pōhutukawa heart and Xmas tree ornaments are ready too. My latest release is fully-equipped DIY craft kits for these Xmas tree and heart ornaments, along with PDF knitting patterns for bouncing babies and cosy toes. And don’t forget to sign up for our giveaways!
Get ready for some Christmas shopping!!
Grass to sun
When I was first starting out with watercolour, I spent some time experimenting with the way water disturbs the pigment from my brush. Grass to sun is a product of one such experiment. I also find lovely calmness in letting loose and allowing the paint brush to guide my hand as opposed to using a more calculated approach. Doing this exercise allows my mind to wander, and this painting reminds me of a memory with my children from our time in France, when we walked along the edge of a crop field at sunset. Since the moment I made that connection, this painting stopped looking like simple lines over paper — all I see now is that beautiful evening by the field.
