Postcards are sew inspiring to get mental health message across
Positive quotes to be stitched into quilt for project
A crafter is planning to sew together a quilt of positive and uplifting quotes on mental health.
Catherine McAtier is an embroidery and textile artist who set up What If, a social enterprise promoting creativity and wellbeing in Moss Street, Paisley.
She runs regular craft sessions in the building and has launched a new year-long project entitled, Postcards from the Edge of the Rabbit Hole of Normal.
She’s asking people to write comments or quotes on the theme of mental health on postcards which she has available in What If.
Then they’re welcome to either embroider the statement themselves onto a piece of cloth or she or one of the groups which use the space will do it.
The aim is that next year all the squares will make at least one quilt to go on display for the Scottish Mental Health Arts festival.
Catherine said: “I’m planning to have some groups that come in here to do some of the embroidery and some workshops during the year building up to next May.
“By the time next year’s Mental Health Arts Festival comes around we’ll have the quilt on display.
“The statements are along the lines of what everybody wishes people realised and knew about mental health.
“I talk a lot about how crafts helps mindfulness, it takes you out of your head.
“People tell me time and time again how relaxing it is.
“There’s also an activist side to it, putting these messages across as well.”
Some comments and quotes so far include the famous lyric from singer Leonard Cohen, “There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in,” another is “Mental health can be good as well as bad,” and “How important you are and how much you matter always”.
People can get involved by popping in to What If and writing what you feel on a postcard. The postcards will then be embroidered by Catherine or members of the groups.
Catherine said she’s had the idea for the quilt for a couple of years but feels it’s more relevant this year after what people have been through.
“Some of the groups have started coming back to What If,” she said, “and one person said they hadn’t been out the house since Christmas.
“It’s been a scary time for a lot of people.”
To find out more about What If and its opening times, go to www. facebook.com/WhatIfPaisley
The statements are along the lines of what everybody wishes people realised about mental health