A Dundee girl is utilizing her love of stitching and knitting to assist de-stress 1000's of individuals.
Sandra Cassidy, from Broughty Ferry, runs the town's department of Sew Assured, the UK’s solely stitching franchise.
She runs a great deal of totally different stitching, knitting and crafting lessons in Dundee - different franchisees of the corporate run websites in Glasgow and Chorley, in Lancashire.
Over 10,000 folks throughout the UK have joined their close-knit neighborhood which has de-stressing, connection and sustainability at its coronary heart.
Sandra and her staff welcome clients at any talent stage.
Along with studying new expertise - from arm knitting chunky blankets and crocheting Easter items, to creating garments and lampshades - Sandra’s mission is to steer folks to change off from their jobs and destress at Sew Assured Dundee’s stitching sanctuary.
What as soon as was a pastime is now a thriving enterprise that has seen her assist shoppers sew, knit and crochet their option to higher psychological well being, and a complete new social life in her studio.
Talking to Dundee Stay, Sandra mentioned: “So many purchasers have mentioned what a aid our lessons have been for them and a welcome distraction from Covid and different stresses.
“We’ve had a lot superb suggestions from our clients and discover it so attention-grabbing that so a lot of them work for the NHS or caregiving jobs.
“It has been such a demanding time within the healthcare trade and I’m humbled that I used to be capable of assist them by it ultimately.”
Sandra’s love for crafts was triggered after her first youngster was born when she made a quilt for the child, then rapidly shifting on to creating items and homeware for household and pals.
Sandra, who now has a staff of seven employees, added: “My shoppers have additionally mentioned how a lot the lessons helped them to deal with loneliness throughout lockdowns and gave many individuals the social repair that they so desperately craved.
“We hosted dwell sew-alongs and lessons usually and created a neighborhood of supportive and 'sewcial' folks.
“I’m determined to persuade extra folks in any line of labor that stitching is the way in which ahead to calm down and change off from the stresses of life.
“Stitching is such a tranquil exercise. It’s nearly like meditation, however on the finish of it, you are feeling an enormous sense of accomplishment that you just’ve created one thing you possibly can put on, use or reward to somebody.
“Everybody ought to have the chance to take time for themselves and stitching is, for my part, the final word self care.”
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Regardless of the challenges of the pandemic Sandra’s staff supplied clients DIY craft kits in addition to on-line zoom lessons.
Right this moment, over 1 / 4 of Sew Assured’s clientele are working within the NHS and different healthcare roles. The pastime is proving to be the final word de-stresser for these in excessive stress, care giving jobs.
A kind of which have been helped is Tayside GP, Georgie Levison, 33.
She instructed us: “I used to be all the time so eager about signing as much as the Inexperienced persons Stitching course however the programs vary from 12-15 hours over just a few days and sadly, attributable to my work and younger household, I simply didn’t have the time.
“It wasn’t till lockdown, when the Sew Assured staff took lessons on-line, that I used to be ready to enroll, and I’ve by no means seemed again!
“It was such a horrible time within the trade, and like so many others, I simply knew I wanted to do one thing to distract myself.
“Sew Assured was a lifeline for me. I received concerned in programs, dwell sew-alongs, I even entered (and gained!) considered one of their Fb design challenges.”
And the physician added: “I name it the key world of stitching and I inform anybody who will pay attention about the advantages. It’s really easy to get sucked in as a result of it’s the right steadiness between mindfulness and creativity."
Extra data on Sew Assured together with easy methods to e-book lessons could be discovered right here.
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