It will soon be 2 years since COVID first hit the world. The shock was felt both as an individual and globally. We stayed home, did what we were told. It all felt strange and frightening, life would never be the same again. We coped, we kept our distance, washed our hands, wore masks. Clapped the NHS and key workers. Time took on a new meaning, the pace of life became slower. We baked and walked and learnt new hobbies. We appreciated what was important in the excesses of 21st living. The airports were quiet, roads empty. Town centres became ghost towns. Our hearts ached, not being able to see and hug family and friends. We were thankful for new technologies. We FaceTimed and Zoomed and WhatsApped. We reached out creatively on Instagram.

I took part in COVID projects from around the world. Slow stitching has been my saviour during the past 2 years. It’s enabled me to process the ‘new normal’ and given me a focus, helped with my wellbeing. Thank you for creating this wonderful project, it’s made me bring together different strands of my textile practice and connected me globally to other individuals.