i made 24 blue amulets in preparation for a class i taught last week.
stitching is part of my fabric. i can work for hours with a needle and thread, turning the vision in my head into something tangible. i move through this process intuitively, without a specific formula or obvious structure. when something has become so natural, how do you put the details into words? in preparation for teaching a virtual blue amulet class, i made 24 blue amulets. i needed to carefully walk through each step to understand my own method.



i created these pieces with the intention of finding a specific and prescriptive path to follow, but what this process really affirmed is that the beauty lays in the deviation. i needed to create a sequence of steps from beginning to end with room for straying along the way. i think this branching off creates interest to the maker and to the finished pieces.



the blue amulets that i made for my class are available in my shop.
this project first stemmed from a towering pile of indigo-dyed linen that sits on the table next to my writing desk. the subtle shades of blues and greens are mesmerizing to me, a whole spectrum of sky and sea tones pulled from the leaves of one humble plant. each amulet is hand stitched out of indigo-dyed linen and has beads or antique sequins incorporated into the design. amulets are lightly stuffed with crushed walnut shells and buckwheat hulls and hang from a 40” hand-torn indigo-dyed silk ribbon. they vary in size (the largest is 2 x 3” and the smallest is .75 x 2”), most average 1.5 x 1.5.”  each amulet comes tucked inside an indigo-dyed muslin bag. these one-of-a-kind lucky charms are a treasure to wear or to hang as a decoration to protect and inspire. hang one from a wall, from your rear-view mirror, over your bed, in a shrine... they make a very special gift.

would you like to make your own blue amulets?
the DIY blue amulet kit includes the materials to make at least two stitched and embellished amulets (one necklace and one pin). this process is a balance of creative (shape and decoration) and mechanical/technical (assembly) and i delight in the overlap between the two. the technical aspects can be very creative as there are so many ways to finish each piece. amulets are a way to incorporate favorite charms, beads, buttons, fabric scraps, and stitch patterns. i like to tuck words – a little mantra to myself, a memory to hold close, an ode to a person i love, a reminder – inside my amulets. this project connects so many disjointed pieces into one cohesive, treasured object.

blue amulet DIY kit contents:
• (2) 2 x 2” square of indigo dyed organic linen fabric (blue tones vary)
• (1) 2 x 4” piece of indigo dyed organic linen fabric (blue tones vary)
• 4 colors of embroidery floss
• 5g crushed walnut shells
• 2g buckwheat hulls
• 3g of assorted beads and fabric scraps
• (1) 48 x .25” charcoal silk ribbon dyed with oak galls
• (1) hand sewing needle
• (1) straight pin
• (1) collarless safety pin
• inspiration booklet with color photos
• full page of stitch designs

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i love to stitch blue amulets on the road. find projects to complete your own traveling sewing kit in my collection of over 50 free sewing tutorials.
happy stitching!

PS: myra oversaw the making of my 24 blue amulets.