Stay Home collecting project
*Header image credited to Life Under Lockdown
Stitching Teabags
Pina, from Peterborough in Cambridgeshire
I started a lockdown project of stitching teabags and family and friends nearby have all contributed to it. There’s a collection of over 300 so far and it’s still growing.
Tea ritual is so important to my relationships. I chose the tea bags for this reason and because they are free materials available at home. I could contact and connect with others and would stitch part of our conversation into the bags. It’s a very portable project and doesn’t take up much room around the house.
I feel extremely grateful for my home. I have worked very hard all my life and now I’m reaping the benefits. Although my teaching work has had to move online and there’s less of it, I still feel pretty lucky.
Rediscovering my talents
Chantelle lives in a modern two-bedroom first floor flat with a communal space in Surrey with her two daughters, aged seven and ten.
“I’m feeling very artsy right now whereas I changed from that years ago to being a mum. I have taken out my artwork from university and made various garments – I studied fashion nearly 20 years ago. My front room looks like an art gallery/photo shoot room. And I painted a wall mural, which was a big risk, but it happened and I’m proud of it. Normally I’d be a constant taxi from college to school run and kids’ club after school so never really at home. Looking at my work has made me realise how much my confidence has grown over the years.”
Our home is now his classroom
Mrs B lives with her husband, 13-year- old son hire and 16-year-old daughter in a three bedroomed detached house in Leicestershire
“We love our home. It is our safe place but realise it's the people in it that are far more important. My son is non-verbal severely autistic, so he has taken some time to adjust. He would run and hide from the vacuum and the electric mixer, because of the noise but now, as part of his new routine, he bakes cupcakes every day (using an electric mixer) and helps me vacuum... both massive positives to come out of the pandemic.”
Our relationships have got stronger
Lahiru lives in Ruislip in West London in a two bedroom flat with his wife and their two-year-old daughter.
“Our home has now turned into the multi-functional centre of our lives and we still do most of what we used to do before lockdown, just in our open plan living room!
We work, cook, exercise, play, hang out with friends and relatives (virtually) all in the same space.
Our relationships have got stronger. We have had time to spend properly with one another without rushing off here and there. Being 'stuck' at home meant that we have had to be creative about entertaining and stimulating our daughter as well which has been a lot of fun.”
“The wreath I made from flowers in the garden for my Darling Norman – there were no florists open because of the virus.” - Pamela from Kendal