Mindful Bookbinding

Service Description

Step out of autopilot and into a slower, more intentional year. This is an invitation to gather across the seasons, to reconnect with yourself and each other, and to hand-make a book that will hold your year - stitched, written, lived. Across eight seasonal gatherings, you’ll create your own hand-sewn journal from scratch: crafting covers from reclaimed cardboard and fabric, learning Coptic stitching, and filling its pages with guided seasonal prompts, reflection, and shared moments around the table. By the end, you’ll hold a book that carries 2026 - not just dates, but meaning. No rush. No performance. Just time made visible. What to Expect: Each session aligns with the turning of the year and offers: Seasonal journal prompts for reflection and grounding Space for quiet personal work and gentle group connection Practical book-making skills you’ll use throughout the year A steady rhythm that helps you notice what’s changing, and what isn’t Some sessions may be full circles with shared discussion. Others might be quieter, more inward. Both are welcome. Session Dates (2026) Imbolc – February 1st Ostara – March 22nd Beltane – May 3rd Litha – June 28th Lughnasadh – August 9th Mabon – September 20th Samhain – November 1st Yule – December 13th Practical Details: Location: Women’s Health Hartlepool Time: From 10am Stay for an hour. Stay for lunch. Stay long enough to breathe, eat, rest, write. This space gives you permission to do what works for you. How the Space Works: This is a co-held space, not a performance and not a workshop you sit passively in. We’ll each bring what we can on that day - materials, presence, attention or just yourself - and we'll each take what’s right for us each session. You might miss a gathering; life happens. In our first session, we’ll take time to agree together what safe looks like for us, and what we each need in order to show up honestly. No perfect facilitator. No forced vulnerability. No “sacred space” cosplay. Just people around a table, honouring the season as it passes. The Commitment: £120 or 12 monthly installments of £10 This is a small, closed group and intake opens once a year only This commitment matters. Keeping the group closed allows trust to build, comfort to grow, and the journaling to go deeper, even if the sharing stays entirely private to you.