Sip Tea and EPP Party 2024

Welcome to the 6th season of the Sip Tea and EPP party! Can you believe it’s been six wonderful years already? Time flies when we are sewing together! Over the years, we have been sharing our passion for English Paper Piecing (EPP) and hand sewing, and building an incredible community along the way. This is the fourth year that we (Irina @nordiccrafter and I, Larisa @stitchingnotes) are hosting the party together! It’s been an amazing journey, and we are thrilled to begin another year of sewing together with you.

Our party is back on the 18th of January, and we start the year with a sneak peek at our plans and a few small changes coming your way this season as well as an introduction of the party to new people.

What is Sip Tea and EPP Party?

It’s a relaxed and friendly group of crafters from around the world who come together every Thursday on Instagram to explore the amazing world of English Paper Piecing and various hand crafts. Whether you are an experienced sewist or just a beginner, we invite you to join us. We take a mindful approach to learning EPP together, growing, and creating at our own pace.

The Sip Tea and EPP party is not only about sewing projects. Whether your passion is knitting, crochet, or embroidery, there is a spot for you. Let’s all come together, sip some tea, craft together and share our projects and progress.

Benefits of slow hand crafting

Through years of experience, we have discovered the profound importance of slow hand crafting for both our mental and physical wellbeing. Mindful sewing is almost like a form of meditation. Research indicates that engaging in hands-on activities is linked to:

• Reduced stress and anxiety

• Improved relaxation

• Enhanced focus

• Fosters positive connections

• Calming racing thoughts

• Sense of accomplishment

With this in mind, we would like to emphasise the positive impact of slow hand sewing even more through our projects during this year.

When and where?

Starting on the 18th of January we will be posting (getting together virtually) every Thursday on Instagram. If you cannot join us on Thursdays, then post any time that suits you during the week, but most importantly make sure to find a few minutes in your busy day to slow down, get comfortable and craft a little bit with your hands.

Sip Tea and EPP Party plan  and what is new this year

Our focus this year is purposeful sewing. We will explore various English Paper Piecing (EPP) shapes by working on small, and easily manageable projects. We will take you through the process of preparing the fabrics, basting the shapes, putting them into simple blocks and sewing them into small, sweet and useful things with the help of our easy to follow tutorials and guidance. We will share practical tips, photos, and videos to help you learn not only the basics of English Paper Piecing, but also a variety of useful sewing techniques.

In addition to exploring the world of EPP, this year we would like to focus on advancing our Works in Progress (WIPs). To help us stay motivated and enthusiastic to work on those long forgotten projects, we are introducing “Motivational Thursdays” - a monthly gathering taking place on the last Thursday of each month.

Set yourself achievable daily or weekly goals, and find 15- 20 minutes every day to work on your WIPs. Share your progress so we can see how much you have accomplished in a month. Sewing is only a fraction of what WIP includes, it covers various hand crafts like knitting, crochet, embroidery. We invite you all to participate and share your monthly accomplishments too! 

We are looking forward to seeing your work, hearing your thoughts, ideas and answering any questions you might have along the way. The Sip Tea and EPP party brings together wonderful, kind and generous people who are keen to share their knowledge and their love for English Paper Piecing and sewing.

How to join?

Anyone is welcome to join the Sip Tea and EPP party! No matter if you are new to English Paper Piecing or an expert, join us whenever you would like to do a little bit of hand sewing, need some inspiration and encouragement to finish a project or have a tip to share.

It would be great if your Instagram account is public. This way we would be able to see your work, like it and comment on it. What if your account is not public? It's not a problem. You still can join us by liking posts, leaving comments, asking questions. You can always send Irina and I a direct message if you have a question or suggestion.

Make sure to have basic sewing and English Paper Piecing supplies ready (a fine needle, thread, some paper and fabric scraps) and a desire to learn EPP and work with your hands.

Post your photos under the #sipteaandepp hashtag, tag Irina @nordiccrafter and Larisa @stitchingnotes in the description of your post so we can easily find your photos.

We kindly ask you to visit other posts under the hashtag, like them, leave comments, answer questions or help if needed.

Why is it important to tag us and use the hashtag?

Over the years, we have noticed a trend where the #sipteaandepp hashtag is used for posts unrelated to the party. Additionally, changes in Instagram’s algorithm from last year have made it challenging to find recent posts. To reduce the time Irina and I spend scrolling through all the posts under the hashtag, we kindly ask that you tag us directly in the description of your post. This way we can promptly view your post and engage with your content. We greatly appreciate your help!

Join us in making 2024 a year dedicated to the joys of purposeful slow hand crafting and the diverse benefits it brings to our lives.

With love, Larisa and Irina xo