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[bagelsmendsandbagelsmakes]

Monstrous Agonies patch :)

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I’ve been a fan of Monstrous Agonies (over at @monstrousproductions) for several months now, and wanted to make a patch of the logo. This fantasy podcast is told in the form of the advice segment of the only dedicated UK radio station for the liminal community, and it’s packed full with queer allegories and heartfelt characters (also puns. There are so many puns it’s great).

This is probably the most embroidery I’ve done for a patch (I think at least 6 hours? I split it over two days). I used denim as a backing so the fabric wouldn’t pucker or bunch, and the green material is folded under itself and attached to the main fabric with invisible stitch. I sketched on the pattern before sewing it as well. It’s currently about 4” by 4” (about 10cm by 10cm), which wound up being a pretty good size for all the itty bitty details.

[bagelsmendsandbagelsmakes]

The Vesta Clinic patch!

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I listened to @vestaclinicpod a little while ago, and wanted to make a patch for it! It’s a lovely sci-if show that follows Doctor Faye Underwood as she sees patients from across the galaxy and does her best to help them, and I highly recommend it (there’s also a very sarcastic sentient robot who wholly communicates in beeps and boops, if that strikes your fancy).

I used some denim for the backing to give it more support, and sketched the design on with a blue pencil before sewing over it with primarily chain stitch—well, reverse chain stitch, but who’s counting. It’s about 3” by 3” (7.5cm by 7.5cm), though the extra material isn’t stitched down yet so that might get adjusted when I actually sew the patch onto something.

[bagelsmendsandbagelsmakes]

[image description: a small quilt in different shades of green. It's divided into four to make four squares, each of which is centered around a simplified geometric frog. Each frog is made of different colors, but all of them are in neutral tones. End ID]

I completed this in October but it was a Christmas present, and the recipient has finally opened it, so I can show it off~!

This is for @gayfanboyfred who loves frogs. It was my first actual paper piecing project after learning how to foundation paper piece. 

[bagelsmendsandbagelsmakes]

ao3 patch!!!

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I'm working on making patches to go on a jacket and I'm really pleased with how this one turned out! I'm planning on putting it on one of the flaps that closes those top pockets (I'm not sure what they're called), but this is subject to change.

Notes and musings under the cut :)

The materials used for this are unbleached muslin, red embroidery thread, and some denim scraps for the backing. The other supplies included fabric scissors, pins, a clear ruler, and a blue colored pencil (I couldn't find my chalk).

I cut the denim out to match the shape I wanted, and then pinned it to the muslin and cut that to have an excess of about 3/4" (2cm) so I'd have enough to fold under after doing the embroidery. I then repinned it for the actual sewing.

I drew out the design with a blue color pencil, which worked surprisingly well. The embroidery is primarily a modified version of a twisted reverse chain stitch, where I added another twist to make it slightly less bulky. There are also some single stitches thrown in in order to fill in some of the gaps so it has a more solid look.

As of right now, I've pinned the muslin back so I can have a good sense of the finished size, and I'll fully finish it when I sew it on.

All in all, it took multiple hours, which was longer than I was anticipating since it's not that big, only about 2" by 2" (5cm by 5cm). My guess is that this is due to a combination of having to use small stitches in order to match the curvature of the design and some sections needing to be doubled to get the right variations in thickness.

[bagelsmendsandbagelsmakes]

Not only are there names, there are also different kinds of names! There are the official names (whip stitch, blanket stitch, etc), individualized names (That One Thing My Aunt Likes To Do, The Squiggly, etc), and my personal favorite kind, the combined names (alternating blanket stitch, whip knot ties the devil, etc)

it may be noted that there is an inverse relationship between how much delight I find in a stitch name and how many other people have any idea what I’m talking about. I think it’s part of the joy.

wait, there are different kinds of stitches? with names? and y'all know them, like you'll say to yourself 'I'll repair this hole with an xyz stitch'? what have I been doing the past few months, just winging it??

[bagelsmendsandbagelsmakes]

Hi! Do you also post tester calls on here, or is that an Instagram-only thing?

I tend to keep them just on instagram these days as it's a lot easier to keep organised when everything is all on one platform! 😊

[bagelsmendsandbagelsmakes]

[image descriptions: three photos of the chest and arms of a white trans person with visible top surgery scars. In each of the three photos, they have a hand gently placed on their chest, in different positions. End descriptions]

Visible Mending

My grandmother sews up the elbows of my shirt.

Patched and patterned, in garish colours

Outlandishly clear. A kind of cloth kintsugi, saying

This is not that which was here before.

Ostentatiously altered, openly repaired,

A virtue signal, I accept, but will not apologise for.

I walk the streets with solarpunk written on my arms.

Andrew sews up the flaps of my skin.

Carefully sutured, his steady hands

Bear a duty of care. These marks will scar and harden,

Swallow stitches and leave stretch-pleats.

Even when the scabs have fallen,

I stand with a form all fixed and modified,

A body I stayed with, laboured over,

Though I could have chosen to throw it out.

I stand before the mirror with trans written on my chest.

Lined and changed, my biohacked body

And rescued clothes speak prophecy to a future

As yet unnamed. I carry them both as a promise.

One on the other, endlessly whispering,

Visibly mended and always the proof

That redemption is worth the price.

I rub oil into my scars and ask

My grandmother to teach me how to sew.

[bagelsmendsandbagelsmakes]

~🌺🌼⚘Squashed Flower Stays⚘🌼🌺~

This summer I followed a workshop on natural fabric dying or tataki zomé, or as I like to call it Squashed Flower Dyeing with a Hammer!

And me being who I am, I decided to immediately graduate from test strips into making fabric for stays.

The technique of this is that flowers naturally have pigments. If you place a fresh flower on some cotton or linen, sandwich it between some more linen and smash it with a big rubber mallet, those pigments get squashed in your fabric. You get a coloured squash print of a flower or leaf:

Then you wash your fabric in iron sulfate (your fabric goes yellow and your print goes black) white vinegar (your colours stay, reds go pink) or alun/aluin (your colours fix but go more purple).

The sad thing is, the colours fade very quickly. The fresher your leaf, the brighter the mark, but even the vibrant colours fade when they come into contact with the sun :(

Anyway, it turned out very interesting and was great fun to do for an afternoon:

Stay tuned for the turning it into stays part!

(Link here when I get to that)

[bagelsmendsandbagelsmakes]

I don't know who needs to hear this, but

YOU DO NOT NEED TO START A NEW HOBBY!

STEP AWAY FROM THE TEXTILES!

YOU DON'T NEED MORE YARN!

THAT FABRIC IS NOT CALLING TO YOU! LEAVE IT ALONE!

[bagelsmendsandbagelsmakes]

Thinking of making a little rug to put next to my bed.

This article explains how to make one continuous strip of yarn out of a t-shirt. I wonder if I could use the same principle with old leggings.

[bagelsmendsandbagelsmakes]

idk if you have an instagram, but theres an account called sizeinclusivepatterns that documents patterns for knitting, crocheting, and sewing where the sizing goes up to at least 60" after accounting for ease!

this is awesome!!!!

[bagelsmendsandbagelsmakes]

Knitted Bookmark! :D

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Pattern is "Easy knitted bookmark" by Norman from Nimble Needles.

Notes on the piece under the cut

I'm really happy with how this turned out! It took me around four hours, and it was my first time working with tiny yarn and tiny needles so I count it as a big success.

If anyone else wants to try the pattern, please know that when the pattern says to yarn over, it means just move the yarn to the front of the needle, and not to move the yarn and knit a stitch. For instance, in the pattern it often goes "yarn over, knit two together," which in this case means "move yarn to the front of the needle, and then insert the needle directly into the next two stitches." I think this is probably a regional variation? Norman, who runs the blog, is from Austria, whereas most of my sources for learning what "yarn over" means are USAmerican or Canadian. The pattern could be adjusted to fit the other way of yarning over by casting on 18 stitches instead of 16, though I'm not sure how that would affect the appearance of the final bookmark.

I used US 1 (2.25mm) needles instead of the recommended US 0 (2.00mm) needles because I couldn't find the recommended size in any in-person stores, but I really like how the tension and thickness turned out so I probably won't change it if I make more of these in the future. The yarn is some lace-weight yarn my mom had leftover from an unknown project.

I did eight repeats of the main pattern, and then the final decreasing version to make the tip. For dimension approximates: until the decreases at the tip, the bookmark is 1.75" (4.5cm) wide. The main body of the bookmark is 7.75" (19cm) long, and the cord is 4.25" (11cm) long. The tassel was eyeballed, but came out to be 1.25" (4cm).

For those who are also invested in the book, it's a memoir that centers around the author's experiences with his apprenticeship as an antiquarian book seller, and the various shenanigans he gets into and characters he meets. It's by far one of my favorite books and I highly recommend it. (Please note: if you are, like me, unfamiliar with British slang, be aware that in the book, "torch" means "flashlight," not "great big burning object." Don't almost get a heart attack like I did.)

Alrighty, I think that covers it! Cheers!

[bagelsmendsandbagelsmakes]

Introductions

Hallo there! I figure I should introduce myself. As the blog description says, I'm Bagels and I use he/him pronouns. I've dabbled in various fiber arts (knitting, crochet, needle felting, embroidery, uhhh bookbinding? technically?), and am a very enthusiastic jack-of-all-trades. I've been wanting to post the stuff I do, so I figured I could make this so it's at least a little organized.

If my blog strikes your fancy and you want to follow me, please make sure that you have a title and/or chose a non-default icon so I know you're not a bot (please. Please I am begging you I don't want to block an actual person but we have been battling the bots and they show no signs of tiring)

All of my original posts with pictures will have image descriptions, and if anything needs to be clarified I will be more than happy to do so.

This will probably start out being dominated by sewing and knitting, but it's anyone's guess how long it'll stay that way. This is bound to be updated as I figure out what I'm doing, but hopefully this is a good start :)