#and the new sewing machine should be able to sew through it

[ringenthusiast]

the skirt for my maedhros cosplay is almost done what's really delaying me is that i didn't pin down the pleats from the beginning (like i did in skirt attempt #1) and now that i need to attach the waistband it's biting me in the ass. whatever. i'm gonna work on the tabard instead and wail about it

[postanagramgenerator]

for the time being this blog is dedicated to reblogging donation posts for people suffering from the ongoing genocides. if youd like an anagram, please send me (via the submission box) proof of either donation to a fundraiser of your choice, or an esim for gaza, along with the text you would like me to anagram, through dms or the submit box. any anagram requests without proof of a donation or esim purchase will be ignored.

there are a few guidelines:

no slurs or otherwise offensive content

the more you donate, the longer the text i am willing to anagram

current campaign spotlight: ibrahim, 15 years old | @ibrahim-family | post to share | verification

below is a list of more verified accounts* who have personally reached out to me:

Mahmoud Khalaf @helpkhalaffamily, @mahmoudkhalafff: PhD student living in Ireland, 8 family members stuck in Gaza. #151 on nabulsi and el-shab-hussein's vetted fundraiser list

Tamer Al-Deeb @tameraldeeb: Dentist in Gaza, 4 family members, #191 on the vetted fundraiser list

Basil Ayyad @basel-1995: verified TWICE after being accused by high-profile blogs of being a spambot. 8 family members, #214 on the vetted fundraiser list

Mahmoud Sharif @mahmoud-sharif : trying to save his wife and 3 children with a fourth on the way, has lost an eye and finger, vetted by 90-ghost

Mahmoud Balousha @tamer200333 @5735765: is working with various intermediaries to help several different family members; he's also been the target of recent harassment. see here for links and information. verified by apollos-olives.

Doaa Jad Al Haq @free-gaza: met her initial goal to raise money for a new sewing machine for her business in Egypt now that she's evacuated, and is now hoping to make enough for a workspace and more materials. check out her designs here. reblogged by 90-ghost

Nour @nor-famaily @nourfamily1989: raising money for her husband and 5 children. initially reached out to me for help setting up a gofundme, but fortunately she was able to get in touch with the Gaza Thrift Collective and they were able to set one up for her. verified by 90-ghost and killy

Mohammed Atallah @mohammed-atallah: Mohammed is only 17 years old, and needs a bone graft after being shot with an explosive bullet. this fundraiser will also benefit his parents, siblings, and baby niece and nephew.

Hazem Khalil @hazempalestine: dentistry student living in Belgium hoping to evacuate his family. vetted by Bilal Salah, who himself is #132 on the vetted fundraiser list

Mahmoud Ayyad @mahmoudayyad: raising funds for many family members and receiving VERY few donations so far. vetted by 90-ghost

Fahed Shehab @fahedshehab-new: a family of 8 hoping to evacuate; Fahed, his wife Reem, their 5 young children, and the childrens' grandmother. vetted by el-shab-hussein

Sarah Zidan @sarazidan: a mother caring for her disabled son. vetted by el-shab-hussein and co. at gaza-evacuation-funds

Mohammed Shehab @mohammedshehabneww: a family of four seeking evacuation, including 2 children. shared by sayruq and 90-ghost

Abdul Salam Al-Anqar @nader5555: a family of seven, including two teens and one baby, who is starving. abdul's father has cancer and desperately needs treatment. #4 on the spreadsheet by GazaVetters

*when i say "verified", i mean that well-established palestinian users on this site have been able to confirm their identity via private correspondence. all users i mention as having vetted fundraisers are palestinian and have been working their asses off to help people with their fundraisers for months. they deserve every bit of love and appreciation in the world and none of us should let their efforts go unrecognized.

[gotafewtricks]

there are two main things that i love in this life: genji and plushies… what if reader makes genji plush and shows him..? would he like it? would he be like erm what the scallop? maybe this request is a little too silly… but… genji plush

★ "Don't turn me into a marketable plush!"

i am going FERAL over this ask. i literally was just thinking of that, too, today. HAPPY BIRTHDAY GENJI <33 It's okay, nothing is ever "too silly" here :3 reminds me, I think on Etsy you can commission someone to make this kitty Genji plush? Or, I'm tripping.

You figured that you'd want to go get Genji a special gift. He doesn't really mention liking much, other than musing about his early fascination with arcades and his troublemaking antics. Over the course of years and years, he's calmed down, but you do love seeing his more playful sidee shine every once in a while.

You knew that in his line of work, he doesn't expect anything for himself. The most that he could ask is just for someone's happiness and appreciation, that that's it for him to be reminded that—yes, he's doing a good job, and he's doing his best.

When he first acquired his new body, he'd be disappointed in himself; in his newfound form. Blinded by his strong, persuading emotions—there would still be times where he felt as if he didn't deserve someone's kindness. If he were to see someone who mirrored how he was back then, he could not've felt empathy—rather, a digust in seeing a spitting image of himself.

He now understands his worth and value in a greater extent now, with the help of his closest companions, mentor, and everyone... Ah, it still gives him chills whenever he thinks about that whole process again.

You were first interested in his initial reaction towards getting a plush. Would he think of it as merely childish, or would he understand the amount of hours you absolutely slaved over in trying to find the right techniques for it? Only time'll tell.

The idea was cute and simple; as it was merely just a plush. You wondered if he even cared much for plushes, figurines, or anything that he could really display. You knew that with his work as an agent, he is more-than-likely constantly out. It's be cool if he were to be able to at least settle the gift in a place he'd be able to see it every so often, as a gentle lil' reminder of you, but you didn't even know of he even... had a consistent residence.

You persevered, albeit.

After tutorial video after tutorial video on trying to work on a humanoid base for your plush, it became taxing on your hands. Either if you're working with knitting needles, sewing by hand, or machine—it was annoying how you'd prick your finger, trying to aim for the felt to stitch it up; or, the amount of hours that pass by whenever you try out your crocheting skills. It was a simple idea, so why weren't there any simpler methods?

Nights where you'd slump over your desk, fingers all red from the exertion, and your brain tired from all of it. You wanted to do your best for Genji, but it was difficult trying to even find a baseline on where to start with him. How'd you even make his helmet? Nonetheless, the inteicate details to his outfit and weapons?

You didn't want to commission the plush, as you were determined to make it from your own very hands. Through sweat, blood, and tears—you WILL make this thing.

Ultimately, you knew better than to just work and work and work on such a hard project. As much as you wanted to show Genji your utmost appreciation, also in a medium that you'd equally love, you knew that gifting Genji a bundle of stuffing all patched together by mishappen thread wasn't something you should be thinking of.

At the end of the day, you just wanted this idea to get out of your head. You didn't promise a gift to him, rather, you promised one to yourself. You'll get this done, even if it's eating away and nagging at your thoughts. You didn't buy all of those supplies for nothing, after all! Better make that money worth it.

Thinking on the topic of him possibly not being able to display the gift in a convenient position, you did consider making the plush smaller. However, the only issue was was because of the loss of quality that is also brought by with it—since you have to downscale the details, and simplify a few things so that it doesn't look all-too overwhelming.

You decided on making him a little charm. You'd imagine he'd be able to put it on a bracelet or a necklace, or just on whatever—as a little bit of added personalization. There were still the downsides listed prior, but you feel as if you tackled too big of a project for yourself; as it did require both patience in waiting lots, and having a lots of time.

At first, you were lost on really doing this, but ovee time with what you've learnt, you made a little plush charm that could fit into someone's palm! You were awfully proud of the little guy, since as soon as you were done making him and hooking the little chain, you gave it a tiny headpat with your index finger. Well done.

When Genji felt you tap his shoulder, you could tell that there was a smile behind his voice, as he asked what you wanted. He sensed you before then, but wanted to see what you'd do anyways.

You hid the item behind your back, snickering to yourself about what'll ever possibly happen. You guessed it was just from Genji, but gosh, does he make you eager. Even if he's not doing remotely anything in specific.

"What is it? Normally, people do not just laugh at something with their hands like that." He'd point out—thanks Captain Obvious—whilst with that teasing edge to his voice. He'd take a sidestep, a gander at what you may have, and then you try to cover it up.

"Be patient! Isn't that your whole thing?"

You then would sigh, as he made a mocking motion with his hands; mimicking how a sock puppet would speak. Upon making the comment on how he must not want his gift after all, he then shakes his head affectionately with a gentle tsk.

Once you then clasped your hands over the charm, you brought it out in front of you. When you released them, and showing him the little plush, he couldn't help but laugh at how adorable the thought was. He'd look up and down, judging by how he moved his head—since you cannot really see his eyes—nonverbally asking you if he could pick it up. You allowed him, and he then held the little guy in between his thumb and index.

"It's a pocket you." You explained, sounding dumb but you didn't care. Genji was busy squishing it, and playing with the keychain. "You're a father now."

He hated how he was just so giggly today. With an eye roll, you knew him enough to tell that, he then pockets the object in his hoodie. You were glad he liked it so much. "I'll take great care of my new son, don't worry."

The next day, whenever you went out to get a breath of fresh air—you saw Genji, sparring his sword against some practice dummies set up around the site. You wished you would've said more previously to him, that you made the gift out of appreciation for the ninja—but seeing how he had the accessory pinned on his hand, a place where he'd always have it... It spoke volumes.

[vodika-vibes]

Nimble Fingers

Summary: You've never been a crafty person...but Jesse makes you want to try.

Pairing: ARC Trooper Jesse x F!Reader

Word Count: 2019

Warnings: Fluff

Tagging: @trixie2023 @n0vqni

A/N: I had Jesse ping-ponging around my brain, so I had to write him before I can write anyone else. Sorry.

You stare at the lumpy, misshapen thing in your hands, and you sigh, “Nana, I don’t think I’m going to be able to do this.” You finally admit.

The older woman hurries over to you, the scent of cinnamon and vanilla following her into your space. She takes the thing (it’s supposed to be a sweater) out of your hands and looks at it through critical eyes, “It’s not…terrible, sweetie.”

“Nana.”

“You’re new at this, baby. You can’t expect it to be perfect on your first try.”

“I…” You sigh, “I know, Nana. I do. But-”

“-but you want it to be perfect for your boy?” Your Nana asks with a sly smile.

Your face heats and you drop your gaze, “Maybe I’m just not made for crafts-?”

“Nonsense. Everyone can create.” She says briskly, before she tosses the misshapen sweater into the pile of half finished projects, “But, perhaps we should have started with something easier.”

You cross your legs on the chair and wait for her to finish her thought.

“Let’s try quilting!”

“...isn’t that harder?” You ask dryly, “On account of the fact that I don’t know how to sew?”

“Nonsense, that’s what sewing machines are for! On your feet, my little Orange Blossom!” For such a tiny woman, she’s remarkably strong as she’s able to leverage you out of your seat and drag you from the living room and into her quilting room.

The Quilting Room is filled with just about every type of fabric that you can imagine, and several that you’ve never once considered. And there are dozens of quilts in bags to be delivered to the people who ordered them. And there’s one sitting on a drying rack.

“This is new, nana.” You note as you eye the pale yellow and green blanket.

“Oh, yes. Your brother asked me to make a blanket for the baby.” She moves some crates out of the way, “Here you go, darling. Have a seat.”

Obediently, you slide into the chair, and look at the sewing machine, suddenly feeling a lot younger than your almost 25 years, “Nana-”

“Hush, I’m going to teach you how to use it. First we have to plan what we’re sewing.” She pauses and glances at your slightly overwhelmed face, and she laughs, “Okay, how about we take a step back, and just pick on colors and a pattern for a blanket, hm?”

“Well…blue and white for the colors,” You say, thinking about Jesse’s armor colors, “And I don’t know about patterns-?”

“We’ll do something very basic then-” She mumbles as she scurries around the room. Your nana returns with an armful of cloth and a box of supplies, “Alright. So, quilting-” And she starts to lecture you on how to quilt.

10 minutes in, your eyes are wide and slightly panicked, and you turn your frantic gaze to your grandfather, who’s been listening for about five minutes.

“You’re overwhelming the girl, Jyll.” Your grandfather scolds.

“Honestly, this is really basic-” She huffs.

“Basic for you, perhaps. But she’s not done this before.” Your grandfather lightly claps your shoulder, “Come with me, girlie.” 

You scramble to your feet after him, and he leads you through the house to his own workroom, which smells like different types of woods. Your grandfather is a woodworker, though now he doesn’t make as much furniture as he used to, preferring to make vanity pieces now.

“Now, you want to make a present for that nice young man you introduced to us at dinner last week, right?” He asks as he settles in his chair with a groan, “Jesse, is his name, right?”

“Yeah.” You turn your gaze away from a carved tooka that looks like it’s going to spring to life and jump at you, “He doesn’t have things, and I just want to give him something-” You sigh, “That sounds stupid, doesn’t it?”

He kicks a stool over to you, and you sink onto it.

“Not at all.” He smiles at you, “Your nana made me a blanket when we first started dating all those years ago, and I still have it. It was my most cherished possession…right up until she gave me your mother and uncle.”

You smile at him, “That’s sweet.”

“It is.” He agrees, “And, unless I’m greatly overestimating your boy, I think he’ll be happy with anything you give him, especially if you make it.”

“But, that’s the thing.” You say, “I can’t make things!”

“You think he’ll treasure it any less because it’s a little lumpy or misshapen?” Your grandfather asks with an arched brow, and your argument dies on your tongue.

Because he’s right, of course. He generally is.

“How about we carve something for your boy. Something he can wear around his neck maybe.” He strokes his beard for a moment, “Come over here, lass. Let’s find a good wood for this.”

It’s been two weeks since the day you finished the simple wooden ring with your grandfather. You carved the whole thing yourself, under his supervision, and then left it with him so he can treat it and find a cord for it to hang from.

But it’s finally done.

You used a pale colored wood, and carefully (but clumsily) carved your name and Jesse’s inside the band, while the outside is covered in vines. And the ring itself is hanging from a leather cord.

It’s not perfect. There are some obvious mistakes to the carvings, but your grandfather swore up and down that Jesse will love it, mistakes and all.

So here you are, waiting for Jesse in your apartment, with the small box holding his present on the table next to you, and dinner finishing up on the stove.

The box is something your grandfather made, claiming that all men need a good box to store their valuables in, and no amount of talking would convince him that Jesse doesn’t have any valuables. There’s also another smaller box inside the box, though your grandparents refused to tell you what was in it, claiming that it’s a present for Jesse and that you’re not allowed to look.

You learned a long time ago that your grandparents will do whatever they want, so you didn’t push too hard.

The familiar sound of your door code being entered reaches your ears, and you step into the hallway just as the door slides open. Jesse looks exhausted, but all of the exhaustion drains away when he sees you standing there.

“Cyare!”

You grin at him, “Welcome back,”

Jesse sets his helmet down on the shelf next to the door, and then he holds his arms out so you can throw yourself into them. “I missed you,” He says warmly as he folds you into a tight hug.

“You saw me this morning,”

“I know, a whole 12 hours without being able to see you, it’s practically torture.” Jesse says dramatically, before he pulls away and kisses the tip of your nose, “How was your day?”

“It wasn’t bad. I saw Nana and Grandpa today. They missed you at lunch.”

“I’m sorry I had to dip out on them,” Jesse says, releasing you so he’s able to remove his armor, “I talked to Rex, and barring a surprise deployment, I might be able to make it next week.”

“They’ll be thrilled.” You reply, “Mona is close to popping, and they want you there to meet the baby. I think my sister-in-law likes you more than me.” You add with a laugh.

“Now, I know that isn’t true.” Jesse says easily as he finishes pulling his armor off and rolls his shoulders, “Dinner smells amazing, what are you making?”

“Oh, I’m just warming up some of the stew Nana made for lunch. It’ll be a little bit before it’s done if you want to change?”

“Hm. Might not be a bad idea,” He rolls his head, “I’m going to grab a shower too,” Jesse glances at you and flashes a mischievous smile, “Wanna join?”

“Only if you want dinner to burn,” You counter, before you step closer to him and stand on your toes to kiss him, “I have a surprise for you when you’re done.”

“Oh?”

“Go shower, it’ll hold.”

“Yes ma’am,” Jesse kisses you three times in quick succession, before he steps around you and heads to the bedroom. You wait until you hear the water turn on, before you step back into the kitchen.

You glance at the stew, and try to smother your nerves, but finally it gets the better of you, and you open the box to pull out the ring you carved him. It’d be better if you gave it to him personally anyway.

You curl your hand around the ring, and move back to the stove to make sure that the dinner won’t burn.

Jesse emerges from the bedroom less than ten minutes later, and he immediately slides his arms around your waist and kisses the side of your neck. 

“Feel better?”

“Much.” Jesse presses another kiss to your neck, and then he turns your head to kiss you properly, “Your shower does wonders in working out my muscle soreness.”

You laugh, “That is why I bought it.” You glance at him with a broad grin on your face, “If you’re nice, maybe I’ll give you a massage tonight.”

“I can be nice.” Jesse says immediately.

You just grin at his predictable answer, and then you nod towards the table, “Everything in the box is for you. Including the box.”

Jesse glances at the table and releases you, allowing you to turn and join him at that table. He curiously runs his fingers over the fine wooden box, “He carved a star map into the box.” Jesse says, sounding surprised, “Leading back to…huh…”

You tilt your head curiously and Jesse flashes an amused smile, “It’s more than a star map. It’s a road map back to here. This apartment. In case I can’t find my way home, I guess.”

You laugh softly, “That sounds like him.”

He opens the box, and pulls out the other box with an amused quirk of his lips. Slowly he opens the box, and his jaw drops, “Babe, I can’t accept this-” He blurts.

“What is it?”

“Uh…well…” He turns the box towards you, revealing a very nice watch. Actually, it looks almost identical to the watch your brother got when he reached the age of majority. “This is too much-”

“Check the back of the watch,” You offer with a small smile.

Jesse eyes you suspiciously, but flips the watch and stares at the back of it silently for a moment. And when he speaks there’s something fragile in his voice, “Welcome to the family, Jesse. Love Nana and Pa.” He reads out, his voice slightly shaky. “Babe-”

“I didn’t know that they were going to do that,” You say quietly, “But I’m not surprised. My family loves you.” A smile lifts your lips, “Almost as much as I do.”

Jesse slides the watch around his wrist, and it fits perfectly, “I love it.” He admits quietly, “I don’t know how I’m going to thank them for this.”

“A simple thank you will be enough, Jesse. You’re family now, after all.” You pause and bite your lower lip, your gift really doesn’t compare to a watch, but you want to give it anyway. “I have a present for you too.”

He turns his gaze away from the watch and focuses his attention on you, “You do?”

“I…It’s not a watch,” You offer sheepishly, “And it’s not very well made, I’m not really crafty-” You trail off as you pull the ring from your pocket and hold it out to him. 

Jesse takes it from you, and slowly runs his fingers over it, “You made this?” He asks, his voice hushed.

“Yeah, I mean. Grandpa helped a lot. And it’s not perfect, and it you don’t like it-”

“I love it.” He interrupts a broad grin on his face, “Did you do the carvings too?”

“Um��yeah.” You admit, “they’re a little wonky-”

Jesse drapes the ring around his neck and slides his chair so he’s sitting right next to you, “I love it. I love you.”

Your face heats, “I just wanted to show you how much I love you-,” You admit.

You’re unable to finish your sentence as Jesse crashes his lips against yours, “I love it.” he repeats against your lips, “So much. Almost as much as I love you.”

You kiss him gently, “I love you too.”

[wandaluvstacos]

I think telling people to learn how to sew garments when they care about fashion sustainability is not particularly useful. Sewing your own clothes is expensive, super time intensive, and it actually takes a really long period of practice to get good enough that what you make doesn't look wonky. If you're sewing garments that aren't constructed well enough for long term use or that you don't like enough to wear, it's actually way worse sustainability-wise than buying something professionally done. The most sustainable garment is one you love and wear for years, no matter the fabric content.

that said, i actually do really think it's valuable to know how to sew generally and have a machine around, for those times that stitching comes apart, when you want to improve a garment by adding pockets, or general repair. For example, I had a grocery pannier fall apart, so I removed the panel that was the issue:

and I intend to sew a new piece from my dog's feed bag on in its place. I'm hoping it's not a difficult replacement; anyone who can sew a rectangle could probably do it. Thus I've rescued at least one thing from the landfill. I also was able to add side panels to some underwear I bought that was too small, thus making them large enough to wear. They aren't pretty, but if you return clothes they basically get thrown out, so this way they can be used before that happens (and it's underwear, so it doesn't have to look pretty, it just needs to be functional).

Machines can be expensive or they can be cheap, depending on what you want. My new Brother machine that I got from Sears back in 2017 cost me probably $150, and it works well enough for most things. It's also pretty light and portable.

You can also get fully functional older machines via Facebook Marketplace. My machine Pamela cost me $85, and she works great, though she is NOT portable and weighs like 45 lbs lol. But she'll sew through anything.

A lot of older machines you can get for $50-$100, and honestly even if they just have a straight stitch, that works for 85% of garment construction applications and nearly 100% of all touch-up applications.

Anyway, while I've been loving sewing clothes, I don't think you should do it unless you're passionate about it. But I DO think everyone should know how to sew and have a machine around for those times you need it. Hand sewing is fine sometimes, but other times a sewing machine can turn an 30 minutes-long frustrating hand sewing job into a 30 second machine job.

[bananna-threads]

Hi! I just stumbled upon your blog so apologies if i'm asking something you've already answered. I've been embroidering for a while and have been wanting to take the jump to embroidering clothes as well, but I've been struggling with figuring out how to handle the back of the embroidery and i haven't really been able to find much advice. I wonder if there's a specific technique that you use?

Hi there! No worries--you are actually my very first ask, so this is exciting for me lol 🎉 As for advice, these are just personal preferences, so take them with a grain of salt because I don't know if this is necessarily the "right" way, just my way.

1. When beginning a new section/color, don't use bulky knots. I don't know about you, but when I was first taught to sew, I was shown how to tie a quick knot at the end of my thread. I would do this by wrapping the thread around my pointer finger a couple times, then using my thumb to twist/slide it off. Almost like a little French knot at the end. Don't do this. I made the mistake of using these knots when I first started my embroidered sleeves, and because I was using embroidery floss and not fine sewing thread, it essentially made a bunch of little bumps that you could feel against your skin, as well as when you ran your hand over the top of the embroidery. That's why instead you should...

2. Use a holding stitch. If you've used a sewing machine, you'll be familiar with how you always begin and end a line of stitches with a back-stitch. Well, you can also essentially do this when sewing by hand too! The Royal School of Needlework has a useful StitchBank that includes the holding stitch (along with many other useful stitches!) You can also use this technique to end a line of stitching, as long as it's done in a place that will eventually be covered up by other stuff (aka a finishing stitch).

3. Don't leave long "traveling" threads when starting on a new section. I know when you are embroidering and you finish an area, and the next part you have to work on is only a couple inches away, it's tempting to just bring up the needle in the new spot. But this just leaves a bunch of loose threads on the back for things to catch on. Plus if your fabric is a bit see-through, and there is a lot of dead-space in your design, you may actually see it through the front. Of course there are exceptions--like when you know that area will be covered by other stitches--so it's up to your discretion in the end.

4. Use a lining. Not necessarily a requirement (I didn't actually line my sleeves--it would have been too hot), but if you want to protect the back of your embroidery from rubbing up against your skin or catching on things, you can always line the area with fabric like you normally would when sewing a garment. If the garment is already made and you are adding decorative embroidery to it, don't worry about lining it. You might just have to take a little extra care when putting it into the wash. Use a delicates bag, or wash by hand.

5. And this doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the back, but the order in which I work a piece usually goes: filling stitches, outline stitches, then surface stitches. So I'll do my holding stitch, block in larger areas with filling stitches (in my sleeves, these were the blackwork patterns, but another classic example is the satin stitch), then I'll outline those areas as needed (i.e. chain, stem stitch, etc.), and lastly finish with any decorative surface stitches (a french knot or woven wheel are examples of this).

Sorry if this was entirely too long-winded, I just got excited and tend to err on the side of over-explaining. If you do end up embroidering some clothing, I'd love to see!

[20dollarlolita]

Hi, I hope I didn't miss if this has been asked before. But I've owned two sewing machines now and can't seem to be able to fix the lower thread bird's nest problem no matter what I do on either of them. I've scoured youtube and tried every fix; kept thread tails long, adjusted tension based on fabric I'm sewing (used denim, t-shirt, or bedsheet cotton usually), changed needles, dusted the machine, the works, but no matter what I do I might be able to get through a couple of pieces of fabric before the tangling starts again. Is this a problem more common in cheap machines, maybe?

One has a metal case for lower thread bobbin that I can adjust but which I think gets too loose due to age almost immediately (mother's old machine of unknown brand, presumably lower-mid-tier when new), another was a $100 Brother on sale but new, that only has a plastic cover and no adjustable case.

The problem's at a point where I've lost all passion for sewing, dreading the next jam, just can't take the frustration and endless troubleshooting anymore. Would this be something more avoidable (using all the proper techniques) if I splurged for a better machine (though my max spending would be around $500)? Or am I just failing at something fundamental lmao.

What should I look out for in a new machine if I just want something basic that works without too much fiddling? Thanks so much if you take the time to answer!

I'm sure someone's told you to always thread the machine with the foot up, and then to put the foot down before using the needle threader?

We're going to break this into two answers, so skip down to the second heading if you're angry enough with your machine to throw it off a balcony and start over.

A) Troubleshooting very persistent bird nesting.

If everything looks absolutely miserable on the bottom, it's caused by there being very little or no tension on the top thread. I used to say "it's usually caused," but if there's big hairy loops of top thread that are tangling on the bottom, I've learned from experience that it is only caused by there being no tension on the top thread.

If it's just a little bit ugly, like you have eyelashing, then that could be a general tension issue, but if it's super ugly, it's a no-tension issue.

The question of why there is no tension can have several answers.

-When you put the foot down, the tension discs will close. If you thread the machine with the foot down, it's more likely that the thread will not go into the discs properly. You can test this by smoothly pulling some thread through your needle, and then (while still pulling) putting the foot down. If you feel that the thread catches or becomes harder to pull, then your thread is properly in your tension discs, and your discs are working correctly.

Another potential option would be tension unit breaking or going out of calibration. Unless you're working on a machine that's $1000+ dollars, your tension unit is going to be a couple of springs pushing on a plate. If something gets really loose, then the tension unit won't close when you put the foot down. On some machines (especially machines where the tension unit is a circle on the front of the machine) you can just open up the side and tighten a screw. On other machines, you need to take the top off and check if it's okay in there. While you're in there, you can...okay so I can't say "calibrate" your tension, because what you're going to do is better called "fuck with" your tension.

This is long so here's a cut:

Basically, there's an adjustment tool in a tension unit, which a technician can use to make sure that the proper tension is accomplished when the number on the tension dial says 4. It's a little gear with a stick on it. If you cannot get a decent tension by cranking your tension all the way up to 10, you can adjust the little stick on the gear to bring the default tension up. This will have the consequence of not knowing what number you just set the default tension to, but you can figure that out with trial and error and then stick a note on your machine that says "normal tension=6.5" and that's a lot cheaper than spending $200 to get a $100 machine serviced.

B) Just buying a new machine

Here's the thing: if you already are so frustrated with your machine that you don't want to sew anymore, you have a machine that's bad for you. Older and cheaper machines are prone to what my store's technicians refer to as "cascade failures", which is when all of the machine is between 45% and 90% broken. When you fix one part, it can last a very short time, and then another part will break. Pretty soon, you've put in enough money to buy a nice new machine, but you've paid the cost of a new machine and you're still sewing on a machine that's 45% broken.

If you're kind of handy and you don't mind occasionally opening up your machine and playing around with the internal parts to make it work better, then this might be a fun project. My store has a regular customer who has a borderline-nonfunctional Janome HD3000, and he really enjoys the process of figuring out how to make it work when something breaks. Apparently he used to be a helicopter mechanic in the army. Personally, I don't mind figuring out how to get one or two broken parts fixed. I have a machine where sometimes the stitch length goes screwy, and I have to 1) put the stitch length to 5, 2) flip it onto its back, and then 3) drop and then un-drop the feed teeth. I don't know why this works, but it does work, so I haven't gotten the machine serviced yet. But the vast majority of people who sew that I interact with just want a machine that works. They want to sew. They don't want to repair a machine.

So, if that's you, and you just want to sew when you want to sew and you want everything to do what you want, it's probably time to get a new machine.

A lot of people bring machines into my store to get serviced. Sometimes it's a machine that's not worth fixing. I can say that most of the "don't fix this, just replace it" machines that we see are either over the age of 25 years (and were not treated well in their youth), cheap Brother machines, and modern Singer machines of any price point. In terms of inexpensive machines, we sell a LOT of the Baby Lock Be Genuine collection, and we service a pretty small amount of the Baby Lock Be Genuine collection. We also have really good experiences with the mechanical Bernettes, the Janome HD line, and the Viking Emeralds.

For computerized machines, I'm very partial to the Janome QDC series. I have a machine from that series that I bought in 2009, got serviced twice in its life, and that is still going very strong.

I'm going to just spam some links here with a quick pro/con list. I'm not being paid to do this; it's just my own opinion based on what I know of the people who read this blog. However, if anyone is buying something from this site, please use PINK2 at checkout so that I get head pats from my company telling me I did a good job (it also saves you a little money).

C) Pink just lists sewing machines for 35 minutes:

Mechanicals: > Baby Lock Zest/Joy: These are two really popular basic machines that will be under $300. They don't have a ton of stitches, but they're all metal on the inside, and so they're going to last. I prefer the Joy over the Zest because of the stitch width option, but if you need the cheapest option, the Zest is the best cheap machine I know of in terms of life. > Baby Lock Zeal: As far as mechanicals, go, this one has all the features that are really necessary to be a full-fledged machine instead of a budget machine. > Bernette B33 and B35: These are basically the same features as the Zest and the Joy, with a couple of minor differences. These tend to be a little more expensive than the Zest and the Joy, but they're sometimes easier to locate if you want to shop local. > Janome HD3000 (white version) and HD 1000: These guys are tanks and feel very good to sew on. The 1000 has some stripped back features to get it in that price point, the same as the Joy and Zest do. The 3000 feels like it has all the features you'd expect from a mechanical machine. For some reason, a LOT of the HD3000 in the black colorway are trash. I believe Janome makes a HD5000 as well, but I don't remember if that's one that's weirdly bad like the black HD3000. I really don't know what's going on with that HD3000 black edition. > Viking Emerald 118: Personally, I think this is the best mechanical machine that's currently out there. They're powerful, last a long time, are fully featured, and are just good little guys. I have frustrations with their maker that I can't express publicly online, but the Emerald is good enough that I'll forgive it.

Side note: I have customers ask me "is it heavy duty?" which is a very vague question that doesn't actually mean anything. All of these machines can handle thick fabrics like denim. Machines with adjustable presser foot pressure (so not the Zeal, Joy, HD1000, B33, B35) will handle thick fabric better. That's what that adjustment is for. Every single one of these is more powerful than the Singer Heavy Duty line. Every single one of them had a metal internal frame, which is a big thing the Singer Heavy Duty will advertise. Every machine should sew through denim, and the fact that there's so many brand new out of the box machines on the market that won't sew through six layers of denim drives me ABSOLUTELY INSANE. It should be as absurd to have to ask "does it use thread?" as "does it sew heavy fabrics?" but instead we have to explain to people that yes, our sewing machines do the things that sewing machines should do, because there's so many reputable-looking brands putting our sewing machines that actually just can't sew.

Moving on: basic computerized machines

> A basic computerized machine has fewer complicated parts than a basic mechanical machine, meaning that if you do your normal expected maintenance, a basic computerized machine will last you longer than most mechanical machines. People don't like when I say that, but it's true.

Entry computerized machines that I like: > Janome QDC line: I have the precursor to the 3150 and it's a tank. Also you get push-to-cut, which is very nice. > Bernette B37 and B38: These have the same boards that the Janome 3150 and 4120 QDC have, but they've got some different bells and whistles. The 37 doesn't have push-to-cut, which is not a thing you miss if you've never had it. > Baby Lock Jubilant: This guy has a very nice needle threader but I find the dial on the front to be a clunky way of selecting a stitch. If the B37 is cheaper than the Jubilant, I'd pick it over the Jubilant. It's still a very good machine, and Baby Lock is relatively easy to buy online, so it might be more accessible.

If you woke up and decided you wanted to spend a lot on a sewing machine: >Baby Lock Brilliant: I prefer this over the one a step below it (the Presto II) because it's a lot easier to communicate with. A lot of Presto II's come in "broken" because the user changed a setting and didn't realize it, and the Brilliant actually tells you when you change a setting. > Viking Opal 690q: Unless you get a really good deal, I recommend the 690 over any other Opal. The features you get with it are very nice, and they don't come with the lower Opals > Bernina 335: You're not going to get build quality any better than a Bernina, but they come at a price. This guy is going to give you the same features as a much lower machine, but still run over $1000. They're very nice machines, though, so if you happen to win a lawsuit or something, you could spend your money on that. >Bernette B77 (or B79). The B77 has no right to have that many features at that price point. How did they do that? We just don't know. If you want this, subscribe to Bernina's sales info and to every sewing machine store you can, because it frequently goes on $999 promotion. And then screenshot the people offering it for $999 and ask me for my work email, and I'll match their price. I can match any price. It sure is nice to work for a company where I have that power. Anyway the B79 is the embroidery/sewing combo version of the B77, and it's an amazingly priced combo machine. This is useless if you're not interested in embroidery, but hey, thought I'd throw it out there.

And if you've stolen someone's credit card and you've got to use it on something before the police find you: > Brother 3100 is a very nice machine > Janome 9480 is very smooth to work on and basically reads your mind. The low bobbin sensor is good. > The Janome M6 is purple. > So is the Bernina 770 Kaffe Edition but that particular machine has a mysterious curse upon it so you probably actually want the 570 Kaffe Edition even though it's blue.

Thank you all for letting me vomit words for 90 minutes. Reminder that, while everything here I say is my own opinion that is not representing any company and is not endorsed by any company, if you want to support a small business in our fight against the big online sewing machine stores, you can click here and use PINK2 at checkout to save a little money and earn me some high fives from management. (If you want to go through the whole sales process and make sure you're getting the absolute best dead, I can also do that. Just message me off-anom to ask for my work email. The PINK2 code is for people like me who would rather save less money and get the thing Right Now and not have to talk to a human, rather than have to go through an online sales process).

[scribbly-artist]

Noisy Times in the Lab

Summary: Mayuri has made a scientific discovery about Kurisu that piques the interest of the resident mad scientist.

Author’s Notes: Back with a little fic! I saw these really great scientist-based tickle prompts from @anxious-lee (I’m not sure how to tag people on Tumblr - hopefully this works!) that sparked some inspiration for me. I’ve read the VN recently after procrastinating on it for a long while, so I feel like I could write for the characters easily enough without them sounding OOC. Apologies for any spelling errors as I am very tired. :,) I may even do some clean up in the morning if I find any obvious glaring issues. let me know what you think!!

Word: ~1,600 | AO3 Link

It was a typical day at the residence of the Future Gadget Lab. Progress was running smoothly on the microwave-turned time machine and its mechanisms. Experiments were being run, new information was being discovered. Okabe Rintaro and Makise Kurisu had been running tests all night on their machine to determine how far back their D-Mails could go into the past and whether it had any lasting effects.

As one does when pulling an all nighter, fatigue started to set in. Having their friend, Shiina Mayuri, come over in the afternoon with snacks and replenishing refreshments was a god send, but Kurisu in particular hardly had a break. Okabe had a nap on the couch for a couple hours in the day, but Kurisu hadn’t had a wink of sleep. It was starting to get to her, but that was in her nature: to work as hard as she could to sate her growing curiosity to develop this time machine.

Rubbing her tired eyes with her hands, she got up from her seat in front of the time machine, letting out a yawn. She dragged her feet over to see what Mayuri was doing, walking past Okabe who was sitting on the couch, downing a cold Dr P while he was looking at this phone screen, assuming he was on @channel or sending emails.

Mayuri was standing at her makeshift cosplay bench, working on a new outfit for ComiMa. She fed the pink fabric through the sewing machine with expert precision. Kurisu was absorbed in watching her work. On closer observation, it seemed to be a pink mini dress, with off the shoulder sleeves. Adorned on the chest was a big, red, puffy bow. The dress came out of the other end of the sewing machine as Mayuri grabbed it, holding it out in front of her to see if there were any errors in her work.

Kurisu’s eyes moved up and down the length of the dress. “It’s a very nice cosplay, Mayuri. What’s it from, again?” She questioned, shifting her weight to look at Mayuri’s face behind the dress.

“It’s Kirari’s outfit from RaiNet Kakeru! I’ve put a lot of hard work into making this dress accurate to the show,” She beamed, lowering the dress to smile at Kurisu. “I don’t know who’s going to wear it yet, though.”

“What do you mean - didn’t you make it so you could wear it?” Kurisu tilted her head with curiosity.

“No, I never wear my cosplays,” Mayuri set the dress down onto the table. “Besides, my body wouldn’t fit into this. I was hoping Luka might try it, but I don’t think I can convince him. Even though it’d suit him perfectly.” Mayuri pouted.

“Aww, that’s a shame. He’d look super cute in it.”

“Don’t be fooled by the idea, he’s still a dude.” Okabe piped up from the couch, his gaze not leaving his phone.

“But you should totally try it on Chris-chan - I think you could pull it off!” Excitement bubbled in Mayuri’s voice, reaching over to grab Kurisu’s hands. The red head’s gaze whipped over to Mayuri’s face, eyes widening.

“Oh no - I’d never be able to wear something like that. It’s too revealing.” She spoke, shaking her head as she politely declined.

“Sure you could! Your body’s pretty similar to Lukako’s anyway, I think it’d fit you perfectly.” Mayuri emphasised her point by reaching to Kurisu’s sides, giving her a squeeze. Kurisu buckled, choking out a giggle.

“M-Mayuri— where are you grahahabing??” Her words sputtered out as Mayuri grabbed her a little more, now with more intent.

Okabe’s head whipped up to see what all the commotion was. He grinned as he put the pieces together in his mind, standing up from the couch. “Mayuri - have you perhaps discovered the Zombie’s weakness?” They both looked at Kurisu.

“No you haven’t! Don’t even try anything, Okabe!” Kurisu attempted to back away from Okabe, who now was standing up from the couch with renewed interest. Mayuri simply giggled, turning back to her cosplay work. A wicked grin was being cast upon Kurisu’s worried face as laughter erupted from him.

“My foolish Assistant - have you forgotten? I am a mad scientist, and what kind of a mad scientist would I be if I didn’t investigate this little discovery further?” The lab coat-wearing predator gazed down at his target, making her back into a corner of the lab. He stepped closer, making his prey shutter nervously. His hands were outstretched, wiggling his fingers. “What’s wrong, Christina? Cat got your tongue?”

“Y-You’re being stupid, Okabe! This is childish! You just want to put your hands a-all over me, pervert!” Starting to sweat, she tried to say anything she could to dissuade him from what he was very eager to try out.

“If you truely are a super serious Assistant, then surely a little childish tickling wouldn’t affect you, right?” He smirked as he closed in, his wiggling fingers touching down on her sides. The red head immediately burst into giggles, trying to swat his hands away.

“Ahaha— Okabe!! Quit it!” She tried to push him away, but Okabe was a fair bit taller than her, so her attempts were futile. An involuntary smile stretched across her face as she danced about.

“Thank you for making such a grand scientific discovery Mayuri - scientists everywhere shall give you praise for discovering our dear Assistant’s weakness. You will be known in the history books forever. It’ll also knock our dear Christina down a few pegs.” He remarked, letting out a chuckle at Kurisu’s expense.

“Mahahayuri, help me— pleahahase!!” Kurisu cried out, trying to get Mayuri’s attention.

“You need a fun break Chris-chan, and I’ve never seen you smile and laugh like this! You gotta let loose sometimes.” The short hair girl responded with a beaming smile, getting back to her cosplay work.

“I have done well with controlling my hostage, Assistant. She shall not be swayed by your pleas. I won’t be finished with you until I am completely satisfied.” The self-proclaimed mad scientist let out an evil cackle, moving his annoying tickling fingers up to Kurisu’s ribs, drawing more sweet laughter from her. “Now, let’s see. What would happen if I tweak… right, here?” He pondered allowed, his fingers pinching at her lower ribs.

The red head doubled over in laughter, her knees starting to give way, her back sliding down the wall. “Stop being an— stahahap being an idiot!!” Protesting, she squirmed to try to free herself from him. He started to crouch down himself so he could have better access to her.

He was very persistent, moving his hands from her ribs to her sides to keep her guessing. He needed to gather more information for his experiment. “Now, Christina. On a scale of one to ten, how much-“

Okabe was interrupted by a loud round of laughter escaping his assistant’s lips, tears starting to well up in her eyes as she laughed herself silly. He tutted, shaking his head.

“Quit interrupting me with your laughter, I’m asking a question! - how much does this tickle?” He teased as his fingers continued to pinch and scribble, grinning as her cheeks burned red.

She couldn’t think straight to form a response. She just shook her head, her long hair flying in all directions. Okabe figured that if she couldn’t verbally protest anymore, that she was reaching her limit. He pulled his hands away, standing up tall to signify he was done messing with her. Kurisu let herself sink to the floor, sucking in big breaths now that she had the opportunity.

“You’re… you’re SO going to regret that… O-Okabe…” She threatened, glaring up at him. Okabe couldn’t take her seriously after seeing her being reduced to a girly giggly mess, which was way different from her usual cool-headed, mature demeanour.

“You should hold your tongue now that I know your little weakness, Christina. I may exploit this quirk of yours more often if you’re not careful, haha!” He laughed, too caught up in his act to concentrate on Kurisu sneaking away from him towards the coffee table near the couch.

“Now that your weakness is known to the world, I, Hououin Kyouma, brilliant mad scientist, shall use this forbidden information to my advan— HEY!” The mad scientist cried out as his shoulder was slammed with one of Kurisu’s big, heavy science text books. Kurisu was panting and red in the face.

“Do it again… and I’ll hit you even harder…” Her threat was serious, but her voice didn’t sound as scary as it usually would when she would make such claims. Okabe filed this information in the back of his mind, noting that even her swing wasn’t as hard as it has been previously, and his consequence was not as dire as he thought it would be. Maybe she wasn’t all that angry about this.

“Lesson learned. But watch yourself, Zombie.” Even in pain he grinned at her, making her squint her eyes to try to look menacing.

“You should buy me a fresh pudding after all you put me through. Actually, make it two.” She plopped herself down on the green couch, crossing her arms.

“Very well. That’s the least I can do after your sacrifice to science. Mayuri, care to join me?” He asked as his gazed turned to his ‘hostage’. Mayuri smiled and nodded, walking to Okabe.

“Tuturuuu~! Operation: Pudding for Chris-chan!” Mayuri let out her happy little tune as she and Okabe walked out the apartment’s front door, closing it on their way out. Kurisu let out a long sigh as they left, filling her lungs back up with air that they were deprived of a few moments before.

“Okarin, you should be nicer to Chris-chan. She’s helping you so much with all this science-y stuff, it’s the least you can do.” Her gaze moved up to Okabe’s face as she spoke, both of them walking down the stairs.

“She won’t admit it, but I think she enjoyed that little exchange more than she’s letting on.” Chuckling, Okabe and Mayuri went out to pick the most perfect pudding they could find for their dear Kurisu.

[circle--of--confusion]

The Cardinal and the Seamstress

The next chapter is here, folks! I had fun while writing this, hopefully you enjoy reading it.

Chapter Summary: It's the first fitting! We get a special visitor. The Clergy is also restless for news on the Ghost project. Sarah and Copia share a sweet moment towards the end.

I hope you enjoy! I have been listening to "The Walk Home" by Young the Giant while writing this. I feel like it's a fitting song for this story. Give it a listen! Either the studio version or the acoustic version is great.

Pairing: (dracopia) Cardinal Copia x OC

Warnings: suggestive dialogue

Words: 2.5k

Chapter 2 - Quite a Scene? Wasn't it?

| ONE | TWO | THREE | FOUR | FIVE |

Read on AO3

MASTERLIST

banner and dividers courtesy of: gothdaddyissues AND ghuleh-recs

The following two days after the Cardinal’s measurements were taken are spent sketching, cutting paper, and working on mockups for Copia’s new show wardrobe. After the pattern pieces are drawn, Sarah gets started on cutting the mockups. She’s tasked with sewing the pants while Amelia tackles the jacket. In a couple more days Copia will come back for another fitting. In the words of Amelia, these costumes need to be ‘perfect for even the Olde One’s taste.’ We’re going to be here a while; Sarah thinks to herself. There still hasn’t been word of the new Ghost frontman. Siblings whisper in the hallways and at meal times with each other on who they think the next man up will be.

All day Sarah toils away at the contoured seams of his pants. Since learning of Copia’s condition, her dreams have become infiltrated with the image of a sharp-toothed Cardinal Copia. He hasn’t been able to leave her mind, she finds herself drifting off at the machine from time to time. So many questions run through her head.

It can’t be a crush. I’ve barely spoken with him! Sarah tries to rationalize is all. I’m just… curious. Curious about the whole thing. How often do you meet a real, live, well not live, vampire? In her stupor she manages to get through the line of stitching without jamming her finger under the needle. The actual stitching, however. “Oh damn. Where did I put my seam ripper?”

She saw him in the hallways while walking back to the studio after lunch on the day before the first fitting. Their eyes met and they stopped to chat while in the middle of the hall.

“Good afternoon, Cardinal.” Sarah said.

“Good afternoon, sorella. I hope Sister Amelia hasn’t been working you too hard on the new suits?” Copia looks into her eyes sincerely.

“Oh, are you familiar with “The Gauntlet?” Cardinal?” She chuckles.

Copia’s eyebrows raise. “Ehe I haven’t ever heard it put in that.. particular way but I’ve heard that new assistants tend to be put through the ringer. “

“The ringer, the gauntlet, either way, I feel like I’m doing fine for now, ha!” She shifts her feet a couple times. “Only time will tell.” Subject change, now! “So Cardinal, I heard that you are uh… Uh.”

Copia’s eyes find someone in the distance. “Oh, I’m late for a meeting sorella. Mi dispiace.” He begins to walk past her but stops to turn around to look back at Sarah. “We should continue our talk, still? Sometime later.”

“Yes! That sounds great.” And with that, hes gone. Why am I being so weird?

The morning of the first fitting, Sarah wakes up with a bundle of anxiety in her stomach. She keeps dreaming of Copia. He’s invaded her thoughts in both the dreaming and waking world now. While Sarah is getting ready for the day, the only thing on her mind is hoping the pants she made don’t burst at the seams when Copia moves around. Amelia’s new concept is a very new and bold step forward. The door to the studio is already unlocked, Amelia the likely answer. Amelia looks up from the ironing board as Sarah walks in.

“Sarah! Are you excited? It’s the first fitting! I always get a bit giddy, like a kid on Christmas.” She sets down her iron to move the garment around. “Except, instead of unwrapping something, I get to wrap someone up!” She clasps her hands together and grins.

It’s infectious and Sarah smiles in return. Some of her anxieties melt away in genuine excitement. She’s right. Sarah always found joy in seeing the look on someone’s face when she would make something for them. It would feel so rewarding to see them strut around in the thing she made! It’s like the physical manifestation of caring about someone.

Copia is a couple minutes from reaching the sewing studio but his mind is elsewhere. He wonders when the rest of the clergy will find out about Copia and the Ghost project. Will the siblings approve? Papa Terzo was well loved, maybe too well loved, amongst the Siblings of Sin. Would they feel the same about Copia?

The fitting is under way, about 30 minutes in, when the old devil himself walks into the room.

“My sweet Sisters! Cardinale! How is everyone doing this morning!” Terzo asks. There is a chorus of ‘hello Papa’s back to him as he enters the room. “Oh! A new suit, Copia? Any special reason?” he asks.

Copia’s face jerks to Amelia and Sarah. A silent plea for help in his eyes.

“Papa,” Amelia starts. “Is there ever a reason? Change is… inevitable.”

Terzo notices Copia’s deer-in-headlights look and holds up his hands in mock surrender. “I kid! I know about the Cardinal and the Ghost project. It was my idea for the dramatic exit.” Terzo has a cheshire-like smile

The sounds of a collective sigh falls over the room.

“Oh, thank Lucifer for that!” Amelia turns to Copia. “Cardinal, please to put on the pants Sarah put together in your dressing room. It’s the last thing I need to see for the day.”

Copia nods and walks off to change. The sounds of the curtain swinging open then closed. A few minutes pass in silence then he calls from behind the curtain. “Sister… per favore, did you give me the wrong pants by any chance?”

Sarah’s head pops up and Amelia walks over to the changing area and goes to open the curtain. Copia fumbles in front of her to prevent it from revealing himself. “Copia! Cardinal! Let me-“

Copia is struggling in vain to keep his privacy. “Please pay no attention to the vampire behind the curtain!” He screams.

Sarah watches on in horror. Her hands cover her face.

Copia walks out from behind the curtain to see Amelia, Sarah and Papa Terzo staring at him. “I could zip them up but they are uh… a bit tight. I don’t think I’ll be able to wear underwear in these.”

Sathanas, you can see everything.

“Oh Sarah, you should be proud. The ritual attendees are going to eat him up!” Terzo turns to her. He strides over to Amelia and takes her hand. “Bella why couldn’t you have made anything like this for me for my shows? They are… inspired.” He waves his hand around.

Amelia rolls her eyes. “Oh please! We both wouldn’t have lasted 10 minutes into a fitting.” She walks forward to inspect the mockup but Terzo follows after her. “Copia, could you walk around and see how the pants feel on?”

Terzo scoffs. “Cara, I wouldn’t even need 10 minutes! It would take me less than 5 before I would’ve had you ripping them off me.” Terzo gives her an eyebrow wiggle.

“I’m trying to focus here, Terzo. Papa. And if you don’t stop right now, I will shove some scrap fabric into your mouth and tie you up with my tape measure! Then I might actually be able do my job.”

“Amore! Don’t threaten me with a good time.” Terzo smiles wide.

 Sarah looks to the Cardinal with wide eyes, they both share a look across the room.

Amelia sighs at Terzo. “Oh, look what you’ve done. You’ve scared the children”

Copia turns around but is now facing the mirror, the mirror that is showing his reflection back. There’s more frantic turning and he eventually stops. Copia looks up in frustration. He breathes a silent “shit.”

“Mi dispiace. I will leave you now so you can get back to your hard” he looks at Copia. “work.” He looks back to Amelia.

After Papa leaves, Sarah breaks the silence with “The pants do look a bit tight.”

“You people are no fun!”

Amelia spends some time marking on the suit pieces while Copia models them. Half an hour later the suit pieces are back on their hangers with notes pinned to the fabric for the next mockup. Amelia assures Copia that she’ll add some ease to his pants. He leaves the studio and on the way back to his office he passes by a few siblings of sin who seem to have strange looks on their faces.

Sarah and Alex make their way to the dining hall for dinner. They’ve developed a good rhythm in the past week of finishing up their work and then going together for food at the end of the day; the both of them are exhausted by the whirlwind Amelia in the throes of a big project. They're midway into a conversation at their table when a couple siblings of sin rush up to them.

“Oh! Sister Hannah-?”

“Is it true?” a girl huffs. “The person who will take Papa’s place in the Ghost Project? It’s the Cardinal?”

Sarah’s eyes go wide. Alex’s head whips to the girl. “Where did you hear that?”

“Is it true? Sister Ashley heard it from brother Michael, who got a text from my girlfriend who was walking down the hall by the sewing department when she overheard Papa Terzo say something about Rituals and the Cardinal Copia was there with him!” Hannah rambles.

By now other siblings have caught on to the commotion and have hushed their conversations. All eyes are on Sarah and Alex. Some of them start asking questions of their own.

“Do you know?”

“You have to know since you were there, right?”

“Did Papa Terzo say the Cardinal would be the next Papa?”

“Aw! Terzo is so much sexier!”

Sarah snaps her head towards that last one. Her eyes scan the crowd and she spies the subject of their concerns slowly trying to make his way out of the hall by side-stepping slowly against the wall. A few turn and stand to follow her line of sight and now yell towards Copia. All Sarah can see is a flash of red fabric making a hurried exit down the halls.

A voice calls out to the clergy. “Everyone! Please settle down! Settle down!” It’s Papa Terzo’s voice. “You will all find out who the next leader of the Ghost project will be in due time. Have patience, per favore!” Papa’s words help some of the commotion die down and the siblings move to sit back at their tables. It’s a lot quieter in the dining hall but Sarah feels several dozen pairs of eyes looking towards her. The scraping sound of her chair pierces through the massive room as she stands to put up her dinner items and walk back to her room for the rest of the night. The sounds of her shoes against the tile echo painfully behind her.

Several hours have passed and Sarah can’t sleep. She’s been tossing and turning to no avail. Everyone knows who will be next to head the Ghost project. It may not have been official but who else could it be? Some are confused and some are hopeful. The Cardinal isn’t hated by any means but he never seemed like the type to lead a band.    

Sarah sits up and grabs her robe. She put her shoes on and is out the door before she can even think of where to go. On instinct Sarah ends up in the ministry gardens. A beautiful sanctuary created by Papa Primo in his retirement. She’s visited a couple times during the daytime. Towering hedge walls, bushes, flower beds, and trees as far as the eye can see and soft glowing lights above and below to light the path at night. In the distance she can see a cloaked figure but they’re covered in the shadows.

“Oh, I’m sorry to disturb you!” Sarah lets out a soft laugh. The figure’s head moves to look at her and as she walks closer, she can see two distinctly miss-matched eyes looking at her. “Cardinal Copia? Is that… Is that you? I can leave.”

“No! Please, sit.” He makes some room for her on the small bench and pats the spot next to him. “I don’t mind if it’s you. I just needed some alone time and I couldn’t take one more minute in my room.”

Sarah sits down on the bench. “I’m sorry about today. If people were going to find out, it shouldn’t have come in that way...” She looks into his eyes.

“Papa is well-loved amongst the clergy. How else would anyone react?” He pats his hand on Sara’s hand in her lap. “Cara, I’ll be alright. This old bat can handle a few odd looks from the siblings.” he pleads. “Let’s not dwell too much about that right now; we mustn’t borrow trouble. What brings you to the garden so late into the night?”

She sighs. “I couldn’t sleep. I get these moods sometimes and after what happened with you today… I…”

Copia nods his head. “I don’t sleep very much, either.” Sarah turns to look up at him. “Vampire brain, I suppose. I tend not to sleep for very long every night.”

“What do you do with the extra hours?”

“I like to listen to music or uh… play video games.” He feels a bit embarrassed. “Sometimes I head to my office and start on the paperwork I left behind.”

“Sounds lonely.”

“I’m not alone right now.” Copia leans to bump shoulders with her. “What if I gave you my number and you can text me when you can’t sleep. We can be alone and restless together.”

She lets out a small gasp. Sarah turns to look at Copia. “You have a cellphone?”

“Cara if I didn’t adapt with the times I would be living in the dark ages.” Copia chuckles. “I know our ministry operates in an old building but if we didn’t have wi-fi and phones it would be torture to get anything done.

“Yes, well, it’s just a silly idea to me that a centuries old vampire would have a smartphone.” She giggles. “It’s like if you gave a Victorian child a Gameboy.”

“Hey, I’m hip as the kids might say, eh?” Sarah laughs a bit louder at that. “I’m pretty fly for an undead guy!”

Her shoulders are shaking from laughter. “If you say so, Cardinal.”

“Copia. Please, you don’t have to always address me as ‘Cardinal’, cara.”

“Ok… Copia.”

Copia stands up from the bench and turns to Sarah. “So, shall I walk you back to your room? It’s late and you still need to at least try to get some sleep.” He holds out his hand as Sarah stands up.

“Oh, I suppose.” She mimics. Copia gives her a small smirk as she grabs his hand. The two walk back to Sarah’s room hand-in-hand. Once they reach her door they stop in front of it.

“Well, this is where I take my leave, Sarah.” Copia raises her hand and gives a small kiss on the back it. “Have pleasant dreams, eh?”

Sarah’s cheeks turn pink and she gives a bashful smile to the Cardinal. A whispered “Thank you” manages to come out. She walks into her room and closes the door, glancing one last time to Copia.

After Copia gets back to his room, he changes into comfier clothes and lays down in his bed. Sleep is certainly going to evade him tonight. “Oh, my sweet Sarah. My dolcezza. What are you doing to me?”

Thus concludes chapter 2! I hope y'all enjoyed it. Let me know what you think! I think this story will be about 5 chapters so we're almost halfway there.

[the-autistic-cat-queen]

Welcome to my page, I hope you will feel at home here.

📷 Photo taken by myself on the 12th of December 2024

Well where do I start?

I guess I should start by saying I’m 45 years young, autistic, I love all cats and I’m asexual. My pronouns are she/her, I share a flat with my wonderful partner and our 4 beautiful cats. I love my partner very dearly, she is actually the complete opposite to myself when it comes to her sexuality, this can at times make things a little tricky, but somehow we always manage to muddle through and make things work.

Growing up I’ve always found myself more drawn to femininity, I could go as far as to consider myself as an asexual lesbian, however I don't really like to put myself in a box. I believe boxes are best suited for cats

Despite being in my 40s, I would consider myself young minded, intelligent, and a person who has a good heart. I hate to see others around me struggle. I’m a big believer in always trying to boost people up, rather than to try and drag them down. I’d consider myself an empath as I tend to feel other peoples pain, which I guess can make me a bit of an emotional person at times.

Being autistic I tend to speak my mind, this can be a good and bad thing, as sometimes it helps others to understand me, but other times it just makes situations more awkward.

For years I have heavily masked, because of this it made it very difficult for me to say no to things. It’s only in the last year or so that I’ve actually started to put my own feelings first. Even then I still struggle with this a lot as I tend to be a bit of a people pleaser. This is something I’m still working to improve.

I’ve always been known for having a great sense of humour, in fact for many years I used to use humour as a defence mechanism. I found it always helped hide just how anxious and shy I was. If people are laughing, they are not noticing just how awkward you are. It’s only in the last couple of months that I’ve managed to stop doing this as much. I’ve been slowly trying to lower my mask a little bit by bit each day. I now use comfort items when out and about as a way of feeling more at ease.

Since I was a teenager I always wanted to get into photography, but back then I struggled and lacked any kind of direction to ever get things done. It’s only just now in the last year that I’ve found myself lucky enough to be able to buy myself a professional camera.

I’ve recently found myself drawn to collecting Blythe dolls, in fact I just love everything to do with them. If I’m being completely honest they have become a little bit of an obsession of mine. I originally found myself collecting Sylvanian families, but I think the only reason I got so heavily into collecting them, was because at the time I was growing up I wasn’t ever allowed any of them. Now don’t get me wrong, I still love my Sylvanians, but Blythes are were my heart is at. In fact I’ve only just recently bought myself a new sewing machine. My plans are to start making outfits for all my dolls. I also plan to collect all the tools needed to get into doll customisation. It’s something I’m feeling quite passionate about. I feel after many many years I might actually have found something I’m really into.

Between Blythe dolls, Sylvanians and Me to You bears (Tatty Teddies) I’ve found myself taking them out wherever I go, in fact I won’t leave the house without at least one doll and some kind of plush toy. I find having these comfort items take away any feelings of anxiety I might have and also removes the need to make idle conversion with strangers. (of course I’ll still chat to people, but now I don’t feel the need to turn everything into a joke).

People often tell me I have a great sense of imagination; some have even said my imagination seems to go beyond the normal limits of thinking. As I tend to go into a rumble offering so much detail when explaining different scenarios or situations that could or might occur. I guess I just have an overactive mind and vivid imagination.

Other hobbies and interests that I’ve enjoyed over the years are singing / song writing, poetry, quote creation, mixed martial arts, gaming, anime, TV shows, movies, drawing / painting, cooking and maintaining a tidy home.

I love making new friends, though this is something I’ve often struggled with at times as people who have gotten to know the real me have often taking advantage of my good nature. I must say I do love a good hug, hugs to me are like a blanket for the soul.

If there is one thing I’ve learnt it’s never try to reason with an idiot, they will just drag you down to their level and always win. That's because they are never willing to admit when they might be wrong.

Things that I dislike are; drunken men, creepy clowns / carnivals, but most of all giant moths with their big red evil looking eyes, black leather jackets and Tommy guns, I just don’t like the way they seem to always want to flap their giant wings in your face. They are like the baddies of butterflies. I’m pretty sure if they could they would slowly try to take over the world. (Well okay, I might be slightly exaggerating, but you get the idea.) I guess what I’m trying to say is, I don’t really like things fluttering so close to my face, that and they kind of look creepy.

Over time I’ve realised that life is full of many epic moments, and that failure just happens to be one of them, when this happens it’s often known as an “epicfail” When such a moment occurs cake can often be offered as a gift, usually this is done by friends, it’s their way of showing that someone still cares, and this is known as “failcake”. Failcake comes in lots of different colours, shapes and sizes. I personally like cakes, so failure is not such a bad thing :)

And finally I’ll end things with a quote I made many many eons ago.

"True greatness is not something to be seen, it’s something to be felt" – NH

🌺🧸NH x

[dumpster-divers-unite]

Enshittification at it once again!

Every once in a while when my mom goes to the store, she’ll bring something home for me. Bless her sweet lil Midwestern heart, she tries to get me things that she guesses I need or might want and it’s a hit or miss. I’m just not a conventional dresser except when I’m at work. These white t shirts are new tho and I thought I didn’t like the design but it turns out if I kinda do. They were free, the best price out there ;).

Everyone who is pointing it out is so right that this is plaguing the (fast) fashion industry. This shirt and it’s clone are decent quality that I can tell at the moment, but the green corduroy pants that she bought?? I’ve never in my life felt fabric that felt like it was trying it’s hardest to mimic fabric. She brought me these pants right as I was waking up, and through my sleepy eyes I could tell the quality was so garbage. Out of habit, I checked the crotch to see how the inside of the fabric looked… and I can swear by my left pinky that good corduroy SHOULD NOT BE MILDLY SEE THROUGH TO A N Y DEGREE, especially when it comes to pants.

Fabric? Shit quality. Shit quality = harder to repair = meant to be replaced faster = more money spent.

I always check the stitching in the crotch. Standard stitch instead of a flat seam on shitty fabric? Strike 2. Using machine needles that are too big on said shitty fabric on the booty/crotch? Strike two. I only hand sew to make sure I don’t mess up or am able to correct any mistake and get the absolute best result I can but when I tell you that I almost thought I was going crazy when I saw those holes with my bare eyes and no glasses???? 😭😭 y’all.

I tried them on once before folding them back up and handing them back to her. Enshittification is so real and if it hasn’t reached an area of clothing production oh boy oh golly it eventually will, and I’m not sure what is as consumers will do once it has a death grip on every single thing.

[sheliesshattered]

I finished Jack's Very Fancy Santa Hat yesterday -- or well, finished enough to call it done for now. I might want to re-do the fur (or parts of it) at some point, but hey, is that or is that not a Very Fancy Santa Hat:

I'm like, 95% happy with it, and that last 5% is really down to learning new techniques on the fly, and my goal of making this 'heirloom quality'. It is, I'll grant, both very fancy and obviously a Santa Hat, and Jack seems really happy with it (he's wearing it while I type this up). But if I get a chance in the future I might try to improve it, we'll see.

I've also decided not to finish my Santa hat right now, since there's only a few weeks left until midwinter and Christmas, and given the choice between the two, I would rather have my velvet Yule dress done and wearable and save my Santa hat to finish for next year. So I've put away all the hat-making things and shifted gears into getting the velvet gown cut out. Here's one of the side-back panels ready to be cut out:

I'm really hoping to have this dress done and wearable three weeks from today, for an event Jack and I are going to. Three weeks is pretty quick for any sewing project for me, much less for a silk velvet gown. But, on the bright side, I know this (self-drafted) pattern really well, I know which parts are fiddly and which parts are easy, and I don't expect there to be any fit issues. And sewing the seams for the Santa hats gave me some practice working with this velvet, so I already have a good handle on what I need to do to make sure the dress's seams don't creep around on me.

This velvet is gorgeous and not nearly as difficult as the other silks I've sewn in the last few years. Like any velvet, I'm cutting it face-down, and on the backside there's a really obvious weft and fairly obvious warp, so it's pretty easy to get the grain squared up before cutting. It's only moderately wiggly, generally stays put unless nudged, though I do try to get the pattern weights on just as soon as I'm certain of the placement. Both of the silks for my Rhaenyra cosplay were much more annoying to work with, and so while this isn't the easiest fabric I've worked with recently, it's not so bad.

But cutting out full-length gown pieces is exhausting, a slow process of getting the velvet laid out and squared up, figuring out which piece best fits there -- cutting them all in the same direction just in case the nap decides to make an appearance eventually -- laying out the pattern and weighting it so it doesn't move, cutting it out with my rotary cutter and then going back through with scissors for any notches. The part of my back that I injured late last summer generally doesn't hurt anymore, except when I lean over my cutting table for long periods like this. So I keep having to take breaks to go sit with my back on my heating pad and let the muscles calm down a bit.

We're doing a Lord of the Rings marathon today (and the one benefit of sewing in a ~825sqft place is that I'm never far from the TV lol). We're a little past the midway point in Two Towers and I've gotten four panels cut out and a fifth ready to cut, before sitting down to take a break and write this post. The dress has nine panels and then the two single-piece sleeves, eleven pieces total, so I'm not quite half way through the cutting process. If I can get this whole thing cut out by the end of Return Of The King I'll be happy, and barring that I should be able to get the last of it cut out early tomorrow.

This velvet doesn't fray nearly as badly as the brocade for the Rhaenyra dress, but I might want to stay-stitch the edges of each piece just to stop the fraying from happening. If I decide to do that, it'll be before I start pinning pieces together. Either way, I probably won't run the sewing machine until Monday, when Jack is back at work, rather than tomorrow while we've got cozy movies on.

Three weeks really isn't a lot of time, but my holiday shopping is nearly done, I don't have any other major craft projects or work demands, and I'm not planning on any significant baking or cooking between now and midwinter. So maybe if I can keep myself moving, especially on workdays, I'll be able to get this done with all its finishings in plenty of time to wear on the 21st.

[pbandjesse]

I really thought I wasn't going to be exhausted today. I was like I'm going to get home at 11 and the ln I'll just go to sleep normal and have a nice day off at home and get lots done. But I was a fool to think that!!

I did get home at 11. The event wrapped up pretty quickly and it was lovely working with everyone. There was a live auction and one of the prizes was a bunch of lottery tickets they stuck in a pumpkin. But the woman who won that was flying and so she didn't want the actual pumpkin so I got to keep it! Excellent. It was honestly larger then I should have been picking up but it's fine. I didn't drop it.

I got home and took a shower and was scrolling on my phone entirely to long. Just winding down. Hugging James. And eventually I was able to sleep.

It was honestly better sleep then I have had the last week. I woke up a few times but not as many and I think it's because I wasn't waking up to pee and then immediately drinking a ton of water every time because I was thirsty. But I did sleep a little better.

I woke up at 9. I don't even remember James leaving for work which made me a little sad. I was moving really slow this morning. But pretty quickly I was shocked awake because I got up and was like. Gotta plug in my phone. And immediately knocked over the new humidifier and spilled water all over my phone. Incredible way to start the day. I moved quick enough to rip my case off and dried it all off and it was fine just Jesus.

I took an excellent shower. I washed my hair and felt a lot more normal. I was sure I was full of energy and would have an excellent and productive day. But it didn't exactly work out like that.

I made the bed and wore cozy clothes. I went and had the breakfast sandwich James made me. I brought it upstairs and sat at my desk. It was a nice morning.

I would go downstairs to work on the sewing machine for a little bit. I got another color set of frog legs sewn. But I was not feeling sitting there so I gather one of my knit projects that needed sewing and brought it upstairs to work.

I did stop and checked on Crabcake. He has needed me to come and move him into the food bowl for him to eat. I think he's a little sleepy/bored as the house gets cooler. I will have to get him to walk around the room outside of his tank. Don't want him to be bored.

I would sit on the floor in our bedroom working on this floor mat project for a while. But after an hour I was just. So tired. I didn't really do much so I don't even understand why I became so overwhelmingly exhausted but it was wild. I was able to sew two rows closed and together. 3 more to go and I really wanted to finish that today but there was no way I was going to be able to keep going at that point.

I would lay down to watch a video. I was feeling very unwell and off. I was just not having a very good time. I would eventually fall asleep but it wasn't a very restful sleep. I woke up thirsty and tired and feeling weird.

I tried to shake it off. I drank water and moved downstairs and had a snack. I just wanted James to come home.

They were running late because of the event tonight. I was feeling a little better after my snack. I had the backdoor open and was working on .u temperature blanket. I have all the panels through the end of August put together now. I plan on getting all the yarn cut this week for September so I can work on that during our drive to Gabe's wedding weekend next week. Maybe I'll get October cut out too even though the total month won't be done. That's alright.

James would get home and I was not feeling great again. They came and cuddled me and it helped a little. They would make dinner. And we talked about baby. It's the 18th and the start of the 18th week. And I know I was feeling bad yesterday about everything but looking at the belly pictures I have been taking every Friday I am rounding out in the middle. So that's neat. I just really hope they are okay in there.

After dinner James would come and lay with me on the couch while they worked on editing their podcast. I was just scrolling on my phone. Eventually I would go lay upstairs because I needed different pillows. James would come up here eventually but they would go and hang a shelf on the stairwell (it didn't exactly fit so they had to cut it down a bit. Pictured above). But it should be good for displaying some of the Legos and other small sculptural things!

I would take a bath. And I put peppermint Dr Bronners in the water and so then I was so chilly after. But now I'm bundled in bed. Trying to be comfortable. I am just so tired.

Tomorrow I have a workshop at awah. I am a little confused about the layout but I'll figure it out when I get there. It should be a nice couple hours. And hopefully I am not to exhausted anymore.

I hope you all have a good night. Sleep well and be safe! Until tomorrow!

[mr-leach]

My life is falling down around me but some things never fail to perk me up. For instance, finally getting to knock out a big chore that I hadn't been able to get to for a long time. In this case, cleaning off the 50 year old sewing machine my dad managed to find at an estate sale a while back, that had unceremoniously puked it's oily guts in the bed of his truck on the way to my apartment.

Look at her... she's so pretty!!!

There's only a couple of parts missing: one of the hinges that attaches to the table is unaccounted for, and there's a rod missing from the hands-free presser foot mechanism, but she's otherwise fully functional! And FAST.

I took these before cleaning, but for all the rust that was on the outer parts, the underside was totally fine, which was a pleasant surprise! Also, you can see the importance of the hinges, as it's lopsided and took a bit of strength to get up onto its side--this thing is heavy. It is imperative that I get a replacement for the missing hinge so we can regularly check the oil level because my god. This thing has to be 50lbs or more, fucking hell.

That hole in the base of the oil reservoir is where the rod for the presser foot should come through. Just means we gotta use the manual lever up top instead of the knee powered lever, but hopefully I can replace it too, since it's nice to be able to lift the presser foot without having to use your hands.

Anyway I feel nice and accomplished now. She takes a few seconds to revv up and...several minutes...to power down lol, but she works! Good as new! :D

[jwood718]

How’s this for a theory for ya’: the far right wants people to work at age 12, or maybe younger, so that they’ll always be compliant, ignorant, scared, and easily replaced through the whole of their working lives.

9 year old girl carrying garments down Blackstone Street, Boston, Mass., to a Hanover Street home.  She finishes 8 pairs of trousers a day and gets 8 cents a piece...  Lewis Wickes Hine, 1912 (Library of Congress)

In many states (pick a news story) the far right is bucking for votes by enacting legislation to prevent abortion, ostensibly to “protect the children.”

In those same states (again, pick a news story) those legislators are enacting, or at least attempting to, laws demanding schools eschew teaching “woke” subjects--i.e.: they should stick to patriotic history (or no history--or art for that matter--at all), avoid anything to do with gender or sex that is not WASPy cis/het and promotes “traditional family values”--and so on, ostensibly to “protect the children,” and to engender “parents’ rights.”

Again, in those same states, legislatures are attempting to, or are passing, laws that loosen child labor laws, (listen to this segment from WAMU’s 1A) which would allow more young people to take on more hours--even overnights, or take on more dangerous labor.  Ostensibly this is good for children as it teaches good work ethics, so it’s “good for kids,” while also being good for businesses given the so-called lack of employable people.

My take?  By making abortion illegal, or very difficult to obtain, neoliberal thinkers and actors are attempting to increase the population of the people who are least able to obtain abortions or other family planning options.  By restricting what is taught to those children when they reach school age, those young citizens will be ignorant of how democracy is supposed to operate, they will not question their “leaders,” and they will be pushed to become “good employees.”  Then they will be allowed to start working at as young as age twelve, doing menial but dangerous tasks (loading meat trucks on the graveyard shift, for instance) when they are too young to understand that they could be seriously injured but are also so young that they don’t want to advocate for better so as not to upset their bosses and maybe get fired.  By the time they’ve been on the job for a couple of years, they’ll be too tired to pay attention in school, and drop out--and so need to keep working, still ignorant of safety regulations or that laws exist (or used to) to protect them and keep exploitation at bay.  In the end, they’ll be compliant workers, unquestioning of the overseers, taking what little pay they’re given, and completely unlikely to organize.

Bessie Blitch, 15 years old. Sewing curtains on machine at Boutwell, Fairclough & Gold, 274 Summer Street Extension. Lewis W. Hine. (Mr. Fitzgerald, Manager.) Location: Boston, Massachusetts, 1917. (Library of Congress)

In a generation, the top echelon of the population will have a huge worker pool to draw from that is not equipped to push back on unfair and dangerous conditions--and that pool of people will be living in conditions that are unhealthy due to deregulation of industry, unable to access health care, and easily replaceable since there will always be a line down the block of potential hires.  All of which sounds much like the 19th Century.

I could work in something about fear, anger, right-wing media, and the 2nd Amendment, but that post would be way too long.

[westshellos]

preface to “a few of my favourite things”

coming across @/dieworkwear’s tweets on ethical fashion while coming home to a perpetually-full wardrobe everyday really made me reconsider some of my sartorial purchases. 

one thing he pointed out was the fact that the average american spends $600 on clothes a year. with that kind of money, he argued, you could buy a good piece of quality clothing that would undoubtedly last you more than a year and that didn’t involve slave wages and inhumane working conditions in the production process. this was in response to somebody defending SHEIN—what i like to call TaoBao lite for people who can’t read chinese—an ecommerce website that was recently crowned 2022′s most popular fashion brand. with the countless number of labor law violations we’ve seen from other brands (nike, zara, h&m, or most of what’s on the market right now) over the years, it’s no surprise that SHEIN too was found guilty of all these violations and more. 

this isn’t news to anyone. if anything it’s become something that’s almost a given for any fashion brand that’s able to put out new stuff on their website every week (or day). as someone who knows how sewing works (sort of), i of all people should know that ethical fashion is expensive fashion: clothes aren’t easy to make, and sewing is one of the few things left that hasn’t been fully automated because it’s a meticulous, arduous process that takes immense skill and dexterity. the closest we’ve come are automatic electric sewing machines that still have to be operated by skilled tailors. it’s why clothes from a label like los angeles apparel (not the best example for dov charney reasons, but that’s a whole other topic that i don’t have the space to get into here; point is, they pay their workers a living wage of US$20-35/hour) charges US$24 for a plain cotton t-shirt and not $2. it’s why a hand knit sweater from a small business on instagram costs US$300 and not $30. making clothes is hard, and when SHEIN charges a suspiciously low amount of money for clothing, it’s because it is suspicious. 

a common defense for buying from SHEIN is that it’s one of the only options for people who can’t afford to buy from ethical brands. but as @/dieworkwear has already pointed out, the average american (and arguably, singaporean in my context) probably has enough money to buy what they need (good quality things, too) and have it last for a year or more. this “defense” is, more often than not, a thinly veiled excuse for people who want to do $1000 SHEIN hauls without feeling guilty. using “there is no ethical consumption under capitalism” as a reason is arguably even worse, as it’s co-opting a phrase that’s supposed to describe the unethical nature of capitalism as a whole. it’s not something you say when you want to consume as unethically and freely as you want. 

the point is that despite there being no ethical consumption under capitalism, we still have the ability to make it as ethical as we possibly can. working on an honor’s thesis on labor, capital and the ethics of care, it’s become increasingly clear to me that this tweet (pictured below) was exactly right. capitalism would want you to care less, because pessimism and resignation paves the way for compliance. they would want you to say “screw it, i’m going to do that $1000 SHEIN haul because nothing i do matters” because then you’d be doing exactly what they want: buying stuff you don’t need to line the pockets of gajillionaires. 

drawing from many feminist philosophers and scholars, i wrote (or rather, am intending to write at this point in time) that love and care, under a system that promotes and reproduces itself through carelessness, is inherently radical. apart from loving and caring for the people around you, i’d say loving and caring for the things you have now can be an act of resistance too: after all, what’s not anti-capitalist about refusing to participate in the cycle of endless consumption? 

despite knowing all of this for a long, long time, i was, sadly, a culprit of all these things i’ve listed. in the past, i’ve been guilty of buying way too many things when i didn’t need to. i’ve also been guilty of buying things from places with more-than-questionable ethics (i’m looking at you, TaoBao). reading these tweets and working on my thesis has imbued me with some sort of hope—that even if i don’t manage to lead the proletariat to revolution and dismantle the system from top to bottom, there’s still some point in trying. that the little things do count. so to atone for my previous sins and to help me buy less and more ethically, i’m going to start a series titled “a few of my favourite things” to appreciate the things i already have rather than feel the need to buy more. this is just the preface.