#embroidery vent

[softness-and-shattering]

Requisite grouch about the representation of embroidery, particularly in Bridgerton. Season 3, Im just getting to. So I get the point of this little scene is "Eloise is not interested in conventional feminine topics and doesnt fit in with her peers, and we are doing this by showing disdain for embroidery" and I fully get that in the cultural consciousness embroidery is this frivolous nonsense that rich women did to keep busy and isnt worth anything.

But two things. One, as Ive said before, the Bridgerton costuming is full of embroidery, of the kind that has to be machine made. And Im not gonna talk about historical accuracy because I consider the costuming part of the shows premise ie something you just have to accept to enjoy the show because its central. Like you cant enjoy Dungeon Meshi if you have to know how its possible for magic and dungeons to exist, you just have to accept that its part of the setting.

So either the seamstress has a few machines shes using for the lavish embroidery or her cloth is extravagantly expensive beyond all reason. LIke even more than youre already thinking.

And these women are surrounded by it, making their trade with it, its literally built into their fashion. So scorn for it makes zero sense. Second, in this scene in particular at the ball. The dialogue goes, almost exactly:

"Well the leaf stitch is tried and true"

[I think Eloise says something]

"Then theres the running stitch, the straight stitch, the fern stitch, the French knot -"

"What's your favourite stitch Eloise?"

This is not how people talk about embroidery! Its not exciting because of the stitches that exist, its exciting for how you use the stitches and what shapes and textures you can make, and how you manipulate the thread and fabric to create all kinds of interesting effects and patterns. And I fully understand that someone can be bored by that, its not for everyone. Im just mad that their "this is a normal conversation about embroidery" is listing stitching and asking someone their favourite. They could have done something like

"I just learned a new stitch, its called the split stitch, and it has this really cool effect that makes the thread look like its knitted, so Im embroidering my dog with this technique to really capture his fur, and im using French knots for his little beady eyes, and then Im gonna use the split stitch and this gorgeous russet floss to make him the coziest little sweater!"

"Oh my god I do not want to hear another thing about your thread dog and its fake thready sweater."

Thats like, a real conversation someone might have that someone else could find boring, and its respectful - and realistic - to the hobby and craft and art of embroidery! It sounds like something a human might say. Not "here are some stitch names, wait why are you being rude?". Its like imitating a conversation about someones dog like "and he has paws and his paws have nails and then he has knees and then he has two eyes and a tail" thats not how people talk about dogs! you might see "his tail is so waggy, and his eyes are so soulful, and his little feet are the cutest thing, let me tell you a story -". We couldve had a story about an embroidery mishap, that could be funny.

but no we must hold onto old outdated and sexist ideas about things and disdain them for no good reason while our costume department is embroidering everything because lets not examine any of our attitudes about anything!

The worst was still the dressmaker last season complaining about ladies and their embroidery MAAM THATS LITERALLY YOUR JOB. Ok now I can go back to watching for the pretties. And I very much admire Colin's big swooshy coat.

Im also trying to work out if Cressida is sapphic. Eloise and Pen absolutely have "middle grade sapphic friends have strangely intense friendship and then huge strangely intense breakup fight," and looks like Pen is bi, but Im really hoping they properly go into queer themes with Eloise and not just sign her up for a guy later. Also pretty sure the latest Bridgerton this season - Francesca? - is ace. Big ace vibes on her.

Swooshy coat!!

[liekadae]

something is so seriously wrong with me because I just finished my semester and immidiately thought "damn, i havent really done anything for the past year, have I?"

As if I didnt just do two whole ass exhibitions and a runway and a cosplay and learned a whole new medium and a 3D modeling program and ran this stupid account like sorry tf is wrong with me????

[heretic-scribbles]

Am I collection of defective parts

[moth-spiderling]

Things do get better.

Life can be cruel and unforgiving, like a writer killing off the most beloved characters and making everyone suffer through a lot. Yet every bad moment eventually shall pass.

We don't stop reading a book, just because the writer made things seem grim for a bit. We shouldn't stop living just because we're afraid it'll get worse.

Things can go badly, sure, but they can also turn out for the better. You can also survive.

Even giving up for a day, a month, a year, does not mean your life is not worth living.

It doesn't mean you're gonna be stuck here forever. It just means that for now, maybe for a long time now, things have been rough.

And you need a break, and a hug.

And someone to tell you, that you are very much loved, even if Life (as the most bitter and inspired writer) has decided to take it out on you.

You are loved, you're not weird, and you deserve good, beautiful, lovely things.

[eri-pl]

Revenge of the sule/silma

I have to redo the embroidery on my sweater because I spelled "estel" wrong. AAAARRRRGGHHHH

[a-strawberry-mouse]

I have to redo all of it.

I'm very unhappy, not going to lie I went ahead and cried a bit. Hours of work down the drain.

Someone, a child, decided to pull a prank. This is the second pointlessly cruel prank from this person in the past two months. As a result, I will be doing nothing for them.

I've told the kid's dad that it isn't going to be done anytime soon and the only way I can do it is by cutting it apart. He bought a replacement backpack and told me not to worry about it. I will still fix this, but I'm glad the kid has a back up in the meanwhile.

The prankster is another one of his kids and he's very upset and sorry about it. I've told him quite plainly that the prankster will get no repairs of any kind from me. For some reason he's surprised I'll still fix the other kids' stuff. They didn't do anything.

I will fix this to the best of my ability, but later. I was already frustrated with it before everything went to heck. Tomorrow I'll start fixing my fall jacket before it gets put away.

Ah well, I've had quite a week. Which means it's only up from here friends.

At least it's plant sale season.

[aworldofpattern]

Jenna Ortega at the 2024 Emmys, wearing custom Dior Couture.

Layers of rose des vents tulle, embroidered with a silver soutache trellis and floral garlands in silk and sequins.

[sparklespeckles]

I've had this embroidery project for a while now (a portrait of one of the dogs), and i've hit the "i really dont want to work on this anymore" wall with it. And i still have half or more to go. Bad planning on my part, i think, but my point is Im gonna pivot projects until I feel better about working on it.

A while ago a friend gifted me Cult of the Lamb and I wanted to embroider the Lamb and the Goat and I finally got around to sketch them out to trace on the fabric (because i like doing things the hard way apparently).

I also saw a trailer for the 3rd Sonic movie and i got the itch to embroider Shadow to match the Sonic I made some time ago. (And maybe remake Sonic to look nicer).

[shirogane-oushirou]

meowdy... <3

[junkjounral]

November 25, 2023

[shoreline-system]

listen man i have to be real with you. the constant need + expectation to keep pushing yourself as a disabled person is utterly exhausting and i don't think this is sustainable actually

[softness-and-shattering]

"She was hemming curtains. Kerch women - even the wealthy ones - didn't bother with anything as frivolous as embroidery or needlepoint. Ghezen was better served by tasks that benefitted the household."

- Crooked Kingdom, Leigh Bardugo.

Ok who started this whole anti-decorative needlework thing, I need to murder them. Oh we can have a million kruge DeKappel painting and thats fine, but a WOMAN, engaging in DECORATION, what a frivolous waste in this city that has theatre and people dressing up as theatre characters in the streets as part of normal culture, Ketterdam the city of excess and lavishness and sparkle! Wouldn't want to be caught doing any embroidery now would we?

Still not as bad as the bridgerton seamstress scoffing at embroidery MAAM THATS YOUR JOB, but still pretty egregious. Oh we don't do anything decorative or fulfilling for ourselves, we're good and practical and only hem our beige curtain in beige thread and ghezen forbid there's a spot of colour on it! Women aren't allowed artistic hobbies!

There's a later wizard of Oz book where these women take over the country with their weapon of choice, hat pins and needles. I'm just saying.

One of those days I'm gonna write/create a story that lauds embroidery because I'm so mad about this. Oh not embroidery the uniquely evil pastime!!!!

[zapsoda]

making any sort of suggestive art is funny bc im sitting there like light yagsmi stone faced focused as shit writing or drawing and then people comment waooow that was hot :D and i remember oh ueahhh thats what this is supposed to be . hot.

[sageofthestarz]

Too many ideas

I have a good idea in my head how I'm gonna do it, it doesn't translate to paper well

If I have time I'll prototype it tomorrow

[anqelbean]

My eyes hurt,,,

[james-a-b]

sometimes i feel like this 800+ hour skirt project will never be finished. I'm just past halfway through sewing on the embroidery now, and this IS the last step (unless I feel like taking apart the waistband in order to redistribute the pocket positioning a tiny bit more evenly) and it's not even the step that's taking the longest, but this final week of work feels like it's taking an eternity and a half, and that feeling is killing my productivity faster than anything else.