#negative space embroidery

[theenbyroiderer]

Almost done now! Then I can start to assemble all the parts of the moss wall!

[jasperthehatchet]

my bag 🌿⛓️🌻⚙️ more details in the image ID and more pics below

I found a small plain black leather backpack at the thrift store for $6 and made it my own :) I used silver sharpie for the swirls and made the buttons all myself with the exception of the metal ones

[Image ID: a small black leather backpack covered in patches, buttons, safety pins, studs and silver and metalic green spirals in the spaces with no patches. There are four patches on the front, an orange patch with a white trans rights symbol sewn on with white thread, and a circular green patch with a simplistic sun and moon drawin on it in black (a mirrormask patch) sewn on with black thread. And on the front pocket on the bottom, theres a dark green band patch with white lettering that says "she past away" sewn on with white thread and a black patch next to it with a red anarchy symbol sewn on the bag with red thread. There are silver spike studs lining the edges of the bag along the zipper and on the front pocket as well as soda tabs sewn onto the front pocket flap with off-white thread. And on both sides of the pocket there are safety pins decorating the empty space next to it. There are four pins on the side of the bag, a light green and white spiral pin, a light green and white "eat the rich" pin, and a metal fairy pin on the top half, and theres a metal frog with an umbrella pin on the front pocket in-between the two patches. Theres also a small orange carabiner on the pocket zipper.

On the left side of the bag, there is a patch on the bottom where a side pocket would normally be. An off-white band patch that says "bauhaus" in black lettering and it's sewn on with black thread, and there are silver spirals around it filling the space. There are some areas I left blank to make the swirls/spirals look like they're hanging down or growing up the bag like vines. There's a horizontal seam above all this that makes the area look like a pocket, and above this seam there's a metal pin with a sun, moon and stars on it.

The right side of the bag, there's no patch where a pocket should be, I instead filled this space with some spirals and more handmade bottle cap buttons. Two buttons, a larger type o negative band button that's black with white thorny vines, and a smaller red band button that says "doom scroll" on it in off-white lettering. Above the seam on this side I drew a bunch of silver spirals that look like they are growing out from behind the seam.

All thread mentioned in this post is embroidery thread, and some groups of spirals drawn on the bag are metallic green. End ID]

Here's the top of the bag as well as the straps that hang down

[Image ID: the bag has a rounded arch shape, and across the top of the leather I drew a cluster of green spirals in between the silver spirals I drew on the sides. There are some blank spots to avoid making the bag look busier than it already is. The loop at the top for hanging the bag is embroidered with a green leafy vine pattern. The same pattern is embroidered on the right strap that hangs down from the bottom of the bag, and on the right one, a gray barbed wire pattern is embroidered. I plan on sewing some more soda tabs onto the top of the bag at some point for the sake of adding more shiny things and also fill up some of that space I mentioned because while I don't want the bag to be too busy, I think the blank space i left on the top is a little too much blank space. End ID]

[demodoggonetired]

After a few months of off and on again work, @cuips-not-cute 's Cyclical is now bound!!! 489 pages, 21 signatures, and about 1.25 inches thick!

And you should read their fic here!!

{Breakdown under cut!} - Contains Spoilers!

Uhh where to start with this. My first attempt at: a more standard book size (fun), a full cloth book (no problem here), full page illustrations (okay results), and chisel trimming (uh oh!).

(Suffice to say I need more practice with that last one, the foredge could have been worse, but it coulda been better - a little wonky but we'll just say it's got character).

I think what I'm most proud of is the color cordination of it all (and the end papers, oh my what a fitting find).

Materials: Made with Cialux bookcloth in night blue and Spanish MM marbled paper for the endpapers. The cover graphics are yellow Siser HTV, a black HTV, and Cricut metallic gold HTV (not near as shiny as one might like). Bound using linen thread and archival pva glue, endbands sewn using single strand embroidery thread in a double core style. Printed on Hammermill 20lb cream paper.

Cover: Cuips mentions Slaughterhouse Five at the start of the fic with a quote, so I used that as a bit of a jumping point for the cover design. Specifically this edition. Only instead changing the red for the blues of the upside down and a somewhat orange-ish yellow (both colors of which we see a lot in the fic). The skull and crossbones is similarly swapped with the hourglass on its pedstal in the UD woods with a flower and petals around it. The back cover showcases a sheep dog's wolf collar hehe. My biggest grief with this cover is that for some reason, one of the HTVs leaked glue when pressed. It doesn't look bad, just adds an odd shinyness but thankfully isn't sticky. Weird!

Title Page: A negative space hourglass with UD vines outlining the shape (perhaps a XII hidden in there too...). In the middle is a repeatedly circled sphere with sand pouring out and the title flipped to be reflected below.

Other tidbits that I think are neat:

All timeloops in the fic end with things dissolving into sand, so I tried to add a little falling sand graphic at those sentences.

The chapter end notes are titled "notes for past self" and the next chapters summary and beginning notes are "notes for future self" because it felt like it fit the timeloop theme

"say it out loud, it'll be okay" (with the Steve and Robin sheepdog and cat) and "enter sandman" have my favorite chapter title illustrations (oh man the feelings I have for the cassette tape..)

the book notes page has the same vine graphic as the title page but this time with flowers on it!

Overall I'm really pleased with how this bind turned out! It was a lot of fun and a bit of a journey to make!

+Bonus timelapse of sewing some of the signatures 'cause I find it fun to watch:

[geddyqueer]

my art for @theamazingbard’s big bang, land among the stars | 38k words | T

listen to the soundtrack playlist on spotify!

unedited art & description below cut:

image descriptions: two photos of the same piece of embroidery. two hands stitched in black thread on a light and slightly glittery abstract fabric; one reaches out to touch the palm of the other. in the negative space between the hands is a red and orange firework. in the top image, i've edited the title of the fic, land among the stars, and our names.

[mothfables]

III. Rain

{CW: Legend is in a not-so-great state of mind as well as nonverbal the entirety of the fic. he is also unresponsive to any stimuli until about halfway through, though he is able to get up and move, though not without help. i’m not entirely sure if it’s depression or dissociation or something else but he does go out to lay in the road in the rain without telling anyone so :| Ravio is quick to fetch him and give him comfort (in the form of a bath and then cuddles in bed), so it does end on a more positive note. the rest of the chain are there as well but they don’t really do much other than worry. the fic itself is in Ravio’s pov, so what’s going through Legend’s mind is unknown to him and the audience}

“Has anyone seen Legend?”

The question came a few hours after breakfast as most of the Chain lounged around the living room listening to the rain. They’d gone their separate ways after eating; some outside to spar, some staying in to work on mending clothes or going through their supplies, but they had all been forced to reconvene when it began to rain not two hours later. Legend was not among them.

A round of negatives went around the room in response to the question. Ravio frowned. Normally on days like this the hero was bundled up in front of the fire, a mug of warm tea in his hands as he grouched about the rain and the cold affecting his joints. Today, though, the space before the hearth was empty; the blankets and pillows were in their proper places and his mug - his favourite, the one with apple blossoms - was still on the shelf.

Humming in concern, Ravio did a quick sweep of the house. Legend wasn’t in their room or the kitchen, or the basement, or even the backyard for whatever reason. He paced the living room, humming and shaking his hands as he tried to keep from worrying. It didn’t do much to help.

“Hey, wait,” that was Wind, kneeling on the couch and looking out the window. Ravio walked (he was not hurrying, thank you very much) over and glanced out, trying to spot what he was looking at. “Is that the Vet? What’s he-? ...Is ‘e in the road?”

The... road? What was he doing out there?

Even more worried now, Ravio scurried to the door and pulled it open, ignoring the questions from the heroes and pulling his hood up as he stepped out into the rain. As he moved down the hill he could make out the figure at the bottom of it more clearly. His hero lay unmoving in the muddy road, hands clasped loosely on his stomach and face turned to the sky.

“Oh, bunny,” Ravio sighed as he drew closer. Legend’s expression was blank, his eyes dull as he stared up at the clouds. He made no indication he had even heard Ravio speak. The merchant knelt down (grimacing only a little at the mud that splashed on his robes) to better see his partner. Water ran down his face in rivulets, plastering what hair was not tucked in his cap to his temples. His clothes were dark and muddy, and a part of the merchant grimaced at the thought of having to wash all that mud out of not only the fabric, but the embroidery as well. His bunny had worked for hours to get it just right, and it would be a pain to get it clean enough to ensure none of the enchantments or tiny details were affected.

Ravio heaved a sigh and stood before bending down to gently pull Legend to his feet. The hero was all-but boneless in his hands, not resisting but not helping either. With some effort, Ravio had them both upright, with his arm around Legend’s waist and the other boy’s arm around his shoulder.

He managed to get the two of them back up the hill and through the door (which was still open, oops) without slipping once, which he considered a success. Pushing his hood back with his free hand, he moved past the other heroes in the room towards the stairs, wincing when they began exclaiming in worry at the state of their brother. A sudden thought had him tilting his head back to address the crowd.

“Would one of you mind running up and drawing a bath? I want to get Link out of these wet clothes and warmed up as soon as possible.”

Wild nodded and scurried past them and up the stairs. Lolia bless him, he wouldn’t have to wait while the other fiddled with the taps; Wild already knew where everything was and how to work them. Ravio followed at a slower pace, mindful of the still-silent hero at his side.

“What’s wrong with ‘im?” came Wind’s tearful little voice. Goddess, he’s so young, Ravio thought with a pang. He shouldn’t have to worry about this sort of thing. One of the older heroes put a reassuring hand on the Sailor’s shoulder.

“Is he-? I mean, obviously he isn’t okay, but do you know what happened? Why he was out there?” That was- Sky, right? Ravio shook his head, forcing himself to focus.

“Just a bad day, that’s all,” he murmured.

That didn’t do much to reassure them; if anything, it only made them more worried. He had a hunch it was due to the concerningly blank look on Legend’s face that hadn’t changed since the merchant had found him outside.

Thankfully they stopped asking after that, and he was able to get Legend up the stairs and down the hall to the bathroom with no trouble. Wild was waiting outside, shifting from foot to foot with anxious energy. Ravio opened his mouth to thank him but Wild beat him to it.

‘I made it as hot as I could,’ he signed with anxiously flicking hands. ‘Also I got the fluffy towels from the closet and put them by the tub for you.’

Ravio sent him a tired smile. “Thanks, Wild, I really appreciate it. You can go back down, now. You helped a lot.” Wild nodded and, with a last glance at Legend, silently stepped around them to vanish downstairs.

“Alright, that’s one less thing to worry about,” Ravio murmured. “Okay, bunny, we’re almost there. Then we’ll get you out of those wet clothes and into a nice warm bath, and maybe you’ll start to feel a little better. How does that sound?” There was no response, which he’d expected. But Lolia, if the continued silence didn’t make his heart hurt.

Stepping into the bathroom enveloped them in a cloudy haze of warmth and something in Ravio immediately loosened at the feeling. He guided Legend over to the tub before getting the both of them down to their shorts, telling him what he was doing the whole time. Hopefully the sound of his voice would help ground the other, and he knew his partner preferred knowing what other people were doing around him, even while he was unable to be fully aware of it. When he was finished, he gathered up their wet things with a quick, “I’ll be right back, don’t worry,” and went to dump them in the hallway with a wet plat!

“If someone would take care of these, it would be greatly appreciated,” he called down the hall before closing the door, making sure it was firmly shut so as to keep as much heat in as possible.

Link was where he’d left him, staring blank-eyed at the wall. The merchant tutted gently as he reached out to help him into the tub. Once he was in, Ravio settled in behind him and pulled him close to his chest to begin rubbing the warmth back into chilled limbs.

They stayed like that for a time, Ravio humming as he worked and Link still gazing listlessly into the distance, showing no response to his partner’s care.

Suddenly he shuddered. The merchant immediately zeroed in on the action: it was the first thing he’d done all day besides stare lifelessly. Another shudder, followed by a hiccup, and Ravio was quick to gather him close as Link began to cry.

Ravio murmured soothingly as Link cried, turning his face to his chest with little hiccuping sobs that made Ravio’s heart ache. In this, too, he was quiet, as if he’d forgotten how to be any louder. Thin hands, looking frail without their usual adornment of rings, came up to clutch at his partner desperately.

He wasn’t sure how long they stayed there, minutes or hours, but eventually Link’s tears slowed and Ravio moved to get them out of the tub. The water hadn’t cooled much while they were in it, thankfully, but he’d rather get them both dry and into bed, where he hoped the softness of the mattress would help ease any lingering hurt in Link’s joints. He grabbed the towels from their place by the tub (sending mental thanks to Wild for his thoughtfulness) and wrapped one around his own waist; the other went around Link’s chest to keep him as warm as possible once they left the bathroom.

Any thoughts of Link making it on his own disappeared when he swayed on his feet, sniffling. Ravio cursed himself under his breath for not even considering how drained his partner must have been from the whole ordeal. Link hiccuped, reaching up to paw at his face with a clumsy hand, and Ravio had an idea.

“Hey, bunny,” he started, getting Link’s attention. “I know you’re not feeling well still, so is it alright if I carry you to our room? I don’t want you walking when you’re swaying like this.” A moment passed where Link had to visibly work to decipher the words before he gave a tiny nod, that one small motion taking most of his energy.

“Okay, baby. Thanks for letting me take care of you.” Ravio tucked some of Link’s hair behind his ear before hefting him up and settling him on his hip. Link immediately clung to him, looping his legs around his waist and curling as close as he could with his limited strength. Ravio cooed, pressing a kiss to damp locks.

It was a little tricky opening the door with only one hand, but Ravio had plenty of practice from hauling merchandise around and soon enough he was on his way to their shared room, noting absently that the pile of clothes was gone. Opening the bedroom door went similarly and he slipped inside before shouldering it closed and moving to the bed.

Then came the problem of getting Link to let go. It took a lot of cooing, kisses, and a promise of cuddles (which the merchant was going to give him anyway), but eventually Ravio was able to set him down and leave him on the bed so he could hunt down the softest, warmest pajamas he could find. He handed one pair to Link and dressed himself in the other.

Turning back around, he was greeted with the sight of Link staring down at the pajamas in his hands with an absent frown. The other boy glanced up as he drew close, then back down at the clothes. His frown deepened, gaze flickering to Ravio’s bare arms.

It took a moment before it clicked: the merchant was sensitive to the cold, coming from Lorule, so he nearly always wore long sleeves and as many layers as he could get away with. Now, though, Link had the long pajamas while Ravio wore short sleeves. He was concerned for others even while unwell himself, the dear. How typical of my Mr. Hero, Ravio smiled to himself, a little sad.

“It’s alright, honeybee,” he soothed. “I can live with short sleeves for one day; you’re the one who needs the warmth right now. Do you want help putting them on?”

Link gave a slow nod, still frowning. Together, he and Ravio worked to get him dressed and then they were curled up under the covers. Surrounded by a veritable mountain of soft blankets (curtesy of Ravio’s insatiable need for warmth) and a just-firm-enough mattress beneath him, Link was finally able to relax. Ravio watched as the last of the blankness faded from his face and his shoulders lost the last of their tension. He shivered, and Ravio wrapped him in his arms and held him close.

He whispered promises and comforts into soft strawberry-blonde until Link fell into an exhausted sleep. No matter what happened, how grey the days or long the nights, Ravio would be there for him. Nothing would change that, not even the goddesses themselves.

Outside, the rain continued to fall, a steady sound.

[image-junkie]

Finally beginning to digest all that I saw at my first Miami Art Week. Kicking off this photo dump with these three lovely mixed media pieces seen at Untitled Art Fair:

Katrina Riesing, represented by Asya Geisberg Gallery:

Hollow Hold, 2023 | Swing, 2023 | Origins, 2023

All three are dye and embroidery on raw silk.

"At first glance Katarina Riesing’s dyed paintings on stretched silk and colored pencil drawings betray an infatuation with laborious detail and rich material - especially in the hand-embroidered gold thread, use of silk, or the exquisitely-rendered swirls of patterned stocking, seemingly inspired by a northern Renaissance luxuriance. Yet Riesing's insistence on close croppings, and awkward, unsightly or uncomfortably erotic aspects of the body, reveal surreptitious squirming. The confrontational intimacy of such compositions is paradoxically reserved, as Riesing’s otherwise recognizable depictions leave plenty unsaid. The paintings are made with dye on either crepe de chine or raw silk, a surface both akin to skin and a symbol of delicacy, sensuality, and opulence. To witness its desecration with alarmingly realistic excavations of the body's imperfections - its moles, rashes, scars, or pimples - is at once unsettling and pleasingly subversive. Riesing's works often have a play-within-a-play quality, where other forms of imagery are wittily in focus - tattoos of bodies, negative spaces that suggest caves or sunsets, patterns that form drawing within drawings, sheer garments that create a screen or veil. Riesing's drawings are quieter than the paintings but no less powerfully precise or oddly bewitching. With influences as disparate as Christina Ramberg, Sarah Lucas, or Ghada Amer, and imagery from medical illustrations of skin disease, to prison tattoos, stock photography, and pantyhose labels, Riesing has reinvigorated our relationship to the body, with equal parts seduction and brutality."

[evil-robot-cat]

A new book for my shelves! I bound @tearsofthekabak's intriguing and romantic sidlink fic, Red Velvet! I made two copies - one for me, one for the author.

The covers are salvaged faux leather and scrapbook paper (that same haul I was excited about this summer). The paper is 28lb, and the endpapers are edged to resemble sharp teeth. The endbands are gold embroidery thread. The fonts are Aurelly Signature and Centaur. Centaur is a very wide font, and it definitely affected the page number - this is a whopping 260+ page book!

I tried something new this time. I took one of @tearsofthekabak's drawings of Sidon and Link and traced it in gold foil on the front endpapers. When I transferred foil onto one copy, I carefully placed the remaining foil on the other copy and transferred what was left over, rendering the foil negative space. I thought it would be a fun reference to the duality of the budding/struggling relationship in the story.

[fuckin-sick-bih]

Burning Ice

Fandom: Marvel: Loki (TVA era specifically) Summary: Loki is feeling a little overworked and under the weather... and then he really takes a nose dive. Not to fear, the TVA's best agent is on the case! CW: s2 spoiler mentioned in passing but not discussed in depth mess (spray), handkerchief, fever, whump, negative self-talk, Jotun Loki, crying (I feel like I'm missing tags, let me know if I can do better!) Word Count: 2223 words MINORS DNI Author Note: Blue Loki makes an appearance... This is very much a fever fic with snz IMO so... do with that what you will. Translation: "Streð mik" means "fuck me" in Old Norse, according to my 5 minutes of internet searching.

Standing before the beverage machine, Loki rubbed scathingly at his temples, which quickly turned into a rub of tired eyes. With work at the TVA piling up, Loki began to feel significantly less and less God-like. He sniffed and turned the dial on the blasted machine for a cup of tea for something to soothe his aching throat. It had been like this since he woke up this morning.

Dry, aching, scratchy. He turned his head to suppress a slight cough into his shoulder as the drink machine sputtered out the last of his black tea. It was nothing like the luxurious herbal remedies of home, but it would have to do. He pushed back his long, dark hair from his face and turned to head back to his cubical with the cup in hand.

Loki eased back down into the desk chair with a little sigh through his mouth, not currently trusting his nose. It had been rather congested since this morning as well. He sipped at the tea, grimacing when it tasted like half-flavored leaf water and moved a few files to set down the cup.

The steam still coming off the cup had gotten his nose running, however, and with the runes blocking his magic now broken… He summoned a handkerchief in a small flash of green and instantly felt like he’d run a mile. A little gasp was punched out of him, and he slumped in his chair, clinging tight to that handkerchief he’d conjured. Delicate with green and gold embroidery.

“You doing magic over there? Thought we agreed that was for emergencies only?” said Mobius suddenly.

For a split second, Loki gathered the soft cloth into a tight fist to hide it from view as he glanced up only to find Mobius hadn’t bothered to poke his head over. He must have only noticed the flash of green from his magic. Perceptive, Loki would indeed give him that.

“Just a small charm, I assure you. Nothing nefarious. I just-” Loki abruptly cut his sentence short as he felt a burning tingle in his sinuses. No. This was absolutely not the time for this. It didn’t seem like his body cared much for his whims at the moment, however, as he sucked in a sudden and sharp hitch of breath. “J-huh-! H’TSHue!”

In an instant, the handkerchief flew to his face to try and catch the spray. “Pardon me,” He mumbled, giving a little sniff and wiping as he spotted Mobius now pop up like Rattatosk the squirrel.

As he balled up the handkerchief once more in his hand, Loki sniffled and reached for the still-steaming cup of tea. All the while, he could feel Mobius’ eyes on him, making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. “I believe the phrase is take a picture; it’ll last longer.” He scoffs over the top of his cup before having another sip of the disappointing liquid.

“You’re sick,” Mobius says, blinking a few times at Loki, who stubbornly meets the agent’s gaze only to find… concern.

“I’m fine,” Loki assured him quickly and set down his cup to resume his lengthy dig into all the paperwork he had left to finish.

While Loki may not have been directly watching Mobius, he was privy to every movement of his coworker from the corner of his eye. The silver-haired man had moved out of his cubical to stand at the edge of Loki’s. “Like the time you were time slipping kind of fine?”

Now Mobius was leaning on his desk, invading Loki’s personal space in a sense, and the god reared his head back like a snake.

“It’s fine, Mobius.”

“’Cause you don’t look fine.”

“I’m fine.”

“You look like you’ve been hit by a bus. No offense.”

An exhausted little sigh slipped out of Loki, who pinched the bridge of his nose. This time, Loki’s voice came out softer, with less defensive venom. “I’m alright, just tired, and want to finish this paperwork.”

Mobius was crossing his arms across his chest and frowning at him. “Alright,” He pats Loki’s shoulder, giving it a little squeeze before turning to leave. “I’ll let you work on that.” As Mobius was about to round the corner out of sight, he called over his shoulder, “Be back in a little while!”

Loki blinked sluggishly at his coworker’s odd behavior, frankly too tired to think too hard about it. He sniffled again and grimaced at the sound of it now, rather glad to be alone after the wet snuffle.

The realization he was alone now was a somber one. Still, he was grateful in a way. Mobius didn’t have to be around to witness his misery.

His misery seemed only doomed to increase as the tickle in his nose reignited after a quick swipe with the handkerchief. “Hh’etchhue! Huh… hhh-! Ugh… Streð mik.” Loki swears under his breath, bringing the cloth to his quickly reddening nose. Even with the soft handkerchief he’d conjured, the steady sheen of mess around the rim of his nostrils demanded constant attention.

So much so he could barely work. And when he wasn’t working, he was sneezing or coughing into his handkerchief. It went on like that for a good hour or so.

Just as he could feel that tickle starting to swell in the depths of his nasal passages again, making his lungs stutter in their rhythm for a moment, he heard footsteps. Panic flares in Loki’s chest. He hadn’t realized how much time had passed, how little he’d gotten done, how poor the quality of his craft would Odin…

“Hey… Woah,” Mobius had a hand on his shoulder and was turning him in his seat. Mobius. Not Odin, like his mind had been screaming in fear.

Loki rattled out a hefty sigh of relief and sagged a little. “It’s just you…”

Mobius looked perplexed for a few seconds, a steaming travel cup in one hand and a bag tucked under his arm. “Yeah, just me, pal. You sure you’re feeling alright?” One of the agent's hands came up to feel Loki’s forehead. “That’s some fever. When were you gonna tell me you weren’t feeling great?”

A thick, almost gurgling snuffle comes from Loki, and he grimaces at himself before lifting the soft cloth to scrub at his itchy nose some more. “I wasd’t- oh for…” He gives his nose a quick, productive blow into the handkerchief and groans a little afterward. “I wasn’t planning on telling you… I thought I’d finish up here and ride this out somewhere quiet alone.”

The expression on Mobius’ face looked pained to Loki, though he struggled to piece together why at the moment. Different theories danced around in his mind until he realized Mobius was speaking to him. “- take you somewhere to eat this and lay down. How’s that sound?”

Loki gives a slight hum of acknowledgment to agree to whatever Mobius is saying. Trusting that whatever Mobius has in store for him is good news, Loki gets to his feet only to sway slightly. “Woah- I’m alright.” He says quickly, assuring Mobius, who had shot out a hand to rest on his lower back. “What did you say we were doing?”

They were already walking down hallways and making too many turns for Loki’s fevered brain to even begin to try and comprehend.

“Somewhere comfortable for you to rest a while,” Mobius answered him and patted his back a little. “And somewhere you can drink this tea and eat this nice soup I went and got you.” Soon enough, they entered into a comfortable enough-looking room that had a bed. It was similar enough to a plain bedroom with 70’s era-looking TVA technology.

Right away, Mobius went to set down the cup and bag of food before checking the room’s thermostat. “You Norse Gods like it warm, I guess? Or do you have like… an eternal summer?”

The innocent ignorance made Loki smile a little to himself as he moved further into the room, taking it all in curiously. “We have seasons on Asgard, but no… I like it a little colder.” He admits, nostrils suddenly twitching as that tickle rears its head again while his chest swells. “Hh-! Oh, come on, now? R-Realleh’Tshh! Ng’XtSHue! EgH’Tshiew! Huh…”

Loki had been sluggish, and his reaction too slow to cover entirely, misting the air in front of him with his sneezes. “I’m terribly sorry, Mobius.” 

 “Bless you, nothing to be sorry for. You’re sick.” Mobius waved a hand at him after having set the temperature for the room to be a bit cooler than average. “There. Maybe that’ll help that fever, too. Try the tea. Heard you coughing from down the hall.”

By now, Loki was easing onto the bed to sit and hesitantly reached out to peek into the travel cup. “Trusting you not to poison me.” He jested, raising the cup to Mobius before taking a sip and letting out a delighted groan when the tea tasted divine. Even with his nose practically stopped up, he could taste it. “Mobius, this is fantastic. Where did you get this?”

The agent rocked on his heels with his hands in his pockets, smiling slightly. “Secret little café I know of. The soup is from a place nearby. I’ve been trying to figure out your taste profile. You’re not necessarily a fancy guy, but you’re a quality guy, I think.” The smile on Mobius’ face is almost playful, and if Loki had the energy, he’d make it into a verbal sparring match.

“Perhaps I am. Thank you, Mobius. For all of this.” Loki murmurs quietly and sips at the tea some more, letting the delightfully herbal wave wash over and soothe his sore throat.

Mobius took his hands out of his pockets and sat on the edge of the bed beside Loki. “Y’know, for some reason, it never occurred to me that you could get sick… I just- I guess I just figured you couldn’t.” And the look on Mobius’ face could only be described as… remorseful.

Still, Loki struggled to understand why.

“I got sick rather a lot as a child, actually,” Loki says quietly, not even sure why he’s saying it. Something is making his tongue feel loose, and for a moment, he does wonder if Mobius poisoned him. “Strength is heavily prized where I come from. Strength, health, and physicality… in Asgard and Jotunheim. I was abandoned for being-” The tears welling in his eyes were against his will, and Loki could feel the tightness in his throat as he struggled to breathe through the emotions threatening to overwhelm him.

A warm hand reaches out to rest on his thigh and squeezes gently. “For being sick…” Mobius finished quietly as he put the pieces together. It was only then Loki realized Mobius was probably one of the few who had ever bothered to look for Odin, gathering him up as a child on the Sacred Timeline.

“Is that why you didn’t tell me?” The agent asked him quietly, to which Loki gave a slow nod, sniffling against the renewed congestion that had only gotten worse with the tears now streaming down his cheeks.

A bitter little laugh escaped Loki, who tried to wipe away the tears from his cheeks, eyes red from crying, but perhaps also just a shade redder than that. “I’m quite the Jotun runt. So small I fit in with the average-sized Aesir or Midgardian. I mean I’m…” The tears began to redouble as Loki felt woozy, practically hysterical.

Then, all at once, he let the façade drop.

Pale skin drained of any color it had left to a blue hue, and the ridged and raised lines of Jotun markings appeared. Loki fixed a red-eyed gaze upon Mobius, who stared back with those increasingly painfully kind eyes. Part of Loki wanted nothing more than to lash out. To demand to know why he wasn’t recoiling.

“I’m pathetic…” he finished softly.

Mobius scooted closer to him on the bed and wrapped an arm around him, Loki finding himself sinking into that warmth with shocking ease. “If even Gods get sick, then I think we all deserve sick days, huh? How about it?” A warm hand rubbed slowly at his back, and Loki leaned further into Mobius. “I’m not going anywhere, Loki. Just rest. I’ve got you.”

Already, Mobius was gently extracting the travel cup from his limp blue fingers, and Loki was fading against his friend’s shoulder, feeling utterly exhausted and fevered. “Wake me if we get a case…” He mumbles softly. “I’ll be… fine.”

“Okay, Loki,” Mobius said soothingly, gently helping ease him back into the bed to lie underneath the blankets.

Still, a blue hand shot out to grip Mobius’ wrist tightly. “Don’t go?” He pleaded desperately, afraid he’d be left alone now that he was tucked in and settled.

“Hey, hey, I’m not going. I’m right here. Look.” Mobius kicked off his work shoes much like he’d slid off Loki’s and slid right into bed next to him. “See? Right here. By your side.” Their hands clasped together on top of Loki’s slowly rising and falling chest while the God of Mischief sniffled thickly.

“Thank you, Mobius.” And just like that, Loki’s eyes fluttered closed, and he was out like a snuffed torch.

[peony-pearl]

@khoc-week - dreams

The encampment is quiet, save for the surrounding trills and squawks of unseen fauna hiding out in the woods and the snores from the pile of travelers all huddled up next to the embers of a dying campfire.

Mint rolls over unceremoniously as a contented snore rattles from her sinuses. Hollander's arm slaps over Magnifico's chest, both of them oblivious to the real world. The group is weary from a long week of roaming from world to world, trying to ensure they aren't caught by Maleficent. Now that it has been more than a day since seeing either her or Diablo, the team has found a sense of momentary peace.

But it still came with caution as Nimue sat propped against a large tree trunk, keeping close watch on her crew. Despite her heavy eyelids, she steeled herself and kept her mind occupied until dawn could relieve her of her duty.

Her eyes bounced from one person to the next, from Owen, who sleeps stick-still and silently with his hands folded over his stomach as he clutches his glasses; to Harle, who, if she had her way, would be sleeping in the trees. But due to the threats that followed them, she curled up with Chaos in her arms as his paws and tail twitched.

The only person not sleeping amongst the team was Merlock, who rested nearby as he mirrored Nimue, leaning against the treetrunk, not making any sound as he slept.

Nimue had learned how to gauge when Merlock was truly asleep; her sense of magic would buzz with activity as his powers loosened up in slumber. She could tell he was still wearing his talisman, which was a source of his heightened abilities.

Nimue sighed and looked up to the tree canopy, which blocked the view of the stars. While it meant security, she hated that she couldn't see the dotted diamond sky. The universal tapestry that was laid out above them that she so often craned up to look at as a child, and then as a keyblade master going out on missions, wondering if her loved ones were looking at the same stars as her.

She often looked for one particular star that her father, Knoll, told her about as a child. It was rumored to have been a living star, and one that fell from the heavens at the callings of a troubled girl who loved her city and people so much that her heart reached it from millions of miles away.

When Nimue found herself feeling lonesome or homesick, she would take the time to pinpoint where the star was in the sky, and once she did, she felt like she had found her feet again. Like she found the direction she needed to go in.

... It had been a long time since she truly felt the need to do that; as when she had met Yen Sid and became involved in him, he filled the negative space around her with calm, assured words and a bright heart.

He would smile at her, with his stars and moon motif glistening in his robes and amor.

She could remember dragging a gentle claw across the silken embroidery of his clothing, how each stitched star had special, magical beads sewn into their design. Her frantic heart and rapid pulse would ease in the presence of his light as he silently guided and grounded her.

He was her own star, helping her maintain her direction.

Why didn't it last?

His guiding light became searing, like the sun; Burning and scorching in a rage against her as he demanded to know how she could betray him. How she could betray her mother and father and her town. How she could turn her back on everyone and everything that had loved her.

Merlock awoke at the sound of a voice, and shuffling nearby.

"Wrong... You're wrong..."

Nimue's voice warbled through the still silence of the night that was just about to become dawn.

A darkness in the sky that Nimue remembered as Yen Sid destroyed the darkness she'd cultivated from her own heart; but in an effort to protect everyone, the darkness simply attached itself back to Nimue through her rage. It was a blinding, red hot rage that rivaled his searing light. Her screams were sirens, alerting the world to her blood-boiling anger at Yen Sid's betrayal.

Until the sight of her beloved home being ravaged was all she could see.

Until the sight of her mother reaching out for her hand became everything on her mind. How she tried so hard to reach her, how her mother's agony was so palpable as they held tight to light fixtures amongst the wreckage of the town and the darkness swallowed the city.

Estelle's voice crying out for her daughter was the last voice Nimue heard for thirty years.

Until Merlock's voice reached her ears.

"Nimue! Wake up!"

Gasping as large hands jostled her shoulders, Nimue opened her eyes. She felt as though she had been freefalling and her stomach was crashing back down to earth.

Merlock hovered over her as she leaned forward, placing her head in her hands as she gathered her bearings.

"... I'm sorry; I fell asleep," she croaked, not looking up at the stern face she knew the sorcerer was wearing.

Yet despite his usual severe scowl, it was worn with a mixture of tired patience.

"Hmph... perhaps I should take over," he offered gruffly. Nimue shook her head vigorously.

"No, no... I'm fine now." She lied. "I'm fine. Just a lapse."

She wasn't expecting one of his large, clawed hands to reach forward and press against her forehead.

"I said I'm fine," She insisted.

"You're burning up."

"Just some bad dreams."

Merlock listened, but still didn't move too far. He sat beside her against the tree trunk, both of them listening to the sounds of the forest. His eyes shifted as he watched her clutch at her chest. He frowned, but remained still.

He remembered finding her in the Realm of Darkness, with light shining within her like a beacon; like a lighthouse for those lost at sea.

He had no need for beacons or lighthouses. The only thing he needed was her skills to take down Yen Sid and to keep Maleficent from destroying him.

"So tell me," Merlock rumbled quietly; he could see Nimue's ears twitch as she listened. "Who was wrong?"

Slipping her head from her hand, Nimue looked back to him, her large golden eyes like saucers. Her clawed hands dug into the thick fabric of her pants.

"... Him. Yen Sid. When he found out about my research. He told me nothing good could come from it. That I was... that I was a violation of the order." She scoffed. "I was a violation because I wanted to understand the darkness! I didn't want to run from it! He treated me like a criminal for deciding I wanted to walk side by side with something so natural! He would rather cower and sit in his light and morals than be seen as anything but perfect."

Nimue looked to Merlock, her eyes intense.

"And yet, to stand so close to the light means creating a shadow as big as that light. And I won't cower."

Merlock's gaze didn't flinch.

"Even if that darkness threatens to swallow the light you have?"

Nimue smiled. "Thirty years in darkness and I'm still here, aren't I?"

"... Indeed," Merlock smiled. He noted Nimue fold back in on herself. "You should get some more rest."

Nimue shook her head.

Merlock huffed. He leaned towards her and, taking her shoulders, rested her against the tree trunk before placing his palm against her forehead.

"Close your eyes."

Nimue blinked; she looked up towards him, unsure at first. He was not a being of generous gestures, so she eyed him critically.

"I need you to trust me," he growled.

Nimue nodded, and she closed her eyes. From the space between Merlock's palm and her forehead, a spark of light glimmered.

He never liked using light-based magic; it felt like burning, like touching jagged rocks that had been baking in the sun.

He made a small exception this once. He asked her to close her eyes, not to fall asleep, but so she didn't see the crystalline rays of light snaking up his arm as she fell into slumber.

A rare favor he offered for very few.

The birdsong was jovial and exciting; the sunlight that filtered through the leaves turned the world into a golden, glittering paradise as Nimue awoke under her favorite tree by the brook. She could hear voices from the villagers in the distance, the laughter of children, and the clattering from carriages traveling across bridges.

She felt full and whole, like the light in her heart wasn't a seething supernova, but a tender hearth holding tight to a crackling fire she used to roast marshmallows over. She rolled over onto her side and smelled the sweet grass and wildflowers.

"Nimue!"

Nimue's eyes opened and she sat up to find her mother jogging forward, picnic basket in hand as she waved to her daughter.

...............................................

"Is Nim okay?"

From up ahead, Mint looked back towards Merlock, who watched the team from the rear, with Nimue in his arms as they traveled under clear, sunny skies.

"She's fine. Just tired."

Merlock looked down at Nimue, who, in her slumber, smiled and leaned into his frame with a contented sigh.

And a light that didn't feel like sun baked rocks pricked in his chest.

[tssdresses]

Orange Poll Dress | The PlanTM

Hi, everyone, and happy pride month!

Now that I've officially ordered all the materials I need for this outfit, I wanted to give you all an idea of what my plan is.

This outfit is going to consist of six (seven, depending on how you count) pieces, plus shoes. In order from head to toe, that's:

Hat

Dress

Removable/optional sleeves

Blazer

Corset

Underskirt/petticoat

Shoes

I've also ordered some accessories, including sunglasses and some fun jewelry inspired by steampunk looks-- specifically by Dahlia's outfit from the Sexy Photoshoot video, because it slayed. I also ordered one of those antique looking pocket watches, because it looked cool and fit with the vibe.

The materials I ordered included, of course, fabric for the dress, underskirt, and sleeves, but also a hat (y'all I was not about to try and make a hat this go around), a Simplicity pattern for the dress that I'll alter, a spool of bronze chain, and even through the poll results for charms were to just focus on chain, I wanted to get some gear charms. Every time I tried to picture this outfit, it felt incomplete without the gear charms, but they will be sparse to reflect your choice. I also ordered a corset as opposed to trying to make one-- it is on my bucket list to do! Just not for this project.

So, in order, here's The PlanTM:

For the dress, you all voted for a high neckline with a basque waist and bishop sleeves. The bishop sleeves are pretty easy, but... I live in the US American South, and summer was fast approaching when the time to actually plan this dress came around. It's summer now, as I write this. It's hot. So, I wanted an option to remove the sleeves, and to make them a lighter material. As far as the literal construction goes, though, the sleeves are easy.

I made a high-necked dress for Logan's dress and it went... okay. It worked, I mean. However, I wanted to actually follow a pattern for this one, so I tracked down a turtleneck dress pattern to use.

The basque waist I have no idea how to do, full stop. So, I'm going to cheat, and use the corset to make that.

Putting this all together, I am going to follow the dress pattern I've purchased to create the bodice, and then alter the pattern to add fullness and pockets to the skirt. The corset on top will give some contrast and layering, as well as adding the basque wasitline (also, y'all need to forgive me if I ever type baroque instead of basque-- they live next to each other in my head and I so desperately want to call the v-wasit a baroque waistline, and one day I'm going to be too excited to share something with you that I'll screw it up). When I add the fullness to the skirt, I'm also going to hike it and sew it in place to create the asymmetrical element.

The underskirt will be made of a dark blue thin tulle, to provide some contrast to all the orange and neutrals (white, black, brown, bronze, etc.) we'll have going on, and if it works the way I hope it does, will peak out of the negative space made by the asymmetrical fall of the skirt. If I have enough fabric, I'm going to add some of the blue tulle to the cuffs of the sleeves.

The sleeves are going to close at the upper bicep and at the wrist and be made of an orange crystal organza, leaving my shoulders exposed and being easy enough to remove/make optional to the outfit. Most likely, when the sleeves are off, the blazer will be on.

Speaking of the blazer, what's up with that? Well, I found an old grey/brown blazer in my closet, I have truly no idea where it came from, and I'm going to alter it to go with the look. So, that's the story of the blazer.

The blazer, corset, and hat will all be pre-existing items which I will alter and embellish with the chain and gear charms to make them more steampunk-y. If I have the time and energy, I'll probably go in with my embroidery thread, too! This also goes for the shoes, which are back heels that already look like they'd fit in a steampunk setting! Thrifted them for like three bucks, too, so that's epic.

I came *this* close to buying a fancy cane, but ended up not getting it (unfortunately, I've chosen an expensive hobby, so I spend a lot of time budgeting to buy the best quality materials I can, and the cane didn't make the cut).

My goal is the various layers will all work together to make a fun steampunk cosplay! Materials should hopefully all be here by the end of the week. I'm getting a tattoo on Saturday (!!!), and then I'm hoping to start working on the dress this weekend. I'll keep you all updated!

[successfullyadhd]

My son is ADHD and suffers very badly from second hand embarrassment. He can not even watch a tv show or movie with a character that does something embarrassing. I think it is the reason he is scared to try new things in fear of not being good at it and getting Embarrassed.

Do you have any suggestions for me to help him overcome this?

I’m so sorry that it’s 2024 and I somehow just saw this question from 2021. Whew. Awkward.

Anyway, I’m going to answer as if it’s still helpful because it might be! And if not to you, then maybe another person.

Two parts -

1) second hand embarrassment. I get this ALL the time and cannot watch certain shows because of it. The Office is a great example, where the humor is based on other people not understanding typical social cues. I cannot be in the room while someone is watching The Office. Or pretty much anything with Will Ferrell.

People with ADHD have incredible empathy, to the point where they deeply feel emotions of other people around them. Part of it is a defense mechanism - we get so many more negative reactions from our peers and adults at a young age than is typical that you start intensely studying non-verbal cues to recognize when something is about to go wrong. Watching this play out, even in a non-threatening situation like through a TV show, sparks up our fight-or-flight. The social cues are telling us to run even though it isn’t happening to us. The other reason is that our brains are wired to feel our own emotions more intensely than the average person. When we see other people going through a situation we find relatable or have experienced before (skirt tucked into your undies in public) the emotions we would be feeling in the same situation get brought up, even though it isn’t happening to us. Our brain and nervous system is recognizing a pattern and telling us what it *would* feel like if it were us, which then makes us understand how that person is most likely feeling.

And for this, I have no suggestions 🙃 if I knew how to stop second hand embarrassment, I would share. But I would say it could be a strength, because empathy and shared human experiences help you be a better person, and make lasting friendships. (As long as those friends don’t watch The Office. Or Parks and Rec.)

2) not trying new things - this one is also common among the ADHD crowd. ADHD people have a tendency to be perfectionists - we can see exactly how something should go and as soon as we have an idea, our brain has already sprinted ahead to the finish line and made a diagram of the exact way to get there. But there is a disconnect between our ideas - often ambitious, lofty and enthusiastic - and the experience needed to make it happen. For example, I love embroidery. I daydream about the incredible designs I would love to make - but when I try to do it, I don’t have the skill needed to make it come to life. If I kept at it, tried and practiced and messed it up and tried it again, I would have already been the best embroidery artist the world has seen. But the experience of the perfect imagine in my brain not being translated into what my skill is capable of doing is frustrating, and I quickly become uninterested.

It can be intimidating to try new things and feeling like unless you have innate talent, you aren’t going to be successful and you will look dumb. (And even people with innate talent need practice to hone their skills.)

To encourage trying new things, I would suggest starting small in a space where he is free to fail repeatedly over and over again. When I go to a yoga class and the teacher introduces some complicated move that my body isn’t ready for, I’ll sometimes take a water break or pause in the previous movement and look around with envy at all the other people successfully doing it. I wait it out and then go on with the movements when I’m back in comfortable territory. But when I get home, I’ll practice the move by myself over and over again until I’m ready to do it in front of other people without the humiliation of struggling in front of my peers.

The other thing that helps is low pressure and low stakes situations. I am not athletic by any stretch of the imagination and I can remember so many situations in grade school (or middle school!) gym class where we would need to do some athletic feat in front of 30 other kids. I would try to get out of it and the teacher would pressure me, and the other kids would say “it’s not that hard, just do it.” And I would feel so embarrassed and flustered by the attention I would make an attempt (and utterly fail) to hit the ball and then run to the back of the line as other kids laughed. And you can bet I never, ever tried to do any of those things again because even revisiting the memory of the first attempt made me feel nauseous. But looking back, if I could have had a one-on-one situation where someone patient and kind worked with me, I would have tried so many more things. Pressure would make me double down on refusing, quiet offering would make me feel safe enough to try it.

Also, another idea would be to give him options of things he can try on his own with minimal teaching/interference. Like if someone had introduced cross country skiing, or rock climbing, or some other sport where there wasn’t a whole team relying on me, and I could practice independently to get better, I might have found an athletic side after all. Other things in the category would be: hands on crafts - leather working, bead making, drawing, etc. computer programming/video game building. Writing. Cooking. Growing a plant or a garden. Things that you can fail at over and over without it being a public display. (Whether the scrutiny is real or imagined, it will dampen the mood) And if he wants to throw away his art work without showing you, or won’t let you see his first clay sculpture or whatever - let him. Let him keep it to himself until he’s ready. I remember adults - teachers, coaches, whoever - asking to see my -insert whatever here- and me being embarrassed because I knew it wasn’t good. And then them complimenting me and encouraging me, and me being more embarrassed because I knew that objectively the thing wasn’t good and they were being kind. They were doing all the right things but I just wanted to keep it to myself until I felt confident enough to share my progress.

I hope this helps! Good luck! It’s been three years since you submitted this so I’m sure life looks different for your family today but maybe this is something that still comes up.

[theenbyroiderer]

Finally started on the embroidered center part of my moss wall project. Been house sitting for my mum and thus existing in internet-free limbo for a while, so you get some progress pics all at once now that I have a spot of internet.

Also, wth am I doing full cover turkey stitch again? I should know better. Like the effect of the words emerging from the moss though.

[himbopunk]

quick rundown of different ways i've made patches

for @pescabianca cuz they asked lol

gonna start by saying i'm far from an expert on any of this, especially proper screenprinting and blockprinting. i'm just some guy that's been winging it for the past 3 years and it's just kind of what i do now? idk. here's the methods i've used for making patches

method 1: stencil and fabric paint

in which you're making a stencil and painting by hand. first time i made patches i hand carved out the letters on some cricut vinyl (i didn't have a cricut i just used a craft knife and taped it to my desk), put it down on top of a piece of fabric and sponged on some fabric paint. you can also use cardboard or cardstock you tape down for the stencil and tape down, whatever you got, i just find the vinyl was the easiest to make it not bleed as much. pretty simple, pretty accessible. the vinyl option is more for a single patch, smth like a cardboard stencil is better for multiple. make sure to use an iron to set in your paint once it dries

method 2: diy screen with mod podge

you can make a simple screenprint with mod podge, some kinda mesh fabric and an embroidery hoop. take voile or chiffon, pull the fabric taut on the embroidery hoop, and sketch on your design with a pencil (be careful as to not rip the mesh). remember that the flattest part goes down on your fabric, so make sure youre drawing inside the hoop.

paint on the mod podge in the negative space of your design, let dry. you can at this point use screen printing ink or continue with fabric paint, i think this was the time where i first bought screen ink. put your screen flat onto your fabric, some ink/paint at the top of the screen, then use an old gift card or id as a squeegee to do the actual printing part, dragging it down in a scraping motion. pull away and leave the patch to dry. you probably wanna iron it to set in the ink once you're done.

this is good esp if youre printing a bunch at once but doesnt wash very well so it can be kinda one and done sometimes? i used fabric mod podge so it lasted like 2 gos before getting all gross. but if you already have this kinda stuff laying around for other crafts, its pretty simple and introduces you to screeprinting somewhat without spending too much money

inspo/instruction link

method 3: screenprinting

getting/making an actual screen, you can just buy them online tbh, though it's not too hard to diy imo, especially if you're good with wood (haha) at all. i'm not, the way i diy'd it initially was finding some cheap wood picture frames from the dollar store or smth, pulling the screen mesh taut with a big embroidery hoop cuz i didn't have clamps and such, and using the staple gun to staple them onto the frame. it works just as well tbh, but i don't know how much i can speak on the longevity of dollar store frames or how well i attached the screen mesh, those are kinda skills in of themselves you gotta hone which is why this is all so much more involved

speaking of which, the next part is emulsion. i use jacquard emulsion fluid because it's cheap and i'm used to it. speedball is fine but i bought a bulk bottle once that was expired and i've never forgiven them for it. emulsion is a fluid thats mixed with a photosensitive fluid that causes it to cure and harden in uv light. you spread that across your screen, leave it in a dry, dark place to dry overnight (i used to use the bottom shelf of a bookshelf with a curtain over it, then the top drawer of a dresser. you can put it in your closet or something, depends on the space you have.) keep it in that dark place until you're ready to use it, otherwise you risk hardening it by accident.

once you've got a screen prepped, you want to have a transparency of your image in all black so light can get in everywhere but your design, and then expose it either to the sun or a lighting set up that you've bought/made. once you've cured it, you can then remove your transparency and you should be able to rinse out the emulsion fluid that was under it, leaving you with a screen to use!

for lighting setup, i use a flood lamp type thing that speedball sells that i bought years ago off of blick, i think? since the places i've lived have very specific times of day where you get direct sun to reliably use, at a certain point getting the lamp became worth it. depending on what you're using both in terms of your emulsion fluid and light source, the curing time can be very different, but this method allows for fine detail that can be difficult to attain by hand. stuff like screentones to create gradients, and the ability to make several screens for different color layers. it can be tricky to do sometimes but the ease of making more complex designs and having longer lasting screens can be worth it

also at this point you definitely want to be using actual screen printing ink, probably. you can buy a squeegee, i often still just use old credit cards and such, especially with my smaller designs, so it's up to you on that end. make sure you're using fabric ink, not acrylic ink, for your patches. just in general be aware of what type of ink you're getting, i use water-based inks that rinse out the screen easy with a spray bottle of water and some paper towels (you can also just rinse em in the sink but mine is too shallow lol).

i'll link to some tutorials i used when starting out, cuz this stuff is a lot easier with a visual aide and i don't think i explained it very well skdjf

youtube tutorial // tutorrial 2 // tutorial 3 // screens i used to get // emulsion fluid i use

method 3.5: screen filler

if you liked method 2, you can use the screen filler method to make screens, i've never done it but i understand it's similar in that you are basically panting on the negative space or something? again, i've never done it, i've just used emulsion after moving on from the mod podge method.

method 4: blockprinting

block printing is pretty straightforward, imo. basically you take a block of rubber or linoleum (or wood but i've. never done wood printing but it's fairly similar in basic method afaik) and trace or draw a design onto it. you then carve out the negative space of your design, leaving an impression of only the part you want to print. you then take a brayer/roller, roll it in ink until it's covered and then roll the ink out onto the raised part of the block that remains once you've carved it. take your fabric and press it flat onto the inked block, using something smooth like the back of a spoon to press it down and make sure your ink gets in there. i usually always make at least one more patch than i need with this method, since the first print often tends to be a bit rough/light and it improves over time. like your first pancake bein the worst one i guess. when you're done, you can wash the blocks with soap and water, maybe using an old toothbrush to get in all those crevices. but that's it, it's intense on focus, time, and physical effort, but pretty straightforward

note that when you blockprint something, the image will be reversed, so if you're drawing directly onto one keep this in mind. what i usually like to do is take some paper and put it over my original sketch, draw over it with a soft charcoal, then press it down onto the block to transfer the image. that way it makes sure your image is flipped, and it's a hell of a lot easier than any of the weird printer methods i've seen.

btw you can get a plate for rolling ink onto but i'll be honest? for about a year or two i just used like panes of glass i had from the picture frames i used for screens or i'd tape a piece of plastic or transparency down onto the table/desk. it's like, slightly easier now that i have an inking plate, but only just because it's a bit less waste, but it doesn't change much, imo. i even sometimes prefer using a gel printing plate, which is not really supposed to be used the way i'm using it! honestly, as long as your surface is flat and smooth it seems to be fine.

theoretically you don't even really need to use block printing ink, but i'd always struggled using other stuff? idk. if you're making patches, id suggest getting some fabric blockprinting ink. it'll take a day to dry, a bit longer than screenprinting ink, but it'd very sturdy. you can iron it to help secure it like the other stuff, but if you let it dry a couple days you might not even have to.

youtube tutorial/inspo // carving tools i use // some rubber blocks to start with // rubber brayers for rolling ink

note: if you can find any art supply exchanges, they're great for getting supplies for the latter methods on a budget. in chicago, there's a like, art supply thrift store of sorts called the waste shed where i got most of my early blockprinting supplies for pretty cheap, and if i didn't have those, i probably wouldn't have started making blockprints when i did.

note 2: this is all for printing on fabric, but you can also get acrylic screen printing ink or block printing ink for making prints on paper if you want!!

[honey-birdette]

Azalea Red

Move over Mrs Claus, Azalea has arrived. Featuring new negative space embroidery, Azalea shows a peek of skin beneath glittering red mesh. Adding festive florals and foiling all over, you'll be shimmering and bright on Christmas night. Slide into Azalea to claim your spot on the naughty list. Spoil me, baby! Azalea includes crystal hearts and chains that can link to your lingerie or be worn as jewellery

2023, Holiday collection

[polyhexian]

Now I swear to God I saw this thing as part of a Kickstarter at some point but I CANNOT find it. Either way due to the design quality I'm sure this was commissioned from a factory that would reuse it for bootlegs. It's just got a little too much thought put into it.

For example:

For whatever reason all of his clothes, including his shoes, are separate and removable. His left arm is the same print as his right. I'm surprised the fabric print is absent on the neck.

The buttons on his pinafore are felt but the straps and the opening of the shirt have Velcro closures. The waistband of the pants even has elastic! His shoes can come off but they're so tiny I was worried I might not be able to get them off lol

You can even see he has a tag!

Booty

He's got his little tattoo! I'm not sure why the embroidery of the eye is black and not the skin tone. I actually think it would have been better to do the red as a flat tatami stitch and then outline it and do the negative space with thin satin stitches to make it more clear. It's already two colours. It's also on the wrong side, the top of his wrist rather than the bottom. Unless his hands are supposed to be facing backwards. I guess. That seems odd to me

I'm a little baffled by his notched ear. Instead of snipping that part out, it's actually had a stitch put inside to pull that whole side of the ear into a v. It gives it an odd little wrinkle.

The only real issue is his tooth gap. It's a little outside of the lines at the top and it's too far on the left. This isn't simply an issue with mine; it's in the listing photos too.

The stitching on the eyebrows are a little thin; I had to check if they actually had an underlay and they have two lengthwise stitches so I suppose they do.

I'm baffled by the eyes. They're shaped like satin stitches but the wide part is too wide for that to even be possible and on touching them it feels tatami esque. But it's obviously quite angled? Not sure what they did or... Why a normal flat tatami wasn't used. Fascinating.

Anyway 8/10, and also, he cost $12, which makes him a 10/10 tbh lol. No regrats

[shadowbannedthehedgehog]

i passed this cool t shirt design with drip but it's like lines that like trace around each other like a maze that spell it out so the lines are coloured and the negative space make the word in the centre n it's only after i passed i realized tht wld be cool n simple to do with embroidery but i can't remember exactly how it was and i have no idea what to search to find other examples screaming crying throwing up