#you don't want to be stiff or too floppy. you have to basically make your own movement an extension of the horse's

[swinging-stars-from-satellites]

oh btw having a "natural seat" on horseback basically means you balance well and move naturally with the horse

[sturdy-nerdy-stitchery]

Hi! I love your patterns and have wanted to learn to embroider for a longer time (mostly in order to personalize clothing etc), but I've never done it. How do I start, and what do I need? Should I try doing stuff on aida first? Do I need the hoop-thingy and where do I get one? What yarn is good? Appreciate help (but I also do understand if you don't have the energy to respond, you probably get a lot of these).

hahahahahaha “you probably get a lot of these”...last one of these i got was probably...last summer. And i am too lazy to look through my blog to find the post so i can just say “here, look at this post. someone asked the same question”

so..lets see. “in order to personalize clothing” would require...i believe it’s called...tear away fabric? Special fabric similar to aida cloth...except larger holes, and when you are done cross stitching on your fabric, shirt, towel, jacket, etc...you just yank out the fabric. pull at the uh...uh...shit. my brain doesn’t work. Pull the strings the way pull a thread on a shirt. it pulls out the tear away fabric but leaves the stitching!

In my personal opinion, the best way to start is by looking at your local craft store and buying a kit. Most kits come with the basics:

threads

fabric

pattern

instructions

needle

hoop (sometimes)

The hoop can be left out of some kits however, the purpose of a hoop is to secure your fabric tightly because floppy fabric can be difficult to work with depending on the fabric. Aida fabric? it’s stiff enough you may not need it. Plastic canvas? well..it’s plastic. with holes in it. that aint goin’ in no hoop. evenweave fabrics or linens? good luck stitching with out a hoop. Well, i mean...technically, you CAN...but hoops/snap frames/scroll frames just make it SO much easier. Trust me. Stitching with taught fabric helps so much. So, whether you are embroidering or cross stitching, get a hoop. It helps! I’m not sure where you reside at...but here in the states, we have numerous craft stores. My favorites are Joann Fabrics and Michaels. Hobby Lobby is a craft store (very huuuuge) however, i’m choosing not to support them because their christian values bleed into the company so bad that the big wigs have said that they won’t cover birth control under religious reasons...and during this corona virus...they tried to deem themselves essential...and no hazard pay for their workers, no increase in pay, no nothing. so...do with that info what you will. On the north east, i know they have craft stores called AC MOORE. I’ve been there once. loooved it. You can also search your area for local shops and support small businesses that may be open. Here, we have “Who gives a scrap” and its a thrift store, BUT FOR CRAFT SUPPLIES OF ALL FUCKING KIND! IT IS AMAZING I LOVE IT! I can’t wait until it’s safe to go out again so ic an go buy $100 worth of stuff, for $20! If you have no places like those mentioned near you, check local walmarts or target. They are now starting to carry more craft stuff, and you  may be able to find a few stitching essentials! otherwise, order online from big box craft stores, or even amazon! And as far as what to get? Well, depends on what you want to do and what look you want to achieve. Yes, you can use yarn to embroider and it doesn’t matter what yarn..expensive or cheap...though, some of us are yarn snobbies and turn our noses up at acrylic (not me!!! ha!)  Me? I don’t embroider. I believe embroider is a different term, wherein you stitch on your fabric using various different stitches and patterns, combined with a various assortment of beads, different embroidery threads, or yarns. I however, just cross stitch. That’s the pretty work you often see framed up in grandma’s house. Where all the stitches are x’s. hence...cross....stitch. I’ve wanted to dabble in embroidery, after seeing all these DIY videos on facebook on how to embroider and make old holes look fancy, decorative, and new...but..eh. not right now. I hope that answered a bunch of your questions! If i missed anything, let me know! 

[kookookafreakinchoo]

This is sort of a weird question (ignore if you don't wanna answer), but I'm writing fanfic about a comic book character who's an acrobat. Idk anything about acrobatic stuff but a mutual told me to ask you. Any tips/insight? Sorry this isn't about DP specifically...

I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that this is either about Nightcrawler or Nightwing? I’m also curious as to who this mutual was lol there are very, very few people on tumblr who would know to ask me this question. 

Regardless, I’m happy to help.  

Fair warning, I’m just going to cover the basics and I’ll probably forget some stuff. Also, when I talk about “circus” or “circus arts” I’m referring to lyra, silks, trapeze arts, cube, etc specifically (the aerial arts). I’m guessing since it’s a comic book and since you’re asking me you want answers catered to that - so if I say something about an “acrobat” I’m using it interchangeably with “aerialist,” but acrobat can encompass other disciplines as well. 

Stuff about aerial arts equipment: 

- There’s three (general) types of apparatus: a lyra (basically a steel hoop, sometimes with a bar across the top of it and they’re usually taped), silks (two pieces of fabric that vary in stretchiness; can be tied to create a sling or hammock and the stretchiness of the fabric will alter your approach to it), and trapeze (can be standing or flying). There are more, but these are the three that people are probably most familiar with. 

- Rigging is an art form in and of itself. Aerialists have different standards when it comes to what they’ll accept as “safe,” but in general the standard is “if it can’t hold a truck, it can’t hold me.” 

- People usually have a favorite apparatus. This seems to revolve around 1) what type of pain people are willing to put up with and 2) what makes “sense” to someone conceptually; aerials often involve weird, upside down movements and you need to be able to visualize placements and move your body appropriately. Sometimes people have an easier time doing this with one apparatus compared to another. 

Stuff about aerialists: 

- Circus hurts. I think the biggest thing that people don’t realize is how physically painful and damaging aerial arts can be. The lyra, silks, trapeze, etc can all leave a lot of really intense bruises and burns. It’s super common for aerialists to have strange, ugly bruising and/or rope burn all over their body from the equipment itself. The injuries vary depending on the apparatus someone uses, but everyone who does aerials has them. It’s more common for beginners but even experienced aerialists get them when trying new things or if they’ve taken some time off. 

- Experienced aerialists have thickened/leathery skin at various pressure points on their body. It develops over time as your body adjusts and builds layers to combat tissue damage (see previous point). The most common areas are places like the top of the feet, back of the knees, palms, hips, and armpits, but it depends on the apparatus the aerialist uses. I’m not saying that someone can tell just by looking at an aerialist that they have thickened skin (it’s not grossly obvious or anything like that), but you can usually feel it.  

- In terms of build, aerial arts are as much about endurance as they are about brute strength. Because of that, many aerialists are fairly lean (think of a build like a lean gymnast or a ballerina). Any type of aerial art is a full body workout, but aerialists tend to have very strong hips, abs, shoulders, backs, and arms, including forearms; if there’s one consistent thing I’ve seen across aerialists, it’s broad shoulders and muscular forearms. Still, people of all different body types can be incredibly successful aerialists/acrobats, so if you’re writing a story involving acrobats don’t be afraid to make the acrobat have whatever body type you want.

- The rumors are true: flexibility is very important in the circus arts and aerialists tend to be very flexible. Having said that, being too flexible is just as much of a problem as being too stiff; if you can over-extend, it will “look” pretty because it leads to cleaner lines, but there’s also an increased risk of injury and “floppiness”. Basically, the more flexible you are, the more control you need to have in the air. 

- I think people sometimes confuse bravery with recklessness. Aerialists are very brave; I’ve never met an aerialist who is reckless. Being an aerialist requires a pretty strong mind and a sense of self-confidence but rarely do aerialists take needless risks.  

- Aerialists/acrobats are among the most welcoming people in the world. Aerial arts is a real adrenaline rush, so I guess everyone could just be high… but I’ve never met a “mean” or unfriendly aerialist. It’s definitely a family. 

What the sport is like: 

- The aerial arts are very difficult. Most people understand that conceptually, but nearly every beginner underestimates how tough it is or overestimates their own strength. There are muscles that can only really be worked through aerials. Most true beginners take several days just to be able to hang off of an apparatus for an adequate amount of time. That’s not to say that beginners don’t get “in the air” on their first day, but they’re rarely more than a few feet off the ground. Part of this, too, is because beginners don’t have technique - a lot of aerial is about proper technique.

- I think what people underestimate the most is the amount of grip strength you need. The vast majority of beginners will lose grip strength long before they lose shoulder strength when they’re first starting out; I’ve seen people who have incredibly strong backs/shoulders but struggle with the silks because they don’t have the grip strength for them. 

Some aerialists will use sprays or powders to increase their grip strength; this is a huge point of contention in the aerial community. If you ever want to open a can of worms among aerialists, ask them their opinion on the use of rosin. It’s banned in some training centers and encouraged in others - people can get very, very heated over it. 

- For reference, in my experience a typical training practice can last anywhere from 1.5-3 hours, but you don’t spend the entire time in the air. Practice is usually anywhere from 1 to 3 times a week, potentially more if you’re training for a performance. Conditioning is serious business and is typically done before practice, but sometimes training will finish with “last actions” which is basically conditioning when you’re exhausted. Fatigue is a real issue so I’ve never seen anyone train everyday. 

I think that’ll cover the basics if you’re designing an aerialist/acrobatic character or building a story for one, but let me know if you have any other questions! And if anyone has stuff to add feel free to comment. 

[fangirlinginleatherboots]

(If this is too triggering don't answer it) Could you describe to me what having a sensory disorder is like and what the symptoms are?

This is going to be a long rambly one since i got kinda sidetracked and i evenutally answer the question but like. also go off on a bit of a tangent i guess

Basically “a sensory disorder” isn’t how this works exactly. There is Sensory Processing Disorder and then there’s having sensory dysregulation and having sensory issues as part of other disorders. I’m gonna end up repeating this a lot because I feel often people misunderstand what i mean when im talking about having sensory issues. Though i’ll admit i dont phrase it well often;.

*SPD is not just having disordered sensory traits. AGAIN this is really important to understand but LOTS of disorders come with sensory issues. SPD globally affects development and is not just a special term for having sensory issues*

So in describing what having Sensory Processing Disorder is like, I’ll be basically describing a severe degree of sensory dysregulation. Anyone can experience these traits under the right conditions. In that sense, I want it to be understood that in describing the symptoms of SPD, I’m basically describing sensory overload, which again, is not attributed to a singular disorder.

Having SPD is having a brain that is unable to make sense of sensory input. Every sense is overwhelming and distracting. You can feel fibers in your clothes even when you are focusing on something like driving. You can hear every conversation in a restaurant but your brain can’t sort through the information and it’s like getting feedback on a speaker. Sensory input causes traffic jams of information in your brain and you can’t function until the traffic clears.

All that being said, Sensory Processing Disorder has very specific developmental markers that set it apart from disorders that have sensory dysregulation. These developmental markers are a sort of “symptom” but I feel are more accurately described as indicators. They vary notably based on the age they are observed.

(source 2 3 4 )

Infants and toddlers


____ Problems eating or sleeping

____ Refuses to go to anyone but their mom for comfort


____ Irritable when being dressed; uncomfortable in clothes


____ Rarely plays with toys


____ Resists cuddling, arches away when held


____ Cannot calm self


____ Floppy or stiff body, motor delays

Pre-schoolers


____ Over-sensitive to touch, noises, smells, other people


____ Difficulty making friends


____ Difficulty dressing, eating, sleeping, and/or toilet training


____ Clumsy; poor motor skills; weak


____ In constant motion; in everyone else's  “face and space”


____ Frequent or long temper tantrums

Grade-schoolers


___ Over-sensitive to touch, noise, smells, other people


___ Easily distracted, fidgety, craves movement; aggressive


___ Easily overwhelmed


___ Difficulty with handwriting or motor activities


___ Difficulty making friends


___ Unaware of pain and/or other people

Adolescents and adults


___ Over-sensitive to touch, noise, smells, and other people


___ Poor self-esteem; afraid of failing at new tasks


___ Lethargic and slow


___ Always on the go; impulsive; distractible


___ Leaves tasks uncompleted


___ Clumsy, slow, poor motor skills or handwriting


___ Difficulty staying focused


___ Difficulty staying focused at work and in meetings

___ Unmotivated; never seems to get joy from life

As you can see, most of these tendencies are things you would also see with ADHD, Autism, anxiety and depression, trauma disorders, and other neurodivergencies. For this reason, is it NOT recommended that sensory processing disorder be solely self diagnosed. While self advocating for the disorder is one thing, it is very easy to be mistaken due to the expected rate of comorbidity with the disorder.

 It’s much easier to factor out other disorders first than jump to the conclusion of SPD.