LET'S STITCH, BITCHES.

A blog for slightly unconventional cross stitch/ sewing/ craft related things with a dash of fandom thrown in. Sister blog to: Questionable Cakery

[brezybrianne]

[bookhobbit]

The first rule of sewing is you can fix anything if you have patience, creativity, and a little bit of extra fabric! The second rule of sewing is AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

[cinimuffin]

So many dang hearts. Pride/Progress Pride/Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Aromantic, A-spec Gay, Lesbian, Aroace, Queer Bi, Nonbinary Polyamorous, Omnisexual, Ace, Xenogender Genderqueer, Agender Intersex, Maverique, Pangender, Genderfluid Neutrois, Bigender Trans, Androgyne, Pan, Queer Platonic Cassgender, Polysexual I always just say cross stitch in the tags but I know these can be used for other things too (such as perler beads as was commented on one of the previous posts). Use the patterns for what you like, go wild, just follow the simple lil' disclaimer please. Usual disclaimer If you use them for anything please give design credit (and also @ me because I would like to see). Intended for personal use only.

[cinimuffin]

Moth of even more colors

Usual disclaimer If you use them for anything please give design credit (and also @ me because I'd just like to see the results). Intended for personal use only.

[bluestempigeons]

everyone go crochet this pattern and then show them to me okay

[stahsm]

Overlock Stitch by @clothes_reetzy

[thatisuseful]

Damn, that's useful

[fluidstatick]

Finally a hand sewing tutorial on a hemline that isn't just the ladder stitch! the ladder stitch disappears when you tighten it, but it's not meant for hemlines because it breaks really easily! The overlock stitch is more stable, so it holds much longer, and it won't pucker or warp the fabric!

[okayyoureacab]

Hexagon Quilt

[rumade]

This is the second time I've seen a video of this technique and this explanation is so clear! It does use more fabric than English paper piecing (EPP) but you end up with a double sided hexagon so don't have to source fabric for the backing.

I'm doing EPP at the moment but I have a hole punch to make the papers and just use leaflets and junk mail, so it doesn't feel wasteful. I don't think it's difficult either- in the video she mentions it's not for beginners, but I don't have that much experience with hand sewing or EPP and I've been finding it pretty easy so YMMV

[lindstromm]

I saw this video yesterday and was seized with the need to try it out immediately. Lookit my cute lil' hexagon baby!!

Here is what the backside looks like. OP notes this takes more fabric than paper piecing, but that excess fabric makes it already triple-layered. Besides not needing backing fabric, I don't think you'd need batting for this quilt at all. It's already thick and soft just from folding all that fabric into a hexagon.

[lannamichaels]

Hexagon quilt tutorial video by tiktok user camelscrafts. Method:

Each hexagon begins as a 6" circle. camelscrafts does this by creating a paper template using a compass. According to the video, a 6" circle will create a hexagon that is 2.5 inches tall.

These hexagons are hand-sewn. Thread the needle.

With the fabric right side facing, find the center of the circle by folding it in half right sides together, then folding it in half again (wrong sides are facing). The top of the triangle shape is the center of the fabric circle.

Make a small stitch into the center of the fabric. The wrong side is still facing.

Unfold the circle. There will be a small stitch in the center.

Now the hexagon is created by folding the circle into itself: Take the needle to one of the edges of the fabric (it doesn't matter which one). Pull the needle through and pull the thread tight. This will fold down the fabric and create an edge of the hexagon. Crease the fold with your finger.

This fold has two corners, one at the top and one at the bottom. Put the needle into one of the corners and pull the thread taut. This will create another fold.

Continue this going around the circle until all of it is folded down, creating the hexagon. camelscrafts notes that the last corner pulled in may be a little bit "wonky" (no precise point in the corner) if the corners were not done precisely. However, that corner is pulled into the back, so is not visible from the front.

The hexagon is now formed. Sew around the folds in the middle of the circle to hold the folds in place. Tie off and cut the thread.

Attach hexagons to each other along the sides. With right sides together, whip stitch the sides together.

[toast-the-unknowing]

the bad news: I now hate my current wip and strongly believe there isn't a single joke in it that lands

the good news: I know my process enough to recognize this as the slump that I hit in everything I write when it's like three-quarters-ish done

the bad news: the only way out is through

the good news: I do know the way out!

the bad news: yeah but it's through

[toast-the-unknowing]

making a cross stitch that says "I am funny and he would fucking say that" to hang directly above my monitor

[toast-the-unknowing]

"hey toast you stayed up past midnight because you were working on the fic and not because you were procrastinating by making a hideous pattern for a joke cross stitch" have you never met a writer before

[toast-the-unknowing]

gonna tell my kids this was live laugh love

[sosuperawesome]

SewBeautifulx on Etsy

[wyrmscraft]

Found out I was short fabric on another project and decided I wasn’t going into town to pick it up, so I pulled a jelly roll out to keep myself busy until I went back to town.

Figured I do a quick quilt top, you know, just throw something together.

And then I made two blocks of the forty eight needed for this Harvest quilt and boy howdy.

Not a quick quilt two day top, this one LOL

[wyrmscraft]

The blocks look fantastic ofc.

And the quilt! She be gorgeous!

Love that fuck-off bright yellow I picked for the cornerstones, they’re perfect for this.

Thinking about quilting it in a blue thread, but we’ll see when I audition colours lol

[wyrmscraft]

So we have this bin of partially used bobbins for the long arm. And we only have so many bobbins of course.

I decided that since the quilt top was so colourful, I’d put plain flat black cotton the back and use up some of these bobbins, making the quilting on the back really stand out.

Holy shit did it work or what! I love it, of course LOL

I used a medium purple on the top so it would fade into the patchwork and not show up too much on the background. The quilting pattern is called Pink Lemonade and it is one of my favourite quilting patterns.

I didn’t have any left over border fabric, so I found a nice blue that matched with that print and made it my binding. I debated using purple, but couldn’t convince myself to do it.

The blue looks good though, from the front and the back.

[wastelesscrafts]

Visible Mending

Introduction:

Visible mending is a decorative way to fix up an item. Instead of trying to make your mend as invisible as possible, the idea is to make it part of the garment's design.

Visual mending is not a single technique: it's more of a mindset. If you've got an item you love, it deserves to be mended, and if you're going to put that love into stitches, why not show them off?

That being said, there are some specific techniques that are popular with visible menders. Let's take a look!

Sashiko:

Sashiko is a type of traditional Japanese embroidery that is used to both decorate and reinforce fabric. In visible mending, sashiko is often used to cover up holes with patches or to reinforce thinning fabric. This technique uses a variation on the running stitch.

(Image source)

Some resources on sashiko:

SashiCo on YouTube: sashiko livestreams and information on the cultural aspect of sashiko.

Written tutorial by Upcycle Stitches.

Free sashiko templates by TheSpruceCrafts.

Fixing jeans with sashiko by Soluna Collective.

(Image source)

(Image source)

Embroidery:

Regular embroidery is also a popular technique to accentuate your mends. Check out my embroidery 101 post to learn how to get started. You can embroider patches, or use embroidery to hide or accentuate any stitches you've made to fix holes. Embroidery's also a great way to cover up stains.

(Image source)

(Image source)

Patches:

There are many ways to add patches to a garment. My tutorial on patches is a good place to start if you want to make custom-shaped patches to sew on top of your fabric. You can also sew your patch on the inside of your garment and have it peek out from beneath the hole you're trying to fix. Fun ideas for this are lace or superheroes.

(Image source)

(Source)

Darning:

Darning is a technique used to repair holes in fabric by using running stitches to weave extra fabric over the hole as to fill it up again. While traditionally darning is done in an invisible way by using the same colour of thread as your fabric, you can also use contrasting colours to accentuate your fix. Check out this written tutorial on darning by TheSpruceCrafts.

(Image source)

(Image source)

Conclusion:

Visible mending is a creative way to fix up your clothes and give them some personality at the same time.

You should be proud of the fact that you took the time and learned the necessary skills needed to mend your clothes! Show off what you did!

A fun side effect of wearing these obvious mends is that people will notice them. They'll remember your fixes the next time they're faced with a hole in their wardrobe, and it will make them more likely to try it for themselves.

These are just a few ways to visibly mend your garments. Want more inspiration? Check out Pinterest or r/Visiblemending on Reddit.

[nathanierblog]

McCalls Pikachu Plush 2512 Sewing Pattern

This thing has been out of print for like, 26 years and some of us want to make chubby classic pikachu so uh... I figure it's okay to share bc it's kinda hard to get your hands on the remaining physical copies.

Bonus points: Aelith made some embroidery/applique files for it too

This is FREE, please don't pay for the pattern.

Only the EMBROIDERY is paid.

McCalls Pikachu Plush P462 Sewing Pattern - Redrawn for Archiving Purposes

Remade by AeilithArt so that we could use the pattern without like, destroying it. It's not exact since it's trace, but it's p much the same

[capesandshapes]

As a former librarian I'm actually required to remind you that many libraries that subscribe to Libby are opted into a program that lets you subscribe and access magazines for free with no wait

And that this is actually a really fun, low cost way to not only access news and larger cultural magazines, but also to get free patterns for many different crafts that you can screenshot if need be and that lower the financial barriers to entry for trying new things

From my experience working in both academic and public libraries, many libraries are use it or lose it funding-- I have to say this because a lot of patrons feel guilty for how much they use the library and how often they're using it funny enough, but the worst thing you can do for libraries is not try out new features and not use what's already given to you as much as possible.

The numbers that come as a result of your patronage are how most libraries justify their continued existence in times of financial hardship, which sucks but, go check out some magazines on Libby!

[silicon-based-life]

update on my latest knitting project…

colorwork in stockinette is so evil but hopefully it will be worth it? i WILL be learning to steek before i knit another vest though

[silicon-based-life]

the long awaited update: i finished it! for notes and things, you can see the project on ravelry here!

and thanks so much to everyone being so nice about this project in the notes!! y’all have motivated me to finally get this vest done 😅

[poppetawoppet]

Holy mother of —this color work is amazing

[mystitchworld]

Eat your greens! 🌱🐑

[cabbagestitches]

Custom order for a friend. The stars are made with shiny thread but the sparkle doesn’t come out in the camera.

[tinsnip]

Melt the ICE Hat pattern by YarnCultMN

n the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country.

[I]n the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make, or distribute. As purveyors of traditional craft, we felt it appropriate to revisit this design.

[penguinsweaters]

There's also a crochet version here. All proceeds from the $5 pattern purchase go to the LynLake community of Minneapolis to help those impacted by the actions of ICE.

If curious, here's an article about the hats being banned in Norway during WWII.