#thread magic

[witchothebogfolk]

Recovering from burnout has meant finally being able to make things again. I'm so happy to add to my battle jacket. Weaving protection into the stitches that bind the new buttons I treated myself to. Celebrating my special interests; purple, bats, and fibre crafts!

[checkoutmybookshelf]

Regency Romantasy

So...it has been brought to my attention that I perhaps have a type, and this book ticked a lot of really good boxes for me. It's regency-inspired. It's fantasy. It's a romance. It has a chronically ill main character. It has sewing and fashion. Literally 90% of the characters are LGBTQIA. It has a BALCONY SCENE for crying out loud. It even has a gossip columnist who might be better than Lady Whistledown (do NOT come for me, Bridgerton Fandom, I said what I said). I could go on, but at that point I think we would have completely dissolved from actual review to screamed list of things I enjoyed, so let's rein it in for a minute and talk A Fragile Enchantment.

I'm going to start with setting, because while this book is regency-inspired, it also plays a little fast and loose with other historical inspirations. The reality of the blight and famine in historical Ireland (and frankly also the troubles and every time that Ireland revolted against England) was that it came after the regency, but here Niamh is the first generation after a similar event and subsequent revolt in her home country of fantasy Irel--I mean Machland. She has grown up surrounded by survivors of the blight and revolt, and like everyone who reads Maus learns, generational trauma is a BITCH. So when our dressmaker protagonist is invited to make the wedding clothes for the son of the king who murdered her people, it's politically and emotionally charged. Add to that the fact that Niamh's magic is hereditary and weirdly murdery, and yeah, things are emotional as heck.

Possibly I shouldn't relate quite so hard to a protagonist who is literally hurting herself for people who ultimately couldn't give a damn about her, but that IS my villain origin story, so all I had for Niamh was compassion at how hard a position that is to be in.

Niamh herself is beautifully written, and Saft balances all the threads tied around and pulling at Niamh's heart just beautifully. Every choice is complex and fraught, and so-deeply-ingrained-she-doesnt-even-notice-it impulse to shape herself around other people's pain and grief and comfort them instead of sitting with her own feelings is just stunningly well executed without feeling dramatic or indulgent.

Niamh is so desperate for friends, and the little ring she constructs around herself couldn't be stranger or more wonderful. From the enraged, grumpy Kit to Sinclair to Rosa and Miriam, this found family is wildly unlikely and prickly, but they fit between each other's thorns just perfectly.

And speaking of people having thorns...we need to address Kit Carmine. Younger son of a mad (and abusive before he went mad) king with an alcohol problem and green magic, our boy is GRUMPY. And BLUNT. And honestly I love him for that, because those thorns are hiding a very stressed out, distinctly squishy center. And also one that is deathly afraid of hurting people, because that's also a thing.

Kit is so tangled up between rage and duty and the few people he cares about that he and Niamh really have to work to develop a compassionate understanding based on wildly different personalities. And then you add all the imperialist and decolonizing stress between them plus the fact that KIT IS LITERALLY ABOUT TO MARRY SOMEONE ELSE and it's a whole deal.

There are so many wonderful moments in this book, it was a delight from start to finish. I objectively have more to say about this book, but I want to avoid spoilers here to inspire y'all to go read this book. I promise, it's worth it. Now, go get it and read. *shoos you toward the bookstore/library/tablet/place you get your books from*

[moonsilkwisdom]

A bit about numerology

Numerology is a way of looking at the world through numbers. Letters are assigned numeric values and then added up until a single digit is reached. Birthdays or other significant dates may have the same done. The numerals from 1 to 9 are all given meanings. One is usually about beginnings, where 9 is completion. 3 is joy amongst friends. 8s are karmic, receiving what you have given. This is not an exhaustive list, but just a start. It is not hard to google for deeper explanations.

Only the numbers and their meanings impact more than practicing numerology. If you do cartomancy (divination with cards such as oracle, tarot, or playing card), you may find especially the cards are influenced by the numbers on them. The fives are all about struggle. The five of pentacles or diamonds is a card about not enough resources of the material world. The five of swords (spades) or wands (clubs) are about battles, deadly or just sparing respectively. The five of cups (hearts) is about making the hard emotional decisions about what remains after a struggle. The rest of the pip cards can be discussed at the same way. Major arcana cards, at least the first few can be treated similarly. The magician, card 1, can be about creation. Card 2, the priestess, balancing knowledge with silence.

Outside of divination, numerology also can affect thread magic. The number of strands used in stitching can be intentional to what is being worked. Embroidery floss usually comes in six strands, crewel yarn can come in four. The number actually used can vary. DId you want to work in joy, balance, beginnings, adventure, work? Pick the number of strands that matches the end goal of the work.

Numerology may be a form of divination or guide for magic. It can aid other forms of divination as well as being used by itself. Look up the basics and see if it helps grow your practice.

[20dollarlolita]

Quick Tips: Thread Conditioner

I had a theory and it checked out.

Historically, people have been running sewing thread through beeswax since many years ago. Waxing thread before hand sewing stops it from twisting and tangling as easily and just generally makes things easier. I talk about waxing thread in the old Reasons You Hate Hand Sewing post.

The main reason why waxing your thread might be bad is that the wax comes off on the fabric, just a bit, and if you hit it with an iron it will fuse the wax into the fabric forever.

To combat this, there’s thread conditioner. You run the thread through the conditioner and it gets some of the conditioner on the thread and it acts like the wax does, but without the problems of wax. There is Thread Magic and you can buy another called Thread Heaven. Both of these are very mystical about what they contain on their websites. They use words like “inert” and “non-toxic” and “non-staining” but they don’t tell you WHAT they are.

As y’all know, I’m not ready to just accept that something is mysterious and corporate secrets. I want to know what it is. I’ve done great research and I have learned many things.

This is Thread Magic. A tub of Thread Magic costs $10.

This is what the box of Thread Magic looks like when it’s opened. Mine’s been used a little bit, but that doesn’t change how it looks too much, except that it’s got some extra lint going through the putty.

This is a 8-pair pack of silicone putty ear plugs that I got at Target for $4.69.

This is what it looks like when you put two of them in the Thread Magic box.

Folks, I’ve done the testing, I have the facts, and Thread Magic and two silicone putty ear plugs operate exactly the same when you put them on some thread.

Now all you need is to go find a little jar.

[ink-fireplace-coffee]

UMMM???? Thread Magic???? 👀👀👀 tell me about that for WBW!!

hi alex! happy wbw!

i tried to answer to this yesterday and then my phone said nope and shut off so let's try again today!

Thread Magic is probably one of m favorite magic systems I've created to this day (not that I have created a lot but the point remains) and it's inspired by my wonderful friend @neliakey!

Basically it consist on the result of making different knots with different coloured thread (each color has their own property and depending on the pattern you come up with, the result has one spell or other), so basically I'm talking about magic friendship bracelets haha

Some examples of the colors are: blue for protection, yellow for energy and purple for defense!

Although bracelets are the most common way of using thread Magic (some thy are easy to hide and to camouflage from the Starless's eyes), you can make everything and anything! some people even have threaded rugs in their houses to protect it

I still need to develop this idea A LOT but I hope my answer was enough o satisfy your curiosity haha

[ruffboi-mags]

A very big mood in cross stitch form. Though I love that it kind of implies "I can't adult today so instead I made this craft"

[witchofthebriars]

A handmade sigil keychain charm I made for my best friend for Christmas. 💕 I plan to offer these in my shop in the new year. I packed it with herbs I grew personally, a pinch of homemade protection powder, and a few crystal chips. The sigil is hand embroidered on and the charm hand-stitched closed.

[witchsboy]

Spell Bracelets and Charms!!

I’ve always believed that working with yarn and thread was a type of magic and I’m very excited to offer these Spell Bracelets and Charms for you!

Let me know what emotions/feelings/images you would like me to bind to the spell bracelets or charms and associating colors and I will make it especially for you!

Spell Bracelets are $9 or 3 ko-fis

Charms (half the length of the bracelets) are $3 or 1 ko-fi

https://ko-fi.com/finleyday

These will be mailed to you in a letter, so there will be no tracking available. If you’d rather pay with paypal I can arrange that! If you have any questions feel free to send me an ask or messages.

Examples for emotions/feelings/images I could bind to your spell bracelet or charm: let wealth come to me, bring peaceful sleep, power and confidence like the sun, the green and yellow growth that comes with spring, let love come into my life, happy and hot summer days in watermelon colors, water washing away grief, I am stronger than you