When I recently got the bug for embroidery, I got out my box of embroidery supplies, eager to do something with thread. Most of my past projects have been kits or patterns, giving me instructions to follow and taking all the decision-making out of the process. This time, it wasn’t enough. I wanted to experiment and decided it was time to wing it.
Continue reading Winging It: Embroidering a Kestrel
I love the YouTube videos where people making things, especially things I’m interested in making myself. Eventually they inspire me to try my hand at the craft they demonstrate. Still, I was surprised when some amazing embroidery videos, and especially their sound tracks, convinced me to get out my embroidery floss for the first time in years.
Continue reading The Soothing Sound of Stitching
Wasting time comes in many guises. There’s time spent on “frivolous” activities like watching TV or playing games on your phone. There’s time spent on projects that don’t go as planned or have unexpected results (lace shawl I can’t seem to knit, I’m looking at you). There’s time spent mucking about when you are trying to create something new that results in nothing but a stack of awful sketches or pages of writing that you can’t actually use.
Continue reading A Waste of Time or a Lesson?
It’s that time again. I have a couple projects that need my attention, so I won’t be posting to the … More See You In June
Before I fell down the bobbin lace rabbit hole, I made myself a medieval shift. Watching others sewing in videos about historical costuming made me want to sew, too. Morgan Donner’s video Making Basic Medieval Underwear inspired me to dig out some plain muslin, draft a pattern, and make a shift of my own. I had already finished it when I first heard a Hidden Brain podcast that made me laugh with understanding.
Continue reading Harder Than It Looks: DIY Videos and Overconfidence