I've been very quiet! I've been... very overwhelmed by a combination of work and personal life pressures. I haven't yet finished dealing with all of those, but I coped (as you do) largely by shutting down contact with the external world and picking up a new hobby!
SO. PAINTING! Oh man. I still barely know what I'm doing, and anything representational I've done is the result of opening a youtube video and trying desperately to keep up, but I'm learning! I'm getting more comfortable with the tools and the process and the way the material handles, and I'm having an incredible time. This isn't everything yet, the abstract pieces are going to get their own post, but my parents have a new house with so many blank walls, and baby, you KNOW that having a way to offload my earliest efforts with a new hobby is the fastest way to my heart
In intricate patterns, such as cables, brioche and lace, it’s a good idea to make ex ante lifelines every now and then, e.g. every pattern repeat, just in case you need to redo a section.
I like to use unwaxed dental floss, but you can use any thin and slippery yarn. As always, use a thinner needle to rescue the stitches.
Hopefully, you won’t need to use the lifelines, in which case, you merely need to pull them out when your work is done.
And remember: undoing, frustrating as it may be, is an essential part of the creative process
Full Bandos, 20 year veteran cape, Amulet of Fury made from an oyster shell, Swordy McSwordFace ⚔️
This was intense. 100+ hours, all stitched by hand from scratch except the boots obv lol. This was the first time I attempted cosplay, and the first time I attempted to sew anything that wasn't a patch or mending something 🫠
Kokontozai: KASHIYUKA’s Shop of Japanese Arts and Crafts — Kyoto Folding Fan
Searching all of Japan for handcrafted items that express its heart and soul, our proprietor, KASHIYUKA, presents things that bring a bit of luxury to everyday life. This time she visited Hakuchikudo, a long-established Kyoto-style fan maker whose history dates back beyond three centuries. There she encountered this supple handcraft composed of washi paper and bamboo.