Sew Smart

Before and after!

I've had this bag for more than 10 years, from the first time I traveled on my own. As you can see, it got a little ragged! My mom HATED it. In preparation for another needlepoint project (probably coming soon!), Mom encouraged me to try and patch it with some of needlepoint. I'm pretty proud of how it came out, especially for my first patch job!

I finished my Teach For America commitment recently, and I made my two housemates (also TFA corps members) graduation gifts!

One of them is on ABSOLUTELY NO SOCIAL MEDIA EVER but she loves the hell out of Firefly. We watched some of it together and it was a great time. I really love how her project came out--I used a very subtle ombre thread for the background and bronze metallic thread for the words. It reads “you can’t take the sky from me” with Mal and Zoe, based off of a design found here. 

One of them is on tumblr as @wokewithexpensivetaste. She’s going back to school for a philosophy PHD because she’s, like, super smart or something. This is based on a philosophical painting that says (translated out of French) “This is not a pipe” because, you see, it’s a PAINTING of a pipe. Oh, philosophy. I got this pattern from here.

Way down under the ground!!!

In sophomore year of college, @m-azing got everyone into “Hadestown,” then a concept album by Anais Mitchell. That concept album became an actual show, which will soon be on Broadway!

The first project is for @m-azing, because she is the ultimate Hades and Persephone shipper. “Since the world began” is a quote from the beginning of “How Long”, when the two are discussing their marriage and what has become of it. The skull is Hades, who in the musical is closely tied to his role as the god of wealth (thus, the silver thread used to outline the skull). The roses are based off of the flowers that Amber Gray wears with her costume in the original production at NYTW.

The second one is for me! I love doing the fiddly, precise costume work. I researched what each of the characters was wearing in the NYTW production, which I saw. The Fates were probably the hardest to find references for, but there’s a great cast picture that comes with the digital booklet. “World of Gods and Men” is a quote from one of the opening songs, “Road to Hell.” From left to right, the characters are:

Nabiyah Be as Eurydice

Damon Daunno as Orpheus

Amber Gray as Persephone

Patrick Page as Hades

Chris Sullivan as Hermes

Shaina Taub as a Fate

Lulu Fall as a Fate

Jessie Shelton as a Fate

I currently have like a billion different projects, most of which are half done?

1. My mother was recently diagnosed with cancer, so I’ve created this pattern on my own. It’s supposed to be a belt, but I definitely miscalculated with the width of it with the ribbons. I’m going to create a new pattern with smaller ribbons, but unfortunately I only figured this out when it was mostly done. :(

2. I’ve had this for about half a year, and have just now gotten started on it. Making good progress, though! Pattern from my local needlepoint store.

3. The one project I’ve actually completed! Not really 100% satisfied with how it turned out. Just the finishing was a little uneven, but to be fair I am a little rusty! From here.

4. I’m just too lazy to finish this one tbh. From here.

5. I’ve run out of most of the floss for the background of this one! Whoops. Got this at my local needlepoint store.

6. A Star Wars needlepoint! All of Padmé Amidala’s costume from the first of the prequels. Ran out of background floss again! I’ll get back to it eventually. From here.

7. Two Padme Amidala (from Star Wars) needlepoint patterns! Haven’t started on them yet, and probably won’t for a while. Nice to have the pattern drawn out for when I get to it, though. From here and here.

8. A really tiny, cute little piece. Very fiddly, and to be honest laziness struck again and I just didn’t get around to the background. Modified to bi pride colors from here.

9. Got inspired by fanart of Gina Torres and Laverne Cox as Wonder Woman. Again, just got to finish it! Not sure as what. Modified from here. 

10. Started on this shortly after I came out. Much like Wonder Woman and No Pants, I’m just being lazy and not finishing it yet. From here.

Well, I may be just too fast of a needlepointer, because I made (and finished) another one! I intended to keep this one for next year, because this friend doesn’t graduate until then; but they came in our year, so it feels like giving this to them now is right.

This person is one of the strongest people I know. We met first year of college, and I’ve loved them ever since. They are like a beam of sunlight, or a ripe tomato (if you like tomatoes). I simply don’t know how else to describe them. They’re bright and bring everyone joy. They’re truly determined, too; I’ve never met someone with the amazing force of will that they have. It is my joy and honor to call them my friend.

They also love video games, and we played Undertale together (by that, I mean I played Undertale since they had before, and they watched and advised me without spoiling too much). We both cried, and I know they really love the game.

With some of these more fandom-y ones, I tend to worry that the person who receives it will grow tired of that fandom in time; that they’ll grow up from it. That is not as much of a worry that I have for this one, because this friend really internalized Undertale. I know exactly how much it means to them, and I know that we’ve shared it together.

So you know how I said that the last new one was, in fact, the last one I would be adding? I accidentally lied.

This one is sort of a bonus, because this friend graduated last year! But she stayed in town, and will be going off to graduate school next year, like everyone else, so I figured I would make her something as well. I really only met her last year, and got to know her this year, but we’ve become pretty close friends. She cares a lot, about the people she loves and also stuff she’s passionate about. I’ve honestly never seen someone cry during so many movies, because she gets really, really involved in the characters’ plot lines. She’s a Gravity Falls fanatic, and I know she’s kind of devastated that it’s over (though of course she loved the finale!). So I thought I’d give her some Gravity Falls to keep with her.

I also added one more project, but I’ve completed it already!

I’ve known this person since we both visited the school at the same time. I’ve been in and out of contact with her since then, but this year she lives with three of my other friends, so I’ve seen her more. So far we’ve both had the same taste in tv shows, so we talk about them a lot/get each other addicted to them. She really, really loves owls,so I thought I’d design her a crest with one, in our school colors!