#Newest Sewing Patterns

[cosmerelists]

I Assign Cosmere Characters A Random Animal As Their Pet

I'm using the random generator from this post. I've already created a list of Cosmere characters (it's just the main characters I always do, ha ha), and then I'll randomly assign them a pet and see how they fair! For the record, these results are not altered at all!

[For the purposes of this post, we're gonna pretend that any animal that comes up would make a good and ethical pet, okay? Please don't actually try to adopt a bear.]

1. Kaladin: A dromedary (a type of camel)

Kaladin: [stares at the camel] Camel: [stares at Kaladin] Kaladin: T-This is just a bigger, meaner horse! Kaladin: I can tell just from one glance into its eyes that that hump is full of SPITE Camel: [spits at Kaladin] Kaladin: I KNEW IT

2. Vin: A mustang (a type of horse)

Vin: Yes, yes, you think you're soooo pretty and fast, don't you? Vin: I'm faster, you know. Probably. With enough metal. Vin: So just don't you getting to big for your horse britches! Elend: Wow! What a beautiful horse! Vin: Don't you start!

3. Shallan: A monkey

Shallan: What a cute little monkey you are! Shallan: With the little outfit Adolin sewed for you, and the paintbrush I gave you! Shallan: A regular little monkey artist! Pattern: [buzzing] I keep telling you, Shallan, this creature wants to be like that one person I saw when you were looking for the herald! It wants to be paint with its p- Shallan (loudly): We'll just use regular paint, thank you!

4. Tress: A mandrill (largest monkey in the world)

Tress: Wow, you have such a pretty face, ma'am! Tress: And a large girl like you won't need to fear any mean ol' cat, will you! Charlie: I feel strangely inadequate. Tress: I-I didn't mean it that way!

5. Dalinar: A bear

Dalinar: You and I are a lot alike, bear. Dalinar: We are both large and intimidating, and we can hurt a lot of people if we get violent. Dalinar: ... Dalinar: Also, apparently Navani really likes to cuddle with both of us. Navani: He's soooo soft!

6. Painter: A bighorn (a type of sheep)

Painter: I like him. Painter: He's got a noble bearing. You can tell with those big horns and steely gaze, he's probably king of his herd or something. Painter: So please stop stacking chopsticks on his head. Yumi: Come on, he LOVES his chopstick-tower-hat! Bighorn: [making happy sheep noises] Painter: I-I just think his gravitas is taking a hit.

7. Leshwi: A burro (a type of donkey)

Lewshi: I'll admit, I was really hoping for an animal that could fly. Venli: Surely anything can fly if you lash it to the sky. Leshwi: I tried that. Leshwi: Apparently donkeys don't like to fly.

8. Adolin: A basilisk (a type of lizard)

Shallan: So...why the little cape on your lizard friend? Adolin: He runs across water! It's cool, but I thought it would look even cooler if he was wearing a cape while he did it! Shallan: Where do you find enough water for that? Adolin: Well...he's mostly been running across a bathtub. Shallan: Ah, so he REALLY needs the coolness factor of a cape... Adolin: Yeah, I think it'll really help his self-esteem.

9. Steris: A sheep

Wax: Hey Steris. Steris: Hello, Wax. Wax: I can't help but notice that where yesterday was one sheep, today there are fifteen sheep. Steris: I read that they feel better in herds! Wax: You always go all in--I love that about you. Wax: ... Steris: ... Wax: So we're sheep farmers now? Steris: A little bit, yeah.

10. Navani: A ferret

Sibling: NAVANI YOUR FERRET IS RUNNING THROUGH MY TUNNELS AGAIN Navani: It loves you! Sibling: IT'S LIKE THAT LIFT CHILD ALL OVER AGAIN

11. Siri: A budgerigar (bird)

Siri: This little guy is perfect for me! Siri: Colorful, small, sweet! Siri: I'm teaching it to talk! Budgie: Let's destroy evil! Siri: ... Siri: Uncle Vasher was here again, wasn't he?

12. Kelsier: A duckbill platypus (yes, really)

Kelsier: Everyone, meet the newest member of our team! Dockson: Uh...what is that? Vin: It looks like a bunch of different animals stuck together. Breeze: Rather unsightly, really. Ham: You, uh, doing okay, Kel? Kelsier: You're all such doubters. But watch what happens when I do THIS! [Puts a fedora on the platypus] Vin: ...Why do I suddenly feel like he's going to make a great spy? Kelsier: Trust me, this is gonna be great!

[a-sweeter-solarsystem]

Hey so I've been doin something neat lately :)

I made a pattern for some ghost plushies and have been having so much fun making a bunch of them and playing with different techniques for each one. Lowkey tempted to open up a commission slot for them on kofi because I love making these lil guys!!!!

Also!! Even better!! Some of them make sound!!!

Some behind the scenes and intros about each of em below the cut for those interested!!

Okay so!! Oldest of the flock to newest: Flower (White Ghost), Yellow Ghost, Red Ghost, and Mardi (Nonbinary Flag Ghost).

When I first made this pattern Flower was my little trial run to figure out how everything fit together. And as such, I got a little mixed up with all the pieces and accidentally added an extra fin onto her

So! Flower was named accordingly and I spent an extra 20 minutes carefully ripping the seam to sew her the correct way (ﾉωヾ)

Yellow ghost was next and I started playing around with something to cover up the center piece. I was really struggling to find a good way of stitching it on that wouldn't result in visible stitches/awkward positioning, and so I used an extra ring of black fleece to hide it. Honestly turned out looking really cool and I'm still pretty happy with how they turned out! Just wish I was a bit cleaner with the hot glue.

Red and white ghost was all about playing with acrylic paint to see how it'd react with the fleece. It takes some layering and I think I'm gonna be looking for a different paint to try since I'm not a fan of how much I have to layer it on in order for it to be opaque. But! The laurels could've turned out worse! They also make sound as well (darn you tumblr in only letting me upload one video at a time)!

Mardi, my nonbinary ghost, is the newest to the flock and I adore how they turned out. I named them because their colors kept reminding me of Mardi Gras, and so I named them after it. I've been itching to make ghost plushies based off of pride flags ever since I got a better at making sure every piece of my pattern fits together properly. The fins are all 3 pieces each, but for Mardi I had to cut one of those pieces in half, sew it together, then sew one white and one purple part to make the fin have the color differences you see above. A little scary but it turned out really well!! I also finally found a method of stitching I like for the core so yay! No more visible stitching!

I plan on making a trans flag one next, and maybe one inspired by a progress flag too at one point. A lot of pride flag ghosts require some careful mapping of fin colors so we'll see how much detail I can squeeze into these little guys <3

[javitrulovesims]

"Candy Hearts" Set

A Mini Set inspired by Iconic 1950's Evening Dresses

It's 2024 now and because of that Tax Season has begin for me (As usual) so i wont have too much between my hands, however i've been working on these dresses on the last couple of weeks, i was inspired by Sewing Patterns from the 40's and 50's and their iconic fashion ilustrations.

Both Dresses comes with 30 swatches featuring my newest "Iconic 50's" Palette (That i'm going to update older 1950's dresses with it later)

They are tagged accordingly to the date and have been fully tested on CAS mode and in Live Mode.

DOWNLOAD (EARLY ACCESS) - Public Release on February 07 2024 (Sorry, i havent fed my Patreon followers in a while so.. Early Access for the moment)

[vincentbriggs]

My partner and I have been watching your videos lately as inspiration and every time he sees you he talks about how you give him the biggest Gender Feels and that he loves “seeing someone living the dream” so if our closet turns into mostly shirts from your newest video I don’t think it’ll be too much of a surprise LOL I’ve been sewing for about 19 years and he’s recently taken up ARMA and has been getting into period patterns to go with his sword practice so your videos are the perfect blend for us of beautiful and caring instruction as well as historical content to make it easy to create or utilize practices in other garments. We recently made a surcoat and breeches for him and I made a patchwork cloak for myself with inspiration from the patchwork dressing gown saga.

This is getting kinda long but I just wanna say I appreciate the work you put in and your care and attention to detail. Your content is amazing, and I can’t wait for the next video ❤️

Thank you! I'm delighted to hear so many people wanting to make those shirts!

My wardrobe is actually nowhere near where I want it to be, I have a decent amount of shirts, but so many other gaps to fill. Especially since I have garments in a variety of colours that don't all go together. I need more pants and jackets and everyday waistcoats! I've outgrown so many of my older waistcoats, and pants wear out so quickly, and I've still never made an overcoat.

The next video will probably be of a small thing, because 3 of my last 4 have been over an hour and I sure would love to edit something that's shorter, before I inevitably do another long one. So it will definitely take less than 5 months this time!

[apple-salad]

Rose Ribbon Embroidery "Mini" Projects (for BABY NYFW) Part 2: Embroidered Bonnet

I decided semi-last minute to attend BABY's fashion show at NYFW!

BABY had mentioned in their NYFW brand description that their newest collection would be a return to their origins, as well as presenting archival items.

You have to dress to impress for NYFW, right? So of course, I had to pull out all the stops and wear my Rose Ribbon Embroidery.

Also at the last minute, I decided to make a few extra complementing items...

A matching RRE kumya JSK, and a bonnet.

What follows is more of a sew-along/journal rather than a tutorial or guide, mainly for my own memory's sake. But if you enjoy looking at my process (sometimes sloppy), I'm happy!

Also feel free to take a look at the more romantic process video I edited.

Part 1: Kumya JSK

Part 2: Bonnet (you are here)

This post will be my process pictures and notes for the bonnet, as well as a matching mask as a bonus.

I don't believe BABY released matching headwear for Rose Ribbon Embroidery, although I've seen an unknown velveteen headbow with rose lace sold with RRE before.

BABY usually coords RRE with the bunny ear bonnet since Ichigo wears it this way in Kamikaze Girls.

I do own this because I wanted to wear an Ichigo-like outfit at some point, but for this occasion I decided to do something different and make a "matching" embroidered bonnet.

I originally wanted to make a hard bonnet with a very defined brim that could show off the embroidery clearly as I don't really like soft bonnets, but when looking at existing BABY bonnets as a reference, it doesn't look like hard bonnets were a thing back in 2004 (and as it is, BABY rarely releases hard bonnets). So to keep with the oldschool theme, the bonnet is a soft one, although I later make some decisions to make it slightly more structured.

The next decision to make was full bonnet vs half bonnet. The bunny ear bonnet is a full bonnet and I think this is technically more "period accurate", but I am not a fan of how they look like a weird hood from the back so I opted for half (plus, that makes construction and patterning easier for me).

I still used my own bunny ear bonnet as a reference for approximate brim dimensions!

The kumya JSK was a little easier to carelessly sketch out and embroider since I was copying 1:1 from an existing design, but I felt I needed to do at least a bit more careful planning for the embroidery on this. I'm quite bad at creating embroidery designs from scratch, but with the mental image of the rose clusters and swags of vine, as well as referencing the embroidery from the film, I came up with this:

I wanted to emulate the embroidery style of the Momoko's (well, in reality likely the embroidery designer Onoe Megumi--unclear if she did the actual embroidery, but it's likely) embroidery, which I figured wouldn't be too difficult if I was also embroidering by hand.

For material, I am using the same velveteen I used for kumya's JSK. Not my first choice and I actually purchased some thicker looking 100% cotton velvet that I thought would be more similar to the original JSK material, but was worried it wouldn't arrive in time and wanted this project out of the way in case things went wrong/took longer than I expected (it did arrive about a week before the event, but it was totally wrong IRL so I'm glad I just went with this acceptable option). I also bought some more torchon lace, so I used that and another lace from my stash.

The colours of the embroidery in the film also seem to be quite different than BABY's dress. I'm not sure if the pink of the roses has faded over the years, but it has a slight salmon tone whereas the film's roses seem to be more of a pale cool/neutral pink (hard to tell with the yellow tint of the entire film) with some variegation. I love the colour scheme of the film's embroidery, but to keep things coordinated I try to opt for the same colours as the actual dress I have.

I only have white silk ribbon in the width I wanted, so I opted to attempt to dye it to match. Previously I have used alcohol markers to colour the embroidery afterwards, but I find the colour hard to control and it tends to bleed into the fabric. I've also tried colouring the ribbon with the marker before embroidering, but without heat setting the colour transfers onto the fabric as well (and it seems like trying to do so with the amount of ribbon I need would be a waste of ink).

I don't have a lot of experience with it, but since the ribbon is silk, acid dyeing seemed like the way to go.

Very interesting photo of ribbon in pot (the pink ribbon gets eaten up by pinwheel roses much faster than I expected so this is the second batch I had to dye--not ideal as they are definitely slightly different in colour but it's not too noticeable). In total, I think I had to dye 3 batches of ribbon and 4 for the pink ribbon as I just barely ran out near the end, and they are all slightly different colours. Thankfully the undertone is the same so it's difficult to tell unless you are really comparing up close.

I thought I would take this opportunity to use the "peach" acid dye that I bought years ago for another project, but this ended up being a mistake as the colour was totally off (maybe the red dye was too expired). I ended up using my regular fiber reactive procion dyes (with heat/acid), because I have many more colours I could mix together, and that was much better. I really should have done this from the start as I wasted perfectly good silk ribbon by making it too dark/off for my purposes (I ended up overdyeing it in pink so it's a usable colour now, but not for this project).

The silk seems to take on dye extremely fast--even just heating up the dyebath will colour it. In some cases I removed the ribbon before adding any acid at all because I felt the ribbon was already getting too dark.

I managed to get a fairly usable mossy green colour for the leaves and vines, however the pink still ended up being a little off/dark compared to whatever BABY used. It's not too bad here as one strand of ribbon, but when many layers are on top of each other in a rose it seems pretty dark. While not ideal, I think it's still okay, especially considering the embroidery colours used in kumya's JSK match nothing else (many pinks will be going on in this coord).

After dyeing and drying, the ribbon is super wrinkled so I ironed it and wound it on some spare card so it's ready to use.

And now I can start the arduous process of embroidery.

Like before, I mainly use a combination of ordinary ribbon stitches, pinwheel roses, and french knot roses. However, this time I try harder to duplicate, or at least evoke the appearance of the embroidery of the film.

It's interesting how plain and somewhat boring the roses look on their own, especially with this monotone colouring. The varied colours of the film's embroidered roses are lovely, but I decided against it here because the BABY dress has monotone ribbon roses.

The roses definitely seem to just be pinwheel style which is very easy and doable, however I am a bit more confused about the leaves. They look like a number of straight stitches in various lengths and directions that fill in a leaf-like shape. I have no idea if this technique has a name and if there is a proper method for it, because I am a silly beginner who is very uneducated in embroidery.

Anyway I do my best and hopefully I got close enough. Ribbon embroidery is really all about the texture, which is really lovely to look at. Except I have trouble looking at my own work for too long because I start nitpicking all the mistakes I made...

Adding the green and leaves really helps the embroidery come to life.

I took even fewer pictures of the embroidery process than kumya's JSK this time because it's not that interesting. I was definitely getting sick of doing the same pinwheel over and over...

I stupidly decided that aside from embroidering the front of the brim, I also wanted a little bit of embroidery on the back of the brim for interest, as well as on the side.

The designs I drafted out for these two pieces is much simpler, but still, more work....

Almost ready for construction! Hopefully a lot faster with the handwork out of the way.

I iron on some interfacing onto the back brim panel and the bonnet band for slight extra stiffness.

The bottom part of the brim is plain cotton sateen because I was worried that the part that touches the head would get dirtier more quickly it if was velveteen.

I wanted some lace gathered around the brim and an extra velveteen ruffle on the back of the band, so I prepare that now. The lace is gathered with a single gathering thread and sewn down before sandwiching between the two brim panels.

Brim sewn and topstitched (and band is ready for attachment).

The upper flowers ended up a little closer to the top of the band then I intended, but I think it's okay.

Gathering brim and attaching it to band. Because the velvet fabric is so thick, the usual "sew one line of stitching with a wide stitch length" not only made the fabric incredibly difficult to gather, but the thin polyester thread also continually broke when trying to do so. Therefore, I opted for an alternative method I think I'd remember seeing in my sewing machine manual of all things--a zigzag carefully stitched over a central gathering thread. This worked much better, although I probably should have used a thicker/extra strong thread as the central gathering thread because it did break the second time I had to gather the brim due to a mistake.

I also add a bit of lace to the inside of the brim. I think this adds some luxury and frilliness between the head and the bonnet's brim, so I wanted to add a small width. I probably could have used even more of the lace's width since it turned out very subtle when worn. But I still think it adds a small amount of interest to the innermost part of the brim and was worth adding.

Unfortunately here after sewing on both brim parts I realize that I gathered both using an incorrectly marked centre line, so I had to rip it out and do it again ;_;

Next, I can carefully align and pin the bottom of the brim to the bonnet and sew it down. I tack this down by hand because I'm not skilled/accurate enough with a sewing machine to topstitch both sides nicely at once (look closely, and my messy stitching is quite visible...)

I also fold in the raw edges and finish the sides of the brim by hand, leaving some openings for ribbon ties.

At this point I spray almost the whole bonnet with water to disperse and fade my markings. Unfortunately, some of the earlier batches of ribbon that I dyed (Can you tell the variance in the 3 dye batches I needed to do?) were probably not washed well after dying and seem to have bled into the fabric from the water...but hopefully it's not too noticeable.

Next I topstitched all around the brim and attached the ribbon ties.

I bought some double sided velvet ribbon in my last minute supplies shipment and made some bows from it. I think the material is a little thick and petersham would have worked alright as well, but the consistent velvet material feels more luxurious, doesn't it? I also think as an added benefit (?) the ribbon being plush and double sided made the bows more puffy looking.

I add some clips to the sides and a toupee clip to the top for security. I opted for a toupee clips because I think it's really the way to go if you don't want the head item to move at all, no matter how thin or slippery your hair.

Finished.

Bonus 1: rose accent pin

I was in a bit of a rush at this point as it was near the end of the week coming up to the show, so I didn't take any photos of the process here but the technique and templates I used were identical to my handmade faux rose rosettes I made for UM (and the bonus corsages). I have a post with all the details of this sitting in my drafts that I will post eventually, and I will update this post when that happens.

The brooch was just meant to add a bit of 3D faux flower accent to the bonnet, bringing in the rose motif even more. Partially inspired by the faux flowers BABY adds to their bonnets sometimes, like on Milk Tea Doll.

The fabric was "custom dyed" with the same fiber reactive dye I used for the silk. The fabric was further starched, cut out by hand, and shaped with flower iron tools before gluing together.

Bonus 2: matching embroidered mask

I wasn't sure about whether or not I wanted to wear a matching mask, but decided to do so for situations when I would want my face at least half-covered in public. I didn't really expect to be visible in fashion show pictures as someone in the back, but just in case. (I think this decision was worth it, although my makeup transferred all over the thing and in most pictures my face was even more unflattering. eh well)

I forgot to take a lot of pictures of my process for this, but it's very uninteresting and not dissimilar from every other mask sewalong from 2020. I draft out a design similar to the bonnet motifs on both of my mask panels (cotton sateen), and embroider.

I should have embroidered closer to the centre of the mask because when worn the embroidery is not very visible/covered by my hair at the sides. What can I do since the panels were already cut though...oh well!

The lining material is some Japanese CLEANSE Ex fabric I had bought previously to make masks during the pandemic. It's supposed to be antibacterial and antiviral, as well as washable, but I have no idea how well supported those claims are.

Sew together normally on both upper and lower sides, turn inside out, add a channel for nose wire and side channels for elastic.

I also have some mask elastic on hand so I use that.

And the finished outfit again with all my items~

Thank you for reading! If you ever feel inspired to take up a similar project, such as the kumya JSK, I'd love to see it!

[creations-by-chaosfay]

If you're looking to do some organizing, but with a touch or a lot of style, check these out. All of these are free patterns and tutorials, and great for storing things while keeping your space looking stylish.

[cosmomoore]

I finally remembered to take a decent photo to promote my newest sewing pattern.

It's a dress pattern with a couple different skirt options along with a sleeve option sized to fit all three RH/SH body types.

I have many more patterns I've devised, but haven't digitized yet so hopefully I'll get around to doing that soon?

Regardless, this one is ready and can be found here!

[noxx-notions]

The good news, I learned how to do sewing with a needlepin! it's a bit tricky, but when it works oh my god it's so much better than the hook. Time to practice now!! (And get an actual tool, the needle im using is still a bit thick but since I'm working with thicker thread its fine for now)

The bad news, I will be restarting the newest pattern because I just started working in the wrong direction 🤣🤣 in reality, it probably doesn't matter that much in this instance, but I wasn't totally happy with the first ring anyway so will be starting again.

I was mostly annoyed at myself because I had noted before I started that the petals were worked in a different direction than the previous patterns in the book and then just forgot by the time I got to it 😂

[selamander]

couple new guys in the shop today!

Got a pair of platypi looking for homes!! Made using @makeshiftwings30 ‘s newest July pattern, which I highly recommend for those looking to get into sewing plushies!

I’ve also been sick with bronchitis for the last week and a half so if you’ve been considering adopting a little guy, now is the time!

[chargoeson]

Hello! Writeblr re-Introduction

hiiiii pals! I made my writeblr introduction last year and it was such a good intro to the community! but as time goes on and organizations fall i want to re-introduce myself and my writing without any associations.

my name is Charlotte, but you can call me Char as well. She/Her, I'm 25, queer, and live in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.

I write literary fiction with a special affection for surrealism and dream-like vibes. I do have a couple soft fantasy and short story projects that I've made posts for, but I'll stick to my litfic on this pinned post as they are my passion projects!

themes I often explore in these books are: isolation, anxiety, complex relationships between mothers and daughters, bisexuality, winter, dissociation, and overall rural misery!

I have a bachelor's degree in English Language and Literature and paid special attention to Gothic and Romantic movements.

on top of writing, I also love quilting/sewing, collage making, playing Stardew Valley and Baldur's Gate 3, and doing DIY home renovations.

Reading is my passion, even more so than writing! My favorite authors are Murakami, Mieko Kawakami, the Bronte sisters, Iain Reid, Han Kang, and Ottessa Moshfegh.

my three main WIPS can stand alone but are technically a trilogy. read about them after the cut!

The Ballad of a Blue Whale-- This novella was written in November, 2023. It follows Maren Hara, a recent college graduate who has to move back in with her father, a rigid and unfeeling doctor. To cope with the emotional distance of her father and the slow dissolution of her relationships she begins walking through the night. Both to be away from home and removed from her current life. It’s during these walks she finds a jazz bar in an adjoining city. The patrons, and especially the owner of this bar, captivate her. At the core of the narrative is her inability to open herself to others, and how attempts to do so are physically and mentally cataclysmic, although necessary. As she finds herself, she loses both her old life and this interim space. 

I Want to Build a Home with You-- This novel is in the first draft/development stage. I began in December, 2023. Its events follow Leonie Richards as she walks her grandmother, famed novelist Hellen Barnaby, through the final weeks of her life then inherits her home. Leonie, once an infamous performance artist, decides to settle into a life of portrait painting for a small but wealthy pool of clients left to her by her grandmother. Her old peers. After Hellen’s death, Leonie’s final connections to the outside world are her strange clients, the art store clerk, and her uncle Ox who is embittered by his lack of inheritance. The longer she stays in the home, the stranger things seem to be. She wakes up ragged, dirt under her fingernails with memories of a rock formation in the forest she has never seen. Forest spirits or generational curse, there is a limerence threatening her life. 

No Glory-- Special Agent Seth Barnaby has been tasked with investigating the mysterious, possibly cult-associated murders of young women across the state, but this one could be the key. To decode the newest set of clues he teams up with Director of Anthropology Dr. Miel Noh and they get into the field. The small town misleads them at every turn, from an odd boy named Calf to the corpse of a girl who was staying in his family’s motel. With Seth’s checkered past he recognizes the patterns, but time is of the essence and if they don’t find answers another woman could die. With no way out, they return to the only lead Seth knows: an institutionalized man who confessed to the first murder that brought Seth to the FBI years ago.

and that's a wrap! thank you for reading, would love to reconnect with writers from last year as well as new friends. feel free to slide into my asks, follow, or join the tag list.

tags: @annlillyjose @coffeeandcalligraphy @subtlefires @belovedviolence @onomatopiya @thelaughingstag

[geocyclist]

The newest addition to the compost sifter, dubbed the ‘junnel’ by my wife because what I thought was denim turned out to be jegging fabric. The issue I had with my sifter and little wheelbarrow was that I was losing material to the ground while sifting. So a funnel was made! Process under the cut:

It started with about 1.5 yards of 48” fabric I got at a yard sale for a dollar, then drew up a design that would connect four panels to make a rectangular funnel that could be attached to the sifter.

This was my first real sewing project and first sewing pattern that I’ve drafted, so there are definitely mistakes and I made revisions as I went.

After completing the four panels, the corners were sewn together, then a reinforcement was added to each seam. I learned here that sewing is mostly pinning and measuring, with a small amount of sewing in between.

Sewn from the back then flipped to see the top where all the soil and compost will go against.

An arbor press was used along with a harbor freight grommet kit to punch holes in the fabric and install grommets to hang it from the sifter. Side note: this press was salvaged from a pre-demolition job I had many years ago and didn’t have a handle. The carriage bolts that hold road guardrails are the perfect size replacement!

Little hooks were installed all around so the funnel can be hung and removed easily.

Quite a fun project that got me a lot more experience with sewing, from patterning, budgeting fabric/layout, measuring, to pinning and finally sewing. Just in time to plant corn and sift bags of garden soil so it actually spreads.

[littlebluentebook]

Alastor x Sewing!Reader

Hi everyone! This is my first ever fic but I have read far more than anyone should in a lifetime! Please let me know if theres any criticism. Im open to other ideas and fandoms (that I will eventually make a list for.) I'm merging some chapters I have just because they're short or make better sense that way and tried tot keep things gender neutral. If I slipped let me know and I will go back and edit! This is probably super out of character but I did my best! Hope you all enjoy :)

Chapter 1 <3

You and your husband had always gotten along like a house on fire.

Every other week a client would come in asking for costumes and repairs for a speakeasy she sung and danced at.

"-just say Anne invited you love n' they'll be bound ta let you in!" she exclaimed while picking up her newest order for the night ahead.

"Well darling I'll just have to see if I've got any sort of plans." You said knowing full well you were going to come up with new patterns until eventually falling asleep.

"Come on Y/N, Ive been coming to you for months! Don't you want to see where all your heard work goes to?" Anne was definitely pulling your strings taking advantage of your curiosity. She had a point.

"I suppose you've gotta point Anne. What time are you starting tonight?"

"Nine!" She was bouncing up and down in excitement. " I've got to get going now doll! See you tonight!"

The jingle of the bells on the door signified she was gone. You started to realize what you agreed to and panicking.

"Oh my goodness gracious!" you stressed out loud, "what even am I going to wear! Im going to look ridiculous- I don't know a single soul there! What if I make a fool of myself?!"

Your thoughts battles for longer than you would like them to eventually grabbing a paper riddled with measurements no longer needed and started writing pros and cons of visiting Anne.

Pros: Cons:

Meeting new people! Showing up alone

Can make friends Looking like a buffoon!

New possible clients

Deducting that embarrassment is temporary, your cons list could easily be eradicated by breaking out of your shell and talking to others. Plus, Anne would be there and she was your friend... kinda? You considered her a friend but was unsure if she felt the same way. Well, she did invite you to visit her tonight, at the very least she will introduce you to her friends! There shouldn't be a worry.

With your mind finally set you heard the clock strikes four. Ashamed of how long you let your thoughts get the better of you, you got back to work. The task was to complete a keepsake blanket from a wedding. You created the dress for the newlywed, sitting for hours with her finding the perfect materials and creating patterns and designs for her. In the family, it was a tradition to create a quilt from the dress of the bride using the grooms suit as a border. All the pieces were cut and you could not wait to sew them together and create a stunning memento.

Chapter 2 <3

you knocked on a door two streets over from your shop. A short lady opened the door raising an eyebrow.

"And who might you be?"

"Im Annes... friend," you tried. "She comes to me for her outfits and graciously offered me the opportunity to come a view her performance tonight."

The lady's gaze hardened, staring at you intensely.

"It looks like I have got the wrong place then, I am so sorry to waste your time," you stammered taking a step back away from the door.

"Oh Mimzy! You mustn't be giving anyone trying to see me a hard time now!" Anne's bubbly voice spoke from behind the short lady who must be Mimzy. "Y/N is a good friend of mine! Works far too hard for me and deserves a break, plenty of time to relax!"

Mimzy bursted into a smile and reached for a hug. "of course! Welcome! Sorry for being all prude- just had to makee sure you weren't anyone coming tottery and ruin what I've got going for me here" she drawled.

"No ma'am of course not! Im just here to watch my friends performance then I'll be outta your hair, away from your 'do," you explained to Mimzy while she dragged you from the door to the bar.

"Nonsense my dear! Please have a drink and stay awhile!" you sat at the bar with Mimzy talking about how difficult it was to be a female business owner. No one takes you lot seriously!

The lights dimming and shinning on stage caught the room's attention effectively hushing all conversation. Anne sauntered to the center of the stage, dress shimmering. You recognized it as the most recent dress that you crafted for Anne. It was stunning on her.

"My oh my! Look at the handiwork that went into making that dress. Must of taken days!" a familiar voice chipped. You were unable to put a name to the voice but luckily Mimzy did it for you.

"Alastor," Goodness! The radio broadcaster! You had always loved his voice, you would have his station playing while sewing- waiting patiently for songs to end just to hear him speak. "Our dear friend Y/N made that specifically for our lovely Anne!" Mimzy exclaimed.

She admired your work while Anne sung and waltzed around the stage. You were incredibly proud of your work. Every detail of that dress took so much time and effort and turned out beautifully. The fringe was all hand cut, the lace took countless hours of stitching for the perfect design and finally the beads. Each bead had to be placed individually in the right spot on the dress to shimmer. It was a fine dress indeed.

"Y/N, how would you like to make dresses and suits for the rest of those who preform for me?" As soon as the song ended Mimzy had dropped the question, ensuring she wouldn't tale any attention away from Anne.

"Oh my! Why I would be honored and ecstatic to! Thank you so much for the opportunity Mimzy!" You were so excited! Sure the flapper dresses were hard work and time consuming, but now, seeing how they looked on a stage, in front of an audience, made you realize you didn't mind all the time and effort it took into making them.

Mimzy left her seat in an excited hurry to go get paperwork for you.

"You know," the broadcaster- Alastor leaned over Mimzy's now empty seat, "she goes on and on about how beautiful Annes dresses on stage are." The comment caused you to blush but he continued, grabbing your hand gently. "I must agree with her, although the lady behind the creation of this wonderful attire is much more beautiful than what she creates."

With that Alastor kissed the back of your hand with his lips. You were speechless.

Mimzy came back with paperwork and Alastor smiled at you. The three of you spent hours conversing, telling both jokes and stories.

"Oh my!" You glanced at the nearest clock- almost one in the morning. "I have got to get going! I have to open the shop in the morning."

"Do you ever take days off darling?" Alastor asked softly.

"Only Sundays. No one is out on Sundays!"

"Goodness! -at least let me walk you home. You know its not safe for a lovely person such as yourself to be out alone this late."

"Are you sure? I don't want to inconvenience you at all Alastor."

"Of course I'm sure dear, its not an inconvenience if its you." The words were rolling off his tongue and you blushed so hard it could have matched his vest.

"Your performance was amazing Anne! You are so talented, I have definitely been missing out, I am going to come back to watch you! " Enthusiasm and pride towards your friend took over. You wanted to let her know what you thought before you suddenly ran off.

"Thank you for coming out tonight for me. Sure was nice seeing a friend in the crowd!" A jittery wave of happiness washed through you at her last statement.

"Im so glad to hear you enjoyed yourself!" Mimzy gushed to you giving a farewell hug. "Blessed to know you'll be coming back doll."

"Of course! You have an amazing place Mimzy. This is a pleasant change of scenery compared to what I'm used to!"

With your goodbyes concluded you walked out the door arm in arm with Alastor.

[kingofdorkville]

my newest s/i, in an attempt at 50s sewing pattern style.

[blueshistorysims]

July 1930, London, England

An idea had struck Giselle that fated November evening as her lover held her in her arms. After months of sketches and prototypes, Giselle was preparing to release her newest collections, unlike anything she had done in the previous decade. They were simple dresses that came with sewing patterns and style advice so women who could not afford an expensive-looking dress could still dress well. 

She had also opened up her fashion house for the expanding business of film, designing costumes for movies and gowns for starlets. Francesca handled all things business, and while they had worried after the Crash, Giselle knew that together, they could achieve anything, even against an economic depression. 

beginning/previous/next

[jjkamochoso]

The Perfect Fit

Story Overview: Levi Ackerman begrudgingly finds himself falling in love with the Survey Corps’ seamstress. Will they be able to own up to their feelings for each other? Or is their love doomed to fail before they discover the truths of each other’s hearts? This slow burn reader insert story will be filled with angst, yearning, and a bit of mystery as we slowly unravel the truths behind Y/N’s past… and explore her and Levi’s future!

Chapter 8

Series Masterlist

Chapter 7 linked here

Chapter 9 linked here

Levi Ackerman x female reader

Warnings: cussing, blood, description of sewing up skin

The weather took an unpredictable turn, sheets of rain cascading down on the castle where the sun shone hours earlier. If this was any other afternoon you would’ve welcomed it with open arms but the Scouts were out on their expedition, deep in Wall Maria. Everyone knows it’s too dangerous to evade titans, much less fight them, in conditions like this. You tried to quell your worried heart by throwing yourself into your newest project. You were using Levi’s leftover winter pant fabric to create arm warmers for yourself. When you were done cutting the pattern and got your pieces ready to sew, you felt a dull ache in your chest as you realized this quite possibly could be the last bit of Levi you’d ever have. You did your best to quiet your thoughts as they helped nothing, focusing on your hands as they pushed fabric under the sewing machine. With that part over, you decided to embellish your new accessories with embroidery. You opted for the Scout Regiment symbol on the back of the arms so hopefully you could wear them as part of your uniform. The fronts look bare without anything so you added a small bunch of bell flowers. You noticed they were growing everywhere this time of year and to you they represented beauty and hope in times of despair. There was a slight chill that came with the storm so you put your newly finished work to use, relishing the warmth they brought you. As you went to the dining hall for dinner, you overheard a messenger that came riding in from the expedition, but you could only capture a few words here and there from your position as an eavesdropper.

“We… rain and thunder… sitting ducks out there… waiting for the weather to let up… too dangerous… not coming back yet.”

You let out a gasp. They were supposed to be back tonight but it sounded like they were having to wait out the rain. After hearing that, you weren’t hungry anymore. You spent the rest of the night in your room with a stomachache.

When Levi felt the first drops of rain land on him, he couldn’t believe the bad luck. The weather was supposed to be clear for the rest of the week, why was it fucking them over now?

“Erwin. What are you thinking?”

The commander kept an unreadable face while his horse galloped forward. “We gather the troops under the trees for shelter. We need to bring these supplies back into the wall, there’s no leaving the carts behind. It’s a gamble we must take.”

Levi wordlessly fell back, sending out a messenger and shooting off his smoke signal to show the change in formation. When all of the squads reconvened in the cover of the forest, Levi started feeling a headache coming on. Not only had they already lost some soldiers to titans taking advantage of the confusion of the regrouping, the rain was even worse and visibility was limited. They had to wait for a break in the weather and haul ass back to the walls before it stormed again. The black haired man’s thoughts roamed to you. He figured you were probably enjoying the stormy weather, watching the rain pelt your window as you sipped on a warm drink.

Actually, he scoffed to himself, she’s probably worried sick about us. Her and that big heart of hers.

Not that he was complaining—his own heart was guilty of caring too much as well. For his comrades, the people who relied on him to keep him safe, you. You had wormed your way into his heart with your kind smile, witty humor, and strong work ethic. Levi had an innate desire to protect people, especially those he cared about, but as his crush on you developed into stronger feelings over the months, he was sure that if a titan even dared to look at you with its disgusting eyes that he would chop it up and make it suffer, the same way he annihilated the one that killed Isabelle and Furlan. Levi shivered as the memory of their mangled bodies came to the forefront of his mind. Their deaths continued to haunt him, a constant reminder of his failure to keep them safe. He swore to himself he’d never get close to people again but he failed miserably at that. He was too empathetic and terribly compassionate. Erwin, Hange, his squad members, and now you, were all people he had let infiltrate his ironclad heart and he just hoped none of them were stupid enough to get themselves killed.

The thunder and rain had finally let up as nighttime washed over the Survey Corps. The horses and carts were prepared once more and everyone was ready to get out of there as soon as possible. Even Levi was getting creeped out by the lack of titan activity in the forest. Was it because it was so dark earlier? He didn’t know and didn’t care to stick around and find out. As the brigade left the confines of the forest, multiples of fast, pounding footsteps were quickly coming in from behind them, deeper in the trees.

“Carts! Head to the wall now!” Erwin directed most of the squads to follow and give them cover in case of other titan attacks. Meanwhile, Levi and his squad, along with Hange and a few others, stayed behind to take care of the abnormal titan that showed up with other titans trailing behind it. The smaller titans were easy enough to deal with but the abnormal seemingly kept calling for more reinforcements. Every time someone tried to take down the abnormal, a swarm of smaller titans protected it. Soon, the squads were at risk of being overwhelmed. Exhaustion had creeped into their bones from flying around and slamming into trees with their ODM gear. Levi heard the screams of his fallen comrades which only fueled him to move faster, slice stronger. He was flying from tree to tree, cutting napes like crazy, when he finally saw an opening to take down the abnormal. He quickly gained momentum, throwing himself from the branches and spinning mid air, cutting a hole in the back of the abnormal’s neck and it sank down. As he zipped through the air, taking down the rest of the titans, another unseen abnormal had taken refuge in the trees, waiting to strike. It saw Levi with his sights set on a smaller titan and took the opportunity to jump on him. Levi saw movement out of the corner of his eye and yanked himself into some tree branches in hopes of avoiding a collision with a type of titan he’d never seen before. This one was able to climb trees and had sharp, almost claw-like nails. He stared in horror as he heard Hange squeal in delight at their new discovery.

“Ahh! That’s so cool!” they yelled, gleefully slicing into a nape of a 8 meter while trying to catch a glimpse of the enigma that had joined the battle. Levi couldn’t care less about the titan, he just knew he couldn’t let it escape. It was surprisingly fast and agile, much like him. Its long arms reached out and swiped at him. He was able to evade most of the attack but he felt the skin of his arm open up as blood gushed from his newly acquired wound.

“Tch. You ruined my fucking shirt,” he grumbled, thinking about how he’d have to bring you his clothes to get fixed. This damn titan needed to get taken out now because it could climb the walls and wreak havoc, hurting people inside. It could easily kill the Scouts surrounding him if it was able to injure him (a rare occurrence). It could easily kill you.

He couldn’t lose you.

Levi went into berserk mode, spinning up the titan’s arm and slicing it to shreds. To anyone witnessing the sight, it looked like a tornado of blades had descended upon the forest. The head of the titan landed on the ground with a thud and Levi wiped the blood from his blade.

“Ugly piece of shit.”

The other titans were taken out and the soldiers all rode back to the wall on their horses, having to leave behind the slain bodies from the battle in the trees, but Levi kept the collected Scout crests from their uniforms to give to their families. When the rest of the units were all safely inside the walls, no casualties among the squads that protected the carts, Levi let out a sigh of relief. They made haste to the castle, ready to make up for lost time spent in titan territory. Levi searched for your face among the crowd that had gathered to meet the returning group back at the base but you were nowhere to be found. He frowned, even more so when he felt his wound seeping blood again. He needed stitches but he hated going to the infirmary. The smells and sounds of agony were too much for him. He would normally do it himself but this didn’t seem like a one man job. If only he knew someone that was good with a needle…

You awoke with a start at the sound of voices. You looked out your window and saw the Scouts had returned, gathering in the courtyard while butterflies were gathering in your stomach. You saw a few carts filled with supplies, which meant their expedition was a success, but then you spotted a cart filled with bodies. It was extremely difficult knowing people had died, but you knew they didn’t give their hearts in vain. You didn’t mean to be inconsiderate at a time like this, but you truly hoped no one you knew well was lying there, covered in a white sheet. You slumped against your table, head in your hands, when you heard a small knock at your door.

“It’s me.”

Your head shot up as Levi opened the door slowly. Your smile faded immediately when you saw he was dripping blood and looked pale.

“Levi! Go to the medic!” you said, but he shook his head and threw you a first aid kit.

“I’m not going to the shitty infirmary. It’s disgusting in there. I need you to sew me up.”

Your hands were shaking as you grasped the kit in your hands. You were a seamstress, not a doctor. You’ve never sewed skin before, you didn’t know how. Actually, that wasn’t all true. You had perused Hange’s books and read how to do it, but it certainly wasn’t the same. You opened your mouth to protest but his eyes held such an intense pleading gaze that you couldn’t turn him away.

“Here, sit on the bed. I’ll try it. If I fuck it up you have to promise me you’ll let me take you to a real doctor.”

He grunted and you took that as his word. He had thankfully taken off the ODM gear but his harness and everything else was still attached. You handed him a towel to press on the wound while you went to work on getting the straps undone so you could properly assess the wound under his sleeve.

“Is it okay if I undo everything?” you asked beforehand, not wanting to make Levi uncomfortable. He was quiet but nodded in agreement so you got started. The last time you were this close to him, nimble fingers working your way around his body, was when you tailored his pants. You would’ve appreciated this closeness any other time if he wasn’t risking bleeding out in front of you. Levi, on the other hand, was thoroughly enjoying himself. He hated to think he was being a burden on you but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t loving the little touches you laid on him while disassembling the top of his uniform. He usually hated physical touch but you were so gentle with him that his body couldn’t possibly deem you a threat. When his jacket and top harness were off and stored neatly on the floor, you took off his cravat and laid it on the bed so he could breathe a little better.

“Now for the fun part,” you said under your breath, doing your best to pull up his sleeve to see the gash but it was too tight to pull up to his shoulder.

“Shirt’s gotta come off, Captain,” you said nonchalantly. You realized what you said and immediately felt embarrassed.

“Buy me dinner first, brat,” teased Levi, a strained huff of laughter exiting his throat at the same time as a groan of pain. You hurriedly took over the task of peeling off his shirt, averting your gaze from his chest the best you could. You offered him another towel for modesty but he refused, not wanting to dirty any more of your belongings. You busied yourself with threading the needle, making sure to not blatantly look at the insanely sculpted body that was staring you in the face out of respect for him. You had more important things to do than ogle your crush’s muscles while he was injured.

“Are those new?” Levi gestured to your arm warmers.

“Hm? Oh, yeah. I repurposed the leftovers from your winter pants to make them. And, of course, added my own design touch.”

Levi’s heart skipped a beat.

You took a seat next to him on the bed again, ready needle in hand, as he removed the towel. The blood had stopped running down his arm but it left the area slick.

Okay, I can do this. He’s just a big shirt with a hole you need to mend. You’ve done this plenty of times, y/n.

Your hand was shaking as you brought it up to the wound. Levi watched you intently with slow blinks, like a cat.

“I’m going to start now. Tell me if I’m hurting you too much and I’ll stop.”

One last deep breath and your needle punctured his skin. He barely reacted as you began sewing him up, stitching broken skin back together like he was a giant doll. You did your best to keep the lines nice and straight since he’d have these scars for a long time. You thought maybe he would look away but he never took his eyes off you. In fact, Levi thought you looked more beautiful now than you ever have before. You were so concentrated, deep in thought, with your brows slightly furrowed, all while helping him not bleed out—it was the perfect recipe for him to fall in love. He wouldn’t go so far to call this love yet, but the way your breath fanned over his skin to make him develop goosebumps had him guessing it was pretty damn close. Or maybe it was the way you were literally wearing his clothes. Sure, they were repurposed, but the fact of the matter was you two had been connected by threads in so many different ways now. You mended his cape, used his clothes scraps for your own personal items, stitched up his skin. He didn’t believe in fate or any of that nonsense but there was definitely some sort of symbolism happening with the two of you.

“All done. Did I do okay?”

Levi inspected your work. Neat, clean, and precise, just as expected. “You did well. I’m proud of you, you didn’t even cry once.”

“Aren’t I supposed to say that to you? You were the one with their arm barely attached to their shoulder,” you joked. Levi rolled his eyes and went to get up but let out a small hiss, sinking back into the plush mattress.

“Can I help or do you want me to leave you alone?” you asked, not wanting him to get frustrated with you fussing over him.

“It’s fine, I got it.” He tried to get up again but was still in pain. His lungs hurt and he felt nauseous. You rushed to his side, clearing the bed of the mess so he could sit up against the headboard.

“I’ll get a doctor. You wait here.” You rushed out of your room before he could protest. That damn abnormal titan’s hand collided with his chest when it sliced him and he must’ve been running on adrenaline until now so he hadn’t felt its effects. A few minutes later you entered with a doctor. She examined him and determined he’d broken a few ribs, prescribing him with pain killers and a healthy dose of bed rest. Levi wasn’t thrilled with the news.

“I’m not resting. I have too much to do,” he said angrily, trying to stand up once again. The doctor quickly left the room, not wanting to be swept up in Levi’s tantrum.

You pushed him back on the bed by the shoulder. “No you don’t, mister. You’re resting, doctor’s orders. I don’t want you to hurt yourself anymore. If you want to get back to work, you have to recover fully and I’ll make sure you do just that. Now wait here. I’m getting you a damn shirt.”

Chapter 9

A/N: just wanted to give a big thank you to everyone who’s read not just this series, but all my work!! I truly appreciate any likes, reblogs, and comments you guys leave me, it makes me smile to know people are enjoying my writing! Series writing is something I’ve never dabbled in before but the chapters seem to flow well and I feel like I’m doing alright (if not please let me know lmao). Also my requests are open if you ever want a one shot, drabble, headcannons, etc. Thanks again, I love you all so so much!! <3

Taglist: @blueeclipsepaperstudent

[whatgaviiformes]

Fic: Grannies - Part 4 (Finale)

Summary: Gordon's committed to the bit. The bit just happens to be an obnoxious amount of granny squares.

A/N- In the finale: warning for a bit of whump. Whole lotta love though. Words for this part come to 2K.

Part 1 here | Part 2 here | Part 3 here | AO3

Thank yous: craftyfam, patient readers, my yarn stash for inspiration, Kat for the read through and assuring me this was post ready. FFXIV I can't thank you because you are a menace and a distraction no matter how much I love you.

*****

Part 4: Finale

Because Gordon never goes half-assed into anything, Virgil is still finding granny squares. 

He has to keep reminding himself that he appreciates Gordon’s dedication. He actually relies on this part of his brother’s character. Frequently, in fact. 

But as he pries a stray granny square out of his sock drawer and tosses it into the project basket housing its companions, Virgil has to roll his eyes. Fondly of course. In the project management world, they call this scope creep - with no real end in sight, the project keeps getting bigger and more involved, and it’s all too easy for it to just keep living on indefinitely. But then, Gordon is one big Scope Creep anyway since he was never one for boundaries in the first place. 

His definition of an appropriate time to stop was very different from Virgil’s. 

At this point, the new square isn’t anything Virgil hasn’t seen before. He knows by now what to expect from Gordon’s work. And, honestly, it’s just like Gordon to somehow manage to desensitize Virgil away from everything he knows about color theory, however briefly. So, neither the presence of the piece of fabric nor the color combination provides any shock value anymore. 

What it does do is remind him that he’s got his own project balancing to do. That of actually… you know… finishing the damn thing. And figuring out what to do with the rest of the squares, he reminds himself as he slides on his socks and laces up his boots for the day. 

The newest acquisition - two rounds of golden yellow followed by two rounds of aubergine purple and a final in white - doesn’t look as visually discordant alongside its peers, the scrambled rainbow they are.  They are all the ones that didn’t make the cut for Gordon’s afghan, the  squares Virgil keeps finding anew, and inevitably the future ones Gordon will continue to make until he receives another lightning strike of an idea.

Right beside it is a second project basket. Gordon likes a big blanket, so enough squares to fit a king sized bed are already packed up and labeled in their sequential order. As he’s had time, Virgil has started sewing them together based on the design Scott helped with. There’s enough space still for him to store the bolt of fabric John helped him find too, once it finally arrives. 

Virgil’s grateful for their help, and their part in the project has made it just that bit more special. He hopes Gordon feels that way too. It took Scott reminding him that it wasn’t his own aesthetic he was trying to please for the design to come together. Otherwise, Virgil has no doubt what he would’ve designed would’ve been lesser for his own misery trying to force order into chaos. 

Somehow, with the power of math, Scott’s perspective on patterns and probability and randomization had been just the ticket. Gordon also probably hadn’t realized just how many squares he’d made that started with the shade of yellow or orange or his typical bright shades. Just that little bit of consistency was all he and Scott needed to figure the rest out as they laid out the squares. It wasn’t a pattern, a fade, or even entirely randomized. But a couple edits later, they had the final layout, the squares numbered, and Virgil had gotten to work joining his own granny stitches into his brother’s work in the only color Gordon considered “neutral” - yellow. 

Unable to resist the smile it brings, Virgil tugs the blanket out of the basket and unfolds the two rows he’s finished, with the third halfway complete. It doesn’t bother him that his connecting yarn is still live - the hook has his last loop stabbed into the working skein, and even if it does come unraveled a little, crochet is not so difficult to start again. 

It had taken a few tries to find the right hook to help him match Gordon’s stitches. Even though Virgil taught him a few years ago, no two makers’ work was exactly alike. And Gordon was as carefree with his gauge as he was in the rest of his life. 

Excitement thrums through him; it’s morning, the birds are chirping, and he’s feeling motivated and productive. The crochet work is soft in his hands, the next square in the sequence visible in the project basket below but hiding the rest of the queue for the third row. It’s the perfect day to grab some coffee, hide away in his studio for a few hours, and let the project surprise him. 

That’s the way a WIP should work: it should inspire along the way. 

Virgil has just thrown a towel over the basket to make it seem like it could be laundry - just in case he runs into a wayward squid - when the alarm in his room sounds and John’s voice comes over comms. 

They have a rescue. 

~*~

Virgil awakes to the smell of antiseptic and the uncomfortable feeling that his mouth tastes like cotton. 

Something about that makes him want to giggle, except he can’t actually do that. 

“Easy, Virg.” Hands, soothing, graze his hairline. “They’ve got you on the good stuff.”

He can tell. He hasn’t opened his eyes yet to know if he’s in a hospital or the infirmary, nor does he know what happened to land him there.

Based on the cotton in his throat and in his head and in his lungs, maybe he ate Gordon’s blanket. 

The giggle turns into a groan. 

“You’re okay now. Rest, Virgil.” 

Since the voice is Scott, he does so.

~*~

The next time he remembers waking, he’s in the infirmary on the island. Again, this he knows not because he’s opened his eyes to figure it out, but because his senses tell him so. Only one brother knows sea shanties enough to be familiar with that one and, if Gordon is here humming it, they’re both definitely not in a hospital.

The words he wants to say trudge through the molasses on their way out.

“Wha’ happ’n?” 

“Virgil!” It’s surprise, and excitement, and relief all rolled into one, but Gordon has the good sense to keep his voice low once the original shock of him waking settles.  

Gordon knows the drill well, his voice barely above a whisper as he closes the blinds and scoops some ice chips into a cup. Virgil’s grateful for the gentle way he moves about the room; he can hear him shuffling around, dictating as he goes. By the time Gordon returns with the cup of blessed relief for the feeling in his esophagus, Virgil has managed to tearily blink his eyes half-open. 

Beneath his brother’s brushed fringe hides a bruise the size of a fist, purpling so harshly at his hairline that Virgil ignores the ice chip Gordon offers him in favor of reaching up to check the injury out for himself. Immediately, his body protests the movement, and Gordon urges him to lower his arm back to the support of the bed.

“Yeah, maybe don’t try that?” Gordon waves him off. “I’m fine. What do you remember?” 

Through the pain in his lower half and the color of Gordon’s face, the memories of the rescue come back clearer. Unfortunately, of all things, they’d been called out to a mudslide. He’d checked Gordon out in the field, he remembers. A panicked civilian with a wayward right hook while Gordon was calming his husband. The man had been incredibly apologetic, and Gordon assured him no harm was done, but Virgil pulled him off duty as a concussion risk and left him in Two with  Grandma talking to him.

Then, when Virgil went after a lifesign in a toppling two-story… 

“A house hit me.” 

“Well, more mud than house. You’re ok though. You were buried from the waist up. Had some compartment syndrome. Everything you’re feeling - or not - is temporary.”  

“You came to get me.” Virgil could argue that grounded meant grounded, that Gordon should never’ve gone after him in such dangerous conditions, that he’s the big brother and Gordon’s the little one and he should keep himself safe when he’s told to do so. But there’s a challenge in his little brother’s warm honey eyes already, and he remembers faintly words spoken in worry and fear, assurances that tighten in a coil around his heart.

“I did. There wasn’t anyone else.”  

He owes Gordon everything.

Virgil hums, “Thank you.”

Between the pain medication and water soothing the grittiness in his throat, he feels more aware by the minute and ready to try sitting up for a time. Gordon helps him settle a few pillows into position and raises the head of the infirmary bed to the appropriate level. He’s got to let Scott know he’s awake - and Grandma -  Gordon tells him. Before either of them decide to have scolded Squid for dinner. 

Virgil doesn’t have the energy to chuckle, but it does as he knows Gordon intended: leave him with a smile for the few moments Gordon needs to step away to communicate Virgil’s situation. 

His heart is music, his soul is color. Where sound is oversaturated with the wisps and hums of machinery tracking his vitals, his heartbeat in rhythm, color becomes his touchstone. Outside the window will be the cerulean of the sky and sea. Green, which he thinks in its most basic form because it’s every combination of the hue throughout the robust plant-life of their Island. Dandelion yellow - the sun and safety and Gordon’s baldric. 

Past the shut blinds, it’s all just a sliver. More prominently, there’s just white and infirmary clean grey.  He has to blink away the dullness, as he tears his gaze away from the window and finally musters the strength to glance at himself and especially at his lower half past the pain where Gordon promised his lack of feeling, muted through painkillers, was temporary. 

Color, so much of it that it’s blinding, greets him with the neon of signage amidst the Las Vegas cityscape and the celebration of the New York Pride parade they attend each year. The blanket draped across his lap is authentic Gordon through and through, in familiar squares assembled in a chaos true to their variety. No rhyme, no reason. 

So much care. 

“Grandma will be in shortly.” Gordon plops into the chair at his side, wiggling in the armchair to reacquire the work he’d placed on the seat cushion. He catches him looking, wide-eyed. “It’s not your project, promise. Though I did bring it in for you to work on when you’re feeling better. It’s over by the holoscreen whenever you want me to bring it over. You’ll be here for a bit healing, so I figured…” He shrugs, trailing off. 

“Gordon?” He slides his fingers between the stitches and curls them gratefully into soft, comforting colors. “What are you doing?” 

“I’m - uh -” Gordon flushes in dim light. “I’m weaving in my ends finally,” he admits, holding up the darning needle. “Sorry if you had another idea for the squares, but once I finished putting yours together, I realized we had enough still to donate some more blankets and those really should be finished.” Gordon weaves a red tail end back and forth between the strands the way Virgil taught him, and the way their mom taught Virgil. “I really did go a little overboard on granny squares didn’t I? I just figured it would be okay for me to help you along. So you could finish what you were working on. Was that ok?”

“More than.” 

It also tells him a significant amount about how serious his injuries were and how long he might have been out of commission, if Gordon’s found the time to finish as much as he has. The concern for what he’s put his family through spikes his heartbeat again, and his younger brother glances up to check on him, the monitors, back at him.

Virgil gives him a weary smile, tugging the blanket further up his chest. “I’m ok,” he assures him. “Thanks to you.” 

“Don’t do it again,” he admonishes, shaking his head.

Neither of them can promise the other, not in their line of work, and they both know it. 

The words go unspoken, but they are woven delicately in the strands of their gifts to each other. Virgil feels the care against his skin, in colors that chase away greys, and soft cotton that sifts fear and worry out through openwork patterning. And when Grandma finally makes her way in to check in on him, his heart is so full with the chance he’s been given, the support he’s always had by the people he cares for, that the love hits him with a wave of exhaustion. 

Into sleep he falls, deeply into dreamless rest by the time Grandma finishes her checks and  Gordon tucks him in with a thankful salute to the stars above.

The End