handstooshakytohold

[handstooshakytohold]

Actually I'll never forgive Punk Rave and Killstar and fast fashion brands for tricking people into thinking that being goth or punk or emo is expensive. Babygirl the only goth brand names you need to know are Rit, Good Will, Etsy, and Studs and Spikes, we used to shove safety pins through our ears and then they started selling earrings that look like safety pins for 15.99. We used to dye thrifted wedding dresses black and they started selling gothic gowns for 300 bucks. We used to put studs on boots we found in the back of the good will and they started making Demonias. DIY or die wasn't perfect it can be exclusionary to disabled people but whatever the fuck we've got going on right now is so much worse. It's not any more inclusive to the disabled and it is exclusionary to the people who made punk, to the people who made goth, to the people who made emo. If you've got the funds and you don't want to do diy pay someone else to do it for you but please let it be a small artist or a friend not some guy in a suit who's made it his business to gentrify punk. You can turn flats into platforms with flipflops, hotglue and gumption don't let anyone tell you different.

[handstooshakytohold]

Been meaning to make this for a while and finally found round to doing examples when the the power was out last week so here we go.

(Currently all text and a couple photos at the end but if someone wants a video just let me know)

Basics of hand sewing!

First things first: what to use when learning.

When starting out you're gonna want things easy to use so no fabrics that are too tough, stretchy or liable to fraying, basically cotton or denim from old clothes or sheets should be great.

Thread wise will depend a little on your dexterity, if you're going to struggle with smaller thread try something thicker possibly embriodery thread, there are also things that will help you to thread your needle but I haven't used them so I don't have much advice there.

Otherwise just give your thread a little tug to make sure it won't snap under the slightest pressure and you should be good.

Unless you're going straight onto you're project and want to hide the stitching I'd recommend using a different colour to the fabric so that it's easier to see where you've sewn.

Needle wise again if you don't have the dexterity and don't mind bigger holes embroidery needles are slightly bigger and have bigger holes so they may be a little easier.

For non embriodery needles there's some that are a little thinner than others I don't like them much but if they're all you can find they work (I've got poundland ones before and they tend to be the thickness I like.

Threading the needle and securing the thread:

Again there are devices to help you thread needles but can't provide much more on that.

The other two ways I tend to thread needles is by

1) Bend the thread in and the point made tends to go through the hole a bit easier.

2) Dampen your thumb and next finger and twist the end so that the fibers stick tother instead of fraying as it goes through the hole.

Now when securing the thread there's three options I know of.

1) Starting with the easiest: once your needle is threaded double over the thread (make sure you've got double the length you need) and tie the ends together, this method means your needle won't become unthreaded and may be a little more secure however does require more thread.

2) This is what I tend to use, have a bit of thread one side of the hole so it hopefully doesn't come undone and knot one end. This means you're using less thread than method 1 but the needle may unthread.

3) Make sure you keep the end of your thread from going through the hole while you do a couple stitches and it should secure itself.

Pictures below show method 1 on the top left, 2 bottom left and 3 on the right.

I dont want this to get too long so I'll make another post soon with different stitches, feel free to ask any questions.

[handstooshakytohold]

me, putting a patch on a jacket i have to practice: ok so ill use the zig zag stitch pattern so it'll never fall off! genius!

me, later, with a stitch ripper in hand bc I want that patch on a different jacket now: i am the bane of my own existence 🙃

[handstooshakytohold]

Remember to avoid fast fashion! Wear the clothes you like, style them in different ways, and make your own fashion choices! We don't need websites and companies like Shein that profit off of the abuse of workers. Thrift and shop locally if you need. Learning how to sew is a rewarding hobby and will allow you to make your own unique accessories as well!

[handstooshakytohold]

this is for the people who went through trauma and didn’t come out of it with thicker skin. but, instead, came back with sensitivity to the world and a deep sadness that won’t go away. some of us went through something and lost a piece of ourselves; our broken hearts never healed quite right afterwards. i see you and i feel you and i am you. it’s going to be okay.

[handstooshakytohold]

apparently this is not common knowledge among punk diy sewists but if you’re sewing patches / doing any sewing that requires pushing a needle through multiple layers of fabric, use a needle grip. they’re little rubber things that have excellent grip on the metal needle so you don’t have to pinch the needle as hard. you will save your fingers soooo much unnecessary pain.

there’s two main types. the basic type is just a little circle of rubber that you fold around your needle, and the fancier type is a little rubber cap for your fingertips. they’re very cheap, under five bucks for the fancier kind and less for the basic, and they last forever. you can buy nice ones from your local craft store or steal them from the quilting section walmart idc. if you’re in a pinch (pun intended) and can’t go out, if you have a non-slip mat under a rug, cut off a little corner and that will work decently. please treat your fingers kindly <3

[handstooshakytohold]

The LGBTQ community deserves our respect. Leave them the fuck alone.

[handstooshakytohold]

Spikey bag diy using screw on spikes on the shoulder strap of a black bag

[handstooshakytohold]

WASH YOUR DIY CLOTHES 

PLEASE PEOPLE! THEY GET NASTY! 

I washed some shorts that I diy’ed today, here’s how I did it.

Put them with some laundry detergent and cold water. You don’t need a buncha detergent, just a lil, and the water can be warm if you want, but cold or cool is best. I don’t have a bathtub so I used a storage bin. Swish them around with ur hands for a little while.

2. Then u gotta rinse them out, use as little water as possible cuz saving the planet, but also don’t leave soap in them.

3. Usually gotta rinse them twice

Usually gotta rinse them twice

Let ‘em air dry. Sometimes I put hang them up and blow a fan on them.

And there ya go, clean diy punk clothes!

[handstooshakytohold]

Started decorating a hat I got over the weekend, I still got plenty of ideas about what I want to do with it but here it is so far

[handstooshakytohold]

I hear people talk about how punk clothing is expensive, how you don’t have enough money to buy docs so obv you aren’t a real punk, how you can’t buy pins anywhere, how punk jewelry is sooo expensive BULLSHIT

The backbone of punk is diy. Punk is messy, punk is making the best of what you have. Nothing is more punk than making your own beauty with the shit you find scattered about

Wanna have docs? Buy some knock offs for 20 bucks and add some spikes no one will care

Want patches? Embroider on some old fabric. Use paint, bleach, markers, whatever you have. If that’s not good enough, buy from small businesses when you can

Want pins? Make em. Use safety pins and a bottle cap and you got a pin. Just paint something on, if you don’t have paint, I’ve used white out and pens just do whatever. Also fr just um borrow from any big shitty chain store, not from small businesses tho

Want jewelry? Pliers are your best friend. Fix broken jewelry with em, use chains u found to make something. I’ve used a hanging plant wire to make a barbed wire bracelet with nothing but pliers. Just fuck around. Buy from small businesses and again, big shitty chains are fair game

Want spikes and cool metal shit? Literally just take any metal like literally anything and stick it to your clothes. Safety pins, can tabs (esp monster ones bc fun colors) lighter caps, make spikes out of cans, take chains outta the recycle bin

Punk is the most accessible subculture. Punk was made by people with no money, and anyone who tells you you need fancy shit to be punk ain’t a real punk. Punk is about fucking around with the idea of what you should be, so just have fun! There are literally no rules!

[handstooshakytohold]

“We Can Grow A Better World” backpatch, linocut on canvas, 13” x 9.5”, December 2022.

[handstooshakytohold]

sex should be accessible and abundant for those who want it. disabled people are sexy and deserve to feel good too!! whether it's solo or partnered or something in between, we deserve orgasms just like everyone else does

[handstooshakytohold]

rip and tear and maim etc. etc.

[handstooshakytohold]

A legit way to fight the climate crisis from where you're sitting right now

As promised, in honor of Earth Day, I've written some suggestions for how you can write a letter to the editor for your local paper, and reach some people who otherwise might get a more...shall we say restricted view of climate news. Letters to the Editor remain a surprisingly important political vehicle. People see letters to the editor and they feel like they're hearing from their neighbors- real people with authentic, down-to-earth agendas. They're the second most read part of the paper, after the front page. Take that stage!

Step 1- Pick an article in your local paper to respond to. Today is Earth day, and lots of papers will have at least something about climate crisis or environmental protection on it's pages. Local papers are better, because, as you can imagine, papers like The New Yorker get a lot more submissions to compete against, and anyways they don't have the same sense of local opinion.

Don't fret if your local paper leans conservative! That means it has readers we REALLY need to reach! And they may be more open to reading about these issues in a paper than online, which particularly a lot of older, don't feel like "the real world".

Step 2- Figure out what you're going to say! Maybe there's a glaring error in the article you want to address. BUT, if you're not sure, you can look up your local organization that's fighting for these goals. For example, I could look up and find MN350, because I'm in Minnesota. Going to their social media and their webpage/newsletter archive gives me an inside look at what people who are really immersed in these subjects have to say about what's going on.

So, for example, I see that my local group applauds Minneapolis's efforts at going to all clean energy, and has a timeline, but that people on the inside are saying that without a dedicated funding stream, people implementing these changes will have to either hope federal funding stays stable or fight for funding in the city council every year. Ok, now when there's an article about Minneapolis's plans, I have something to say.

Step 3- Draft it up.

The goal here is to be short and to the point.

Opening line: Identify which article you're responding to, and maybe your feeling about it.

First paragraph: What is the specific issue? What is a relevant fact and why does it  warrant public concern?

Second paragraph: What would you say that we do in response, or what would you ask your neighbors to do?  Why?

Third paragraph: What is currently being done to address the issue and how could people who have been persuaded act?

This should be no more than 150 to 250 words TOTAL.

While you're wording it, some things to keep in mind- stats and facts are good, but don't use a lot of acronyms or jargon. Expect your readers to be coming at this with about an 8th grade education.

If you have a sense of what the people you're talking to find persuasive, lean into that. For example, for my letter to the editor, I emphasized that chaotic funding leads to lack of ability to plan ahead or bulk-buy. I know the people I'm talking to like things to be common-sense and detest governmental waste, so that's an easy one.

If you want extra help, I have a list of best practices for communicating about the climate crisis right here.

Step 4- Proofread, then submit it via whatever process your local paper has. The goal, if you can manage is, is to submit something within 48 hours of the original article's publication. That's the sweet spot for most papers.

BONUS ROUND!

You did that, and still have a little energy for the environment left? There's one more thing you can do to super-charge your effort!

Guess what, you can stack the deck in favor of your specific letter being published.

But it will involve using a phone.

That's right, if you REALLY wanna turbo boost this thing, you're gonna call the paper (or have your non-phone-adverse-friend or family member pretend to be you and call the paper).

Call as soon as possible after the editor would have received the material.

Use pleasant persistence to speak with the right person. Don’t stop at a receptionist or secretary. Create enough POLITE urgency about your letter that you get through to the specific reporter or editor who will decide whether or not to print your piece.

Provide the editor with specific local info and urgency. Focus your conversation on why this issue is relevant to their readers.

Get specific feedback and/or a specific commitment from the reporter. If they don’t want to print the letter, find out why and what adjustments you can make to get it printed.

If they agree to print it, find out when you can expect to see it in the paper. The you can tell other people. Even if memaw isn't a big climate activist, she might show your letter to everybody she knows if she knows you wrote it.

And that's the process! I know that's a lot of information to throw at you, but ultimately, it can be pretty quick to crank these things out. And, again, these have been proven to be powerful persuaders. We need as many people as we can to be in this fight, so go and get them!

And always remember, you're not just combating ignorance, you're combating hopelessness, helplessness, and burnout! You can inspire people to think about what's possible.

PS if any of you actually do this, please let me know. It'd make me so happy.

@onbearfeet @basil-gardens @punkypine @rederiswrites @veritatemquarens @radioraja

[handstooshakytohold]

[handstooshakytohold]

Something that I think should be an important part of solarpunk aesthetics is screws.

Look at your smartphone. No screws. You've got to have specialized tools to get inside your phone to repair something. There are certain pieces of tech that are glued in place and glue can't be undone without permanently breaking the bond.

But screws!

You can take apart a broken old radio, repair what's broken, and, if you were careful in taking it apart, you can put it back together and have a fully functioning radio and all you need is a common screwdriver!

It's hard to build screws and other mechanical fasteners because it requires more planning than clamps and glues, but isn't that what solarpunk is all about‽ It's about care and sustainability and and a radio or a computer built carefully with repair in mind is a sustainable computer that stays out of landfills and in use.