#unwise sewing adventures

[dollsahoy]

I'm setting up a shop! It's the same shop host ShiftyThrifting uses, so it allows for both print-on-demand items and physical items. Right now, I have the above available as 3"/76mm kiss-cut stickers, and I'm working on listings for a lot of clothes I made for me but decided I would never wear. I'll get doll clothes up there, too, eventually, and I have a few ideas for more illustrations and word art things.

I'm not sure if I'll ever have an idea that people would want on any other products, like shirts or any of the other print-on-demand items FourthWall offers, but the option is there.

I know it's an odd time to launch this, but I had to roll with it as soon as I could or else I know I'd procrastinate it until everything was ~just right~ (I've actually spent a few days adding clothes, and only just realized I can hide those until they're all ready and start getting the word out on the stickers, which is probably what most people will be interested in anyway)

I will make more posts whenever anything is added, whether it's stuff I made or designs for print on demand things, and the promo images for those shouldn't be as cluttered as this one😅

(I have not received my sample prints yet, but it is the same printer for ShiftyThrifting's stickers, so I trust it)

[queenofsquids]

Hey guys anything good on the telly

oh?

oh!

[taurnachardhin]

re: unwise sewing adventures, please feel free to laugh at me for thinking this fabric would be a good choice for a 9-panel skirt 🤡 (or laugh at me for imposing on myself a commitment to pattern-matching this fabric. I wasn’t going to worry about it at first, but ~I~ hated how it looked when I didn't, so here we are!)

I tried so many times in every possible combination of settings to sew it by machine, but even with a walking foot it would just. Never not get out of alignment by the end of the seam. So here I am, lining up individual goddamn threads and stitching them together by hand like a lunatic. (But I am glad this problem led to me learning English stitch because it makes such tidy, pretty seams on the inside! I'm kind of obsessed now.)

[sirspud]

So, for reasons beyond my own comprehension, I have recently endeavored to recreate the characters of DuckTales (2017) into Pathfinder characters and run them through one of those pre-built adventures. And I mean that quite literally, resolving skill tests with dice rolls, writing up their character sheets, mapping out their positions on a virtual battlemap. I am effectively playing D&D by myself, with characters I don't own, to the cathartic benefit of absolutely bloody nobody, not even myself.

I don't know how to write segways, so I just wrote down the character info for Dewey and Huey below. I'll write Louie and Webby in a separate post.

Also, if you want to read these guys going through an adventure, see this post.

Dewey, the Explorer

Age: 17; Height and Weight: 5' 9", 160 lbs.

Race: Duck; Class and Level: Fighter 1 (0 xp)

Str 15, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 14

Alignment: Chaotic Good; Deity: None.

Dewey is a fighter, specialising in attacking with two weapons at once, for the sole reason of "it looks cool". But this is merely the start of this young duck's career. By the end of it, he would've multiclassed into all kinds of classes. A couple of levels in rogue, a few in bard, and pretty soon this young duck will a smorgasbord of different classes.

It started when Dewey uncovered an old longsword in Uncle Donald's attic. Rather than asking, "what is this weapon doing in a fisherman's attic?", Dewey instead asked, "how can I practice with this without Donald noticing?" So, he snuck out one night to test his might, finding the large, rusted blade to his liking.

Donald does eventually find out, taking the sword and forcing the young boy to promise him up and down not to play with swords ever again. When Dewey inevitably does - multiple times - Donald gives up and decides to teach Dewey the basics himself, deciding that if he's going to insist on playing with swords, he's at least going to learn how to avoid accidentally killing himself.

Class Features: As a fighter, Dewey gains a bonus combat feat at 1st level. Obviously, he chooses Two-Weapon Fighting, so that he can actually fight with two weapons without incurring massive penalties.

Feats and Skills: For his 1st-level feat, Dewey takes the Skill Focus feat to gain a +3 bonus on Acrobatics checks. As a duck (i.e., human), he also gains an additional bonus feat at 1st level. He chooses Weapon Focus to gain a +1 bonus on attacks with his longsword, reflecting his training with Uncle Donald.

Dewey doesn't have many skills, gaining a mere 2 skill ranks from his class and 1 extra rank from his race. He puts them into Acrobatics, Climb and Swim, giving him the following skills:

Acrobatics +6, Climb +6, Swim +6.

Equipment: Dewey's main equipment includes his longsword and shortsword combo, which he uses to... well, not a horrible effect. He has a suit of scale mail, giving him an AC of 17, as well as a sling and ten sling bullets. He has a backpack containing a bedroll, a days' worth of rations and 50 feet of light, but strong silk rope. He also has a kit full of climber's gear - a notably expensive investment that left him with a measly 2 silver coins to his name.

Huey, the Analyst

Age: 17; Height and Weight: 5' 10", 180 lbs.

Race: Duck; Class and Level: Cleric of Athena 1 (0 xp)

Str 12, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 10

Alignment: Lawful Good; Deity: Athena.

Now, I know what you're thinking. "What? Huey can't be a cleric! He's a Junior Woodchuck! If that's not druid material, I don't know what is!" And yeah, if I was using D&D 5th edition rules, that would be case. However, in Pathfinder, druids have to be Neutral, either along the Good/Evil axis or Law/Chaos axis. And Huey is a Lawful Good character if I've ever seen one. So, he's a cleric.

Not to say that Huey didn't try to become a druid. He met with an elder druid early in life and tried to learn the ways of the Old Faith. And though a few routine trials proved that he wasn't cut out for a druid's life, the old man was perceptive enough to notice a talent for divine magic in him regardless, and directed him towards the Cult of Athena - goddess of wisdom, tactics and community.

Now, Huey has become an adept cleric, wielding divine power and a mean-looking mace with caution and discretion. He wouldn't call himself a "true" follower of Athena, though. There are aspects of the faith that he doesn't quite agree with - namely all that nasty business with war. Thankfully, this is something that actually puts him in Athena's good books - only the horrifically unwise rally behind a cause they don't fully understand.

Class Features: As a cleric, Huey can channel positive energy 3 times per day to either heal his friends or harm undead monstrosities. Choosing the domains of Community and Knowledge, he also gains the ability to heal creatures of fatigue and worry, and to glean tactical insight into a monster's weaknesses with but a touch. He can prepare and cast divine spells, choosing from any spell on the cleric's spell list. His favourite spells include the following:

0-level spells (3 slots) - detect magic, guidance, light, read magic, resistance, stabilise.

1st-level spells (2 slots, plus 1 domain slot) - bless (D), comprehend languages (D), cure light wounds, detect evil, divine favour, protection from evil, sanctuary.

Feats and Skills: Huey's 1st-level feat is Extra Channel, allowing him to channel positive energy an additional 2 times per day. His ancestry also gives him a bonus feat in the form of Self-Sufficient, which grants him a +2 bonus on Heal and Survival checks to reflect his initial training with the druids.

As a cleric, Huey has 2 skill ranks, plus an extra 2 ranks from high Intelligence, and 1 extra rank from his race. He puts 1 rank each into Heal and Survival. He puts a rank into Spellcraft, to help him identify spells and magic items, and a rank into History, having learned much in his training under Athena. He puts his final skill rank into Craft (cloth), having been taught how to sew by Donald, and his final skills look like this:

Craft (cloth) +6, Heal +9, Knowledge (history) +6, Spellcraft +6, Survival +6.

Equipment: For his defensive gear, Huey purchases a suit of studded leather armour and a light wooden shield, providing a decent AC of 14 without hampering movement too much. He has a shortspear, favoured weapon of Athena, and a heavy mace, favoured weapon of most clerics. In his backpack, there's a bedroll, a days' worth of rations, a torch, and two flasks of holy water. He has 45 gold, 3 silver, and 9 copper coins.

[chrysalispen]

borealis #4 - nose

AO3 LINK HERE

there’s an extended scene i’m still working on for this, but there was a lot of stuff going on offline today (including internet blips) that ultimately caused me to leave off with the SFW version so i hope no one is too disappointed. XD

Prompt response is below the cut, as ever.

======

Perhaps the most self-evident observation that could be made of the small house nestled in its small copse in the Shroud upon first entry was that its adventuring inhabitant -- or inhabitants -- were either avid readers or wished any potential guests they might have to believe that was the case. The sitting-room with its tall shelves of books was immediately visible from the front entry, and one might be forgiven for assuming there was no possible way every tome on its shelves had been read.

In point of fact, the Warrior of Light was an avid reader when the subject fascinated her. However, this particular book was not the sort that normally caught her eye. She had only attempted to peruse its contents once, and that was yesterday when she had decided to outline today’s plan of attack. Last year, Nero had treated her to dinner - among other things - and she had completely forgotten the occasion. 

Well, she was not going to be caught unawares by the holiday this year. Today was Valentione’s Day and by some miracle, confluence of the fates, or what-have-you, she had managed to capture a small handful of days to herself in order to prepare. The flower arrangements were simplicity itself; those were already set on the table along with the gift she’d commissioned, wrapped neatly in its box- part of his gift, anyroad- and now all she had to do was see to the dinner. 

And the chocolates. 

...Aurelia wasn’t nearly as sure about the chocolates. 

Making them herself had seemed like a wonderful idea at the time, but she was starting to regret it. Warrior of Light or not, she really wasn’t what one would call the most accomplished culinarian, unlike Nero, who seemed to take the same meticulous approach to cooking as he did to his research and his engineering. He had grown up in a poor farming village, had learned how to make food alongside the grandmother who had raised him in order to help feed his family. 

Whereas Aurelia had- well. As the daughter of a wealthy landed gentleman - even if he was a younger son - her upbringing had been very different. Her lady-lessons had not included such things; the husband her family selected for her would have hired a cook and a housekeeper in the interest of keeping up appearances. And as a child, she had wanted to climb trees and grow flowers and be a scholar, the seven hells take sweating over a stove or bending over a distaff until her fingers ached.

Too late for regrets now, she supposed. 

Aurelia squinted doubtfully at the illustrated page, then back to the bubbling mess in the pot. It all felt rather simple, she thought. She’d never made truffles before, true, but only four ingredients? Surely she could do better than that. Chocolates with no embellishments seemed so-

“Well,” she muttered, “perhaps it’s fine if it’s a little uninspired.” 

Though on second thought, watching the cocoa melt down in the saucepan: perhaps some brandy wouldn’t hurt? Culinarians put spirits in sweets and other things all the time, and she remembered some treats she’d had in the Crystarium with Lakeland brandywine in them that had been absolutely amazing. 

With that decision made, she turned to make her way down the stairs towards her wine cellar, but the moment she set foot on the stairs, her linkpearl sounded off. Frowning faintly, she tapped the small device alongside the shell of her ear. 

“Yes?”

“Oh, Relia!” Tataru’s voice, perhaps just a touch too bright, chirped across the aetheric link. “So sorry to trouble you! I know you asked for no calls unless it was an emergency.”

“So I did. Is aught amiss?” She glanced over one shoulder as she made her way down the stairs towards the cellar door, too impatient and worried about the state of her cooking chocolate to pay much attention.

“Oh, not at all! This isn’t a work call, I promise. It’s just, er…”

Aurelia knew the sound of Tataru’s ‘I’m about to ask you for a favor’ voice when she heard it. “Go on.” 

“I was going through my measurement book for sewing patterns - for no reason whatsoever! - and realized I was missing one of yours. The, um, the bust.”

Her brows furrowed once more, this time in mild disbelief. 

“...The bust.”

“Yes.”

“Just the bust size is missing. Somehow.” Damn, where had she put that cognac?

“Yes.”

Right. Well, you're clearly up to something, old friend. 

She supposed she could grill Tataru for the details of whatever scheme she’d hatched, but attempting to pick apart the reasoning behind the Lalafell’s choice to call her with an extremely transparent lie would be better done while she was not preoccupied. In the meantime Aurelia didn’t see any harm in giving her a couple of measurements  - she had, after all, entrusted her with them once before. 

With this reasoning in mind, she rattled off the numbers as best she could remember them while squinting at the labeled bottles within the dimly lit rack. After a few moments of rummaging, she found what she was looking for just as Tataru piped, “I’ve got it. Thanks, Relia!”  

“You’re welco-”

The quick chime of a severed connection left her in relative peace and quiet once more. Which was strange in itself, because usually when Tataru was making a social call Aurelia could expect to be on the hook for a good half-bell of her time. 

But it was a question she could ask herself later. Right now she had chocolates to make. 

She trotted happily up the stairs, bottle in one victorious hand… only to see an alarming amount of smoke billowing from the stovetop. 

“Oh swiving Twelve- ” She made haste to the range and switched it off, then snatched one of the mitts from the nearby wall mount to wave back the smoke. Most of the pan’s contents appeared salvageable, thankfully, but it didn’t seem like enough. She wanted to make another batch, but if she didn’t have the extra ingredients-

Wait. I can just melt down some of the chocolate chips I saw in that bag in the dry pantry, can’t I? And just add the brandy in while it’s melting?

Aurelia turned towards the shelves of dry goods, somewhat cheered by the thought that she could spare herself a trip to the markets, at the very least. The bag was at the back of the very top shelf and she had to stretch a considerable bit to reach it, but she managed to pull it down without spilling any of its contents. 

She set aside the saucepan with its half-scorched contents, reached under the counter for a fresh pan, and poured in the chocolate, then paused. She probably didn’t need the cocoa butter if all she was doing was melting pre-made chips-- she’d have to pour in the cream while it was still hot but maybe that was fine, maybe it would even help melt the chocolate faster. Then “a splash of spirits,” whatever that meant. To taste, perhaps?

Hmm. Speaking of taste, which patisserie was it back in the capital that used to put chilies in their truffles...? 

Her good mood returned as she acted upon that stray impulse; she plucked one of the chilies from its bag and started cutting into fine pieces to add to the new mix. Of course, she might be getting a touch ahead of herself, but surely it would turn out alright in the end. These were all flavors she knew would work in chocolates so a little deviation here and there wouldn’t hurt.

The longcase chronometer in the parlor struck four just as she was stirring the pieces into the half-melted lumps. 

Hells. She still had to put the noodles on to cook and she hadn’t even started the sauce yet. If she wanted everything to be ready in order to spring her surprise, she’d have to work fast.

That was all right. She’d worked under far worse conditions before.

With a determined nod, Aurelia tucked a stray tendril of hair back behind her ear, turned up the heat on the cream until it began to bubble, and uncorked the cognac bottle. ~*~

Nero was not sure exactly what he should have expected when he opened the cottage door, but the smell of burnt sugar and the sight of a darkened kitchen was concerning, to say the least. 

He set the box that had been in his hands upon the nearby table (where, he noted, there was a wrapped box and a vase of fresh-cut flowers she had likely arranged herself) and ventured into the parlor. He found Aurelia sitting in one corner of the sofa, curled in a tight ball with her arms wrapped about her legs and her face buried in her knees. “Before you say anything,” she said, her voice muffled, “don’t.”

His brows arched. 

“That bad, is it?”

“You have to ask? You can surely smell it for yourself.”

“I can.” Though he knew it was unwise, he cracked a grin. “...Did you perchance fight an eikon in the kitchen? Is that my surprise?” 

Nero received precisely the answer he had expected for that particular bit of cheek: a sound swat to the face with one of the sofa pillows. He ouched as she drew her hand back and made an exaggerated face at her, but Aurelia didn’t take the bait. Instead she made a breathy, angry little hmph!, the sound muffled against her thighs, and tried to angle herself away from his perusal to face the apple-green brocade which covered the sofa’s frame. 

“Sweetling-”

“Don’t talk to me,” she huffed. “I’m angry.”

“Yes, I can see that.”

“I’ve made a mess of everything.”

“I don’t see how- well yes, alright, I suppose the kitchen is a bit of a disaster. But it’s naught that can’t be salvaged.” He sat down next to her and smelled chocolate and… something alcoholic. “What happened? You look absolutely gutted.” 

Finally she lifted her chin to look at him. Her blue eyes were very dark and very wide and shimmered with suspicious wetness.

"I was going to make dinner for you," she groaned. "I had flowers and a present and I was trying to make-”

“Chocolates.” Aurelia’s face was hard to see in the darkness but he could see her chin bob. “I take it something went awry.”

“A great lot of somethings. And then I was so busy trying to fix what had gone wrong that I burned dinner and-”

“Hush. Come here.” Reluctantly she let him untangle her from her sulk and pull her into his lap, like a tired kitten. “You know I appreciate the gesture, but it wasn't necessary.”

“Yes, it was!"

"How so?"

"I completely forgot last year. You went to all that trouble and I forgot. So I wanted to make it up to you. I thought if I could make it as special as possible-.... never mind.” Aurelia lifted her hands and stared at her chocolate-stained fingers with a disconsolate sigh. “...I’ll clean up the kitchen as soon as I’ve my wits about me.”

“You will do no such thing.” Nero kissed her on the nose, then gave it a tiny tap with his index finger. “You are going to go downstairs and run yourself a bath while I clean the kitchen- once I’ve dialed Mistress Tataru and thanked her for her very timely assistance, that is.”

So that was what that call was about! Seven hells, what had Tataru told him? The look on his face was that of a man hiding an extremely exciting secret, and she didn’t know whether to be apprehensive or curious.

Cautiously, she chose the letter. 

“Dare I ask?”

“You can ask all you like,” he grinned, that smile that was so often in turns endearing and infuriating. “Whether you’ll get an answer before I wish to give it remains to be seen.”

Aurelia sighed but felt her lips curve in a smile, some of her humor returning. “Surely cleaning the house was not on your docket for the evening.”

“Of course it wasn’t- but there's really only been a slight change of plans. Once you've had a chance to clean up, you're going to open that gift, and then I’m going to show you how to make proper chocolate-- and how to put it to far more interesting uses than homemade truffles.” Her cheeks felt ablaze with color, and as she watched a mischievous curl crept slowly into his smile. “One good turn deserves another, after all.” 

“Is this where I say ‘happy Valentione’s Day’ or somesuch?”

His lips brushed her cheek.

“It's a start,” he said. "And if it hasn't been happy thus far, I am quite confident I can make it so."

[newsiepedia]

Relationship Analysis: Jack and Sarah (Film Versions)

Charcter 1: Jack Kelly is the mysterious and charismatic leader of the Manhattan newsies. He longs to leave for the wild west, but is held back by his love for his boys (and his complete lack of money).

Character 2: Sarah Jacobs is Davey’s “movie star pretty” sister. She enjoys sewing and takes a motherly role on for Les, but is also highly political and doesn’t let the Delanceys push her or her family around. 

All About It:

Jack is awkward around Sarah. A far cry from his usual charisma, Jac literally cannot talk to Sarah the first time he sees her. (Newsies Film script, page 31) He becomes more comfortable later on, falling back on his false confidence, (Newsies Film script, pages 74, 75, 76) but still is sweeter to her than he is to most of the other characters.

Jack and Sarah trust each other. Within weeks (at most) of knowing her, Jack brings Sarah to the newsies’ rallies as a guest of honor. (Newsies Film script, page 87) Jack also comes to her rescue when the Delancey brothers use her to threaten her family. (Newsies Film script, page 111)

Sarah thinks Jack is funny. When Jack claims that the sun is literally a different object in Santa Fe, Sarah just laughs and corrects him. In fact, she seems to smile at almost everything he does. (Newsies Film script, pages 74, 75, 76)

Jack finds hope in Sarah. She is the first one to really oppose his ideas of running away to Santa Fe. He rejects the idea at first, (Newsies Film script, page 114) but Sarah’s words convince him to stay with the strike (Newsies Film script, page 116) and eventually stay in New York for good. (Newsies Film script, pages 135, 137)

Will it Ship?

YES! Besides being physically attracted to one another, Jack and Sarah work well as a team, and share interests and values (like socialism) that would keep them united in a common goal. Sarah is also the first person to really get through to Jack, and Jack offers her a sense of adventure that she craves. 

NO! Jack and Sarah barely know each other, so it’s unwise to assume their relationship will be anything more than a teenage fling, and Jack’s attraction to Sarah is foremost physical, something she would doubtless detest. Most importantly, what Jack wants out of Sarah is less a relationship than access to her family. Overall, they would be better as platonic friends.

[queenofsquids]

Let's try an easy sock tshirt for once, new mascot can help!

[dollsahoy]

Also.

Unwise Sewing is not about making mistakes while learning

because making mistakes is a fundamental part of learning

(and I will add: as someone who is very good at sewing, that state of being good does not involve never making mistakes--instead, it involves learning how to deal with mistakes, which can range from gritting your teeth and picking out multiple rows of stitching and re-doing something completely, through oops gotta find a way to hide that damage, to deciding, enh, no-one's going to notice, the mistake isn't worth another thought, move on)

Unwise Sewing is, instead, about knowing better and doing it anyway

[dollsahoy]

so my satin stitch technique has apparently improved (not 'perfected,' just 'improved') so much over the course of making these patches that, when I made more to coordinate with the original on the left that I made early in the project, I realized I should re-make it to match the new ones

These were cut from a flannel(ette) print that I thrifted in the form of a very obviously home-made drawstring bag that looked like it had never been used.

And while this jacket started as a simple test of a new-to-me pattern, the addition of all these DIY cat themed and limited-palette patches has tipped this into an Unwise Sewing Adventure, hasn't it?

[dollsahoy]

Made a fast & Unwise skirt!

[dollsahoy]

A month and a half after I made the shirt, I finally finished the video about making the shirt 😅

[dollsahoy]

I thought it would be fairly straightforward, but there was a super unexpected issue that I had to improvise around after I thought it was finished, so that certifies it as an official Unwise Sewing Adventure

[dollsahoy]

playin' with words

[dollsahoy]

This was going to be a teaser for a project I was working on

but it's actually finished now 😅 (still need to edit the photos and make the sewing blog post before sharing how it looks)

[queenofsquids]

Forgot I dislike this vintage McCalls 6317 because the side seams aren't balanced. The front is a lot bigger than the back.

Sock material was lumpier and strings-ier than I'd like but heeeere we go! Mushroom shirt :3

The socks were at Walmarket for $1 in the front store section.

[dollsahoy]

Here is the latest Unwise Sewing!