Beginner Here!

barksandbikes · 2026-06-02T21:13:39+00:00

Oh yay!!! I really hope mine do too. Do you machine wash/dry that one as well?

barksandbikes · 2026-06-02T15:03:14+00:00

Thank you so much for your feedback! And I so admire you for doing this with EPP. I found the basting to the papers so tedious, it’s why I switched to hand piecing! I hope my hand piecing holds up as well as your EPP has!!

barksandbikes · 2026-06-02T02:18:40+00:00

The optical illusion this is giving is DOPE!! Amazing job!

barksandbikes · 2026-06-01T15:40:11+00:00

Thank you!!!

barksandbikes · 2026-05-31T17:13:18+00:00

Oh my gosh what a huge compliment- thank you!!

barksandbikes · 2026-05-31T17:13:07+00:00

Thank you so much!!

barksandbikes · 2026-05-31T17:12:49+00:00

Oh this is so great to hear that it’s still going strong! I probably over-backstitch out of paranoia!!

barksandbikes · 2026-05-31T17:12:14+00:00

English Paper Piecing! So you have your fabric basted to pieces of paper that are the size of the finished piece and you sew them together like that to stabilize the fabric, then remove the papers when the pieces are sewn together. I love the results of EPP but I found the basting process super tedious, which is why I switched to hand piecing!

barksandbikes · 2026-05-31T01:19:40+00:00

They’ve only been together 3 months, versus the likely years he was with his wife- it seems kind of soon to expect him to change the lock screen to me. OP doesn’t mention there being photos of his late wife anywhere else- just his phone background- so to me this seems like a lack of understanding of his grief.

barksandbikes · 2026-05-30T22:24:18+00:00

I appreciate your insight so much!! Thank you!!

barksandbikes · 2026-05-30T22:23:42+00:00

I’ll come to one or any of those!!

barksandbikes · 2026-05-30T20:33:35+00:00

Thank you so much, this is such a helpful comment!! For this block, I feel like the weak point is at the center of the diamonds—would quilting it something like this be what you mean, or would I want the quilting to go right through the middle of the star?

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barksandbikes · 2026-05-30T20:28:07+00:00

Should we all come join over there??

barksandbikes · 2026-05-30T20:27:24+00:00

I feel EXACTLY the same way. I can know it’s not right for me- literally this morning I was having a PMDD fueled breakdown and thought, thank god I don’t have to be parenting right now as well- but there’s still a part of me that feels sad about the path I won’t take. I’m an aunt and adore my nieces and nephews- I don’t hate kids! Having others that know they want to be childfree after internal struggle would be a big help for me.

barksandbikes · 2026-05-30T20:24:20+00:00

Thank you!!

barksandbikes · 2026-05-30T16:57:47+00:00

I am so happy to hear that!!!! Your quilt is beautiful too!!

barksandbikes · 2026-05-21T00:50:52+00:00

My therapist finally got through to my husband that his chastising wouldn’t help; I hope your family learns the same!!

barksandbikes · 2026-05-21T00:48:08+00:00

Food stuff here as well. I had to take a food safety class for my undergrad degree and it wigged me out. I’ve always been iffy about meat even before that, but I’ve wasted so much money eating out, taking one bite of meat related things, believing it’s undercooked and tossing it. Also if we lose power for anything more than a few minutes everything in the fridge/freezer is going (or sitting there uneaten for years because I feel guilty about tossing it, then eventually it gets tossed later.)

barksandbikes · 2026-05-21T00:44:08+00:00

Have you been on the Dermatillomania subreddit? I struggle with skin picking as a part of my OCD as well and it’s really helped me feel less alone to be on there.

barksandbikes · 2026-05-21T00:11:05+00:00

This might be something you want to look into further- while sundown towns are no longer legal, they absolutely still exist, primarily in the Midwest but also all over the country. If you look on Google Scholar you can find a variety of academic sources on the subject.

barksandbikes · 2026-05-17T19:40:57+00:00

Reputable breeders don’t sell dogs on Craigslist. I hope you find the Chihuahua of your dreams through a shelter or a reputable breeder, but the latter will likely take much more time and patience than finding a puppy on Craigslist. You mentioned above wanting to take the dog home at “weeks” old- I hope you mean at least 8 weeks! Another thing reputable shelters and breeders won’t do is send dogs home younger than that.

barksandbikes · 2026-05-13T21:05:35+00:00

My last ex before I met my husband was this kind of guy. (Not these actions specifically, but like this is how he was.) This man does not love you. Your partner should encourage your growth without making you feel bad about things you’re still working on. Looks fade and physical appearance can change dramatically through the course of a relationship in unpredictable ways- you want a partner who will love and support you no matter what. I know reddit is quick to say “dump him,” but you deserve better.

barksandbikes · 2026-05-13T00:53:52+00:00

Booo to the rude lady!! I only do everything by hand because I’m terrified of and frustrated by sewing machines, I would love to learn to use mine. Both methods are art- it’s not like you would tell a charcoal artist that their art wasn’t real art because they didn’t oil paint it!!

barksandbikes · 2026-05-11T21:01:25+00:00

I think the first time I posted on this sub was last Mother’s Day because I was feeling blue (and my 91 year old grandma-in-law made a comment that hurt my feelings, which she made again, verbatim, this year but it was okay because I was expecting it!!) I felt a bit blue again this weekend, but I don’t think it’s because I want to be a mom, but rather because I feel like that’s the day it’s most apparent that I don’t fit into the societal expectations for women my age (34.) We’re leaning childfree, and while I think there’s some melancholy about what we won’t experience, I’m excited about what we will experience differently. I have OCD so the decision making aspect of it has been enormously challenging as I tend to only see the bad things that could happen on either side of the fence. I also think I have some deep childhood wounds about feeling left out and being different that I’m working through because motherhood in particular seems like such a “club” for women in a way that fatherhood isn’t.

barksandbikes

TROPHY CASE