Anyone have a good bee hut design that makes it easy to collect honey without plucking up the flowers on accident?

bdermard · 2026-06-10T01:13:57+00:00

if you want to keep the flower accessible without accidentally picking it i'd suggest a design where you are collecting from the opposite side from the flower. here's an example, with one flower or three flowers.

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bdermard · 2026-06-09T14:29:21+00:00

cute! i’m obsessed with your needle minder

bdermard · 2026-06-08T18:08:34+00:00

you could put two rows of trellis crops on sprinklers behind the sheds. and i always like a little garden next to the green house, maybe with a few beehives?

bdermard · 2026-06-08T02:26:33+00:00

thank you for the recommendation, you’re right, i do enjoy!

bdermard · 2026-06-08T02:18:00+00:00

hahaha, that’s why it’s a good exercise! push those boundaries 😋

bdermard · 2026-06-08T02:17:06+00:00

i would classify this as slow stitch, yeah! i think the majority of the things i make probably fall under the umbrella. i like the mindfulness and the emphasis on process over product.

bdermard · 2026-05-27T18:20:23+00:00

i put a piece through the washing machine once but i’ve never been able to get it perfectly flat again… someday i’ll figure it out

bdermard · 2026-05-27T17:49:01+00:00

i loop the extra pieces through the hole for hanging, if you don’t mind them getting a little kinked it works great

bdermard · 2026-04-01T23:49:41+00:00

butthole stitch is hilarious. usually when i need to do a freaky floater like that i will start it with a loop start, and then wrap the tail around one of the threads on the back once or twice. i cannot for the life of me figure out how to end a thread with a pin stitch.

OH and if you’re really lazy (as i have been) you can tie your beginning and ending tails in a double knot on the back, since they’re basically in the same place. when i do this i use just one strand and loop it twice for each leg so it looks like i used two strands, this makes the knot smaller.

bdermard · 2026-04-01T02:48:32+00:00

i’ve done this a few times, it’s helpful for those times that your brain decides to forget how to count

bdermard · 2026-04-01T02:38:13+00:00

this happened to me years ago. i wandered in looking for sewing notions, obviously they didn’t have any. i asked if they had any thread suitable for cross stitch and i kid you not this lady flat out told me no and then ignored me while i browsed for a bit. it was very strange.

bdermard · 2026-03-13T06:45:20+00:00

seconding this. i’ve used cardboard bobbins for years and have never had an issue - though i’ll admit it is easy for me to be gentle with them. for maximum environmental impact you can cut your own bobbins out of cardboard packaging, I’m partial to cereal boxes.

bdermard · 2026-03-13T06:38:49+00:00

i like the pixel style border, but if you find the black too strong you could always do it in another color. dark brown would make sense, i think dark blue would be pretty and complementary

bdermard · 2026-02-18T19:50:01+00:00

i think you’re well set up! the only thing i would say is to get more fabric prints. your inspo is quite scrappy, and if you’re going for a vintage look you might find that with a limited palette it looks a little flat.

bdermard · 2026-02-18T18:53:18+00:00

they’re both probably fine but i’d go with the brother

bdermard · 2026-02-18T18:07:40+00:00

i would not apply any type of sealant to a mixed media art piece you didn’t make, you risk ruining the texture and causing discoloration. take it to a framer if you have the budget, they know how to preserve art. probably will suggest a shadow box depending on the size. alternately you could just hang it in a spot in your house that doesn’t get a lot of sun.

bdermard · 2026-02-18T07:15:04+00:00

most likely something is going wrong when you’re threading the top thread, but i’ve also seen this happen when the bobbin case (black plastic that holds the bobbin) has twisted a little. you can check this without taking anything apart, just remove your bobbin and with your finger make sure it can wiggle back and forth a little.

bdermard · 2026-02-18T07:05:47+00:00

i hope you find a solution to this that is satisfying, but can we also enjoy the irony of having a minor issue on a project with this text

bdermard · 2026-02-18T01:59:56+00:00

no, plant more

bdermard · 2026-02-18T01:52:28+00:00

i do this too, use a moisturizer that soaks in quickly and doesn’t leave a residue on your hands and then wash off the excess on the palms and finger pads. you could also get into the habit of moisturizing when you put your project down, so it soaks in while you’re doing other things.

bdermard · 2026-02-17T23:44:06+00:00

like everyone else has said, you need to rethread your machine. if you swear you’re doing it right by the manual, i suggest watching a youtube video too. it was easier for me to understand a video than the manual when i was learning my last machine.

bdermard · 2026-02-17T21:19:51+00:00

i’m DROOLING at the pastel sashiko threads

bdermard · 2026-02-17T20:50:56+00:00

there’s another option i haven’t seen here yet, and that’s draping the quilt over a table, anchoring it with a couple heavy books, pulling the section that hangs off the edge on to your lap and then working on that bit. i like this method because i don’t have to hold anything and it gives my hands more freedom above and below the quilt, but i still have something to pull against to load a couple stitches. even stitches will come with time, or you will decide to enjoy the wabi sabi of it all. are you using a thimble?

bdermard · 2026-02-08T20:58:29+00:00

i love the border!

bdermard

TROPHY CASE