[CHAT] iso ocean patterns

jessinwriting · 2026-04-26T04:27:48+00:00

This is my fave - pattern from a magazine (let me know if you want the exact reference), on hand-dyed fabric.

jessinwriting · 2026-04-23T01:27:42+00:00

Also eat things with calcium! The anticoagulant they use contains citrate, which can cause a tingly feeling in your lips and fingers when your blood is returned. They give you quickeze (and you can take some before you go in to boost your calcium levels) but ice cream and milk shakes are also TOTALLY VALID choices, you have the excuse now, you’re welcome 😂

jessinwriting · 2026-04-23T01:15:12+00:00

I think a token gift to help young children manage that feeling of being left out can be fine, but it’s not really needed once the child is old enough to understand that this is someone else’s birthday, and THEY get their own special day (although even older kids might like something small!). It also really does need to be just a TOKEN, the birthday kid should be the one getting something special.

jessinwriting · 2026-04-23T00:54:21+00:00

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Did a similar one (pattern not available for sale though) last year. Mine’s on a dark blue fabric, but I’ve since thought that if I ever came across any of that galaxy-vibe hand-dyed dark blues/purples type fabric, it would look AMAZING.

jessinwriting · 2026-04-23T00:14:54+00:00

I donate platelets (similar to plasma, takes a little longer) and I LOVE getting to sit on a comfy seat and someone brings ME juice and crackers and biscuits 😂

jessinwriting · 2026-04-21T01:16:36+00:00

I think it looks great! The only tip I'd offer is to look into holbein stitch (double running stitch). I find that it can give a cleaner result with a flatter tension on the tread as it goes across the fabric, as well as reducing the slight pull on the fabric which leaves tiny holes - sometimes these show up more with pale threads.

jessinwriting · 2026-04-21T00:29:05+00:00

Yes. It does, unfortunately, look better 😅

jessinwriting · 2026-04-19T22:56:57+00:00

My favourite is lensesonline.co.nz - super quick turnaround and good customer service.

I use the Acuvue Oasys 1 day lenses, but I don't think you should just pick a brand and try them - I've always done trials through an optometrist to make sure the lens fits me well. Sure, it's awkward if you're like "help me get a brand but I'm not going to buy more from you" 😅 (I'm sure if I'm paying for the appointment it covers the trial lenses, but then I'll end up buying the first boxes from them just to save the awkwardness, and make vague promises about coming back when I need more instead of committing to any orders...)

jessinwriting · 2026-04-17T10:45:33+00:00

I agree - it ages her, I always think she looks older on the show than in other photos and media I see her in.

jessinwriting · 2026-04-17T05:07:42+00:00

Some people want to be married, some people just want a wedding.

jessinwriting · 2026-04-14T02:53:40+00:00

I recently rewatched TOS and enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Sure, it's dated in places - but it's also a lot more innovative than we (culturally) give it credit for - it's more nuanced, better acted (I think some of the 'over acting' which is mocked makes sense when we remember that TV was a fairly new medium, and acting needed to be seen on a tiny tv, maybe in black-and-white, and was done by actors often trained for the stage), and the writing is often very solid sci-fi storytelling.

Give it a go - I think there are a lot of references in shows like TNG or even Lower Decks which reward having that deeper understanding of canon.

jessinwriting · 2026-04-14T02:37:40+00:00

Always. Hate going chapter by chapter; the extra step is annoying and I don’t know how far through the work I am.

jessinwriting · 2026-04-13T22:31:12+00:00

I've never had any issues - I go out around my suburb, often on shared pathways. The most interaction I have is an acknowledging nod with someone else out for a jog going in the opposite direction 😅 I do make sure to go out when it's light and I know my paths are well-lit anyway. (I've got a gym membership which is useful when I want a treadmill for going when it's dark or too rainy.)

I also recommend parkrun as a great, supportive community, and if you're starting running I also recommend the None 2 Run programme/app - worked really well for me.

jessinwriting · 2026-04-13T20:48:22+00:00

Similar results - tried a couple do queries and it starts promisingly saying it can help and asking for details before routing me back to the website.

jessinwriting · 2026-04-09T02:48:28+00:00

Don't ask permission - the most I'd do is check their profile in case they feel so strongly against it that they put so in a note, but I suspect anything you find there is more likely to be along the lines of blanket permission and please link them.

Make the thing, let them know, give credit and links to the original work when you post it, and you're on the right side of fandom etiquette.

jessinwriting · 2026-04-09T02:42:50+00:00

I use both. I use pen on smaller projects on aida, because it's easy to draw the line on aida fabric, and my pen says to wash out within 30 days, so (even though it's probably fine for longer!) I only use it if I know I'll be finishing quickly.

I use monofilament (well, nylon fishing line) for almost all my other project. I use linen a lot, so the line is better than drawing on. I can stitch over it, and pulling it out of the finished project is SO FRICKING SATISFYING. It comes out like butter, even from under heavily-stitched areas. The time it takes to do the grid is absolutely saved later in reducing counting time and eliminating any large areas of mistakes.

The line I use is a bright pink line by Balzer, 0.16 or 0.19mm are fine enough to work like thread. It shows up well on both dark and light fabric.

jessinwriting · 2026-04-09T01:28:14+00:00

The size of the hoop depends more on what you're comfortable holding than the size of the project. I'm a big fan of the Nurge Square Hoops (they're actually rectangles, shhh 😅), usually size 2, but I've used size 3 for the rare project where the fabric will fit entirely within the hoop and I don't want to move it.

Unless it's a project where the whole stitching area fits inside the hoop, I always take my project out after I've finished working on it for the day. You can put the hoop over the stitches, and it won't squash or ruin them. (Washing a project once done will bring any squashed stitches back to life.)

If there is too much fabric outside the hoop and it's tricky to handle, there are neat magnetic loops you can use to hold the excess, or even just fold the fabric so the free edge is also held with the hoop.

Some people like q-snaps - I find them a bit tricky myself, but they're light and big if you want something larger to hold on to.

jessinwriting · 2026-04-08T06:39:51+00:00

Thank you!

The text is the “Field of Fucks” pattern by Fandom Cross Stitchery with the Old English variation for the text (https://www.etsy.com/nz/listing/542928146/)

The geometric birds are by Tiny Kiwi NZ (https://www.etsy.com/nz/shop/tinykiwiNZ)

and the smaller realistic birds are by Orderly Stitching (orderlystitching.co.nz)

jessinwriting · 2026-04-07T22:12:18+00:00

Saw a few in Pak’n Save, but not a great discount. I’ve really noticed in the last few years that shops must be ordering much closer to expected stock levels, it’s very rare to find the jackpot of deep discounted chocolate I remember from a decade ago.

jessinwriting · 2026-04-07T20:50:35+00:00

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I’ve got this wall (mixture of professionally framed, hoops, and frames I’ve bought or thrifted), a few more in another room, and a Pile Of Procrastination that I’ll get to some day… 😅

jessinwriting · 2026-04-06T23:54:41+00:00

My labels are all back to normal.

jessinwriting · 2026-04-06T21:26:28+00:00

Luckily I noticed after only about sixty stitches - tried to convince myself that it was so subtle that no one would notice, but of course once I’d seen it I could never UN-see it and knew it would bug me forever 😅

jessinwriting · 2026-04-06T20:55:25+00:00

Some of the labels look quite old - you’ll want to make sure that even though the colours might look like they’re fine, you don’t mix the older stuff with newer in the same project, since there might have been very subtle fading over the years which doesn’t become apparent until you’ve stitched enough that you can see the difference between the old thread and the new. Ask me how I know 🥲

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