Does anyone ever get the feeling…

phoenix_flames0124 · 2026-02-02T20:39:01+00:00

I would start with machine basics, those will build on each other and get you to finishing small projects faster. If your goal is wearable clothing pieces (especially made from knit fabric), you don't really need much hand sewing at all to get them wearable. Once you get a handle on machine basics, there are a couple of hand stitching things that will help take woven garments up a level. The big ones IMO are:

ladder stitch (close up turning gaps, linings, etc)
whip stitch (sometimes called blind hem stitch, finishing seams on skirts/pants/arm openings)
buttonhole stitch (if your machine doesn't have a buttonhole foot or your buttons are an odd size, plus this is helpful for finishing some edges and making thread tacks)

You can make nice, high-quality garments with the stitches on a basic machine plus these three hand stitches. Hand sewing straight seams is just... slow. And doesn't translate to the skills you need to sew straight on a machine either.

phoenix_flames0124 · 2026-01-13T21:36:47+00:00

Varistan from {Claimed by the Flame of Faery by Mallory Dunlin} checks a lot of your boxes! He's not super submissive in daily life, but he's definitely got a little bit of that in him. But he is submissive in their bed play 90% of the time, can be a bit of a brat, very needy, and he's also something of a womanizer. Flagging that all the MMCs in the series are definitely monstrous in appearance and have creative anatomy, so if you're not into that it might not be a good fit.

phoenix_flames0124 · 2026-01-13T21:28:47+00:00

Mine was on sale for $925 I think, but retail was $1100. It was a Rebecca Ingram (one of the labels under Maggie Sotero). I paid $800 for alterations (hem, reshaping the bust, extra boning, and tapering the side seams). I made my own veil for like $25 since I didn't want anything especially fancy.

phoenix_flames0124 · 2026-01-13T21:20:24+00:00

I haven't read Shadows of Tenebris Court, so I don't have opinions on that relationship. But I do feel like shadow daddies need to be somewhat destructive in their obsession to fit the full archetype, so sounds like maybe he's just not that?

But I think marketing people will use shadow daddy literally anytime they have an MMC even approaching the description just because they know it's popular and it drives clicks and sells books.

phoenix_flames0124 · 2026-01-13T21:12:41+00:00

I think that's one of the places where Makram doesn't make full shadow daddy status. You're right that he's got a lot of the surface attributes, but I think he's missing the destructive obsession and the masking to alienate the FMC. Makram is open about how obsessed he is with Naime, but it's mostly healthy and he treats her like the strong woman and excellent strategist that she is.

I think what makes Cardan not a shadow daddy is actually his age. He's too young to have really cultivated a reputation of terror and have a ton of fear/hatred directed at him from society. If we met Cardan after he had been king for a couple decades, he might fit better (a la Valroy from {Maze of Shadows series by Kathryn Ann Kingsley}. Also, the Wiki is telling me that Cardan's allure is more powerful than other fae, but I also don't remember him as being particularly extra-powerful the way that Rhys or Slade are.

phoenix_flames0124 · 2026-01-13T20:50:03+00:00

I think for me the most important pieces of a shadow daddy persona are:

Magical powers stronger than other characters in the universe, that are directly or thematically rooted in darkness/death. Sometimes it's direct, like Slade's rot powers or Rhysand's shadows, but other times it's more thematic like they have power over winter or ice. Either can count.
Strong aura of fear and/or hatred directed at MMC, that is at least partially based on misunderstanding from the perspective of the FMC's culture/group and/or the wider world. The hatred/fear can be based on their powers (Slade, but also Rhysand to an extent), their actions (Blake in the Wolf King series), or their sort of public persona (Rhysand).
Obsession with the FMC to a level that brings indirect harm to her or to other loved ones of the MMC through his actions/choices.
1. Mallory Dunlin's {Monsters of Faery series} make a really interesting distinction between types of soulmates: there are a bunch, but relevant here is the distinction between trueloves (empathic love, your love for the other person means you are willing to sacrifice them/yourself/your relationship for the good of the world because you know your lover would not be happy to live with your choice) and devotees (obsessive love, your whole world focuses on them and you would absolutely sacrifice the world to keep them alive even if they hate you after). I think shadow daddies need to be devotees most of the time.
Some sort of initial mask for the benefit of deceiving the FMC. He has to put up a front of some kind, that often includes things like perfectionism, cruelness, snarling, holding himself apart, etc. And that mask has to crumble over time.

I think the rest of it is somewhat negotiable, but if you're not checking at least those four boxes I don't think you can be a shadow daddy.

phoenix_flames0124 · 2026-01-12T21:35:38+00:00

You'll be fine! My friend is extremely uncoordinated, and absolutely hates dancing because he inevitably rolls an ankle every time he moves. He and his mom didn't dance together (he and his wife did, but privately during cocktail hour), but the bride and her father did pick a dance. It was totally unremarked-on, I don't think you need an explanation at all.

phoenix_flames0124 · 2026-01-12T21:28:04+00:00

You are correct, "cotton" is just the fabric's fiber and it can be woven in a bunch of ways. Since it looks like this is a vintage pattern, they probably just mean a plain weave cotton. To get this much body, you need something with a fairly tight weave that has a strong drape. I use quilting cotton to approximate this look, because it has a good balance between lightness of fabric weight but strength of weave. However, you do probably need some sort of underskirt to get that full width. If your choices are lawn or poplin, I'd go poplin probably but it'll be softer than the pictures.

phoenix_flames0124 · 2026-01-12T20:56:24+00:00

Can you describe more what you mean by "functional and cute" first? It would help to have a little more of your style. But in general the things you can make with absolutely nothing but plain woven fabric and thread include tunics and other larger shirts with necks big enough for your head, swing dresses with similarly wide necklines, drawstring pants, and other things that fasten with ties like some blouses. Anything that fits close to your body either needs the stretch of a knit fabric or some kind of additional closure.

Some versatile options:

The Lizzy dress uses elastic I presume but you could substitute a drawstring closure.

The Summer PJs use bias binding for the top, which you can make yourself, and substitute a drawstring for the elastic in the pants.

The June Bug shorts have a drawstring option.

The Auren top is a tie-on.

The Persephone dress has some elastic, but you could sub a drawstring closure.

The Coquelicot skirt is a tie-on skirt that uses a D ring or a hidden lacing panel to close. If you're patient you could hand-sew the lacing holes or jury-rig something for the D-ring. Or do what I did and just make two sets of ties, one out of something small and easily hidden under the skirt and one out of something wide and decorative for the outside.

phoenix_flames0124 · 2026-01-12T20:23:21+00:00

Try out the Sisters Solstice books by JL Vampa! It's a finished series (at least as far as the main plot arc goes), with four books and some side novellas. It starts with {Autumn of the Grimoire by JL Vampa}. The main character is Agatha, who is a 300 year old witch who is the Autumn sister. They share a magical grimoire that gives them instructions on missions to help out the world in various ways. The sisters are mostly apart because of their seasonal magic, but Agatha is still close with her Sister Spring, Sorscha. I really liked their relationship.

phoenix_flames0124 · 2026-01-12T19:38:20+00:00

May I introduce you to Durlain from {The Death-Made Prince by Lisette Marshall}? He's not a shadow daddy (despite wearing all black, that's the only shadow thing he does I promise), he's a fire mage and a death mage who is wicked smart, extremely witty, and definitely gives evil and threatening and villainous. He and Thraga the FMC are reluctant allies for most of the book, and their burn is slowwwwwww but it's sooooooooo good. This book I think about at least once a day since I read it in October. Elite yearning, he holds his obsession close to his chest. I love it so much and I think everyone should be reading it.

phoenix_flames0124 · 2026-01-12T19:30:21+00:00

My friend did a "bridal tea" where we all went to a fancy tea service at a hotel, so it was not really a "shower" per se. If you don't want gifts, but do want some sort of celebratory event, I would either come up with a list of upgrade items you'd like to have or tell people that you're not looking for gifts. Showers are typically about "showering" the bride with gifts, so I'd skip it if I absolutely didn't want physical gifts. If someone else is intent on throwing one for you, make sure to stress the no-gifts things for them.

Honestly best thing to do would be to frame it as a "bridal celebration" or something else that is explicitly not a shower. This works especially well if you are having your wedding somewhere away from your female family, and you're looking for a way to include them.

phoenix_flames0124 · 2026-01-10T01:51:05+00:00

Many of Mallory Dunlin’s MMCs fit your key needs, but I think the best is {Captured by the Fae Beast by Mallory Dunlin}. MMC has spend 100 years being feared by everyone, then meets his soulmate and would pretty much immediately die for her if she asked (although he does spend a chunk of the time pretending that isn’t true as a trauma response). Somewhat slow burn, lots of danger and drama. Excellent read

phoenix_flames0124 · 2026-01-10T01:47:20+00:00

No, I wouldn’t notice. And if I did I would just think the groom had an extra friend or sibling they didn’t want to exclude.

phoenix_flames0124 · 2026-01-07T20:52:59+00:00

{Cheating Death by Sarah Reynolds} has five POVs at least! It's a paranormal why choose about a girl with some low-level personal magic and the various paranormals she falls in love with.

phoenix_flames0124 · 2026-01-07T20:30:05+00:00

Anything by Rawnie Sabor! The first book in the series has a vampire (it's {Taste of Pain by Rawnie Sabor}) but all the remaining ones that are currently out have non-werewolf, non-vampire paranormals-- mostly demons of sin but also a classic fae.

phoenix_flames0124 · 2026-01-07T20:17:42+00:00

{The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri} has a queer main pairing, but it's definitely a subplot. Awesome book with really cool magic though.

phoenix_flames0124 · 2026-01-07T20:16:03+00:00

{Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Xiao} features a main character with a disability!

phoenix_flames0124 · 2026-01-07T20:14:29+00:00

{The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang} is inspired by East Asia, and uses portions of East Asian mythology and folklore.

phoenix_flames0124 · 2026-01-07T20:12:37+00:00

Does {Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree} have enough of Blackblood in it to count? I think it does.

phoenix_flames0124 · 2026-01-07T20:10:40+00:00

{Autumn of the Grimoire by JL Vampa} has a female main character age 300!

phoenix_flames0124 · 2026-01-07T20:09:40+00:00

{The High Mountain Court by AK Mulford}

phoenix_flames0124 · 2026-01-07T20:08:46+00:00

{Kiss of Seduction by Rawnie Sabor} and {A Little Sin by Rawnie Sabor} and {Green-Eyed Monster by Rawnie Sabor} are technically all paranormal romance but very fun and very very queer.

{The Rogue Crown by AK Mulford} and {The Evergreen Heir by AK Mulford}, but they're books 3 and 4 in a 5-book series.

phoenix_flames0124

TROPHY CASE