Karen at Silver Seams
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silverseams.bsky.social
Karen at Silver Seams
@silverseams.bsky.social
I use embroidery machines to do "impossible" 3d things, with more detail and precision than is otherwise practical.

https://silverseams.com/

Keeper of the Machine Embroiderers & Plushie Maker feeds (ping me to be added!)
*Now* I'm recovered enough to spend time at the embroidery machine. Not back to full speed (most of my fabric is in the basement, I pre-staged some of it up here) but things are progressing.
November 8, 2025 at 10:32 PM
oh no
November 8, 2025 at 6:04 PM
I ordered some eye beads for the gingerbread dragons, and am very happy to have achieved Christmas Green finally.

HT to @toadcialism.bsky.social for recommending the mint; I took a chance on the new(?) chrysolite and I think it's even better.
November 8, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Reposted by Karen at Silver Seams
About 40 new things on the shop AND new stuff was moved into clearance.

LGBTQIA+ staffed and owned, flat $4 US shipping!

www.peculiarityshop.com
November 7, 2025 at 10:29 PM
First knee replacement done, and I am back at my embroidery machine (if not at the light box) getting extremely important designs stitched out. 😆
November 1, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Today I thought, what if I put the gingerbread cookie dragon's wings on a plush? I'm gonna find out.
October 26, 2025 at 2:09 AM
Anybody else feel compelled to rearrange the letters when making a bunting to see what goofy things you can spell? Just me?

(I have ten more letters coming, it's not too goofy yet BUT JUST WAIT)
October 23, 2025 at 5:47 PM
The in-the-hoop snek is optimized for square hoops and also to loop nicely around itself, because ball pythons are named for their defensive behavior which is... just what it sounds like.

(They usually wrap around a branch instead of hanging from it, of course. 😉)
October 22, 2025 at 4:46 PM
If anybody wants the in the hoop patterns for these for last-minute #NoKings silliness/mockery, I will rush out the free design tonight. Otherwise I'll make it a little more polished (but still free).

#PortlandFrog #MachineEmbroidery
October 18, 2025 at 12:14 AM
Product photography is happening! The snakes have dropped on my Ko-Fi and patron, the others are happening later today.

🧶
October 17, 2025 at 9:51 PM
You all have seen these before, but I finally got them into the lightbox so here they are again (and the designs are FIE NUH LEE on the Ko-Fi/Patreon).

🧶
October 17, 2025 at 8:40 PM
I'm experimenting with Tumblr (what year is it?) so if you're there, say hi: www.tumblr.com/silverseams/...
Post by @silverseams · 1 image
💬 0  🔁 0  ❤️ 0 · The October tier design: an in-the-hoop ball python. Doing the full markings would have been too much (embroidery makes it stiffer and harder to turn) so I went with just the sugge…
www.tumblr.com
October 17, 2025 at 7:58 PM
I just have to wrap up some final details (putting in snaps, etc.) and then actually take decent photography (always a challenge for me 😆) and then these designs will drop tomorrow.

I am both an artist *and* a tech nerd, you'd think basic digital photography would be a snap for me, AND YET
October 16, 2025 at 12:36 AM
I have made entirely too many trips to the basement, the pumpkin pied ball python shall remain derpily flat until tomorrow.
October 6, 2025 at 11:44 PM
Reposted by Karen at Silver Seams
The embroidery Discord has, I am happy to report, gotten enough members to sustain regular conversation. There's also a plushie-maker Discord, with member overlap..

I'm not sure I want to post an invite to either in the open, but I'll send the link(s) to pretty much anyone who asks (just DM me).
As the vibe here curdles a bit, I'd just like to point out that I am a member of a machine embroidery Discord that seems well-moderated but that has never really achieved critical mass and if you promise not to be a digitization-spammer I will happily send you an invite.
March 17, 2025 at 6:17 PM
FOLKS I JUST DISCOVERED SALLEY IS HERE

(She is one of the accounts I miss from Instagram, though at least she has a blog I still followed)
My current exhibition at the New England Quilt Museum includes 8 original illustrations from my 1995 picture book, Mary Had a Little Lamb. The collectors who purchased the pieces 30 years ago are loaning generously them. "To Every Season: Works by Salley Mavor" is on view through Dec. 31st, 2025.
October 4, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Reposted by Karen at Silver Seams
Please do not tell small artists and nonprofits based in the US that you are thinking about abstaining from buying stuff from us because of the Trump administration. We also do not like that guy! You can just...not tell us! It feels like being kicked when we're already down, ya know?
September 24, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Gotta get some large enough jump rings, but spouse is running a booth at SJ Geekfest so I gotta make him some decorations.

This is part of the same pack as the owlbear and gelatinous cube so it's also progress toward FINALLY releasing that one.
September 18, 2025 at 6:02 PM
I need to make proper samples (these are testers which are... less than planned) but the Crystal Ball (slash snow globe) is released. It's free to members, and the membership window on Ko-Fi is about to close ko-fi.com/silverseams/...
September 6, 2025 at 3:01 AM
Reposted by Karen at Silver Seams
Okay, it stole the show and has been promoted to the primary reward drop.

This is the no-applique version, because the holographic-black JoAnn (🫡) vinyl is fun all by itself. Skips all the applique/capture steps, just lets the vinyl be itself. (It's a bunting, just not on a ribbon yet.)
September 3, 2025 at 7:33 PM
The mix-and-match stacking pumpkins is going to be a fun reward drop (happening Saturday) but I have the feeling the bonus design is going to steal the show: a crystal ball with a capture section so you can put things inside it like the canning jar I did a few months back.
September 3, 2025 at 1:27 AM
Reposted by Karen at Silver Seams
PUT YOUR SHOP LINKS IN YOUR POSTS
PUT YOUR SHOP LINKS IN YOUR POSTS
PUT YOUR SHOP LINKS IN YOUR POSTS

I have ADHD, if you say "link in bio" or "link in comments" I am extremely likely to lose interest before I manage to click three times (doubly so if said link is just to your homepage).
August 27, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Me: We have Labubu at home

Labubu at home:
August 25, 2025 at 6:18 PM
I posted a poll to my Patreon and Ko-Fi about whether members would like a single shape of pumpkin that was available in all the plush, feltie, bunting, stackable, etc. versions, or just the stackable version but in a variety of shapes.

And then I looked at the middle stack and went wait, hmm: 🎃⛄
August 16, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Has anybody actually gotten that Patreon survey *from* Patreon? Because I can't find any confirmation that it's real/official.
August 16, 2025 at 3:19 AM