Beefcake Towel #1
Hey Domestigays!
If you are in the United States, I hope you enjoyed your three-day weekend and saluted past and present service people for all their sacrifices and courage.
Today I have some quick pictures for you! Beefcake Towels! I recently started to work out (for another big gay project) and stitched this towel up a few months ago for inspiration. Since then, I caught the beefcake bug! I’ve been stitchin’ beefcakes like they are going out of style. Thank goodness they are timeless bodies and poses. Later, I’ll post about my next big gay project and more about gay body types.
(pssst! If you are in the knitting group I attend, this is the embroidery I was working on last time I was there!)
X X X X X X X X X X
Are you on Facebook? Then like Domestigay!
Do you tweet? Follow me! (@domestigay)
Have an Instagram addiction? See me there, too! (@domestigay) *New Android users, I’m lookin’ at you!*
Just tag your stuff #domestigay on Twitter and Instagram or post it to the Domestigay Facebook page to see your stuff on the Domestigay blog! It doesn’t have to be embroidery or gay—just domestic!
Get this Beefcake pattern from Sublime Stitching here!
Related articles
- On Why I Need a Friend with a Disposable Income (domestigay.net)
Crafty Girl
When I say, “Crafty Girl” what do you think? I see a woman. In a cape. Brandishing a needle and thread. Running to save the world from destruction. “Crafty Girl” just sounds like the most bad-ass domestigay super-hero there is, right? Well, that’s what D from Texas embroidered on a tote and tea towel for her crafty-girl friend for the holidays. Check out how awesome these are!
And then, D also submitted this non-crafty girl memorabilia that has two too cute monkeys on it! 
Adorable, right? I think we should start an entire day of “crafty-girl” stuff on domestigay, don’t you? Crafty-girl Wednesdays, perhaps in which I can feature a cute craft or a girl craft like this! It’s pretty bad-ass. Now, let’s hang out and eat bananas like these monkeys for the rest of the day!
X X X X X X X X X X X
Are you stalkin’ me? Good. I heard that the minute you know you are over is when people quit stalking you! Go ahead, follow me on Twitter (@domestigay), on Facebook (facebook.com/domestigay), and on Instagram (domestigay). I don’t mind! In fact, submit stuff to me on these sites so I can keep domestigay goin’ with featured posts like this one!
Happy New Year…er… Happy New Day!
Well, hello there. Where have you been?
Here?
You’ve been here, waiting for me to post?
Well, I haven’t been here posting. I’ve been on adventures that have taken me from the mitten state (Michigan) to West Virginia to Texas and I’ve finally arrived back at Domestigay headquarters. I’m so sorry, that you’ve been waiting for a post for me for so long. To make it up, I have tons of great posts coming with free stuff for you for that special love day that’s coming up! So, grab a latte and let’s catch up.
X X X X X X X X X X X X
I finished my first semester in graduate school! Yay! But I couldn’t survive without stitching. So, late one night in my office I procrastinated by stitching. Looking around I realized there was nothing to stitch! *collective gasp* Using some ingenuity and creativity, I give you book-stitching (something I want to do for real now).
X X X X X X X X X X X X X
Now, remember how I said only one person was getting an embroidered gift this year (cause that’s all I could reasonably do), well here it is! My friend M is Russian and has two Russian tattoos (one says feminist in Russian, the other are nesting dolls). So, now she an embroidered tote of her tattoos! (you can get the pattern from Sublime Stitching here)
X X X X X X X X X X X X
And that brings us to the great state of Texas! J and I went to Texas. For New Year’s Eve we went to a B-Movie Ball. It was awful. The party was not happening—that is, not until we showed up! Check out our costumes. Can you guess who we went as? (PS: Is that glitter on my pencil mustache or are you just gay to see me?)
I did some stitching on the plane to and from Texas (but it must remain a secret)! I joined the stitching mile-high club!
X X X X X X X X X X X
I am dedicated, now, to organizing my embroidery supplies, too! I made this cotton/linen bag to tote all my embroidery supplies around with me (see photograph above about not having stitching nearby at office).
X X X X X X X X X X X X
Oh, geesh, look at the time. I sure did talk about myself a lot! I’m sorry, mom, I know it is not polite to talk about myself so much. Now, moving on… give me someone else to talk about! Please send your craft/art projects to domestigay@gmail.com or find me on Twitter (@domestigay) or on Facebook (facebook.com/domestigay) or on Instagram (domestigay). I’m becoming an Instagram-addict. It’s true! Tomorrow I am absolutely talkin’ about someone else—D from Texas (who was in West Virginia while I was in Texas!) sent in a stitched up tote she made for her friend for the holiday! Stay tuned!
X X X X X X X X X X X X
Coming soon to domestigay:
-
Valentine’s you won’t be embarrassed to give (cause they’re gay)
-
I resurrect underwear stitching
-
More beefcakes!
-
Musing on jealousies—complete with stitching.
-
How I am organizing my floss
-
AND SO MUCH MORE! STAY TUNED (I promise to write this more)
THE DOMESTIGAY HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE IS HERE!
The gifting season is here! The holidays are drawing in upon us and you may be asking yourself what is the perfect gift for the domestigay on your list. No fear! I am here to provide you with creative domestic, gay, and domestigay gift ideas for any budget!
If you decide you want to buy any of these gifts for the domestigay in your life, the link the title will take you to the appropriate website to purchase the item! You can also click on the “guide” to make it bigger if you want to see the items in more detail.
1. Sassy Gay Metal (fill-in-the-blank) Case from SweetHeartSinner Creations ($9.99)
I’ll admit I’m jonesing for one of these. This is the all-around awesome domestic, gay, and domestigay gift. It is a cigarette case. It’s an id holder. It’s a cash and credit card holder. It’s a business card holder. It’s a case to hold a domestigay’s embroidery scissors, a skein of floss, and some needles. It is a domestigay embroidery-on-the-go dream. This really is the perfect gift for anyone because it is so versatile, like many gay men! But wait, should you have a lesbian in your life, there are also tons of lesbian styles of this. Just browse around SweetHeartSinner’s store.
2. “Homo Sweet Homo” XStitch from Subversive Cross Stitch (Basic Kit -$12.00 / Deluxe Kit $20.00 / Downloadable .pdf Pattern $5.00)
Do you have someone on your list that wants to learn cross stitch? Then the deluxe kit from Subversive Cross Stitch is perfect! It comes with easy instructions and everything one needs to complete the project. You can even change the colors of the hearts on the cross stitch if you want. Do you know someone who just needs the pattern? You could buy them the .pdf of the pattern and let them make their own. Or, you could download the pattern for yourself and make this quick project for a last-minute gift for the gay on your list. This was one of the first cross stitch projects I did!
3. Steve Petrow’s Complete Gay and Lesbian Manners: The Definitive Guide to LGBT Life ($12.21)
I recently purchased this book for a multitude of reasons and it has been invaluable. Not only is it perfect for any gay or lesbian in your life, it is also perfect for a heterosexual. It covers everything you could ever want to know about GLBT manners. Topics include: coming out, dating, sex etiquette, moving in together, popping the question and weddings, parenting, bullying & homophobia, entertaining, workplace issues, travel, and much more. Also, if you are looking to make “get engaged” a New Year’s resolution for 2012, I suggest placing a loving bookmark on the page about popping the question and giving it to your future fiance for the holidays!
4. Beefcake Beach Embroidery by Sublime Stitching (iron-on transfer $5.00 / .pdf pattern $3.00)
It is no surprise to anyone that reads this blog regularly that I LOVE SUBLIME STITCHING. This is perfect for the gay embroiderer on your list. Who doesn’t want to embroider sexy beefcakes on their shirts, bags, towels, and gym rags? This pattern is the one that I embroidered on my beefcake shirt! And let’s not forget our lesbian embroiderers, they might like the Pin-Up Grrls I made, which also came from Sublime Stitching or these beach babes. Again, this is a project you can do for the gays in your life, or you could purchase the pattern and kit to introduce embroidery to the domestigays in your life. I also recommend this embroidery kit (where you can get the beefcakes and pin-ups included) if you want to give the gift of embroidery this holiday season. This is how I first taught myself embroidery.
5. “I’m so gay I qualify as a housewife” Magnet by PicardCreative ($5.25)
I saw this and immediately thought it is the perfect magnet to grace any domestigay’s fridge, filing cabinet, or other metal space. This quotation is also like a domestigay mantra, the gayer we get the closer to housewife status we get. If this one doesn’t fit your fancy (or it is sold), look at the other equally funny and lovely magnets from PicardCreative.
6. Gay Accent Breath Spray from BlueQ ($4.99)
I adore BlueQ. They have subversive vintage-inspired items that will make anyone with wit laugh. I put this on the holiday list because if you are questioning if someone is gay or not this holiday season, then buy them something off this list and this breath spray. They will like your gift no matter what, because they will soon be speaking with a “sizzle” in their s’s. This item may be the ultimate stocking stuffer this holiday season.
7. “TOP GAY” Apron from LGBabyT ($20.00)
I will take one of these in black, please. For the baking gay in your life (or just the top gay in your life), I present to you this amazing domestigay-approved apron with wordplay from the hit television show Top Chef (or arguably from one of the gayest not-gay films, Top Gun). I recently wore an apron to cook Thanksgiving. At $20.00 an apron, how can you pass up this great kitchen wear for the gay in your life? I’m just curious though, what happens if one is a “bottom gay” or a “versatile gay”? This will work perfect for barbeques, entertaining, baking, cooking, or just hanging out in the house. If I had one of these, I’d totally wear it all the time, even when I wasn’t baking!
8. Men-Up Calendar by Rion Sabean ($15.00)
I already bought one three of these. I got one for me, one for my boyfriend (which he got at Thanksgiving), and one for a friend. Rion Sabean took men and “typical” men activities and photographed them in pin-up girl poses. You must get this for the gay guy or straight woman in your life for 2012. It is a perfect holiday gift since one week after the holidays, a new year means a new calendar! I’m in love with this calendar and already have mine hung up to January. And guess what, too! These come signed by the photographer. So not only are they amazing calendars, but they are also autographed on the cover. I’ve already explained to Mr. Sabean on Twitter that he should watch out for my 2012 campaign to be a model in the 2013 calendar. His response, “You never know it could happen.” My response, “Let’s change that could to will.”
9. Swish and Gay Haiku by Joel Derfner ($12.29 / $11.99 for Kindle)
I read Gay Haiku back when I first started dating my boyfriend. He had it on his shelf, recommended it to me, and then, one day while he was out doing his big gay theatre thing, I read it. It is hysterical. Anyone who has a love of gay culture, poetry, and haiku will love this book. It is perfect for the reading gay on your list. Unfortunately, it is only available “new” on Kindle, but you can get it used from $1.92.
Derfner’s second book, Swish, is subtitled, “My Quest to Become the Gayest Person Ever and What Ended Up Happening Instead.” I’m currently reading this a little each night before bed. This is put on the list for the domestigay knitters in your life. The first chapter, “On Knitting” is a lovely look at knitting and how it came to provide insight for Derfner into the tense relationships gay men sometimes have with their mothers. So far so good. A must read for all domestigays. Should I start a domestigay reading list? If so, this is toward the top.
10. A Thank You Note to Your Domestigay by You (Free)
Holidays are a time of goodwill, gratitude, and love. Sometimes the best gifts are the most simple ones. That’s why I’m ending the 2011 Domestigay Gift Guide with a handwritten note thanking the domestigay in your life for being who s/he is and being a part of your life. Queer people need to be told that they are appreciated and loved—often more than their straight counterparts. With families disowning gay people, tons of homophobia in the world, bullying directed at homosexuals, and all the ways the lgbt community is ostracized in the world, just telling a queer person that you love him/er, are grateful s/he is in your life can be more powerful than any of the other gifts on this list. And, since times are tough, it is also the cheapest, most meaningful, and best gift any domestigay could ask for.
X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
Well, that’s it folks. Now, I must ask you, what are YOU getting the domestigays in your life this holiday season?
X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
Embroidered iPhone!
Hey, there. Guess what I did. I embroidered my iPhone!
I have been enviously looking at blogs where people have embroidered their iPhone for weeks now. In fact, I was thinking of the idea before I even saw it on any blog, and then it appeared on a lot of craft blogs. After a quick search on Google, I found a cheap website to order from. I ordered a couple (because they were so cheap). After a week of hearing nothing other than PayPal releasing my money to a Chinese company, I thought I’d get in contact with them. Using a type of instant messaging service, I spoke with a customer sales representative who had very broken English (which made me thankful for the instant messaging because I could diagram the sentences in my head when they were really bad—dork!). This representative said that the products I ordered were, “on order behind.” This means backordered. They did not know when/if the product would be received, ever, so then they refunded my money.
So then, I followed a link from a blog that swore quick shipping by both the American writer and many of the commenters. I ordered it, and in one short week, I received a package from Korea. Inside was my shiny new cross stitch iPhone case. I’ve had this case since September and have been anxiously wanting to stitch it. I could not figure out what to put on it. A whale perhaps? “Domestigay,” maybe? One of the included patterns of Superman? The traditional, “Jason,” you know to make sure everyone knew who I was. No. Then last week, Boyfriend and I went to the bookstore and I got to page through two books I’ve been dying to get my hands on—Push Stitchery and Hoopla. I was so inspired I decided I needed to have embroidery in my daily life. I decided I’d tackle on the iPhone case. Even though my canvas is for cross stitch, I used an embroidery stitch to design the cover. The herringbone stitch is one of my favorites. So, without plotting I just took off stitching. I started with a light grey, then moved onto a darker grey and a d
arker grey, ending the row early. At the end, I thought the stitched sides needed to be (mildly) connected, so I embroidered Xs (aka large and spaced out cross stitches) down the center. I am quite happy with the results. For my next techno stitch, I want to get this MacBook case and embroider it! Where will the madness stop!?
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
There are only THREE days left of MOvember! Have you donated yet? There is still time! Go to http://mobro.co/jvanfosson to help me change the face of men’s health! So far, I’ve raised $135.00! I’d love to make it an even $200! Thank you to all of you who have already donated. Every contribution helps—no matter how big or how small. In fact, if everyone who viewed my YouTube video donated just one dollar (less than a cup of coffee), I would have raised over $400.00 for prostate and testicular cancer!
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
The Complete Cocktails
I finished (some time ago) the last of the cocktail napkins. Today, I got them photographed and ready to unveil the whole set.
The last one that I had to stitch up was a delicious strawberry daiquiri (that at first I thought could be a watermelon daiquiri). See?
Strawberry - not Watermelon
Now, I have a complete set of alcoholic cocktail napkins. I have at least one drink that will appeal to you should you want/need a cocktail napkin when visiting.
Cocktail napkin?
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
It is MOvember!
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
It is MOvember 4th and the moustache is coming along! I think I could pass as French, or an artist. Not a French artist though. Have you taken a look at my video on YouTube? Have you shared my video on YouTube? Have you donated to my stashe and MOvember? NO?!?!
Well first you should watch and share this video. Then, you should go to http://mobro.co/jvanfosson and donate!
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
My video is almost up to 400 views! (396 at this writing!) Thank you to everyone who shared this video and have already showed your support by donating to my face. I am so grateful for all you do!
Related articles
- Cock-Tail Napkin #5 (domestigay.net)
- I Need a Drink (domestigay.net)
- Movember! (tins.rklau.com)
Happy (ho)MOvember!
Recovered from Halloween? Good. Moving on.
<><><><><><><><><><>
Happy MOvember first!
<><><><><><><><><><>
Wait, you haven’t heard? These guys replaced the N with an M and made Movember? Whaaa?!?!?
Check out this video I made for a full explanation of Movember and the horrors that will follow (on my face!). (Ps: watch it til the end. There are some bonus features just for you!)
Now that you know the what, the who, the why—why not support me by going to http://mobro.co/jvanfosson!
Then, PLEASE share this on your blog, with your family, with your friends, and on all your social networking sites.
Keep your eyes posted here for more behind-the-scenes moustache-related pictures and stitching!
Related articles
- Moustache Madness: Movember Emphasizes Fun, Not Guilt, To Raise Millions For Cancer Programs (fastcompany.com)
- Movember & The Facial Growth Starts (sparkthedebate.blogspot.com)
- Movember: Fundraiser started as fashion statement (healthzone.ca)
- Movember 2011 (sarabozich.com)
Happy Halloween, Domestigays!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Happy Halloween!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Hi, there! Today is Halloween! I hope that you have a fabulous, safe, and sane Halloween day! Now tell me, dear domestigay reader, what are you dressing up as this year? Send me pictures of your wonderful costumes and your celebrations!
Here at domestigay headquarters we are both tricking and treating! So we’ll start with the treat.
Now for the trick. If you turn out the lights, this piece glows in the dark! But it only says…
One cross stitch, two messages!
*note: because glow-in-the-dark thread does not photograph, I took this while it was a wip so you can “see” the trick!
Related articles
- The Eve of Halloween (proper) (domestigay.net)
The Eve of Halloween (proper)
What is the gayest holiday on the calendar? HALLOWEEN! Many people associate Halloween with gore, monsters, zombies, witches, ghouls, trick-or-treating, pumpkins, the Great Pumpkin, kids dressed as vegetables or princesses (okay, maybe I am the only one who has ever gone trick-or-treating as a pea in a pod, but I was like four). Gay Halloween, however, is not these things. Gay Halloween is bat shit insane. Drag queens become super drag queens. Sequence shops go from red to black in one week. Glitter hangs over gay bars like smog in the city. This. This is Gay Halloween.
But since moving and starting to get my Ph.D., I have missed Gay Halloween this year. It is also difficult to celebrate Gay Halloween when your partner lives eight driving hours away. We have yet to fully celebrate Halloween together. When we do, though, watch out. I have already made our costumes and they are under-wraps in my closet (unlike my sex-oo-al-itay). So, as the most fabulous-gay-friendly-happiest-most-wonderful-amazing holiday approaches, I plead to my domestigays to, please, be safe and sane.
And guess what! That ol’ bat glows in the dark!
Cock-Tail Napkin #5
This cocktail series is getting annoying, huh? There is only one napkin left after this one. Did I mention that I actually had a dream last night that I found more cocktail napkins ready to be stitched? That is how I know my domestigay cock-tail napkins are getting out of hand! So without further ado… The Big Gay Umbrella Drink!
The pattern for this napkin comes from Sublime Stitching’s Embroidered Effects.
Don’t forget to submit your domestigay projects to domestigay@gmail.com, on facebook, on twitter, by owl, by post, by pony express!
FUNKIN PUMPKIN SKULL
Oh, hi, there. You scared me. I’ve been so busy I forgot that I forgot that I had a blog to update, stitching to do, knitting circles to attend, and people who are anxiously awaiting for the next domestigay installment. Okay, so maybe that last one is a stretch, but you get the idea. So welcome back to domestigay-goodness.
It is October! Halloween is only a week away! So what is a domestigay to do when Halloween is a week a way? Stitch a pumpkin, of course. Okay, so I didn’t stitch a pumpkin, but I did stitch a funkin (a fake pumpkin). I used a free and spooky pattern from Sublime Stitching. Okay, so take a look.
Step 1: Transfer pattern to pumpkin using thumbtacks
Step 2: Using the pre-made holes from step one, embroider pumpkin
Step 3: DO NOT PUT FLAME IN PUMPKIN, and then sit back and enjoy your embroidered pumpkin.
Yup. That’s it. Enjoy this pumpkin, now. I really am happy with the way it turned out. Now, I am working on some amazing cross-stitch for Halloween. I’ve determined that cross-stitch and embroidery will be the way to decorate my apartment since I am only here for five years.
Okay, now to the next cocktail napkin! This time it is champagne!
Cheers!
There are only two more cocktail napkins to stitch up! But I must do it after Halloween.
So, now you must tell me, loyal reader. What are you craftin’ up these days?
Tomorrow, I will be bringing you a great new recipe from a Texan domestigay!!
Happy Saturday!
Related articles
- I Need a Drink (domestigay.net)
Cocktail Napkin #3: The Margarita
Hola! It’s time for another cocktail napkin to show up! This time it’s got a Mexican flavor. I sure do love going to Mexican restaurants for their delicious margaritas. Some like them frozen. Some like them on the rocks. I like margaritas cold and moving from the glass to my mouth.
For this I focused on greens and decided to use a split-stitch for the glass to mix it up. Now, the picture does not nearly capture the awesomeness of the metallic thread. What?! You don’t see any metallic thread? That’s cause my lil camera phone instagram camera-phone couldn’t capture the brilliant white metallic thread I used at the top to “salt” the glass. Margarita’s are great, but I sure do love the salt at the top. The pattern for this comes from Sublime Stitching. There’s a link to the post where I first discuss that book below.
It is officially the weekend! Now go get yourself a margarita!
Related articles
- Cocktail Napkin #2: Martini! (domestigay.net)
- I Need a Drink (domestigay.net)
- Best Margarita Recipe (mademan.com)
- The delicious, humble Margarita (sqwinkly.com)
- Taste Test: Low-Cal Skinnygirl Margarita (fitsugar.com)
Cocktail Napkin #2: Martini!
What is this? TWO domestigay posts in ONE day? How can it be? Procrastination is the key!
I love martinis. I almost had a martini last night called “Sexy Bartender,” but decided a gin and tonic was in order. Martinis are delicious. They can be even more delicious when consumed with a hand-stitched cocktail napkin. Check it out.
Can you tell I was stressed when I stitched the bottom half? Look at how small those stitches are compared to the rest! I used a split stitch for the olive. I don’t like the split stitch very much because it never looks how I think it should look in my head. This is much closer to how I think it should look though.
This pattern comes from the Sublime Stitching book. I tell ya, that Jenny Hart makes cool stuff.
Cheers!
Related articles
- I Need a Drink (domestigay.net)
- Dirty Martini Recipe (mademan.com)
I Need a Drink
Is this week almost over? This week has certainly been one of the most difficult, trying, stressful, and questionable weeks since the great migration to the Midwest. It’s time for a drink!
So what does a good domestigay do when he has a stressful week? Embroider, of course!
I am currently embroidering six cocktail napkins. Each cocktail napkin features a different drink. So, without further ado, I present the first of this series.
This is my vodka-on-the-rocks glass. I call it this as opposed to an old-fashioned glass because the colors really remind me of the Absolut vodka bottle—silver, grey, blue. I hope you like it—the vodka, not the embroidery.
The first picture in this post shows the napkin itself. I got the napkins, of course, from Sublime Stitching. You cannot get these napkins anymore. BUT, there are a whole set of new cocktail napkins at Sublime Stitching you can get. I want to get them in blue and black. If you want to embroider your own cocktail napkins, you can order them here and get a free pattern for them from here. Did I mention how much I love Jenny Hart? I think she saved my life. The pattern that I used for this comes from Jenny Hart’s first book, Sublime Stitching. I like the simple patterns in it, but I prefer her second book (to come in a later cocktail post) for directives and projects.
On another note, I’m really excited about the coming week for domestigay! Domestigay will be getting a great face-lift and I can’t wait to revamp the website. That means that if you are reading this in a RSS feeder or in your e-mail, you MUST come visit when I say so.
In the meantime, tell me, what projects are you currently working on? Submit some pictures! I’d love to hear from you!
Related articles
- Free Cocktail Napkin Embroidery Patterns From Sublime Stitching (craftzine.com)
- Beefcakes and Cruising (domestigay.net)
- Pin-Up Grrls (domestigay.net)
Beefcakes and Cruising
I embroidered a domestigay shirt. Actually it is just a shirt with a domestigay-friendly embroidery on it. Take a look.
I like this shirt a lot. Oh, you want to know more about the stitching? Okay. As the beefcake says, “Alright, Mr. Domestigay, I’m ready for my close-up.”
I don’t know if you can tell through this picture, but the water is made out of metallic thread. I like to look at the metallic thread. I do not like to stitch with it. It is very specific.
It is a summer shirt, I know. The weather has been cold here, I know. This shirt is now a winter shirt. Because I said so. It is hopeful for the days of beefcakes on the beach. I have not been to the gym in a very l-o-n-g time. Maybe this shirt can give me the kick I need to go back to the gym. Last night I had dinner with a gay friend. At one point we talked about the gym. Breeders don’t understand the gym like homosexuals do. Homosexuals have notoriously used the gym (especially the locker room) as a cruising* ground. The inherent homosociality of the locker rooms add a heightened awareness to homosexuals in the gym. My dinner friend and I thought it is interesting that both of us refuse to use (on campus) gyms where we may see students or colleagues. We wondered why. Could it be because the connotations of the gym in gay life? Could it be because of the way the gym functions as a type of temple for gay men? After all, gays go regularly in an attempt to better themselves—not unlike religious breeders who go to church regularly to better themselves.
I remember the first time when I was “cruised” in a gym locker room. It was in West Virginia. *insert collective gasp here* I was, in addition to being gay, young and drunk at the time. A rather beefy bear-like man asked innocently enough, “Are you a swimmer?” I simply replied, “No.” I paused a moment. I was quite confused. Not only was I not a swimmer, I could not swim (despite a two month stint on my high school swim team). Hesitantly I asked, “Why?” The grizzly bear responded, “Oh you have the body of a swimmer.” “Really?” I paused still confused. “Well I run, but I think that might produce a completely different body type.” “Oh!” said the bear. “Runner and swimmer bodies look the same to me. Either way it is a great body. I’m a photographer and work at a salon, or rather spalon. Get it? Spa and salon? I’d love to take some photographs of you sometime if you’d like to. We could shoot some with you running. You know, action shots. We could do some with you in running clothes—or not.” My young and naive mind did not realize that this last statement (especially the “or not”) meant with running clothes on or no clothes on at all. “I’m running late and have to get to work. But here’s my card, please call me and we can get together and I can shoot you. Nice speaking with you.”
Luckily, I was not wearing these when I was being cruised. Although I think if people wanted cruised, these could be quite helpful.
To the average breeder and the young, naive homosexual this may seem like a good conversation between men in a locker room. Oh, and did I mention throughout this conversation I was either naked, in my boxer briefs, or shirtless? After discussing with my boyfriend (at a later date) this event, he shed some light on it and explained that I was getting cruised. My mouth dropped. “He was trying to pick me up? Like to have sex?” In retrospect (and after learning more about cruising culture), I realize that this was indeed the case. This summer I actually threw his business card away. I kept it in my gym bag (which sat idle for quite awhile before getting moved to Kalamazoo) in case I ever decided I needed pictures taken for something.
But this experience is not nearly unique and certainly speaks to one of many types of cruising that happens in locker rooms. They are inherently sexualized places. A place of forbidden desire. A place of permitted desire. At the same time. But these are things that mostly gay men understand and see in the locker room. So, yes, I will never use the gym at my school. I would rather pay the fees and drive out of my way to go to a gym that is not easily available to students and colleagues. As a graduate student and instructor this gets more muddled. I have students, professors, and colleagues. I think these wonderful people I see daily are wonderful when they are clothed, and it is a good look for them.** Why should we ruin this?
Time to scout out gyms, now.
* This does not mean they drive their muscle car in the gym with their music playing loudly.
** I include myself in this. I think I can look mighty good in clothes and am quite sure that none of my students, colleagues, or professors would like to see my naked or boxer-brief clad body. I would prefer for them not to see it.
The pattern for the beefcake comes from Sublime Stitching’s Beefcake Beach pattern.
Related articles
- Amy Sedaris and the Art of Domestigay (domestigay.net)
- Take That, Hitler! (domestigay.net)
Take That, Hitler!
Remember how I said domestigay was also political in the beginning?
No?
Well, I did. See here.
I haven’t done much politics. Politics are scary. Politics are stressful. I love them and will now embrace my domestigay political side.
Something amazing has surfaced. Have you heard about it? I’ve seen it all over the internet. It is the story of a man from Britain in a World War II concentration camp. So what? I would ask my students. He is a man who cross stitched. But not just any cross stitch—subversive cross stitch. Now we all know, how much I love and adore subversive cross stitch, but this is the pinnacle of subversiveness.
Major Alexis Casdgli, according to The Guardian, was given a piece of canvas. Using the threads of a pullover that had seen better days he began to stitch a basic cross stitch sampler. Nothing too subversive about that. But wait, oh loyal domestigay reader! The clever chap inserted Morse Code in the sampler that, when decoded, says, “God Save the King” and, my personal favorite, “Fuck Hitler.”
This is subversive cross stitch at its finest. This piece, along with a piece from Casdgli’s son (Captain Anthony Casdgli) will be on display at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Mr. X Stitch saw this piece and has a wonderful picture of the subversive stitch over on his blog. It is quite amazing. Especially when you think of the limited resources. The Guardian wonderfully quotes the son saying, “He would say after the war that the Red Cross saved his life but his embroidery saved his sanity.” Agreed.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Which brings me to my current work-in-progress (WIP). Can you guess what it is? It is domestigay-good. I promise!
Related articles
- Subversive Cross-Stitch by a Prisoner of War (neatorama.com)
- Encrypted WW2 Cross Stitch (craftzine.com)
Pin-Up Grrls
My best friend had a birthday. It was in March. Whenever my friends have birthdays I wish them a happy birthday. I give them a card. I give them presents, three months later. I give them more presents three months after that. I finally finished these pin-up grrl tea towels. Take a look.
Sorry about the quality of this one.
I think Bettie Page would be proud, don’t you? The patterns for these are from Sublime Stitching. These specific ones are based off of the pin-ups originally designed by Gil Elvgren. I think all pin-up grrls are already domestigators. They subvert what is domestic through their sexuality. This is something that I think gay people inherently do because they reject the heteronormative model of sexuality. Drag queens are very much like pin-up girls because the perform a sexuality that is used to subvert the erotic male gaze. I am going to start doing my knitting, stitching, ironing, cleaning, quilting, crocheting, and all other domestigay activities while wearing very sexy and revealing clothes—or just nude. No, not nude. But maybe shirtless. We have a lot to learn from our good friend Betty.
Oh, Snap! It’s okay to be square
I found a new tool. It’s a bit square, but it is okay to be square. Sometimes thinking inside the box is okay. Last week I received a 6×6 Q-Snap frame. I ordered it from the wonderful Sublime Stitching.
Prior to this I used a circular hoop for all my needlepoint needs. After an afternoon with the Q-Snap frame, I will never go back. So what’s it all about?
Initially I thought it would be bulky and heavy, but it is not. It is a simple pipe (pvc pipe to be exact) that you put your fabric on and then use included, grooved, half-pipes to “snap” your fabric into place.
The Q-Snap is lightweight. The Q-Snap does not crease your fabric. The Q-Snap does allow you to EASILY retighten your fabric if it feels loose. All you have to do is turn the half pipe outwards and your fabric tightens. I love it so much that I ordered a bigger size which I hope will be here this week. Q-Snap was originally created for quilters (and those ones are much bigger). These smaller sizes, though, are perfect for embroidery and cross stitch. Unlike a hoop, too, the Q-Snap holds your fabric evenly, something very important in embroidery. I also noticed in the projects that I used with them that my stitches were much more even and defined. In fact I could never get the stem stitch to look like anything other than a series of knots but it actually turned out quite well with the Q-Snap.
So if you embroider (or want to learn because it is SO simple!), give the Q-Snap a chance. You can get the Q-Snap from Sublime Stitching here. (NOTE: This is not an advertisement for Sublime Stitching. Any recommendations off here come because they are domestigay approved and not because they are paid advertisements. I benefit in no way for recommending any products).
If you’ve used a Q-Snap before, what do you think about it? Are you willing to try the Q-Snap?
Don’t forget to keep submitting your domestigay projects! Need a refresher on how to do that? See this post or the contact page!
Annie Get Your Queer
Boyfriend has been busy these days. He starred in Fairmont State’s production of Annie Get Your Gun as Frank Butler. His process, which included me running lines with him, has allowed me to get to know this show in a much more intimate way that I would otherwise. Annie Get Your Gun is interesting. It is sexist. It is homophobic. It is also really queer. Many people, myself included, do not know that such famous songs as “There’s No Business (like Show Business)” and “Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better)” are from the show.
Musical theatre is one part of gay culture that I lack.
For a pseudo-closing night performance I made a Domestigay gift for Boyfriend. In his song, “They Say It’s Wonderful,” Frank Butler belts out, “To hold a man in your arms is wonderful in ev’ry way.” A certain queerness exists in the performance when a man sings this line. This made a great handkerchief for Boyfriend, I thought.
While Domestigay focuses on queer projects, it also supports other projects as well. After seeing the show, I made a handkerchief for Annie Oakley based off of her song, “You Can’t Get a Man with a Gun.”
Pistol Packin' Mamma
The only thing I have to say about the show is—to hold a man in your arms is wonderful in ev’ry way. You should try it sometime. Seriously. Try holding a man in your arms. It is a great feeling.
Domestigay 