About & FAQ

About
Hey, I'm Mari! I'm a queer artist who's been sewing for many, many years. I love flowers and animals and sweets, all of which inspire just about everything I make.
I started sewing seriously back in middle school when I would make lots of animal-themed fleece hats. My passion for it really took off when I started cosplaying in high school, which lead to me making plushies. I opened a shop on Etsy while I was in college, where I went by the name "The Awkward Giraffe". I decided to change my shop name and update my logo a couple years ago to reflect my changing interests and focus more on what tends to inspire me the most: flowers!


FAQ
Q: What does the name "Floral Menace" mean?
A: I love flowers and I'm a bit of a menace! :3

Q: What kind of embroidery machine do you use?
A: I use a Brother SE 600, which is a combination sewing and embroidery machine. I'd definitely recommend it for beginners to both sewing and embroidery.

Q: What embroidery software do you use?
A: EmbroideryWare. It's one of the more affordable softwares on the market, and offers full control of every aspect of creating embroidery files. There's a playlist of video tutorials on the website that makes it pretty easy to pick up and use.

Q: Where do you get your minky?
A: I usually use Shannon Fabrics brand minky, and get it from lizzysbizfabric and CaliQuiltCo on Etsy. I also get minky from EZ Fabric and Big Z Fabric.

Q: Do you use wool or other animal-based fibers?
A: I tend to use only synthetic or plant-based fabrics. The exception to this is felt (plush tags and certain details like small flowers), which is made of high quality merino wool.

Q: What is your work environment like?
A: I live in a smoke free home with one cat. I make sure to keep her off my desk and thoroughly lint roll plushies before sending them out.

Q: Where do you get your plush patterns?
A: The patterns I use for my plushies are all made by me.

Q: Will you ever sell your plush patterns?
A: I have no plans to at the moment. Translating the patterns I've made into something useable by others is a big task, and I'd rather focus on creating the plushies themselves right now.

Q: How often do you open commissions?
A: Usually 2-3 times a year.

Q: Where do you get your charms made?
A: I use Vograce.


If you have any other questions, feel free to send me a message using my contact form!