2 Down 1 More to Go
Hello!
Hope you have been keeping well!
This week ended with a really fabulous day at the Sew&Bond sewing social event I host!š
It was so lovely to see everyone again and see what everyone was working on!
And what a wide range of things that was, from adult, as well as, childrenās dresses to quilts, dungarees and a rattle set!š¤
Thank you to everyone that came, I look forward to seeing you again on the next one!!š„°
Now what did I get up to this week?š¤
As usual, I like to challenge myself and I applied for another test knit. I didnāt think I would be accepted for it, but I was wrong, I was!šÆ
So now I have 2 test knit projects to complete!š
One is a cowl and the other a sweater.
The sweater I have mentioned (many timesš¬) before and the yarn for it has finally arrived from Wool Warehouse.
They have kindly gifted me 5 balls of Yarnsmiths Play Chunky in the Stomp colourway which is a colour changing yarn. Super excited to see how this one knits out.
I hope to at least get the yarn wound this week coming in preparation for the Jasmine Jumper by RitaMadeThis which features bubble stitches throughout! š
The other test knit project is for a company I have never tested for before, Pacific Knit Co., but I made one of their cowls recently in the Valentineās doodle. Remember this one:
The test projectās theme is Desert Doodle, so think mountains, cactuses, scorpions, armadillos and so on.
You get to choose which doodles you want to pair together to make your project which is super exciting because everyoneās is going to look so different!
If I donāt change my mind, the doodles I have chosen to make my cowl are:
- the scorpion because itās my star sign š¤;
- the beetle or armadillo, still trying to see how I feel between these 2;
- plant pots;
- cactuses to go in the plants pots;
- and lastly, some geometric shapes for the borders!
I hope it all works out like I envision, especially with the combination of all the colours! š
The yarns I have chosen for this are all from my stash and Iām not sure if I will use all the blue shades pictured, but I will use at least one of them for sure.
I have made a start on this one already and the pink has got me off to a very exciting start and I canāt wait to see the doodles taking form! š
I am nearly finished with the light blue cardigan for my daughterās teacher, just need to do the last few stitches of the ribbing and it will be done! Oh and weave in all the ends which is my least favourite part. š¬
So 2 teachers gifts down (nearly), one more to go!
The last gift is going to be a skirt and I promised my daughter she could come to Leonās with me to chose the fabric for it!š„°
So she is dead happy about that.
The second part of the teachers' gifts were also finished this week which are the tote bags to put their real gifts in.
I originally wanted to make these to use as gift bags to put their actual present inside and they could also reuse the bags.
Like this I could avoid buying an actual (paper)gift bag, butā¦ the chunky sweater and cardigan I have made donāt fit in them.š¤¦āāļø
So I think I may need to go out and purchase some gift bags after all because I am not making bigger tote bags.š
I managed to finish my pink leopard print Safiya dungarees from last week and even wore them out to the sewing social!
I donāt quite like the length of the legs as they donāt even reach the top of my shoes, but they also donāt show my ankles. I feel like I look like those children who have just outgrown the length of their trousers.š
So I want to shorten the hem a little more.
For some reason, I didnāt take any photos wearing them out and only remembered after taking them off. āØ
So photos will need to remain for the next time I wear them.š¤·āāļø
I did, however, take this screenshot from some video footage I have for an upcoming reel that I normally make of my process from start to finish.
I started a new project for #sewbloodpressure24!
I mentioned last week I was unsure which project to start next, so I put a poll on my Instagram stories and the Carmel Jumpsuit by Nina Lee got the most votes.
All pattern pieces have been cut and darts sewn on the bodice too.
I took it along to the sewing social to get some of it done and only managed to press the darts and sew 3 shoulders together(2 on main bodice and one on lining).š
Anyway, I chose this gorgeously soft polka dot viscose that had been sitting in my stash I believe for 3 years. š¤
Canāt wait to get these done as I have never made myself such wide legged trousers and I am not quite sure if I am going to like how they look on me.š¤·āāļø
Being a viscose though with some really nice drape, I think it will just look like a skirt, so letās see.
Little update on my #sewbloodpressure24 sewing challenge which is nearly coming to an end!
Iām not sure if you know, but the reason why I chose June to run the challenge is because it is my dadās birthday month. So today, the 23rd of June would have been my daddyās 64th birthday. š„ŗ
I felt doing it this month would be my gift to help others by doing the fundraiser because I can no longer gift anything to my dad.
The last day to enter your garment and make a donation is the 30th of June, so just 6 days away!š±
Here is the link to the JustGiving page:
https://www.justgiving.com/page/sewbloodpressure24
At the time of writing this, we have raised Ā£100 already, so thank you very much for your support! š„°
If you still donāt know what #sewbloodpressure24 is, please check all the details below as you still have time to participate! š
As a reminder, some of prizes are from the following businesses:
Sew Me Sunshine, Edgewater, The Fabric Boutique and The Petite Dressmaker.
(You can find all the sponsors on my Instagram @beesilva.creates.)
The entry rules are very simple:
- Sew a garment that you have been wanting to sew for a while.
- Donate Ā£2 or more to the Blood Pressure UK charity via the link in my bio on Instagram, or I will post it here in my newsletter throughout the month of June.
- Please do leave your Instagram name in the message/comments area of your donation so I can match it up with your finished garment.
- Post your make any time throughout June using #sewbloodpressure24 and tagging me beesilva.creates so I can see your make and add you to the prize list!
- Any work in progress photos, please use #sewbloodpressure24wip. This is to keep the original hashtag free for finished makes only.
šConfidence Corner:
Don't let anyone dull your sparkle. If the fabric is too bold for them, it's perfect for you. Wear it with pride and let your confidence shine.
This week, someone said to me, "I canāt make something with that fabric; people will see me from a mile away!"
In a world where we often just follow the flock and abiding feels safe, choosing to wear what we truly want is a brave and powerful act! What we choose to put on every day is not just about putting on clothes; it's a way to express ourselves without actually saying anything. When someone says your fabric is too loud, what they might really be saying is that they aren't ready to embrace such vibrancy. But that shouldn't stop you.
By wearing what makes you feel alive, happy, and authentic, you inspire others to do the same. Confidence is contagious, and your bold choices can inspire those around you to step out of their comfort zones and discover their own style.
Ever since I started making my own clothes and following certain people in the sewing community on social media, what I wear has evolved so much over the years, and I am still discovering what colours and styles I like to wear. The sewing community has helped me build up my confidence to be able to wear things that I probably never would have before but have always wanted.
My latest pink leopard print dungarees are one of those pieces that I would have probably never worn out a few years ago, but now I am proud that I can make and wear anything I want to!
So next time you reach for that loud print dress, those statement shoes, or that bold accessory, do it knowing that you are not just putting on some clothes. You are making a statement about who you are!
Fashion is meant to be fun and daring. Think of it as your personal canvas, so paint it how you want. š¦¾
š§µToday's Sewing Tip:
For this weekās tip, I thought I would let you know of a few patterns to inspire you to make a garment for the #sewbloodpressure24 sewing challenge, and they are FREE.
All you need to do is download, print and sew it up!
But before you click on any links, please make sure you read the rest of the newsletter to make sure you donāt miss out on anything. š
Pattern 1
So first up, the Billie Wearable Blanket.
Probably not seasonally appropriate in the UK right now, but wherever you are in the world, this will sooner or later come in handy for those cold and lazy evenings.
The following link is for the adult version, but they also have one for children:
https://coppercreekpatterns.com/en-gb/products/the-billie-wearable-blanket-unisex
Pattern 2
Next, everyone needs some basics in their wardrobe and Closet Core Patterns do the following one:
https://closetcorepatterns.com/products/core-t-shirt-free-pattern
Pattern 3
And lastly, a little more of an involved make, a unisex shirt from Mood:
https://www.moodfabrics.com/blog/the-carya-shirt-free-unisex-sewing-pattern-2/
*I am not affiliated with any of the companies mentioned above, I just want to share some free sewing patterns that I know of.
āMy Favourite Things This Week:
- Seeing everyone at the sewing social event I host!
- Starting my first test knit colorwork project - the desert doodle!
- Finally getting started on my Carmel Jumpsuit as I have had it printed and ready to make roughly a year ago.
- Nearly being done with all the teachers' gifts!
šļøUpcoming Plans
- Finish the blue cardigan.
- Continue working on the desert doodle test knit for Pacific Knit Co.
- Wind the Yarnsmiths Play Chunky yarn in preparation for the sweater test knit by RitaMadeThis.
- Finish the Carmel Jumpsuit and try and squeeze in another make for #sewbloodpressure24.
š¬What I have been Watching/Reading:
- The Parachute Murder Plot (Documentary)
The real-life story of Victoria Cilliers and her husband's attempt to kill her by tampering with her parachute.
Isnāt it scary to think that you know a person, love and share a home and kids with them, but in reality you never know what is going on in their head!
- Boy Erased (Film)
Jared Eamons, the son of a small-town Baptist pastor, must overcome the fallout after being outed as gay to his parents.
Sometimes itās hard to accept people as they are because you were brought up a certain way. By keeping an open mind and learning about other peopleās preferences and choices, we can better understand those around us and overcome prejudices.
šUpcoming Events
June 2024 - #sewbloodpressureuk24 - #sewbloodpressureuk24 My sewing challenge on Instagram that is ending on the 30th of June.
This is not an in-person event. Simply a sewing challenge with the aim of raising money for a charity and awareness on the importance of monitoring your blood pressure.
27th of July 2024 - Sew&Bond - Sewing Social Event - in Gatley Hill House, South Manchester, 10:45 - 16:15.
(5hr30m, an extra 30min than usual)
Email bianca@beesilva.co.uk and quote reference: SEWBOND07
For more information: https://www.beesilva.co.uk/sewbond07/
Please keep the following dates in your diaries for the next Sew&Bond sessions. They will all be held at the same venue in South Manchester, Gatley Hill House, SK8 4EY.
24th of August 2024
21st of September 2024
26th of October 2024
Question of the Week:
What do you enjoy reading the most in this newsletter?
Thank you so much for reading my newsletter! And if you enjoyed reading it, please tell a friend about it to allow me to reach more people. š
Bye for now,
B! xx
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