Birthday Sewing, Hair Bows, and What’s Next for Events
Bianca Silva
This birthday set has to be one of the cutest things I’ve ever made for a child.
A few weeks ago, my daughter asked me to make a birthday gift for her best friend’s seventh birthday (which is at the end of this week), and somehow, I actually managed to finish it a whole week early! 🎉
The Birthday Outfit
My daughter came with very specific requests:
- a crop top with a little belly showing,
- a skirt with buttons down the front, and
- a hair accessory (originally a scrunchie, but we settled on bows instead).
The Crop Top
I first tried the oversized tee by Ellie and Mac, but my daughter quickly vetoed it - the sleeves were just too roomy.
So I unpicked it, tried again, and finally landed on the Do It Better Yourself Club Kids Tee (sadly no longer available). It was perfect!
I shortened the hem slightly for that belly-showing look, and finished it with rainbow thread on my coverstitch machine, which added such a playful touch. I even added one of my old clothing labels inside as a little nostalgic detail.
The Skirt
For the skirt, I used the Ellie and Mac Button A-Line Skirt. The pattern suggested 1" buttons, but I didn’t have any in my stash.
Instead, I dove into my big jar of buttons from an Abakhan sale and found some perfect matches. Since smaller buttons would leave too much space at the waistband, I doubled them up for extra structure, and then spaced the rest evenly down the placket. With added pockets and an elasticated back for comfort, it turned out absolutely adorable.
The Bows
To finish the set, I made two matching bows from the skirt fabric. The idea was flexibility, two ponytails with two bows, or one ponytail with one.
My daughter did ask for a third, larger bow, but I think two is plenty (especially since both my girls are now asking me to make matching bows in their school uniform colors!).
August Sew&Bond™
At the last Sew&Bond™, we had such a wonderful day.
My partner cooked up an amazing spread (everything homemade except the bread this time), and not a crumb was left!
We also had a fun surprise moment when two of us turned up wearing the same pattern, the Wilder Gown, styled completely differently. It even sparked an idea for a future event where we all sew and wear the same pattern, just to see how differently everyone interprets it.
More Sewing on the Horizon
The requests from the kiddos just keep coming in! From making gifts for friends to wanting new hair accessories, they seem to think mommy can make anything, and secretly, I love that.
This week, I’ll be tackling those school-uniform bows so the girls can wear them on their first day back. I always like to take a first-day photo and then another at the end of the year, and I think the bows will make it extra special.
Workshop Plans
I’ve also been working on something exciting: a new tote bag workshop. Instead of a simple plain bag, this one uses geometric piecing on the front...a fun challenge in placement, colour play, and design. The bag will be fully lined, with boxed corners and sturdy handles.
What I’d love your feedback on is this:
Would you prefer to bring your own fabric to a workshop, or would you rather I provide everything so you can just show up ready to sew? Let me know what you’d find easiest!
Upcoming Events
Don’t forget, the One-Day Sewing Celebration at Janome HQ is happening in November!
It will be a day packed with sewing, food, goodie bags, raffles, and plenty of bonding time. There are only a handful of seats left, so if you’d like to grab one, check out the link:
https://beesilva.co.uk/products/one-day-sewing-celebration-at-janome-hq
And if that date doesn’t work for you, I still have spaces available at my monthly Sew&Bond™ socials in November and December.
https://beesilva.co.uk/products/sew-bond-social-sewing
I’ve also set up a private Facebook group where we can share projects, ideas, and even plan fun themed days like that together. Join here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/741398321678685
Thanks for reading and happy sewing!
Bye for now, B! xx