I'm So Basic

Hello! Hello! 👋

Hope you have been keeping well!

I am in the final stages of my Lyra dress!

I am feeling a little deflated with it to be honest though…

I calculated I needed 14 buttonholes. The only buttons I had in my stash in that quantity were some black transparent flower shaped ones and some plain black buttons.

I felt the flower buttons got a little lost on the deep blue leopard so I was leaning more towards the plain black buttons. Since I wasn’t completely sure, I put a poll on my Instagram stories to help me decide.

Everyone voted for the black buttons, which just enforced my original feeling, so that’s what I went with.

I really enjoyed sewing the buttonholes and surprisingly, I really enjoyed hand sewing the buttons on.

Recently, I have been enjoying the odd hand stitching for some reason, like the Matilda bows last week and now buttons.

Now, for the part that is deflating me… the waist seam. 

I shortened the bodice by ½ inch because I wanted the waist seam to hit a little higher so it avoided my belly, but it doesn’t look like it made any difference at all. 

You can't tell much by the photo but I feel it highlights my belly, I feel it sits a little awkward.

Since this fabric has some stretch to it, I think the weight of the skirt is just pulling it down. And now I can’t shorten the bodice more without unpicking both button stands, nearly the full length of them. 😂

So I am just going to have to suck in my belly when I wear this dress!

The sleeves are also done now.

I decided on ¾ elasticated sleeves for a less formal look.

The bits I chopped off the sleeves, I sewed them together to make a matching scrunchie in an effort to minimise waste.

The only thing left now is to hem it and I should have it done by the time I film my video for Tuesday.

Now I don’t know what to sew next. 🙃

I normally have a project lined up already, but not this time. I know where the gaps are in my wardrobe, but I am just not in the mood to fill them right now. 🤷🏼‍♀️ 

What are you currently working on now that the weather is warming up slowly?

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My I’m So Basic Socks are finally finished! 🥳

They took me just under 5 weeks to finish! But let’s not forget that I made both of them at the same time! Whoop whoop!

I have weaved in all the ends already too and they just need a block.

I don’t have a sock blocker though and am wondering if I actually really need one. 🤔

Do you block your knitted socks with a blocker or just lay them flat out to dry?

Now that my socks are finished, I can finally give my full attention to my sweater!😁

The back bodice is finished and I have made a start on the front.

I want to crochet some vertical stripes on each panel before joining them at the shoulders, but if I forget I don’t think it will matter. I can just crochet them afterwards I suppose.

My gauge came out a little smaller than what the pattern calls for, meaning that my sweater is going to come out a little tighter than what it is designed for, so the fit is going to be a surprise!🤭

Anyway, I prefer garments that are tighter fitting, just hoping it doesn’t come out like a tight tank top!😂

I can stretch it out a little in the blocking process, so we should be ok though.

Other than this, I have been busy prepping and filming videos for Youtube.

This week, I put out 3 videos!

Every Tuesday now, I have been posting a video, the WEEKLYBEE,  which is like an add-on to my newsletter and the progress I may have made between sending out the newsletter and the time of filming.

Apart from this video, I posted two others explaining sewing terms, topstitching and seam allowances.

 

How To Topstitch Like a PRO | Sewing Explained

 

 

How to Sew Seam Allowances Perfectly | Sewing Explained

 

I am working on trying to be more natural talking directly to the camera which isn’t as easy as it seems.

It’s sometimes hard to remember that I am talking to you and not a big camera lens, so I should act “normal”. 😂

I would also like to take this opportunity to ask you what sewing terms/techniques did you struggle with when you started your sewing journey?

I would like to take these on and turn them into videos to help other beginner’s along on their sewing journey.

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The next Sew & Bond is on March the 22nd, so next weekend. If you have been on the fence about coming, don’t delay much longer, there are only a few spaces left!

Send an email to bianca@beesilva.co.uk or reply to this email and I can send you all the information you need about the day.

I look forward to seeing you there!

 

😎Confidence Corner:

Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness. - Oprah Winfrey

 

We often think of failure as something bad, a sign that we weren’t good enough or that we shouldn’t have tried in the first place. But in reality, failure is part of the journey to success.

Instead of seeing mistakes as problems, look at them as lessons. Every time we try something new, whether it’s sewing or anything else, we are bound to make mistakes at some point. 

That’s how we grow!

We don’t grow by avoiding challenges. Trust each experience, even those that don’t go according to plans, they are leaving you towards something greater.

So next time you feel stuck, remember that failure isn’t the end, it’s just another step forward.

📰News Feed:

 

Norfolk WI: The history of sewing and sewing machines

“Sewing has been an essential skill throughout human history, as a means of creating clothing, shelter, and various other necessities.”

Read more: https://www.theportugalnews.com/news/2025-03-02/sew-long-plastic/95886

🧵This Week's Tip:

 

How to Pin Fabric for Easy Sewing

 

Inserting pins perpendicular to the edge of the fabric, in other words, placing pins at a right angle to the edge fabric, is the best way for most sewing projects because you can stabilise the fabric better, remove pins easier and minimise distortion while sewing.

Here are are some of the benefits explained:

1. Easier to remove while sewing - they can be pulled out quickly as you sew without disrupting the fabric, this helps keep accuracy and prevents shifting.
2. Stabilises the fabric better - perpendicular pins hold the layers of fabric together evenly, unlike parallel pinning. It prevents one layer from moving ahead of the other which happens often with parallel stitching.
3. Safer if you sew over a pin - it’s always better to remove pins before going under the needle, but if you happen to forget, perpendicular pins are less likely to cause issues if accidentally sewn over. If your sewing needle hits a pin, it usually deflects off instead of breaking or damaging the machine.
4. Works for both Straight and Curved seams - on curved seams, perpendicular pins let the fabric bend and ease into place, unlike parallel pins.

⭐My Favourite Things This Week:

🗓️Upcoming Plans

🎉Upcoming Events

 

Thank you so much for reading it! And if you enjoyed it, please tell a friend about it to allow me to reach more people. 🥰

Bye for now,
B! xx