Venue Revealed

December 7, 2025 Bianca Silva

Hello, hello!

I made an exciting revelation this week to those on the waitlist for the Sewn at Midnight Gala!

There were weeks of visiting the venue multiple times, figuring out if it’s the right setting. From the space to the food to the décor and everything else in between.

I am now pleased to let you know that Manchester235 is going to be the perfect location for our gala!

This week was our final visit to the venue with an event decorator and I am excited to see it all come together.

I’ve also met with a few of our sponsors and let me tell you, you won’t be disappointed!

I am so happy with how everyone that I have spoken to about Sewn at Midnight is as excited as I am about it.

There are still so many more exciting things to be revealed, so do stay tuned! ✨

An update on my Lander Pants I finished last week:
They didn’t actually come out too big, it’s the fabric that just loosens with wear. I washed them again, and they fit perfectly for the first hour, but then they expanded and went a bit baggy. 😏

Next time I will either use suiting again like I made the pink ones a year or two ago, or I will go for a heavier weight denim.

Stitches of the Week

BeeSilva - Advent Calendar and Stockings

Our advent calendars went up this week!

I am super pleased that my daughter’s like their calendars so much that they even spoke about them to their teachers and friends at school.

My eldest even made me take a photo of them to send to her teacher so she could show it to the whole class. 🥰

I ended up using twine cord, doubled, to tie to the dowels on either end and I hung them on the door - one on each side because they are that big!

The original plan was for my daughter’s to know that we, parents, were in charge of the gifts in the calendars. Somehow though, they think the elves filled all the pockets and I can’t bring myself to say otherwise now.

I don’t know how much longer we will be able to keep Christmas (and the easter bunny, tooth fairy...) magical for them as I don’t know what their friends will tell them, but we will try to keep it going for as long as we can.

And speaking of magic, the elves made a comeback this year.

I’ve just come from drawing minions on 3 bananas in the kitchen! 😂

The pink velvet stockings are also completed with applique and all!

They have come out really good! The pink and off white fleece make them look luxurious and the cream fabric for the applique just ties it all together so nicely.

And again, my kids love them, so it’s a win all around for Christmas crafts this year!

The Win: I still can’t believe that I’ve made 2 advent calendars and 2 stockings this year in time for the start of December! Plus my kids love them! ♥️

The Drama: Filling up an advent calendar instead of buying one is quite the task! A lot of thought and planning needs to go into it.

Take It or Leaf It Sweater - Karas Knit Eng

We are finished!

And it took just a few days shy of 5 months! This is one of the longest works in progress I ever had!

Apart from a couple of mistakes I made in one of the cables, I loved knitting this sweater!

There was so much going on to keep it exciting at different stages, the cables, the lace and the bobbles.

The chunky yarn was really nice to knit with and I am so glad I added the silver thread to it. Depending on what it is and the design of an item, I sometimes feel that white looks cheap, and that is what I was scared of when I first saw how white this yarn was. But the silver was a good call because it just makes the white yarn look a lot nicer!

Yarn: Yarnsmiths Create Super Chunky gifted by Wool Warehouse paired with Drops silver thread.

Size: XS

Needle Size: I am using a size 6mm for the ribbing and an 8mm needle for the body. The yarn suggests a 10mm for reference.

The Win: I have yet another sweater! 😂

Canela Vest - Rita Made This

Yes, I started another knitting project already! 😂

I received Wool Warehouse’s latest yarn launch, the Yarnsmiths Merino Aran Superwash, and I was itching to start knitting with it.

A while back I made a purple, red, pink and white tartan like jumper and I also made a blue one with the silver beads with their Merino DK range and it’s equally gorgeous.

I am knitting the Canela Vest which I have made twice before, once for me and another for my mom, and it’s a super simple design with regular purl row repeats on stockinette for texture.

Off the top of my head, I think this is going to be the first orange shade garment in my wardrobe so I am curious to see how well it will fit in. I know it will go with my new Lander Pants for sure though.

I have made really good progress on it - most of the back panel has been knit already!

Yarn: Yarnsmiths Merino Aran Superwash gifted by Wool Warehouse

Size: Smallest size

Needle Size: 4.5mm and 5mm

The Win: It went on 2 car trips this week so I got a good few rows in.

Skill Builder of the Week

Sewing Intentions

As the year comes to an end, many of us set goals to improve ourselves - healthier habits, a better mindset, new hobbies.

If sewing is one of yours, set a small, clear goal.

Is there a technique you want to learn or a specific item you want to make? Write it on a sticky note and place it by your sewing machine so it stays top of mind.

Maybe your goal is simply more sewing time. Life gets busy, but even 10–15 minutes every other day can make a difference - press fabric, cut pieces, sew a seam, etc. Small tasks add up and keep projects moving.

This applies to anything, really.

I wanted to read more in 2025, so I read for about 20 minutes in bed each night, and ended up reading nearly 10 books. That’s 10 more than the year before!

If you really want something to happen, make time for it. Small, intentional steps lead to big results. 💪