Speed Knitting

Hello!👋

Hope you have been keeping well!

My bag is out in the wild for testing! 🎉

It was months in the making and I finally felt it was ready to enter the testing phase! 

I finished the navy blue sample I was working on and made some minor tweaks to the instructions and I feel pleased with where it is at. 

I just need to hear from the testers if they feel the same.

The tester call is still open if you would like to join, you can apply using this link:

👉 https://forms.gle/V7pQjR7FazcNmDNi8

The test will be going on for about 3 weeks, which should give enough time for everyone to finish up a version of the bag of their choosing and I CANNOT WAIT!

I am excited to see everyone’s take on it! 👀

After I finished the instructions for this bag, the Roma Necessaire, I went straight back into what was actually my first design, the Palma Pouch!

I thought I was finished with all the written instructions for this one too, but going over the samples I made, I felt like I needed to change a few things.

I will tell you a little more about this in the coming weeks once I have a bit more of the pouch made up to show you.

Currently, I have all pattern pieces cut out and it took me a whole morning to decide on colour combinations and placement! 🤯

It took me a while to decide because I want this to be the final sample and the cover for the pattern, so it needs to look pleasing to the eye.

Next week is my daughter’s birthday party and I had been thinking of what I can make to give the children when they leave instead of a bag full of plastic things that will be in the rubbish that same evening.

I recently discovered that The Works sells children’s books - 10 for £10 - and thought this would be a great idea to give the children when they leave the party. 

They are not plastic, are reusable and promote reading! These all sound like pluses to me, so I will be heading there this week to see what they have and get a few different ones that add up to about 25 books total.

We invited 20 children and many have siblings, but we are unsure exactly how many will come because, from experience, not everyone confirms their attendance.

So 25 books should at least cover those that are invited and any extras can be given to siblings if they want it.

Then Thursday night, a thought came to mind… What can I make that is quick, I have fabric for and that children will enjoy (I hope 😂)? 

LANYARDS!

A few months ago, I bought a large bag of swivel clips and I have enough to make 24 lanyards.

So Friday morning I set to cutting out 24 large strips of fabric to make lanyards for all the kids. 😂 🤷🏼‍♀️

I cut 3 strips in each print using my new square ruler and it made measuring the width sooo easy! 

I’m going to sew them all in batch stages to make the process quicker, but I may end up making a few more because my daughter asked where the unicorn ones are?! 😵‍

I have gone through the bags of scrap fabric I received last week by a lovely newsletter subscriber and sorted them all out by colour.

Well, this photo just looks a complete mess 😂, but I promise it is sorted out by colour, apart from some things that are lying to the left. These are all precut fabric and some quilt blocks that are already pieced together.

I packed them all into an under bed storage cube like you would store books with the spine facing up so it is easier to see each fabric and pick out what I need.

Some of the fabrics in the photo above that I am using for my Palma Bag have already been taken from this stash. 😀

I haven’t yet had the time to plug the sewing machine in and have a bit of a play, but I will get to that soon. 

It probably comes as no surprise, but I still haven’t blocked my beaded sweater. 🙃

This part of the process always takes me longer to get to, but I MUST get this done this week, especially since it’s part of a project that Wool Warehouse sponsored.

On the other hand, my Ellie Sweater that I cast on last weekend is up to where I hoped it would be the next time I gave you an update! 🥳

I am knitting these up on 6mm needles, so it has worked up fairly quickly, but I am surprised at my progress, I didn’t actually think I would make it this far in a week! 😂

I love the contrast of the black on the rainbow yarn more than what I anticipated, but my partner isn’t quite so keen on it. 🤷🏼‍♀️

On the other hand, he is not going to be the one wearing it, so it doesn’t matter what he likes or doesn’t like. 😂

Next week, the sleeves should be made up, hopefully, by Friday which is the end date of the test. 

My father-in-law is coming to visit next week for a few days, as he and my eldest share the same birthday, but I don’t think this will hinder my progress on the sweater. 🤔

Last but not least, we had January’s Sew & Bond sewing social this weekend!

It was a fantastic day and a great way to start our sewcial’s of the year!

A variety of projects were being worked on such as dresses and a pair of trousers. A large quilt was in its final stages with binding going on and many decisions were being made about what fabrics to use for a few upcoming projects.

Also, a tester for my Roma Necessaire bag made a start on it by taping the PDF pattern together there!

As always, thank you so much for coming to our monthly get-together!

Saturday was an emotional one with the conversations that took place, but I love how everyone feels it’s a safe space to share certain aspects of their lives. ❤️

If you would like to join us for our next Sew & Bond, it is going to be on Sunday, the 23rd of February.

You can reply to this email and I can send you all the details for this event. 🙂

😎Confidence Corner:

Either I will find a way, or I will make one. - Philip Sidney

Life often gives us challenges and roadblocks. When we run into obstacles, we have two choices: to find an existing way forward or to create a new one ourselves.

It’s about staying strong and flexible, believing that we can handle and overcome any challenge we face.

Whether it's in our personal lives, careers, or creative pursuits, this approach inspires us to keep moving forward and embrace problem-solving as part of the journey.

🧵This Week's Tip:

How To Make a Lanyard

I have based my measurements on a 1 inch swivel hook I had in my stash.

Cut a length of fabric that is about 35 x 3.75 inches.

Fold the fabric in half lengthwise with the wrong sides together and press with a hot iron to create a centre crease.

Unfold the fabric and now bring both the long raw edges in to meet the centre crease and press.

Fold it in half again, this time align the folded edges together and give a last press.

Topstitch down both long edges with just under an ⅛ inch seam allowance and lengthen your stitch length to 2.8-3.0.

Put the lanyard around your neck to make sure that you don’t get the strap twisted for the next step.

Slide the swivel hook on and align the two short edges together. 

Sew using ⅜ inch seam allowance, backstitching at the beginning and end of your stitches.

Trim off the end a little to make it neat and cut off any loose threads.

With the swivel hook sandwiched at the seam, sew about ⅜ inch away from the bottom.

I like to backstitch over the whole stitch line a couple of times to give it a thick appearance, but you don’t have to do this step.

⭐My Favourite Things This Week:

• Lots of progress on the Ellie Sweater test knit from Rita Made This.
• Sending the files for my Roma Necessaire bag pattern to testers!
• Hosting January’s Sew & Bond social sewing day!

🗓️Upcoming Plans

• Finish knitting the Ellie Sweater test knit. 🤞
• Block my silver beaded beaded sweater.
• Work on the details of my second bag pattern - Palma Pouch.
• Make one quilt block.

🎉Upcoming Events

23rd of February 2025 - Sew&Bond - Sewing Social Event - in Gatley Hill House, South Manchester, 10:45h - 16:15h
Email bianca@beesilva.co.uk and quote reference: SEWBOND014
For more information: https://www.beesilva.co.uk/sewbond014/

More 2025 Dates!

22nd of March 2025 - Sew&Bond - Sewing Social Event
26th of April 2025 - Sew&Bond - Sewing Social Event

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