17/10/2026
BEE-HIND THE SEAMS – WEEK 33
Bee 🐝 Creative Bee 🐝 Bold By Caz
Saturday 10th – Friday 16th October 2026
Well, another week has flown by, and I’m beginning to wonder whether someone has secretly shortened the hours in my days!
Between nursing shifts,
sewing commissions,
Christmas stall preparations,
a mammoth sewing room tidy-up, sewing group,
Nana duties and the
occasional Vinted bargain, it’s been another wonderfully chaotic week.
And somewhere amongst all that, my creative brain has been dreaming up yet another little venture!
Honestly, I sometimes wonder whether my sewing machine ever gets a proper rest.
Anyway, grab yourself a cuppa, put your feet up, and come and have a little peek at what’s been happening Bee-Hind the Seams! ☕🐝
🧸 SATURDAY & SUNDAY – Body Parts, Bears & Binge-Watching!
Now, there’s a sentence I never thought I’d write!
I spent Saturday and Sunday sewing body parts together whilst binge-watching Carrie.
Before anyone becomes concerned, I’m talking about my three very special memory bears!
Between my nursing shifts,
I was squeezing in a little sewing before and after work,
getting the final bits and bobs finished.
With their black-and-white gingham, striped arms, fluffy ears, embroidered names, delicate lace hearts and pretty satin bows, each one has its own little personality.
There were some changes along the way, including their eyes, facial details and final finishing touches.
Sometimes it’s those tiny details that take the longest, but they’re also what make handmade keepsakes so special.
Accompanying them was a beautiful personalised hanky,surrounded by delicate lace threaded with blue ribbon.
And, as if three little bears weren’t enough excitement,
Saturday also saw the arrival of two new Jellycats into my home!
A gorgeous soft dragon and an adorable octopus.
Did I need them?
Probably not.
Did I want them?
Absolutely!
They’ve already found themselves a lovely little place to live.
🐝 SUNDAY EVENING – A Little Boutique Dream!
Because apparently,
I don’t already have enough projects, plans and ideas whizzing around in my head…
Sunday evening saw the beginning of another little dream.
Ba-Bee Boutique By Caz! 🐝💛
I’m thinking about a small collection of baby and toddler clothing with an element of circular fashion,
reusing and upcycling, which fits beautifully with my existing brand.
Nothing enormous or overly complicated.
Just five types of clothing.
A baby T-shirt (Bumble Tee),
pull-on trousers(Bee Pants),
dungarees (Dragonfly Dungers),
A little dress (Nectar Dress) and a
hat (Honey Hat)
It’s very much in the early dreaming and planning stages, and I’m certainly not launching anything just yet.
But I do love the thought of giving beautiful fabrics and pre-loved materials another opportunity to shine.
Making something new from something old — with a little bee magic thrown in! 🐝
Watch this space… eventually! 😂
❤️ MONDAY – An Emotional Bear Handover & The Great Apron Press Marathon!
Monday started with Christmas madness!
Julie and I started preparing for our Christmas stall at the end of November.
And Monday turned into what can only be described as…
THE GREAT APRON PRESS MARATHON! 🎄🤣
Out came the aprons, Christmas designs and heat press!
Red aprons, green aprons, festive trucks, snowmen, cheeky Christmas sayings and all sorts of seasonal loveliness.
We also prepared our Christmas zipped pouches.
I’ve got approximately 25–30 seasonal-coloured aprons available for orders, along with around 20 black T-shirts in various sizes.
I’ve also got three or four large plastic boxes full of crochet toys, bags and purses!
There’s absolutely no way everything will fit onto one stall.
So I’m planning to photograph and catalogue some of the stock, allowing people to browse, pay and arrange collection.
Hopefully that will make things a little more manageable.
Organised? Me? Well, I’m certainly giving it a go! 😂
My three special memory bears were collected by a for her family.
Seeing how emotional and grateful she was genuinely touched me.
And that is exactly why I love making memory keepsakes.
They’re not just bears.
They’re precious pieces of someone’s story, lovingly transformed into something that can be held, cuddled and treasured.
After all those hours of sewing, unpicking, adjusting and perfecting, moments like that make everything worthwhile. ❤️
🎄 TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY – Decorative Stitching & Christmas Creations!
The next three days involved decorating aprons and adding some lovely machine stitching.
I really enjoy choosing decorative stitches to complement the different designs.
It’s amazing how something as simple as stitching around a pocket, along the edges or around the neckline can change the whole appearance.
A few of the aprons now have pretty stars, decorative borders and colourful stitching.
There’s still more to finish, but they’re coming along beautifully.
And of course, every now and again, my little embroidered bee makes an appearance. 🐝
One apron was yellow, which wasn’t exactly in keeping with the traditional Christmas colour scheme.
So rather than leave it sitting there looking rather left out, I found a lovely bee design and decorated it instead.
I’ll add some embroidery when I get a chance.
A little something that can be worn all year round!
Julie and I have also prepared our own aprons for the stall.
Hers basically blames me for everything…
And mine asks Santa just how much he knows before I start explaining!
I think that sums up our friendship rather nicely!
My new glasses arrived too.
🧹 WEDNESDAY – The Mammoth Before-Work Marathon!
Now Wednesday deserves its own little mention!
You know those mornings when you wake up with a list of things to do?
Well, mine seemed to be getting longer by the minute.
There was washing to do, cleaning, parcels to sort and a parcel run to squeeze in.
And then there was the sewing room!
Oh, the sewing room! 😂
It had reached that stage where I knew everything was in there somewhere, but actually finding it was becoming an adventure.
So, before heading off to my nursing shift, I tackled a mammoth sewing room reset.
Sorting, organising, putting things back where they belonged and generally reclaiming my creative space.
And what a difference!
The before-and-after photographs really show just how much better everything looks.
Fabric organised, sewing supplies tidied, threads put away and surfaces rediscovered!
There’s something so satisfying about walking into a lovely tidy sewing room.
Although, let’s be realistic…
It only takes one new project for the creative chaos to return! 🤣
At least I know where everything is.
For now.
🧵 THURSDAY – Sewing Group, Christmas Music & Growing Confidence!
Thursday evening was sewing group, and we officially started our Advent calendars!
Some of us are making calendars using a clever fold-up pocket method.
Others are creating 24 individual pockets, each one interfaced, lined and stitched separately.
Yes, TWENTY-FOUR!
It’s time-consuming, fiddly and requires plenty of patience, but the results will be beautiful.
We had Christmas music playing, gingerbread Oreos and gingerbread chai.
And yes, the Christmas music was partly to annoy my other half. 🎄
But the thing I’ve been most pleased about lately isn’t just what we’re making.
It’s how much everyone has improved. ❤️
I’ve seen such a massive difference in the group’s sewing skills, confidence and willingness to try new techniques.
Things that once seemed daunting are becoming easier.
There’s more independence, more understanding and a real sense of achievement.
And I absolutely love seeing it.
That’s what sewing group should be about.
Not perfection, not competition and certainly not worrying about getting something wrong.
It’s about learning, sharing, encouraging each other, having a laugh and enjoying what we’re creating.
I’ve also been making sure there are useful supplies available for the group, including spare machine needles, bobbins, separate paper and fabric scissors, and even reading glasses in different strengths!
Because sometimes we need all the help we can get to see those tiny stitches! 👓🤣
I’m genuinely proud of how far everyone has come. 🐝💛
🦆 FRIDAY – Nana Day at Slimbridge!
Friday was all about my gorgeous Little Bee! 🐝❤️
We headed off to Slimbridge Wetland Centre with friends and their toddlers, and Janey from sewing group joined us too.
It was lovely having a day away from the sewing machine, enjoying some fresh air, beautiful surroundings, friendship and toddler adventures.
Watching my grandson explore, investigate and discover the world around him is one of my absolute favourite things.
Children have such a wonderful way of making you appreciate the simplest little things.
Rocks, water, birds, muddy puddles…
It’s all a great big adventure when you’re little!
And, of course, being Nana is one of the most special jobs in the world. ❤️
Once Little Bee had gone home, I managed to sneak back into my sewing room for a little while.
I didn’t have time to do a great deal, but I ironed interfacing onto the shirts ready for FOUR more memory bears.
No cutting or assembling just yet.
But the preparation is done, and they’re another step closer to becoming treasured keepsakes.
Sometimes even the smallest bit of progress is enough.
✂️ COMMISSIONS – What’s Waiting in the Wings?
As always, there’s a little queue of sewing projects waiting patiently for my attention.
Alongside the four new memory bears,
I’ve got a commission for four personalised Christmas stockings.
Different fabrics, quilted and lined, with names added to make each one special.
There’s also a memory quilt commission using children’s clothing, with a lovely mixture of boys’ and girls’ garments to be transformed into a patchwork keepsake.
Projects like these require thought, patience and careful preparation.
I never like rushing memory sewing because the fabrics mean so much to the people who have entrusted them to me.
And with Christmas approaching, there’s still more apron stitching, festive stock and sewing group projects to complete.
I have a feeling November is going to be VERY busy!
Until next time…
Bee Creative. Bee Bold. And never stop making something wonderful! 🐝💛
With love and a few stray threads,
Caz 🐝✂️
💛 If you’ve enjoyed this week’s adventures, please give me a like, leave a comment, share my post and follow along.
I’d love to know — what have YOU been sewing or creating this week?
