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#getsetsew August

4/8/2022

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#getsetsewaugust - Beachwear and Accessories
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It's summertime here in the UK 🌞and we thought it only right to celebrate this with a beachwear and accessories #getsetsew for August.  For our lovely followers in the southern hemisphere, where it isn't currently summertime, maybe think of this as an opportunity to get ahead of the game for your summer season! 😊
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The scope of this month's challenge is wide open.  Anything goes, from swim wear, changing robes, beach bags, hats, sunglasses cases, espadrilles, the world of beachwear and accessories really is your oyster! 👙😎👒👜
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.The brilliant Foldline have done an amazing round up of swimwear patterns here, including one of my favourites  the Vernazza Two Piece Bikini pattern from Friday Pattern Company.  Hello Sewing also have a great round up of free sewing patterns for women, men and children and have some great choices.  Peppermint Magazine has free patterns for a beach coverup and for a robe that would make  perfect beachwear.
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There are some gorgeous swimwear fabrics around at the moment from the likes of myfabrics, guthrie-ghani and sew me sunshine.  Etsy and Ebay are also good places to look for more unusual designs or cheaper fabrics. 
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Textile express have a pattern download and video tutorial for making a Toweling Robe and also have a lovely choice of bamboo toweling.  Of course you could be super thrifty with this make by using old towels you already have at home!
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Sunhats can be a great scrap buster and are fun to make.  If you have any Ankara left over from last months #getsetsew then a hat could be a perfect use for this fabric.  There are lots of great patterns around and a google search will bring up lots of choices.  Two of my favourites are from Elbe Textiles, the wide brimmed Serpentine Hat and the Sorrento Bucket Hat.  The Patterns for Pirates Adventure Hat is a free cap pattern that looks fun and a really great scrap buster. 
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Again a google search for free glasses case sewing patterns will bring up a plethora of choices, from drawstring, to padded, to zipped, to folding.  Another great scrap buster and a quick make. 
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But obviously all these things need to be carried to the beach along with all the other beach paraphernalia....sun cream, bucket and spade, goggles, books.....etc...etc.  So why not have a go at making a roomy beach bag to do the job?  Those of you who subscribe to any sewing magazines will probably have patterns for beach and tote bags in your own pattern store, but again there are lots of choices online too.  A good place to start for lots of choice of free patterns is eknitting stitches who have some great ideas, including an extra large bag and an up-cycle project. 
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So there's lots of choice and lots of fun to be had with this month's #getsetsew challenge.  Don't forget to use the hashtag #getsetsewaugust and post pictures of your makes in the Stitch Sewcial Facebook group and tag us on Instagram @starttostitch we love seeing them.  

Have fun with this one and happy summer sewing 🌞
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We're Sew Excited - We've been nominated!!

26/7/2022

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British Sewing Awards 2022 - Top Sewing Workshop 
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We really are beyond excited to have been nominated.....and shortlisted!.....for a British Sewing Award for our Learn to Sew:Back to Basics online course ..... eeeeeekkk!! 

​This really is an amazing honour in such a competitive industry and we are so very proud to have been shortlisted. 
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It would just be incredible if we were to win this category.  But - in order for us to be in with a chance of winning this award we need to ask you, our wonderful followers, to please, please vote for us here  It really would mean the world to us 🌍🥰 

If you have a print copy of this months Sew Magazine you can enter by post on page 68-69 📫
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I've put more details in our Stitch Sewcial Facebook Group and have also done a Facebook live to share my absolute excitement and ask you to please, please, please vote for us!
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If you do vote you could be in with a chance of winning a wonderful prize, including a 21 day cruise for two people around Cape Verde, the Canaries and Morocco.  It sounds idyllic 🛳 🏖  And everyone who votes will also receive a Become a Better Stitcher downloadable boxset in  just for entering. So what is there to loose? it could be a win win situation for us all!
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We do really hope you will take a few minutes to vote, we would be so very grateful 🙏 

​But we would also like to thank you all so much for your ongoing support and championing of Start to Stitch.  We really love what we do, but most of all we love helping everyone here and seeing you progress with your own stitching and get as excited as we do about sewing 🥰
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So we'd like to say a huge THANK YOU! to you all,  we couldn't do this without you!

You are truly our favourite sewists 🧵 💓🥰

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#getsetsew  July

11/7/2022

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#getsetsewjuly - The Ankara Challenge
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The Sewing Bee has finished for another year and that means one thing.... the Stitch Sewical #getsetsew challenge is back!!
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For July's challenge we couldn't resit revisiting a previous challenge, simply for the wonderful  colourful  joy this fabric brings.  Drum roll please 🥁........It's the Ankara fabric challenge.  Traditionally Ankara fabric is made from 100% cotton and is synonymous with the countries and dress of West Africa. The pattern is printed using wax, to create wonderful designs in vibrant colours.   The fabric is very stable and a dream to sew with.   You can make anything for this challenge, garments, bags, cushion covers zip pouches, all work really well, and maybe this is an opportunity to try out some new sewing skills too and make something different from what you might normally chose. 
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The 11th - 17th July  is also Ankara Appreciation Week, a celebration of all things Ankara fabric, set up by Juliet Uzor and Lena King as an Instagram challenge, sewing different garments thoughout the week.  If you are on Instagram take a look at their accounts and the hashtags #sewankarafabric22  #ankaraappreciationweek22 for more inspiration.  
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Jumpsuits are a popular choice for Ankara fabric and one of my favourties is the  Paper Theory Zadie Jumpsuit.  The Pauline Alice Pattern Mila Jumpsuit & Dress would also work well.
The stability of the fabric makes it good for jackets such as the Friday Pattern Co Ilford Jacket. and the Helen's Closet Pona Jacket.  Ankara is also a good fabric for  shift and cocoon style dresses and would work well with the Helen's Closet York Pinafore, Closet Core Cielo Dress and Top, and the Simple Sew Cocoon or Zoe dress and top.  I have written a blog about the cocoon dress which you might find helpful for this.  Peppermint Magazine has lots of free downloadable patterns that would work well with Ankara, such at the Skye Shorts,  Peplum Top, and Boxy Top.  They actually have lots of free patterns that are well worth taking a browse though.
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I've written a short guide about Ankara fabrics, including some suppliers and things to watch out for when using the fabric.  This is in the Stitch Sewcial Facebook group under the files tab, or can be accessed here.  And please give Start to Stitch UK a follow on Pinterest and find even more more Ankara inspiration on our Sewing Patterns for Ankara fabrics

This really is a joyous #getsetsew challenge and we are super excited to see your makes start appearing in Stitch Sewcial ​this month. Don't forget to post them using the hashtag #getsetsewjuly to make sure we don't miss any.  Happy #getsetsew sewing!
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great british sewing bee ssn 8: episode 10

4/7/2022

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Forget the after-show party ....the party is in the sewing room!  
It's the Final Four in the Final!! 
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Nooo!! How has this happened, where have that last 9 weeks gone!!  I really can't believe this week was the final of season 8 of the Sewing Bee.  I am going to miss watching this on a Wednesday night, but I am really going to miss our weekly Sewing Bee chat in Stitch Sewcial, it's like sitting down to watch each episode with a fabulous group of like minded sewing friends in my lounge.  But hopefully there will be a Christmas Special and we can do it again 😊🤞
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Before then however, there is still this year's final to discuss, and the contestants didn't disappointing with their makes.  But saying that neither did the judges with their challenge choices!  This was evident from the start with the final pattern choice of this series being a dress design of Esme's, that she had sold in her shop, Swanky Modes, in the 1980s. The contestants were asked to make the wonderful Amorphous dress! This dress is cut from one piece of fabric (as shown in the picture below) and joined with D rings to form the dress. It is made in a lycra fabric to fit the shape of the body, but whilst stretchy to the body form it can be tricky to stitch. ​
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Lycra can have a tendency to stretch when stitched, especially on curves.  At this final stage of the competition I would have expected the sewists to have a good grasp of this issue, as well as a good grasp of the fabric 😉.  That said I was very surprised not to see them using a walking foot to help avoid stretching the hems as they sewed, but .maybe that was part of the brief??
Brogan chose to work with a foiled lycra fabric that was very unforgiving and difficult to work with.  Consequently she found herself placed last in this pattern challenge, a position she is not usually in at this stage of an episode. 

Whilst Annie fared a little better with her striking red dress, again had some some stretching of the curves seams and she was third.  Man Yee produced a stunning sparkly stretch velvet number, but a twist in the stitching around the neckline meant she missed the top spot. 

​This honour went to Debra with her almost perfect silver dress, that had more than a hint of the 80s  about it.
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And with that it was on to the Bee's last transformation challenge.  This time the contestants were given the off-cuts from previous challenges and asked to make something to wear to a party.  Interestingly Brogan followed her usual fabric choice instincts in grabbing the off-cuts from her own previous makes, whilst the other contestants opted for fabrics that had previously been used by other Bees. True to her style again Brogan produced a top and skirt with lots of frills and bows, but unfortunately for her this did not 'frill' the judges and she found herself  placed last again..
Debra chose to work with off-cuts which included some of Brogan's past fabrics, and maybe this was her downfall in this challenge.  She made a dress for a garden party but he judges felt it lacked real party glamour, something I have to agree with, as to me it was more gardening vibe than garden party vibe.   So after her first round win Debra was placed third in the transformation challenge.  Annie's choice of off-cuts transported her back in time to Japanese week, making a wide sleeved blouse with an obi inspired belt..  The judges however were not totally transported with delight and she came second.  
It was Man Yee who triumphed in this challenge with her front laced corset style top. 

She chose the metallic blue fabric Annie had used for her David Bowie inspired coat in music week. 

​The top delivered on the party glitz and vibe the judges had been looking for, with Esme loved the eyelet detail and cheekily said about the top  'you could have fun in that!'​
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So going into the final round it was pretty clear that Brogan hadn't made the cut (oops I think that's a different sewing programme!! 😉) to win this final.  Man Yee and Debra were looking were well placed after the first two rounds, but Annie definitely wasn't out of the running either.  The final challenge of the series was the made to measure and the Bee's were asked to make a red carpet worthy jumpsuit for a friend or member of their own family to model.
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Brogan surprisingly moved away from her traditional pastel colour choices and made a gold romper suit with a black and gold detachable netting skirt.  In my view, although this make had a bit of glitz to it, there was also an air of Halloween about it too, and I don't feel it really meet the brief.  But given that Brogan wasn't in a position to win by this point I think she just let herself have some fun making this, and why not, after all sewing should be fun!! 
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Debra made a beautiful strapless boned top jumpsuit for her friend to wear for her hen do.  She softened the look with a small netting frill around the top and a beautifully draped effect front seam.  It really was stylish and wonderfully made, but it did leave me wondering if it was red carpet enough for the judges.  Man Yee's jumpsuit featured a beautifully flowing cape.  The jumpsuit itself was made from two tricky to sew fabrics, one shiny, silky and very drapey and the other sequined.  She did a fabulous job of getting four separate pieces (two of each fabric) to meet exactly in a point at the middle front of the garment, and the cape definitely gave it some red carpet drama. ​
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Annie used two contrasting fcoloured abrics for her wonderfully stitched and dramatic ivory strapless jumpsuit.  This was reminiscent of a tuxedo with wide black stripes down the legs and, her pièce de résistance, the enormous bow at the back that ran into a train.  Given the drape fabric she was using this really was a feat of engineering to make a bow that retained it's shape, especially given the size of it.  And we all know there is nothing like an enormous bow to win Esme's vote.  Not only did this outfit win Esme's vote it also won Annie the Sewing Bee crown for this series. 

In my view Annie was the rightful winner, she had a slightly slow start start to the series, but it was lovely to watch her confidence and sewing skills grow so much as the weeks progressed.  She certainly has an eye for style and detail and this made her garments very special and I think was ultimately what won her the title.  
👑🐝 Well done Annie on your Queen Bee crown!! 👑🐝
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If you fancy having a go at making your own version of the Amorphous dress, or any of the other makes in this final, the Fold Line have done their usual amazing round up of similar patterns.  
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So very sadly 😢that's it for this years Sewing Bee🐝  Like I said I am really going to miss watching this and chatting with everyone from Stitch Sewcial on a Wednesday evening. 

But on the positive side no Sewing Bee means the return of the brilliant Stitch Sewcial #getsetsew challenge. Hurrahh!! I just can't wait to get going with that again.  
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Oh, just one last thing.... if any one knows where I can get hold of any sequined leopard print,  fabric as modeled by Esme, then please please please let me know!!🐆🐆🐆 After all....#everythingmustbeleopardprint 
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#TNT1 - Mcall's M7969 (AKA the tracey dress)

28/6/2022

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You may have heard the term ‘tried and tested’ or seen the abbreviation ‘TnT’ used when it comes to sewing patterns or makes, especially in reviews and on Instagram, but what does it actually mean??  Whilst there are slightly different  definitions depending on who you ask, I think of it as a pattern that has been found to be reliable with regards to instructions and fit.

​It may be that someone has made tweaks to the pattern fit for their own body shape, but it is a pattern that is returned to again and again to make either the same garment or used as a basis for hacking into a new style. An instagram search for popular patterns such as the Tilly and the Buttons (TATB) Billie top and dress, the TATB Indigo dress, and the True Bias Ogden cami will show these are often cited as TnT patterns by sewists.


I love the Mccalls M7969 dress pattern, and know that lots of you feel the same way about this dress.

At StSHQ this got us thinking that it might be good to share some of our favourite TnT patterns with you... so here it is, your first TnT blog post!!

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Both Jackie and I have made this dress in different lengths and love wearing our versions of it. For us sewing isn’t just about the making, it's also totally about the joy that wearing a me-made outfit, or using a me-made item, can bring. This dress brings us joy in bucket loads.
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The M7969 looks stylish and is sooo comfortable to wear (think secret pyjama comfort!).  There are four sleeve options to choose from and a choice of hem length, with or without a ruffle.  The pattern comes in two size ranges XS-M and L-XXL.  There is ease in the dress and we both tweaked the cross over front slightly to our own preference. Given the dress is gathered below the bust line this adjustment did not affect how the skirt was attached.  The sleeves are a raglan style, forming part of the neckline.  We both opted to make the billowing pouffy sleeve version, which has been so on trend recently, and I must say I love the way this sleeve drapes.

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The techniques used in making the dress include gathering, attaching raglan sleeves and making and attaching bias binding for the neck and sleeves. The binding is hand stitched in place to finish the dress, and  although a bit fiddly this could be machine stitched in place using a ‘stitch in the ditch' method if you chose to.  Personally I found the hand stitching of the binding quite relaxing to do whilst watching TV! 
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Great British Sewing Bee SSn 8: Episode 9

27/6/2022

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Semi Final - Turning Japanese - Kimonos, Sashiko, Origami, and a first in the history of the Bee
Oh my goodness how did we get to the semi final so quickly!!

Can we not just have three seasons of the Bee every year...Pleeeese!! 

​Whilst I wait for a reply to that question form Patrick and Esme I can at least review this weeks amazing semi final.
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This week the theme looked to the East with a Japanese influence for all for the challenges.  The pattern making challenge was a kimono inspired pattern that Esme had collaborated on with her friend the Japanese designer Wakako Kshimoto.  This was not a straightforward make by any means, indeed the fabric length required was probably more than my fabric stash laid end to end (OK I may be exaggerating just a bit but you get the idea!!).  Patrick and Esme suggested that the Bee's should use a contrast lining, something that Debra chose to ignore at her peril.  This the resulted this particular pattern challenge becoming Debra's nemesis, with it being somewhat unwieldy at the bagging out stage and her not producing her usual high standard of sewing.   
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All  the other Bee's took heed of the advice, although still with varying degrees of success.  Brogan forgot to leave a hole in her seam for bagging out meaning she had to unpick which left her short on time and unable to stitch up the seam to finish the garment.  Her lining was also a little too short resulting in her hem not hanging evenly or neatly. Man Yee had a similar problem with her lining and although her garment looked pretty well made overall the collar did stand a bit proud of where it should have sat.  
​So it was Annie who triumphed in this challenge with her very well  made Kimono. 

​Patrick and Esme were full of praise as not only had Annie successfully bagged out her garment , she had also incorporated a split contrast lining winning her extra brownie points and first place.

​The transformation challenge was a little different from usual this week with the contestants being asked to mend/ patch denim clothes by using the Japanese decorative method of hand stitching Sashiko.  

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This seemed to cause a bit of confusion for some of the sewists.  Whether they had not heard of this form of hand-stitching before, or whether it was not well enough explained but some of the resulting transformations were not really sashiko.  Just for clarity wikipedia describes Sashiko as is a type of traditional Japanese embroidery or stitching used for the decorative and/or functional reinforcement of cloth and clothing.  
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Rather than reinforcing the holes on her denim skirt Brogan chose to make them bigger by cutting them to star shapes and patching them.  She also attached some gathered ribbon to maybe make them look like shooting stars.  She did do a little Sashiko around the pocket but not really as part of reinforcing the areas.  Debra also adopted a similar technique to Brogan with patches and machine sewing,  Whilst she had arguably incorporated a little more hand stitched embroidery than Brogan it still failed to meet the specific brief of the challenge.  
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Annie used some Ankara fabric to patch her denim jacket with which looked great.  Unfortunately for Annie though she too was a bit lacking in the use of the Sashiko hand- stitching technique for this challenge.  
It was Man Yee who employed the most effective and colorful hand-stitching with her rainbow and clouds.  She also gave further not to Japan with the her sun risking from the skirt pocket.  I really thought her decoration on her finished garment was fun and eye-catching and she deservedly won this challenge. ​
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The final challenge was the made to measure with a bit of a twist, or rather a fold, this week, as the contestants were asked to make an origami dress.  Annie and Man Yee were in reasonably strong positions going into this weeks final challenge, whilst Brogan and Debra needed to up their game.  However this was the semi final and anything could happen at this stage of the competition.  
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Annie chose to make a dress inspired by the first piece of origami she had made as a child, a red rabbit.  Fortunately this inspiration did not lead to a full on Easter bunny costume but a rather chic looking  pink taffeta number. Man Yee took the origami inspiration to a whole new level creating a patchwork origami crane for the front of her shift dress.  The bird design was so wide it almost took flight coming down the runway.  
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Brogan chose to add shape and sculpture to her dress design by using a neoprene fabric and creating waves flowers from the bouncy fabric.  However I was left questioning, as were others in our Stitch Sewcial group chat where this actually fulfilled the origami brief, although Brogan maintained it was origami inspired.  I did however result in an amazing dress, with Brogan's trademark flounciness (is that even a word?) and colour combination of pink and red. 
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Debra's inspiration came not from an origami shape but from Mount Fiji and Japanese cherry blossom trees.  the back and sleeves of her whit structured dress were made form one piece of fabric whilst she folded over 100 origami flowers in gradients of blue, pink and red which beautifully adorned the hem of her dress. 
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​However, it was Annie's super pointy folding on her stunning taffeta dress that earned her garment of the week and a place in next week's final. Whilst there wan't a rabbit in sight there was a red origami bird that perched itself on the models head! 

As I said earlier anything can happen in the Sewing Bee semi final and after Man Yee going into this challenge in a reasonably good position, her dress didn't keep her there.  She found herself, with Brogan in the bottom two and with an anxious wait for Sara to announce who was going home this week. ​ 
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She found herself, with Brogan in the bottom two and with an anxious wait for Sara to announce who was going home this week. ​ 

​As I said earlier anything can happen in the Sewing Bee semi final and after Man Yee going into this challenge in a reasonably good position, her dress didn't keep her there.  She found herself, with Brogan in the bottom two and with an anxious wait for Sara to announce who was going home this week. ​ Again anything can happen, as with Sara looking quite tearful as she began her announcement she declared that the judges had decided that no-one was going home this week...yes it will be all four Bees who go through to next week's final. 
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If I was pushed I would say that maybe Brogan should have left the sewing room this week.  She didn't do particularity well in the first to challenges, and for me her dress didn't quite hit the origami brief.  But that said this is the first time in the history of the sewing bee that there will have been four finalists.  As always the wonderful Fold Line have a done a round-up of similar patterns to those used in this weeks episode.

Whilst I really don't want this series to end I predict that whatever happens it is going to be a super exciting final.  ​Don't forget to join us for our final Sewing Bee chat in for this series in Stitch Sewcial next week.  Right, now I'm off to see if Patrick and Esme have replied to my request for three series a year.......🤞🤞🤞
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GREAT BRITISH SEWING BEE SSN 8: EPISODE 8

20/6/2022

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Quarter Finals  - Hello Sailor with Hollywood Glitz and Glamour
It was quarter finals week in the sewing room.  I’ve really been looking forward to this one as it was back to the uber glamorous era of the 1930s. With the sewing room now down to just five contestants this was set to be an exciting and challenging week for the Bees, and it didn’t disappoint.
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First up was the pattern challenge.  In episode 6 the judges said they had set the most difficult pattern challenge ever with the parka, they clearly decided that they could better this by giving the contestants a 1930s pattern for sailor trousers.  This pattern had a bibbed front and a really complex pocket construction that had the contestants scratching their heads and working together to decipher. The pocket pieces formed a real puzzle for the Bees to understand and make up and were the marker by which Patrick and Esme judged the garments they produced.  
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Annie had placed some of her pieces incorrectly meaning the wrong side of the fabric was showing.  There were issues with the thickness of the fabric that Debra chose as there were 5 layers that needed to be sewn though and she ended up with a hole in her pocket corner construction. But as an aside the buttons she used were gorgeous, I think they might well have been from Pigeon Wishes.

​Cristian decided early on he wasn’t going to pick a fabric that was too thick….or one that was too thin…I suppose he chose a medium weight fabric then 😉 
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Brogan ended up with no usable pockets n her trousers, having attached her buttons by stitching all the way through the pocket layers.  This meant she found herself in the unusual position of being in the bottom two for this challenge.  

​It was Man Yee who, despite some minor issues, excelled
in this round and came first with her ultra smart,
​well constructed and very wearable blue sailor trousers.  
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The transformation challenge this week was to make a 1930s blouse from two men's shirts.  To look at the finished garments you would have been forgiven for not realising this was the transformation challenge, the sewists really did exceptionally well.  The judges kindly gave them hints of the kind of details they were looking to see bu placing 1930s pictures in the sewing room.  The Bees focused on puff sleeves, nipped in waists, collar details and trims.  Cristian lost confidence in his initial thoughts and changed his design halfway through the challenge.  Whilst he still produced a good garment Patrick and Esme were of the view the lace tie did not provide enough contrast.  

Whilst Annie did offer some contrast details in her blouse again the judges felt this was not enough.  Debra’s blouse had a very deep frilled neckline that was a big contrast to her leopard print top, and this was favoured by both Partick and Eseme.  However, whilst you probably know that I am a great advocate of #everytingmustbeleopardprint, I am not quite so sure this really fits a 1930s brief 🐆

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Brogan had puff sleeves and contrast frills aplenty in her make but the judges were disappointed she had not changed the collar from the original shirt and personally I am not so sure that broderie anglaise trim works well for a 1930s blouse.  So despite her efforts Brogan found herself in last place for this challenge.

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​Man Yee’s blouse was truly inspired, with a contrast layered collar, trimmed puffed sleeves that tied in a bow and a nipped in waistline it would not have looked out of place in a BBC 1930s period drama.  And as such Man Yee was placed a well deserved first in this challenge. 

So it was time for the made to measure challenge.  Both Brogan and Cristian needed to excel in this challenge to be in with a chance of a place in the semi finals, and the judges also felt Annie was in a slightly precarious position too. The contestants were asked to make a body skimming bias cut dress, reminicent of the Hollywood actress style of that era.  Ohh the absolute epitome of glamour 😍  Cue Amber Butchart's mini history lesson!

This week we learned that t
he dress was, popularised by French designer Madeleine Vionnet in the 1920s.  With strict rules around revealing costumes that could be worn in films at this time, the bias cut dress and could be revealing in the way it clung to the body and was not included in the list of costumes that were banned.     When made in satin the added bonus was that the dress was perfect for providing photographic contrast. 

​I do love this history bits, but back to the Bee🐝

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This would be the 'Battle of the Gowns' for Man Yee and Annie who had both chosen the same pattern.  All the contestants except for Cristian used satin for their dresses, but christian chose to use a  four way stretch velvet, which whilst gorgeous somewhat defeated the point of the exercise of using the bias for stretch.  Continuing his 'redesigning halfway though a challenge' theme Cristian also chose to tweak his dress by adding a band across the open back. which the judges felt was a shame.
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Debra's dress also featured a draped back which hung beautifully.  The whole dress was well constructed with french seams throughout but unfortunately she had stretched the fabric a little around the front of the arm meaning it gaped slightly.  At this stage in the competition the judges are getting very picky.  Brogan had opted to make a paneled dress and had lined up the points beautifully, however it stat a bit high at the front as the straps were too short, and she had an anxious wait to see if she had done enough to save herself from going home this week.
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So,  to the Battle of the Gowns.  Both Annie's red dress and Man Yee's white dress were stunning and received high praise form Patrick and Esme. 

It was going to come down to the fine details... 

Having fully French seamed her dress the judges felt Annie's gown deserved 'Garment of the Week', and I must agree, it was quite simply stunning. 

Brogan's wait was over as Sara revealed that it was Cristian wo was leaving the sewing room this week.  Unfortunately his choice of fabric and last minute changes of mind about design meant he had not been able to produce his best work.
As always the lovely people at the Fold Line have done a round up of the patterns used in this week's episode.  And with that its onto the all female semi final with Japanese Week.  There will be a Kimono pattern challenge from a collaboration between Esme and a Japanese designer, a Japanese embroidery transformation challenge, and an origami made to measure.  Lots for the semi finalists to master in this episode. 

​Don't forget to join us for our weekly Sewing Bee chat in Stitch Sewcial.  
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But before then, I do need to ask......was it just me who saw a slight resemblance between Debra's toiled mini mannequin doll and Esme this week??​
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GREAT BRITISH SEwING BEE SSN 8: EPisode 7

15/6/2022

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Lingerie week - who got their knickers in a twist,  who was waving their kickers in the air, and was anyone caught napping in their luxury PJs!
This week it was all about underwear, with a bra and knickers pattern challenge, thermal sleepwear transformation, and a luxurious pyjamas made to measure. 

But which contestants could sleep peacefully after these challenges and who just made too many boobs!! Read on and all will be revealed, metaphorically not literally obviously😉!

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The contestants were tasked with using the tricky fabrics of lace and power mesh for the bra and knickers challenge and the colour coded goldfish bowls were back to house the small pieces of fabric and haberdashery needed for construction.  

I must say I found the pattern design of the bra rather strange with a particularly wide centre piece between the cups, it certainly didn’t look to be a good fit on the mannequins.  Our GBSB Stitch Sewcial chat members agreed that the fit was rather odd to say the least.  That aside this was a complex pattern in its own right.  Whilst the knicker construction was reasonably straightforward, using a burrito method to attach the gusset, the bra was much more tricky with lots of small pieces requiring precise stitching.  But this was episode 7 and the challenges really do need to test the contestants at this stage.  Debra did have a bit of trouble with her knicker construction and ended up with a ‘lumpy gusset’ which raised a few eyebrows and prompted her response of ‘I need to rethink her gusset construction or go to the doctors - or both!!’.  

Meanwhile Sara suggested to Man Yee that maybe she could bribe the judges by using her gusset as a hidden pocket and putting a lollipop in there which sounds a bit dangerous to me on both counts!  Most of the sewists did pretty well with their knicker making, but the bras were an altogether different story.  I always say that sewing is indeed a form of engineering, and although Man Yee explained the mechanics of bra fastenings to Cristian, he struggled with the symmetry of his bra cups!    Brogan again demonstrated her ability for exquisite sewing in this challenge, but lost some attention to detail by attaching her straps to the outside of her bra.  However it was Gill who found herself in last place with her pleated bra cups, definitely not a good look for wearing under a T-shirt!  
So it was Annie who was victorious in the first challenge this week. 

​Her white lace bra and knicker set - rather difficult to see on the mannequin it must be said - Esme said she had done a ‘really good job’. 


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The transformation challenge was to make going out clothes from thermal sleep sets, or as Patrick put it, to turn them from ‘Nanna to Rhianna’!!  Some of the contestants were very quick to grab the garments they wanted from the clothes rail   Sara told Man Yee ‘I was so impressed with how much you took from the rail I was like ‘that’s a girl who knows how to shop’’

I’m not sure Brogan quite got the ‘Nana to Rhianna’ idea as she said she was embracing the ‘granny chic’.  In typical Brogan style this involved using pretty pastel colours, frills, and sparkly buttons on her bibbed milkmaid dress.  She divided the judges opinions w, with Patrick rather liking the Little House on the Prairie look, whilst Esme was not so enamoured. 

After his wonky bra cups in the last round Cristian continued the asymmetrical theme with sloping tiers on the hem of his dress and used metres and metres of daisy trim.  However Cristian did leave some trim in the haberdashery, and I think Man Yee managed to get hold of three or four daisies to adorn her bondage style dress.  This was a dress which required a lot of use of the glue gun, Man Yee reminded us that it was a transformation challenge rather than a sewing challenge, strange as I thought the main premise of all of the challenges was sewing!.  But after her heroic efforts to pick and stick the flowers it was an adornment which the judges felt wasn’t necessary.  
Debra won this challenge with her rather prim but fairly sophisticated two bowed (how to please Esme!) and trimmed top, which Patrick felt had a nod to Chanel style. 

Sadly Gill again fell foul of the judges with her gathered skirt and top combo with one statement sleeve. Unfortunately Esme’s view was that the top should have had two sleeves and this left Gill in last place going into the final challenge.  


So Gill needed to massively impress the judges in the made to measure challenge, which this week was luxury pyjamas, think Noel Coward, or maybe Hawaii Five-0…yes Brogan!!


Cristian and Annie channelled the Noel Coward vibes with paisley patterned silky fabric. Whilst Annie won high praise from the judges for her piping, although her front and hem seams were a bit wobbly.   Cristian's sleeves were much too long and the execution of his french seams was not good, as his lack of trimming created a hairy leg! 
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Brogan also got high praise for her piping and sewing detail, but she used cotton lawn and the print and style made it a bit more ‘beach co-ord’ than pyjamas for Patrick - think Hawaii Five-0! 

Debra also made a shorts set and whilst this was fairly simple in construction her choice of satin fabric and contrast piping was beautiful. Although Patrick felt the fabric was maybe too stiff for luxurious pyjamas.  However her pattern matching and pattern placement, especially on the collar, was perfect.  

According to the judges Man Yee’s pyjamas were the very height of luxury. 

The contrast colours she used for the trim and piping were beautiful and neither Patrick nor Esme had any criticism of the pyjama set. 

​She had also included an applique of a bee on the pocket, and maybe this helped her fly high 🐝 (sorry!!) and win Garment of the Week!!


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Gill’s Chinese inspired pyjamas with a collarless neckline were not a disaster by any means, but the quality of the sewing just didn't quite match that of the other contestants this week.  Sadly Gill didn’t do quite enough in this challenge to redeem herself and therefore failed to make it to the quarter finals and became the seventh Bee to leave the sewing room.  

So next week it’s quarter finals week and I am genuinely sew sew excited for the theme of the golden era of 1930s glamour.  There will be bib-fronted, sailor inspired women’s trousers, men’s shirts to transform into 1930s style women’s blouses, and my absolute dream of a made to measure with a bias cut 1930s evening  reminiscent of outfits worn by Katharine Hepburn and Bette Davis. I’m swooning already.  

Don’t forget the brilliant people at the Fold Line have a round up of sewing patterns if you feel inspired to make your own luxury lingerie.  And please join us in Stitch Sewcial for next week’s chat, it’s always so much fun to watch the Sewing Bee with this wonderful group of like minded sewing enthusiasts who are all sew lovely 😍
But I want to end this week’s round up with a focus on what Gill said as her sewing bee experience came to an end.  There wasn't a dry eye in the studio and I suspect in not in the Stitch Sewcial group chat either when she said what she did. 

I’m not ashamed to say that my eyes leaked again as I wrote Gill’s words below: 


‘It’s been life-changing for me in a completely unexpected way. 

​Before coming into this I would always wear a prosthetic limb, and I have done for the whole of my life. 

And coming into this I knew that I wouldn’t be able to do that.  It’s kind of made me realise that I don't need to do that any more so you’ve … set me free on a whole different level’.  


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Those of you that have read my previous blogs and social media posts will know that I passionately believe that sewing can set you free; free from so many of the constraints that society, other people, and we ourselves can put around us. 

​Gill totally reinforces that belief, sewing is so much more than a needle and thread
.💓💓💓


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GREAT BRITISH SEWING BEE SsN8: EPISODE 6

8/6/2022

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The one with Heroes, Fashion, Rebel Rebels and Changes, but definitely no Absolute Beginners
You may have guessed by the title of this blog that episode 6 was Music Week in the Sewing Bee studio.  This was a new theme for the programme and included influences from across the music spectrum from Mods to country music to David Bowie there was a wide range of styles and makes this week.

​Given it was music week Sara Pascoe attempted to compose a new theme tune for the Bee
🐝🎵 🥁, although this was definitely not a winner with the judges!!
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The pattern challenge was a Parka coat, a complex garment to put together, with many different pieces and a particularly tricky placket construction for the contestants to master.  Patrick and Esme agreed it was one of the most difficult pattern challenges they had ever set.  The fun history facts came early this week with Amber Buchart documenting the Parka’s early use by indigenous arctic peoples when it was made from sealskin or caribou for warmth when kayaking.  The ‘fishtail' element with drawstrings was added for the Korean war so US soldiers could tie each side around a leg for extra warmth.  After the war the Parka became a uniform for Mods in the 1960s and later for Oasis - who most of the Bees seemed to associate the coat with. 
​

It is that time in the series when, with fewer contestants left, we get to see more of the garments in detail and hear the judges' comments for each, and they are not holding back this year.  
On his first look at the coats on the mannequins Patrick remarked that ‘one or two might have been in a fight with a rocker on Brighton beach!’.  This was a complex make for the Bees and overall I thought they did well, but the judges were very picky.  ​

​Man Yee had some raw edges showing, Annie’s popper was not attached and her zip was ‘not great’, and Angela’s was described as ‘messy '.  Gill had chosen a very tricky fabric, and even using a walking foot and sellotape 😲 did not help her master this.  With her Parka being described as ‘lumpy and bumpy’ she found herself in last place.  Cristian’s neat and tidy work meant he came second, whilst Brogan's practically perfect in every way Parka won her first place. ​
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With Sara’s instruction to the Bees to ‘stand by your man...equins’ we were on to the transformation challenge, to make a country music stage outfit from second hand denim and checked shirts.  Oh and to make this even more special the contestants were also able to include fringing, rhinestones and studs.  Oh my what an amazing challenge!!  Clearly the thinking was the more Dolly Parton inspired the better.  So with an unearthed picture of Esme as Dolly and Patrick donning a cowboy hat the transformations got underway
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The sewists really let their imaginations run with this one and produced some amazing transformations, with some being more Dolly whilst others were more 9 to 5!.  There were godets, sequins, fringing and nipple stars(!) aplenty.  Cristian’s outfit was slightly reminiscent of a lampshade, whilst the dramatic arm length and embellishment on Man Yee’s jacket wouldn't have looked out of place in the Bowie Inspired made to measure. The judges felt both Angela’s and Annie’s transformations didn’t fully fulfil the brief whilst Debra’s was maybe more Taylor Swift than Dolly.  
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Brogan came second with her embellished mini skirt and halter style top but it was Gill who bounced back from final place in the previous round to win this challenge.  With her fringed and star embellished mini skirt and bikini style top, this outfit was perfect for a country icon like Dolly to wear on stage. 

Imaginations were taken to the next level in the made to measure challenge with outfits inspired by David Bowie.  The judges wanted the outfits to be fabulous, iconic and stylistically original, like Bowie himself.  What a spectacularly flamboyant catwalk this was going to be.  Esme was name dropping again with her story of sitting on a window sill to watch the Notting Hill Carnival with David Bowie; honestly what an amazing life this woman has had!!  I loved this challenge, from watching the montage of truly amazing Bowie outfits to seeing the individual interpretations of the Bees outfits. There was everything on offer, with inspiration taken from songs such as Rebel Rebel, Ashes to Ashes, Life on Mars, the Magic Dance from Labyrinth, Ziggy Stardust,Let’s Dance and of course Fashion.  This was my kind of theatrical made to measure.

The story of Gill making her practice outfit at home and the sequins shedding everywhere to the point that her dog had sparkly poop 🐕😱 is a reminder that sequins are not always the answer to everything!  Debra sewed one arm of her jacket inside out which meant her correction left the arm really tight, this was such a shame as she had created a beautiful trouser suit complete with ostrich feather cuffs.  Cristian’s one armed and one legged catsuit was topped with a dramatic cape, which was just as well as it covered a very ‘hungry bum’!! The big sleeves on Brogan’s dress were certainly dramatic, but the rest of the outfit failed to wow the judges.  It seems it wasn’t a good week for Man Yee and jackets as her Chinese patterned Blazer and skirt outfit didn’t work for the judges.​
Gill’s sequined lapelled dress was lovely but whilst Patric felt ‘the quality of the sewing is fabulous’ the fit was a bit off.  The winner of Garment of the Week was Annie with her beautiful electric blue double breasted coat dress which the judges said ‘had huge presence and felt very David Bowie’.  

Annie had said earlier in the challenge that she was ‘Under Pressure’ as her husband is a huge Bowie fan and she didn’t want to go home this week.  
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But her dress coat was rather more steampunk than Bowie-esque and, with her low finishes in the previous two rounds, she was unfortunately the sixth contestant to leave the sewing room. 

Stitch Sewcial members in the sewing bee chat felt this had been one of the best episodes of the series so far.  The sewists really are amazing and this weekly dose of sewing bee sunshine and Stitch Sewcial chat is truly a highlight of my week.  As always the fabulous Fold Line have pulled together pattern inspiration, hints and tips from this week's episode, if you fancy getting musical with your sewing.  

So that leaves us with six contestants for next week's sewing room challenges, which will all be themed around underwear.  So which of the sewists will be waving their knickers in the air and who will be curled up in the corner in comly pjs?? I can’t wait to find out.  Hope to see you there in the Stitch Sewcial Sewing Bee Chat 🐝
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GREAT BRITISH SEWING BEE SEASON 8: Ep 5

31/5/2022

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Hello Sailor, too cool for school and (Dr) Who the Dickens is that??
We are already halfway through this series of the Great British Sewing Bee…how on earth did this happen so quickly??!! 

​I already know I am going to miss this Wednesday night TV so much when it comes to the end, it really is proving to be one of the best series of the Bee so far, but then I may have said that last year too 😂. Anyway, I don’t want to think about it ending right now as there are still 5 episodes to go hurrah!!  


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So on to this week's episode and it was Children’s Week in the sewing room. 

For the pattern challenge the judges went nautical with a child’s sailor suit.  This challenge had several different sewing elements involved including a classic square sailor collar, elasticated shorts, ties, contrast trim on the collar and sleeve cuffs and snap fastenings. 

All this had to be completed in only 3 hours and 45 minutes. It was the contrast tape that seemed to cause the most difficulties for the contestants, it was very narrow and there were two rows to align just half a centimetre apart. With corners to turn this was no easy task.  


The snaps also proved difficult for some of the sewists and it was lovely to see them coming together as a group to work out how to attach them.  This may be a competition but the camaraderie and the support of fellow contestants is so lovely and always clear to see in the Sewing Bee 💓.

All the Bees produced a sailor suit which on the whole these were pretty good.. The judge issues were generally with the way the tape was attached and the corners turned.  Annie found herself in last place for choosing the wrong fabric (too bouncy for the turn ups) and for the waistband on her shorts not being tight enough which led to the trousers falling down. 

At this point Ellie, one of our
Stitch Sewcial members did make us laugh with her comment in the chat of ‘Imagine how thrilled a small boy would be with the ease of those loose trousers for a quick a wild wee or moony.  They’d think it hilarious’ 🤣🤣  


​Amber Butchart was back with a little bit of sewing history in this challenge. I really do love these snippets of historical facts, and this time we learnt that it was Queen Victoria who introduced a formal outfit for the Navy in the mid 19C so they would look like a ‘powerful and patriotic force’ - and so the square sailor collar was born. 

​Then in 1846 Queen Victoria had a miniature sailor’s outfit designed for her young son Bertie, which soon became a fashion staple for children’s wear and is still made today. This is a picture of me in my version back in the late 80s.  It made me feel very swish and sophisticated!!
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So with a ‘hello sailor’ it was Man Yee who won this challenge with her pale blue and navy sailor suit with white trim, which according to Esme looked ‘very sailorish’, the whole point of the challenge really!

​
Next up was the transformation challenge, or as Sara Pascoe termed it ‘‘it’s back to school but make it cool #sbuniformchallenge #sewcool’.

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​For their transformation this week the contestants were tasked with making outfits from old school uniforms that a child would want to wear outside of school. There were lots of different styles of outfits made although Marnie and Cristian both opted for their take on a hoodie. 

Unfortunately, Marine sewed in her zip upside down leaving her making some hasty alterations and ending up with a zip that had no stoppers at the top, However, Cristian scored a second place with his gilet hoodie which was considered ‘cool’ by Patrick.  Early on in the challenge Gill had said about her make ‘I know that Esme is not going to like these colours’ and unfortunately for her neither Patrick or Esme liked her tracksuit top and bottoms creation. 

Esme questioned if a child would actually want to wear them and Patrick retorted ‘I think there would be an argument’.  Consequently Gill found herself in last place for this challenge.   

Annie created a wrap style dress out of  two gingham dresses using the collars as a peplum and contrasting gingham on the diagonal, which received high praise from the judges. ​
Man Yee created contrasting legs dungarees with the letter A appliqued on the bib, which caused great hilarity when Esme said she thought the A stood for Anarchy, as this garment  was probably the least anarchic garment produced itn the challenge! 

Brogan’s dress unsurprisingly had frills and sparkle, while Debra was criticised for her make still looking like a school uniform. 

It was Angela who triumphed in first place with her red gingham top with gingham trimmed wide legged trousers. Esme said it was ‘really chic’ and  ‘I would definitely wear that’!


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And just like that we were on to the made to measure challenge for this week.  It felt somewhat out of sync for the time of year the programme was broadcast, as the contestants were asked to make spooky Halloween outfits incorporating a 3D element.  However the contestants again produced some amazing outfits.  I’ve said this already, but in my view the standard of the sewists this year is one of the best ever.

I loved the way some of the contestants really thought outside of sewing notions when considering how to incorporate the 3D element into their costumes, some were a real feat of engineering.  The judges wanted to really be amazed and spooked by the shapes and the design of the costumes, with Patrick saying ‘I wouldn't be surprised if one of them made an Esme Young costume which prompted the following sewing room fun!  Who do you think wore it best??

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There were some ingenious ideas used for making the 3D structure with Marnie choosing to use a water pipe to give the impression of her dark fairy levitating up the catwalk. 

Gill turned to plumbing and baking supplies with a sink plunger and whisk for her brilliant Dalek costume whilst  Brogan used an umbrella for her bat wings, and Cristian picked a hula hoop for his clown’s rotund body.  One thing we learnt this week was that Patrick can’t hula hoop! ​
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Annie’s amazing dragon had a 3D head and a hole through its nostrils, fortunately there was no fire breathing as Esme took up the dangerous sport of picking the dragon’s nose during her judging!!

No halloween party would be complete without a spider and this challenge had two, including a banana spider complete with fluffy yellow ringed legs. The costumes all looked fabulously spooky coming down the catwalk this week. 

​But, It was Debra with her simply amazing Miss Havisham outfit that stole the catwalk show.  Patrick described it as  ‘an absolute work of art’.  It was both spooky and stunning, and in my opinion, and that most of us in the
Stitch Sewcial chat, it quite rightly won the garment of the week.  


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Sadly Marnie’s dark fairy didn’t cast a spell over the judges and she was the 5th contestant to leave the sewing room.  Marnie had demonstrated some amazing sewing skills throughout the series and I was truly sorry to see her go, but again the standard this year is so high that these decisions for the judges are especially difficult this year. 

Don't forget there is a regular round up of Sewing Bee inspired patterns from the fabulous people at the Foldline each week,  and we will be back in the Stitch Sewcial facebook group as usual next week for more chat about all things Sewing Bee. 

Episode 6 next week is another first for the Sewing Bee as it will be music week, with Mod culture, country music and homages to David Bowie all making appearances on the main stage….sorry catwalk!!  

Right,  I’m off now to get ahead of Sara Pascoe and think of some sewing inspired songs….how about Celine Dion with ‘my Heart will Sew on’ …or Abba and ‘Sewing Queen’...or that Beatles classic ‘All you need is Thread’!!  

Can you tell  I’m really looking forward to this one!


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