The Great British Sewing Bee is back soon! (SPOILER ALERT)

shysal Me neither but I hope that programmes like these inspire people to make their own clothes and that kids are taught creatively in school in future as they are cookery.

Home economics (Domestic Science) was considered the poor relation subject in my school. You only did it if you were too dim for the Latin class! How ridiculous that is.

I was once told that the French choose the fabric first whereas the British choose the pattern which is why our inventiveness is dulled. Is that true?

Grammarettto, no I would never apply! I can follow a pattern but have no flair or originality whatsoever.

BlueBelle I only remember because I made a point of noting them when I was coming on here!

Claire is the 1940s girl who used the same material as Nicole (who is more original). That would have annoyed me!

The older lady is Therese. She is a bit erratic but can be inspired. I guess they are meant to be amateur.

My DD studied theatre costume and had to make garments to fit real people, including pantomime dames and Shakespeare actors -which had heavy wear. She refuses to watch the SB. She finds it too annoying.

WWM2

I didn’t realise that. I love that little girl’s dress. It reminds me that when the Sewing Bee started, it was the same time as the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

GD was at nursery school, and they were encouraged to wear patriotic colours to celebrate. Some little girls had expensive dresses, but our son bought a cheap one from Asda or somewhere. It looked very similar to the Sewing Bee one, and I am reminded of it every time that little girl twirls round at the start of the programme.

Ok checked it out should have done that first Nicole is the one I rate and Matt who makes the drag outfits

I love the programme although I can’t see for toffee and I really think some of the things they make are awful some are lovely though I can’t remembe4 all the names but the older lady seems to be moving in the right direction
I didn’t like the way the 1940 s lady ask to use the same material as the other lady who I rate a lot more than her
Sorry can’t remember any of their names that’s awful isn’t it

There is a great deal of hand finishing in proper haute couture garments - it can take ages to finish a garment as the inside should look as good as the outside - nothing overlocked, all French seams, silk linings and hand made buttonholes. I loved studying couture techniques but a couture garment is not something you can knock out in a couple of hours. The thing that annoys me about SB is not giving them enough time, and then the judges moaning about it not being finished, and then waxing lyrical about something that looks quite shoddy to me. If you want to see couture garments being made there is a Chanel YouTube video about the inside secrets of an atelier- it’s amazing the detail , hand beading etc.

calender that elegant older ladies little girls dress is used in the opening titles

Yes I think the time limit simply produces poorly finished garments which doesn’t do the sewer justice - or the garment for that matter.

Yes I’d like to see how couture garments are made. I suspect it is all about the fit. I do know that the Queens garments are made with one shoulder higher than the other (not sure how) because that’s how she is made. If you watch something like The Crown, and look at the clothes you can really tell the difference , between that and the Queens garments.

Well, I thought Ali was pretty good until this week when she was eliminated.

I really think no one stands out as the obvious winner, in the first series, an elegant older lady was the winner but she stood out as a marvellous sewer from episode one.

I would like to see what the insides of the garments are like as I don't think any of them are properly finished. Also I would like to see something simple such a skirt or shell top made using couture techniques, that would sort out the sheep from the goats.

Chewbacca it fitted well too. She hasn't that flair of originality to be able to win. IMHO Everything is based on her love of the retro look. She is technically good though and can cope with the pressure.
We will just have to wait and see.

The basque had a lot of fiddly, complicated pieces to put together and it was a struggle to get everything done properly in such a short space of time, but Clare made a superb job of it. I tip her to be the winner; she's careful and methodical.

* shysal* are you tempted to apply next time?

Genie10, the final garment each week is made from fabric and patterns the contestants have brought from home, hence the models' matching colours.
I love the show. I am a self-taught sewer and appreciate how difficult some of the tasks are in such limited time.

How did we rate it this week?
It is getting harder! I'm sure you'd need more that a few hours to make that corset thingy. What a strange garment to make anyway.

It reminded me of the kilt making on a previous series. It doesn't give the project or the contestants a chance to do it justice.
As for who's up for the final: I still think Nicole is in with a chance but look at Therese this week. She did well again.
If you wanted one of them to make you a wedding dress or something like that who would you choose? That's my question this week.
Is there another thread about this? I feel I'm talking to myself.

I think Ali, the paramedic and Claire? the 1940’s dresser seem pretty good. Also Therese, the lady with the long grey hair is great at certain things.

Not sure about Nicole. Yes, she did very well this week, but can she keep it up?

This year, no one stands out as so much better than others.

I think Nicole will be hard to beat unless she messes up.
The men who are left are all pretty good but there's not much between them. I am sad that we will lose the characters who are such good tele! Therese, Claire, Hazel? I can't remember them all by name.

Really enjoyed this weeks episode and I will never make a rugby shirt! It looked a bit tricky but the end results were very good considering they are time limited with their sewing.
Not sure I can spot a winner yet though...any thoughts?

What did you make of this week's offerings? Are you still watching? I actually love it. DD, who trained as a professional seamstress does not. It makes her wince.
I shudder at the time constraints and felt so sorry for the poor girl who went out this time. She was in tears but the sight of the rugby shirts lined up was impressive as were the tennis dresses but I can't remember what the transformation challenge was.

I once tried to make shirts for my boys with collars and cuffs and interfacing. By the time the first was finished he had outgrown it.

Good point genie10. I don’t know the answer.

Agree that (time-consuming) hand smocking is much nicer. I used to do this for my children when they were small.
I do wonder about how the show is actually shot though when the contestants are apparently choosing the fabric immediately before they begin to sew, yet the children modelling them a few hours later are wearing coordinating tee shirts and accessories?

Yes Luckygirl - I noticed that not all the dresses hung well.

Smocking on little girls’ dresses still looks as delightful on Princess Charlotte in this decade as it did when my daughters were young. The Sewing Bee contestants made some lovely garments.
When I made a smocked girl’s dress for “O”Level Needlework we didn’t have machines to do the decorative stitches of embroidery between the ruching, I did it by hand.
I don’t know what happened to the dress, sadly.

Armchair critic is my forte!