The Great British Sewing Bee - season 3

Have you watched?
Wow, this season was loaded with the toughest sewing challenges ever! Looking back, the season 1 challenges seem so easy!
This time, besides the pattern challenge and the transformation challenge the contestants had a made-to measure challenge with models in every single episode. They had to work with slippery, sheer fabrics, lace and leather, they even had to sew a traditional, pleated Scottish kilt! Also the pattern challenges included more complicated designs, like a child's waistcoat or a boned corset.
Interestingly, there were more male contestants than in the previous seasons and two of them even made it to the top 3.
Who was your favorite? I think the most talented sewer was Neil, who's accuracy and not only neat, but also fast sewing paid off in most of the challenges.

episode 1
PC: women's trousers with an invisible zip
MM: summer dress


episode 2
PC: a child's waistcoat (fully lined and with welt pockets!)
MM: children's fancy-dress challenge


episode 3
back to the 50's, the contestants had to work with old-fashioned sewing machines
PC: the famous walk-away dress (with meters of bas binding)
MM: 50's blouse in sheer fabric


episode 4
PC: boned corset
MM: a traditional (Scottish) kilt



episode 5
PC: satin lined lace pencil skirt
MM: a leather jacket (in 6,5 hours!)



episode 6 
PC: asymmetrical japanese top, made from one pattern piece (no diagram suppied, only written instructions. This intricate pattern is published in the book 'drape drape' vol.2)
MM: an avant-garde dress


After the first and second season I thought I'd definitely be able to complete all of the challenges. This year? I really don't know. I guess the best is to stick to my Lessons learned from the Sewing Bee" I wrote back in 2013.

The great British Sewing Bee - season 2

Getting beck to sewing! Can't wait to start and finish (!) my 40's blouse project. in the meantime I almost missed season 2 of the Great British Sewing Bee!
I wrote coupe posts about the first season and learned my sewing lessons (read about it here)
This year they are back! The lovely judges, who are honest and supportive. Nice to see this in the world of uncountable reality-series where judges make sure that candidates have a hard time. And don't you love Patrick Grant in his elegant 3-piece suits?
Are they the best home sewers of Britain? I doubt it. I feel there is a huge difference in the sewing experience of the contestants. Some of them doesn't even know the basics (like never heard of 'understitching', or have no idea how pants are constructed) but it's always fun to watch. The most important thing, it makes me happy and motivates me to get behind the sewing machine!

The series are almost finished in Britain and not every episode is available online (yet), but here is a link to the first episode: back to basics!

The first episode tests the sewers on the three core fabrics in a dressmaker's cupboard: cotton, wool and silk. The surprise Pattern Challenge tasks the sewers with making a simple tunic top out of straightforward cotton. Some excel at producing the perfect top, some struggle to finish, and others cut corners - to their cost. In the Alteration Challenge the sewers demonstrate their ability to transform a plain high street woollen skirt in just 90 minutes, creating mini skirts with frills, pencil skirts with peplums, and dungarees. Finally, the sewers face the toughest of core fabrics when asked to fit a made-to-measure silk nightgown for a model.

The Great British Sewing Bee - episode 4 season 1 finale!

watch episode 1 here
watch episode 2 here
watch episode 3 here

Edit: For those who want to practice, here is a list of the Sewing Bee challenges:

A standard pattern in a standard size (without any adjustments)
- A-line skirt: 3,5 hours
- a pair of men's trousers: 4 hours
- child's dress (with shirring): 2,5 hours
- men's shirt: 4 hours
A self chosen pattern made for a model and adjusted to size:
- Made-for-measure dress: 7 hours
- Made-for-measure blouse: 6 hours
- Made-for-measure jacket:7,5 hours
- Made-for-measure evening dress: 8 hours

Lessons learned from the Sewing Bee

I watched the final episode of the Great British Sewing Bee yesterday.
I must say, I really liked the Sewing Bee series! Of course, the search for 'Britain's best home sewer' sounds unrealistic (especially when some contestants never inserted a zipper before or don't know in which direction the fly of a pair of men's pants should close) but it was so much fun to watch!

I loved that the jury talked for like 90% of the time very objective about the execution of the garments and there was no such thing as liking the chosen fabric, pattern or not. Though they mentioned if the choice of fabric wasn't right because of the fabric weight or patterns. But that was just what they observed. What you see is what you judge. There were no eccentric, theatrical contestants fighting all the time and picking on each other like in most reality series, no judges who try to 'strike a pose' and make the contestants cry. Everyone seemed to be very supportive. It was not about the 'show' but all about craftsmanship. I believe that watching the Sewing Bee make people thinking about why sewing your own clothes can be such a fulfilling hobby.

The winner is (not really surprisingly) Ann. Well, she deserves the best home seamstress award for sure! Amazing that she already was sewing in the 'make and mend' period! What she did so well during the episodes is working very precise and executing the tasks perfectly. She did take almost no risks but she new exactly what she could finish well within the given time frame. While everyone was aiming high, having trouble with finishing the garments in the right way or finishing at all, she did a great job on almost every item she made.

Watching the series made me think of my own sewing skills. Could I assemble an A-line skirt in one hour 3,5 hours or finish a pair of trousers in 8 hours 4 hours? Do I pay enough attention on seam finishing and top stitching? Could I make a jacket with the perfect details just like that? Here are the lessons I learned:

1. Work very, very neat! 
Start by measuring and cutting correctly and you are halfway there!
I personally hate tracing the patterns and cutting the fabric, but spending more time on that really pays off. (However I don't mind spending hours on seam finishing and everything else.)

2. Practice the perfect topstitching!
Don't we all started once by trying to sew straight lines on our grandma's sewing machine? Just try to make even, parallel rows. Seems so easy but it isn't. At the end of the day, a neat finish still gives a boost to your garment.

3. Practice difficult things like making a fly zipper.
Never using a fly zipper on your garments can't be an excuse! You never know when it comes handy...
watch episode 1 here
watch episode 2 here
watch episode 3 here
watch episode 4 here
Click here for a list of the Sewing Bee challenges.

The great British sewing bee - episode 3

Claudia Winkleman presents the semi-final. The four amateur sewers return to compete in three more challenges. Savile Row's Patrick Grant and sewing teacher May Martin set them a pattern for a child's dress which tests their ability to follow couture techniques on a miniature scale. In the alteration challenge they are asked to tailor a dress with precision and they create a made-to-measure jacket which must fit their model perfectly, after which one of them is asked to leave the Sewing Bee.



link to episode 1 here
link to episode 2 here

The Great British Sewing Bee - episode 2 (watch it here)

Yesss! Apparently there is someone, who manages to put the episodes on YouTube.
I shared the link to episode 1 here.

Episode 2 of 4
Claudia Winkleman hosts a series in which some of the country's best home sewers are tested on their sewing and dressmaking skills in order to be crowned best amateur sewer by judges May Martin of the Women's Institute and Savile Row's Patrick Grant.
In this edition, the six remaining contestants face three more challenges, including following a pattern for a pair of men's trousers. Tackling a fly fastening leaves most of the sewers baffled, but the second challenge - to add patch pockets to a high street skirt - produces some imaginative results.
Finally the sewers create a made-to-measure silk blouse for their model. The slippery fabric is too much for two competitors, and they are eliminated from the programme.

Great British Sewing Bee - episode 2 tonight on BBC2!

For all who have BBC 2, episode 2 of the Great British Sewing Bee contest airs tonight at 21.00 Central European Time! (GMT/UTC 20.00)
Trousers an slippery silk? I want to know everything about!

Episode 2 of 4
Claudia Winkleman hosts a series in which some of the country's best home sewers are tested on their sewing and dressmaking skills in order to be crowned best amateur sewer by judges May Martin of the Women's Institute and Savile Row's Patrick Grant.
In this edition, the six remaining contestants face three more challenges, including following a pattern for a pair of men's trousers. Tackling a fly fastening leaves most of the sewers baffled, but the second challenge - to add patch pockets to a high street skirt - produces some imaginative results.
Finally the sewers create a made-to-measure silk blouse for their model. The slippery fabric is too much for two competitors, and they are eliminated from the programme.

Update

Really, not much is happening right now and I feel guilty about it. We have a potential buyer for our old house, but the price is subject of a discussion. My BF has landed at the point of just sell it at any reasonable price, while I'm busy to figure out the details on how to play it right so at the end of the ay we lose the house and not gain any financial trouble. Pfff...
The constant thinking makes me tired and I feel like I'm not doing much with my free time either. Except cleaning the house and working my way through a huge pile of clothes that need to be washed and ironed. Boring, huh? I just keep thinking, like the past few days I could have make a muslin for the Alma blouse or could have finish some painting jobs or done tons of other USEFUL things in the new house but I just didn't feel like.
Yesterday was the first sunny day in weeks, so I took my running shoes out of the closet and went for a 7.5 km run. It was good and it made me feel better about myself. No matter how much I hate it but due to a period of low levels thyroid hormones I still can't get rid of the extra pounds and as a result I can't fit in all of my clothes. Of course, I guess, this is one of the reasons why I'm not starting any new sewing projects right now.
Anyway, this week is a new week, there are new chances! Getting ready to finish some walls today and to get rid of even more dust (which somehow just keep coming back...)

In the meanwhile I watch things on the tv and wonder why they don't have series like this here? The British home, cooking and craft series are top!
Here there is a lot of explanation of basic sewing terms, a bit of history and it just makes you want to sew perfect, with an eye for details. Worth of watching! Hopefully the next episodes will land on youTube as well!