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The Great British Sewing Bee - General Discussion


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And once again, Farie doesn't finish a challenge. It's ridiculous that she hasn't finished so many challenges & yet has made it into the semi finals.

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4 hours ago, Corgi-ears said:

There have perhaps been a few too many transformation challenges this season where the raw material is simply "fabric" (sarongs, scarves, curtains).

I agree - I don't mind if they have one or two but it's only the eighth week and they've had at least three transformation challenges where they were essentially just given flat pieces of fabric. At least this week they were told that they had to make a kid's playsuit. I think with the scarf and sarong challenges, they were just told to make something which made it even more open ended! I'm not saying that the transformation challenges should be impossible (like the unconventional materials challenges on Project Runway) but "here's a piece of fabric, please make any type of clothing out of it" seems too easy.

13 hours ago, GaT said:

And once again, Farie doesn't finish a challenge. It's ridiculous that she hasn't finished so many challenges & yet has made it into the semi finals.

I get that she keeps redeeming herself with the made to measure challenge and that the judges only look at what the contestants have done that particular week to decide who to eliminate, but there has to come a point where you consult a mental list and say, "Gee, Farie has not finished her garment in X amount of challenges - maybe she needs to go home." They tend to be stricter about fulfilling the challenge requirements on this show than on others, which I like, and finishing a garment is part of every challenge. I understand that sometimes the contestants get too ambitious or run into an unforeseen problem (like Raph and the overlocker this week), but when someone is consistently not finishing their garments, that's a problem. It's really not fair to everyone else who IS finishing their garments because they made better choices regarding patterns, material, being honest with themselves about what they can accomplish in a given amount of time, etc.

Edited by ElectricBoogaloo
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I think there's a difference between not finishing a garment during a pattern challenge, and not doing so during a M2M (or a transformation) challenge.

During a pattern challenge, all the sewers are on a level playing field, making the same thing; presumably the pattern can be done in the stipulated time. So an unfinished garment should certainly bring up the rear. However, during a pattern challenge, I think it's fair to penalize someone for deviating from the pattern as much as someone who didn't finish. Damian has been a hoot, and I would be happy to have him continue to be on my screen. But this week, he himself admitted that he opted not to put an overlock zip into his Dirty Dancing dress because it was a new technique, and learning it would probably mean he wouldn't finish his dress. (As Farie didn't.) So there's clearly an argument to be made that when someone deviates from the pattern or instructions, they are also "not finishing" the garment.

With a M2M challenge, part of the process and what the sewers are being assessed on is whether they have a good understanding of their design or pattern, the time and effort it would take to execute it, etc. So when a sewer doesn't finish a M2M, then it should weigh more heavily against them, since it suggests that their sewing knowledge isn't as strong as it should be. And if memory serves, Farie has mostly finished her M2Ms, and even won garments of the week with them.

Edited by Corgi-ears
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If I recall correctly, Farie did not finish her first 2-3 M2Ms, then went on a three week winning streak.

I knew either Farie or Damien were going next, but I was rooting for Damien to have a good week, as I find him very entertaining. He had a great sense of humor, good attitude, and played well off the host well and other contestants. Alas, he had a really bad week. I bet he and his friends are having a whale of a time watching the show.    

 

 

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S7.E9: 40s Week (Semi-Final)

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Attempting to revive both the glamorous and thrifty styles of the decade, they tackle its most elegant and innovative garments.

First up, judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young challenge the sewers to make the decade’s most famous trousers, Oxford bags, perfect for dancing the jitterbug and swing, but tricky to make. Creating the perfect trouser involves grappling with oversized pattern pieces, fly zips and a waistband with pleats to make room for the extra-wide legs.

For the Transformation Challenge, it’s time to take a leap of faith, as the sewers are set a wartime task to turn old parachutes into glamorous dresses.

In the Made to Measure challenge, the sewers take on their final icon of 1940s fashion, Dior’s New Look. Characterised by an hourglass silhouette and involving masses of fabric, this style means each sewer must exaggerate their model’s figure to create the iconic shape. Who will sew their way to victory and win Garment of the Week, and for whom will 40s week signal the end of an era, as they become the ninth sewer to wave goodbye to the Great British Sewing Bee?

Original air date: 6/9/21

Edited by ElectricBoogaloo
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Wow, I was ready to lose my mind if Rebecca got eliminated instead of Farie. I can't believe she didn't finish a pattern challenge. AGAIN.

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I loved hearing the history of these pants!

Rebecca is lucky that Esme told her that she'd forgotten to add the fly guard.

Raph's pants looked nice. The only thing I noticed was that the waistband wasn't perfectly lined up at the hook and bar.

I thought Serena would win because her only error was where she pressed it, which technically isn't an issue with the sewing.

Of course Farie didn't finish again. Between her not finishing so often and Damien frequently ignoring the directions, I kind of wish they would institute a three strikes and you're out rule.

It's nice that they were given so much material for the parachute transformation challenge, but I thought they were going to end up using so much of their 90 minutes ripping it apart. I was glad that they were told to use as much fabric as possible because I didn't want to see them get all this fabric and then see a bunch of boob tubes and mini skirts.

Raph was really ambitious to hand sew a wedding dress. I wish the skirt had been longer because the short length made it look more casual, which was incongruous with the huge train. But I appreciate that it was clear he had used a TON of fabric. He put a lot of effort into pleating the bodice but I agreed with Esme that it could end up giving an unflattering look to the boob area.

The best thing about Farie's evening gown was the purple color she got from Raph. That alone gave it major impact. The actual design of it was weak for me. In theory, it was cool that she used the cording from the parachute for the back, but in reality that would make it the biggest pain in the ass to get in and out of the dress. I didn't love how much of the abdomen was exposed and I thought the pale pink skirt didn't go well. I think if it had been much paler pink or much brighter pink, it would have looked better with the purple. I know she didn't have much choice in the color since she ended up with the pink parachute, but the fact that she ended up with so much purple from Raph's means she could have found a solution to that pink skirt.

I had such mixed feelings about Rebecca's dress because I liked the silhouette and the little gathers on the bodice, but the combination of orange, mustard, and brown was so ugly to me.

I loved Serena's dress. It was the only one that looked like a real red carpet dress, not something upcycled. That design would have looked great in any of the other colors if she had ended up with one of the other parachutes.

Ooh, Christian Dior's New Look! I was so excited to see what the contestants made for this challenge.

Raph's sheer white top and full skirt was great. The black belt accentuating the waist was a great contrast.

When Farie described what she was going to make and showed her fabric, I thought...really? But since she's pulled so many last minute miracles out of her ass in the made to measure challenges, I gave her the benefit of the doubt.  Unfortunately, that didn't happen this time. The fabric, the pattern, and the fit were all bad choices. The fact that she had to rip out some of her sewing just to get her model into the dress is a pretty bad sign. You did a fitting! Why was the dress so tight that she couldn't get into it?! Satin shows every wrinkle and pucker so although I loved the bright red color, the fabric itself made all of her fit and sewing issues very apparent. She could have used a red fabric that wasn't shiny satin. Her hems were awful and OF COURSE she didn't finish again.

Serena's red peplum jacket and black pants were quintessential New Look. I loved how she made the sleeves the same length as the hem. Between Serena and Raph, I gave the edge to Serena because the tailoring of the jacket was impeccable.

Rebecca's outfit was very New Look but I could not overlook all the construction issues. Because she didn't sew the buttons on correctly, the peplum was at least an inch lower on one side and the waistband didn't match up. I agreed that the floral fabric was not the best choice.

Of the four finalists, Serena and Raph have been consistently good throughout the competition while Farie and Rebecca have had issues throughout the competition. When I look at what was made for the three challenges this week, Serena and Raph's garments are noticeably better and then there's a noticeable gap before what Rebecca and Farie made.

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Not finishing is for sure a problem, but Damien didn't follow directions because he didn't know the techniques. IMO, that is worse in a competition like this where technique is vital. But someone who works like Farie just isn't a good fit for a competition show. Running at her own pace, I'll bet she could produce great looking items.

The missing zipper guard seemed very scripted to me.

I didn't like Rebecca's Dior look at all. Nothing about it said Dior, especially the floral fabric mixed with a solid. It wasn't well made either, which was surprising.

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2 hours ago, Deskisamess said:

The missing zipper guard seemed very scripted to me.

I wondered if they wanted to make sure Rebecca didn't have such a glaring problem because they wanted to be sure Farie would clearly be last.... [/conspiracy_theory] 

I really liked Farie but she is not a good fit (pun intended!) for timed competition sewing at all.

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4 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I loved hearing the history of these pants!

Big Same! I'm a lindy hopper, writing a mystery set in the 1940s, and I'm thinking about making a similar pair! It was very serendipitous for me!

Count me in the minority, but I didn't LOVE Raph's made to measure. In fact, all of them, except the winning one, were only okay. Serena turned that jacket tf out and it deserved to win.

Serena really did well this week: I loved her alteration and her made to measure. It'll be interesting to see who pulls it off next week, but I think she'll win. It's not as ridiculously clear as it was for last series lmao 

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Serena's outfit was immaculate, but for some reason I am rooting for Raph. I guess I have found his looks more interesting. Between the two, the best on day deserves to win next week.

Wow, that was some incredibly vigorous dancing the kids used to do. Thank god the style moved onto just shimmying about a bit by the time I got to the clubs! 

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I do like that Raph seems to come up with unusual color and/or fabric combinations and design ideas, but I'll be happy with either him or Serena winning. Rebecca is okay, but I feel the other two have been much better and more consistent over the series.

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SEASON FINALE!

S7.E10

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The Great British Sewing Bee reaches its dramatic denouement, as the three finalists compete for the title of Britain’s best amateur sewer, taking on a trio of challenges for special occasions. Bringing together a range of advanced sewing skills, from couture techniques to the handling of delicate luxury fabrics, perfecting occasion wear is a pinnacle for any home sewer. Judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young start by challenging the sewers to make a little girl’s bridesmaid dress packed with complex elements including puff sleeves, a lined bodice and a bound buttonhole.

Next, it’s the sewers’ final chance to show off their instinct for design in the Transformation Challenge. They attempt to turn homeware items such as cushions, bead curtains and table cloths into dramatic and fun outfits fit to wear at a summer festival.

Lastly, for the most important Made to Measure challenge of the competition, the sewers attempt to construct and fit glamorous off-the-shoulder evening gowns for their models. Creating a unique, red-carpet-worthy gown using yards of luxury fabric is a feat of daring construction and requires their most precise sewing yet. Once the final stitch is in place and the catwalk is over, the judges will make their decision and crown this year’s winner.

Original air date: 6/16/21

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I am very satisfied with the outcome.  Raph's friend/model for the made to measure...  you don't say those things out loud in front of a camera!  Think them, sure! Not a good look.  

I thought Patrick and Esme were being very generous with the comments for Rebecca (which is partly why I like these shows - they are supportive, not mean-spirited) but Serena and Raph made riskier choices and were several levels of difficulty ahead of her.

Can't wait for the next season!

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Serena deserved the win, her final look was flawless, although perhaps a touch TOO close to Villanelle's dress.

When Raph said Kate Bush was his inspiration, I was rooting for it to be spectacular. Hounds of Love is still one of my favorite albums. I don't think the finished piece translated well on video. I'm starting to think that shiny fabric doesn't, cuz when Raph did that gold number earlier it also looked a bit flat. Anyway, love him and for only sewing for four months, he did amazing. I bet his career working on films will expand from this.

I wonder if Esme or Patrick will offer Serena some kind of job. Speaking of, I could not love Patrick and Esme more. Joe is great too, and I am surprised that on the British forum, most people don't care for him.  

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29 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

Joe is great too, and I am surprised that on the British forum, most people don't care for him

I think Joe builds a great relationship with the contestants! They clearly adore him, even when he's bugging them and they're trying to sew. 

The right person one, and I loved Serena's finale dress. That bright yellow, and all the tulle!

I also adored that little bridesmaid dress (even though I totally think it's more flower girl) I'm gonna hunt down the stuff they used on the hem to stiffen it.

This was a great group of sewers. I'm gonna miss them.

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Apparently Patrick is going to be on the upcoming season of Celebrity Master UK! I am totally watching that and rooting for him! I'm sure he is just as delightful in a cookery context!

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Ha, when they said the pattern challenge was a bridesmaid dress, I temporarily forgot that in England that means a little girl aka what we would call a flower girl in the United States (here a bridesmaid is a friend of the bride who is usually pretty close in age to the bride).

Rebecca's fabric choice of duchess satin had some pros and cons. On the one hand, it's a stiffer material which can be helpful for things like the poofy sleeves. But, like most other satin materials, it can show creases, wrinkles, seam holes if you rip the thread out, etc. Her dress have me a very Alice in Wonderland feel due to the light blue color with the white waistband.

Raph's purple taffeta dress was pretty good, but he definitely made a mistake sewing all three layers together in one go. I know he thought he was being efficient but that's why it bubbled up. I did feel bad about his issue with the button hole. If you've never tried making one of those bound button holes with that particular fabric before, you're just at the mercy of fate. It frayed and he didn't have a lot of choices at that point.

Serena's blue taffeta dress looked pretty good aside from the button hole issue. The floral lining was a cute choice. She was smart to realize her mistake, rip out the seams, and stitch in the ditch correctly. Congratulations on winning an amazing SIXTH pattern challenge!

I was laughing at the explanation for the transformation challenge. If you can afford to go to Coachella, you are buying outfits well in advance, not scrambling around the house for curtains to rip apart for a new outfit.

Although Rebecca's silver outfit looked like something that might be worn at a festival, it looked like the cheapest version of what someone might wear to a festival aka "I bought a garbage fast fashion top and skirt that barely cover my bits from the clearance rack at the back of Forever 21 for $5." I guess for that reason I should give it some points for realism? But it was just so cheap looking and not very well made in addition to being very simplistic in design. The top portion of the skirt was way too short!

Raph's outfit was very colorful. The top with the pailettes and sequins looked more like a 90s rave top than a festival outfit. I give him credit for making so many pieces though - he made a top, bike shorts, a headband, and a bag. Raph gets bonus points just because Patrick put on that crazy headband.

Serena's was by far the most realistic version of something I've seen. This was like a first year Burning Man outfit. Between the mermaid fabric, the laced up halter top, and the split side pants with the metallic party hearts hanging down the side, this had the right amount of shiny/sparkly vibe combined with the right amount of competent homemade craftiness.

Ooh, strapless evening dresses!

Raph's Kate Bush Wuthering Heights inspired dress was a very specific concept, but I wish he had chosen a different fabric. I liked the red color, but the lamé cheapened it a bit. I also didn't like how stiff the skirt was. The lace up bit in the back meant that he didn't have to fit it perfectly (I say this as someone who has bought a lot of Burning Man type costumes with a similar faux corsetry which allows you to customize the fit to a range of body sizes). I liked all the pleating but overall this was a very unflattering shape (and not just on this particular model - it would make even a size 00 runway model look like she had no waist). The big bows on each side of the hips didn't help in that regard.

I haaaaaaate neoprene, partly because it doesn't breathe well which means the poor model will be sweating like crazy, and partly because it's kind of a cheat to use since you don't have to be as precise with fitting it to the model due to its stretchiness. I also didn't like the big floral print which looked very dated to me. I liked the flounce and the godet train, but I wasn't crazy about the bodice. I think if she had used a different fabric/print, I would have liked it better overall, but using that big floral print made it lean more towards casual summer dress from the 90s.

Serena's Killing Eve inspired dress looked deceptively simple but I appreciate how much work it took to create all that volume. The fact that she put boning into the bodice which you could not see beneath that big ruffled top showed her attention to detail and her desire to make everything right. The bright yellow color was a very bold choice.

Awwww, I'm sad that they didn't keep the eliminated contestants holed up in a hotel nearby so that they could continue quarantining and be at the finale. I'm glad that they got them all to zoom in to watch. I've been rooting for Serena so I was excited that she won. Looking back at her overall record for the season, knowing that she came into the finale winning 5 pattern challenges, 2 transformation challenges, and 1 garment of the week shows how consistent she's been. Raph was pretty close behind with 4 pattern challenge wins and 3 garment of the week wins.

I always love seeing what everyone is up to now (thank you for reminding me that Cathryn's into Stormzy, show!).

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53 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

little girl aka what we would call a flower girl in the United States (here a bridesmaid is a friend of the bride who is usually pretty close in age to the bride).

LMAAAOOO OF COURSE IT DOES

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58 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Ha, when they said the pattern challenge was a bridesmaid dress, I temporarily forgot that in England that means a little girl aka what we would call a flower girl in the United States (here a bridesmaid is a friend of the bride who is usually pretty close in age to the bride).

 

Flower girls are usually in addition to adult bridesmaids in UK/Irish weddings.  Not instead of. 

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(edited)

I had zero flower girls/children in my wedding. As cute as it is to see little girls all dressed up, when my aunt got married she had my sister and my cousin as the flower girls. They had just turned 4 so they were excited about wearing pretty dresses and flower crowns. They were fine at the rehearsal but when it came time for the actual wedding, they refused to walk down the aisle. I ended up having to walk with them the entire way. Neither of them remembered to throw any petals either.

  

8 minutes ago, Ceindreadh said:

Flower girls are usually in addition to adult bridesmaids in UK/Irish weddings.  Not instead of. 

My entire experience with British weddings has been seeing pictures of Kate and Meghan with a gaggle of little girls as bridesmaids. In the United States, you usually have 1 maid of honor (usually the bride's sister or best friend), 1-5 bridesmaids (depending on how large the wedding is) who are around the bride's age (usually sisters, friends, cousins), and 1 flower girl.

Edited by ElectricBoogaloo
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No surprise Serena won, she's been the obvious choice for a while, though I have to say, I did not like that yellow dress at all. I don't want to look like Big Bird.

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I've been rewatching some of the old seasons. Then today an episode of Little House came on, the one where Nellie marries Percival. She had a huge pink bow on the back of her hair that Esme would just love.

 

 

C0E9BB34-8F79-438F-9D90-E109E99033F6.jpeg

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As @TVbitch has already mentioned, Patrick will be on Celebrity Masterchef this year. His episode will air next Monday (August 16th) at 9 on BBC one. He will cook against Loose Women's Penny Lancaster, reality TV star Megan McKenna, TV presenter Melanie Sykes, and comedian Nabil Abdulrashid.

Any chance we can get Esme on Strictly? She can make her own costumes :-)

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Quote
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 I'm gonna hunt down the stuff they used on the hem to stiffen it.

I made my daughter's wedding dress and used crinoline in the hem.  It's awesome.  It used to be made of horse hair which is probably still available.  It's also used in making hats.

 

 

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There is a holiday/celebrity special of Sewing Bee out:

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Episode 1: New host Sara Pascoe welcomes celebrity sewers the Rev Kate Bottley, Antony Cotton, Kiell Smith-Bynoe and Anneka Rice to a Christmas Sewing Bee extravaganza.

Episode 2: Sara Pascoe celebrates the new year by inviting Lawrence Chaney, Rose Matafeo, Claire Richards and Kirsty Wark into the Sewing Room to try their hand at creating party clothes.

Episode 1 is already available on the iPlayer for UK viewers, the rest of you should check your usual sources. The second episode will air on Thursday.

Edited by Aulty
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Watched both episodes and I am not that keen on Sarah Pascoe has the new host, I am afraid. Maybe she can convince me with the regular show.

The 2nd episode has Patrick and Esme dressed up and dancing as cheese and wine.

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11 hours ago, Aulty said:

Watched both episodes and I am not that keen on Sarah Pascoe has the new host, I am afraid. Maybe she can convince me with the regular show.

The 2nd episode has Patrick and Esme dressed up and dancing as cheese and wine.

It also has Patrick in a kilt. 

You're welcome!

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Patrick and Esme dancing to Gloria dressed as a bottle of wine and cheese was totally delightful. Patrick has moves!

I miss Joe so much. He just had tons of chemistry with Patrick and Esme, and was so playful and off the cuff with the sewers. He frequently cracked P&E up, which I loved. I guess we can't expect the new host to be such a perfect fit, but I really miss what Joe added. 

PS. Lawrence Chaney was robbed!

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So glad this show is back. I'm going to wait & see how I feel about people because I'm sure first episode nerves were in play, but boy, those transformation tops were not good. I also don't like Brogan, she makes me think of Molly Yeh & that whole girl on the farm crap. I'm sure nobody is surprised by who was eliminated.

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4 hours ago, GaT said:

... but boy, those transformation tops were not good.

You are very kind there.
With athleisure very much on trend at the moment, people would be better off wearing the track suit tops than any of the transformed items. And I've seen enough people going to parties in track suit bottoms in my life. Mitch's was actually my favourite - and I am sure grunge girl from a couple of series ago would agree.

Great choice of pattern for the first challenge, and a lot of very strong pieces.

I will never understand the appeal of organza frabric.

Edited by Aulty
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The new host is pleasantly unobtrusive, but I miss Joe. 

I just got around to watching The Big Painting Challenge and I swear mentor Pascal Anson could be Patrick's Grant's "separated at birth"

image.png.0522f2f9195ce1589cc669a2284f2a1b.png

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Sports week was a pretty decent episode. Although I don't think there was much value in shoes as a pattern challenge, it was interesting to see that you can buy the rubber soles and have a go at making your own.
The sowing the tops to the soles looked a bit flimsy all around. I didn't catch what kind of stitch they used, but I think you'd usually use a saddle stitch and very strong yarns.

Great that they went with netball gear for the transformation challenge. They even ended up with a couple of decent shirts.

Best part was the final challenge.. Great to see them inspired by a very diverse set of athletes. Shame about the second Tom Daly look being far too small, because the elements where really well thought through. Overall some very very pretty and strong pieces. Marni's was amazing.

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Finally got to watch the sport episode. So many people just hanging on, I'm not sure that the level of skill is as high as in the past.

During the trainer challenge, I noticed that everyone they showed putting in the eyelets had to use two hands & were struggling. How did Gill manage them? Did someone help her?

I always wonder who makes the face masks, the models all have one, but it's never mentioned & they always match the outfit.

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On 5/7/2022 at 7:31 AM, GaT said:

How did Gill manage them? Did someone help her?

Looked like she did it herself. They showed her using the table as leverage and pushing down on the punch tool with her hand. 

 

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Esme really is a tiny premium bundle of surprises, isn't she? So she made the shirts for Leonardo DiCaprio in Romeo and Juliet? I've never been a LdC fan myself but I remember that we got dragged to the cinema in school and some girls going completely mental over him. Following that nugget of information I checked out her IMDB and she worked on another DiCaprio movie, The Beach.

Every time they showed Richy he had this look of impending doom on his face. Can't disagree with him being sent home, I am afraid, even though someone else had a complete disaster in the pattern challenge.

Again, a lot of very nice Made to Measure pieces.

Probably wasn't your favourite episode @GaT with so much focus on Brogan 😉. She isn't my cup of tea either, but she's a decent sewer, no arguing about that, and had a great week. It probably helps that she has a very modelly model for the MtMs.

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