The Great British Sewing Bee - General Discussion

[TVbitch]

Agree that Patrick and Esme are the judging holy grail.

Loving the pretty dresses. Thought Damien was gonna be the easy first out doofus guy, but he's really come around, so now I'm rooting for him. His dresses have been particularly lovely on his model.  

 

[allonsyalice]

10 hours ago, TVbitch said:

Thought Damien was gonna be the easy first out doofus guy

Damien really seems like a typical frat bro who just...took up sewing one day. It's a strange combo 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Rule #1 for the pattern challenge: READ THE DIRECTIONS! This is the sewing bee equivalent of TAR's "always read the clue." Yet somehow, most of the contestants did the cuff of the shorts incorrectly because they didn't read the damn instructions. Damien should have read the pattern instructions multiple times to make sure he didn't make the same mistake as last week. Serena, when Patrick asks if you did something according to the instructions, IT IS A SIGN THAT YOU DID NOT.

Andrew's orange shorts were very bright and summery. He handled a lot of the details well. The point of his belt was so pointy! When he said he was a bell ringer, I thought he meant in a hand bell choir. I didn't think he was pulling the rope for a giant bell!

Serena's blue patterned shorts were nice and she pattern matched really well. I wish she'd redone the cuffs correctly.

Farie's orange shorts looked a bit saggy which  I think may have been due to the fabric. The droopy belt just added to the overall sad appearance.

Cathryn's turquoise paisley shorts were fun, but I agreed with Patrick about the belt not being perfect.

Adam's sailboat shorts were so summery. I loved the blue and orangish red colors. The paper bag part of the shorts looked messy though.

I liked Jean's tropical fabric, but her pockets were a disaster and her cuffs were noticeably smaller than everyone else's from a distance.

Lawratu's denimish shorts were a bit too dark and serious for me. And she was in the wrong cuff club.

Adeena's red patterned shorts were cute but I had to laugh when Patrick said that one pocket was backwards.

Rebecca's floral shorts were very 80s to me. Eek, when Esme revealed the pockets weren't attached at the top, I thought she was in trouble. I'm glad she was one of the few people who realized she had done the cuff wrong and redid it (even though it meant they were shorter than they should have been).

I really disliked the red floral fabric that Damien used for his shorts. They didn't seem the right pattern for shorts. I was shaking my head when Esme pointed the cuffs and asked if he had read the instructions. His answer just made me shake my head even more: "I did, but not properly."

I loved the graphic turquoise and yellow fabric that Raph chose. It made the lines of his shorts look very sharp and clean. And thank goodness he fixed the cuffs!

[akr]

3 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Rule #1 for the pattern challenge: READ THE DIRECTIONS! This is the sewing bee equivalent of TAR's "always read the clue." Yet somehow, most of the contestants did the cuff of the shorts incorrectly

I think this is pretty clear evidence that the instructions were very hard to follow. You'd probably need a diagram (or a lot more time to work it out, probably including making multiple attempts at drawing one yourself).  Sometimes the assignment is badly drafted; when everyone fails, I blame whoever it is who designed the challenge.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

7 hours ago, akr said:

I think this is pretty clear evidence that the instructions were very hard to follow. You'd probably need a diagram (or a lot more time to work it out, probably including making multiple attempts at drawing one yourself).  Sometimes the assignment is badly drafted; when everyone fails, I blame whoever it is who designed the challenge.

But not everyone failed so I think the mistake was that too many of them either skimmed the directions without reading the details or just saw that they had to make a cuff and did it the way they normally would (similar mistakes have been made on GBBO when the bakers either didn't read the instructions carefully or said they knew how to make XYZ and just did what they knew from their previous experience making it).

Several of them followed the directions correctly the first time. Of the contestants who did the cuffs incorrectly, a few of them realized their mistake, undid their original cuffs, and followed the instructions correctly.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I loved the bright colors and prints of the board shorts in the transformation challenge. It reminded me how much I HATE designers on Project Runway who only use black or don't work with prints. I wish they would have a challenge like this where they were forced to use color and prints!

I didn't understand why the judges loved Adam's dress so much. I thought it looked like a mess. I didn't like the way the top of the halter top was clearly a repurposed piece of clothing with the off kilter square. The small white section near the waist made the dress seem like it was coming apart. The foofy skirt in the front looked like a mistake and didn't go with the snugger black and white section on the sides and in the back. It looked like what it was: a bunch of board shorts ripped apart and Frankensteined together into a mishmash of a dress. I could not believe that he won. I did agree that the colors of the different shorts looked good together.

Andrew's orange top was bordering on good but there was just way too much going on. I liked the way he made the sleeves out of the mesh and I liked the shape of the top. I understand why he chose the striped orange shorts for the skirt, but it didn't feel cohesive with the top.

Lawratru's ombre shorts were such a beautiful fabric that I was excited to see what she would do with it. Unfortunately, the end result wasn't great. The top was okay but nothing exciting, so she really needed something to balance that out on the bottom. The plain red skirt didn't fit the bill. And that random swath of fabric draped diagonally across the middle looked like a mistake.

Serena's turquoise and green floral print dress was hands down my favorite. It had a nice silhouette, it looked totally wearable, and best of all, you couldn't tell that it was made of upcycled shorts. The placement of the existing pockets was great (unlike some other people who decided to have them right across the chest), and I loved that she used the lace up/velcro section of the shorts as the way to get in and out of the dress and make it fitted. Really smart choices. Also really impressive that she used only two prints on the front.

Damien's tube dress was basic but okay. I loathed that he left the back pocket smack dab in the middle of the chest. Not only was it impractical but the top of the pocket started mid-boob. Just awful. The beaded fringe he added was a terrible choice. I'm really beginning to question his taste level.

Raph's print went really well with the lighter shade of turquoise and lime. I was confused by the lime wings coming out of the butt though.

Jean's top was impractical and not cute. As the judges pointed out, you wouldn't be able to lift your arms higher than your elbows which is a problem (and how would you even get it on?). It looked like she just cut the patterned board shorts, sewed an insert in the middle, and was done with the whole thing.

Farie's purple, pink, and yellow outfit was interesting. I appreciated how she tried to really work with what was already there, but it looked a bit like a kid tried to make a costume.

Rebecca's tube top was such a nothing piece that she would have been better off not including it and just having the skirt. The skirt was bit lumpy but I appreciated the ambition to create a long asymmetric skirt with such a limited amount of fabric.

Cathryn's brown and blue star top was middle of the road. It wasn't totally awful but it still had some issues.

I liked the colors of Adeena's shorts. Using that pink and white striped ribbon really helped make it look neater.

I was shocked that Adam won this challenge. I was surprised that Andrew was second to last. They thought his was worse than Jean's?

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I liked that this week's made to measure challenge was a bit open to interpretation. The only real requirement seemed to be that the dress have buttons down the front, which gave the contestants a lot of room to make something in their style.

Damine's green leaf print was just the right amount of color and graphics. I wasn't crazy about the silhouette though. I thought he should have had more of contrast in the high/low skirt. I was impressed that he made all of those buttons out of coconuts though!

The issue I had with Lawratu's yellow dress was that it was SO fitted to her model's body that the buttons appeared to be pulling. I don't think it was too tight, mind you. She did a pretty good job fitting the dress to her model. It's just that when the fabric wrinkles horizontally where the buttons are, it makes the dress look like it's too tight (I say this as someone who had a dress that did this even though it was NOT too tight).

I loved everything about Adam's polka dot dress - the fabric, the red buttons, the style, the shape, and the fit.

Serena's pale pink dress disappointed me because she did so well in the transformation challenge and this was just kind of blah in every way from the boring color to the dated style. I agreed with Esme that the fit could have been better.

I wanted to like Andrew's dress but as he knew when he was making the dress, the belt didn't match where the waist of the dress was. Visually that created an issue and it ended up making his model look a bit frumpy. I liked the dress style and the contrasting fabric.

Cathryn's dress was so ill fitting. I guess she should get points for pattern matching the back seam but as Patrick pointed out, maybe if she hadn't spent so much time on the pattern matching then she would have had time to sew on all her buttons.

Rebecca's pink dress was a bit plain in the style, so I liked that she added the detail on the sleeves. The color was a bit too close to her model's skin tone which was unfortunate, and the fit could have been better.

Raph's dip dyed dress with anchors was so cute and summery. Loved the pockets! I agreed with Patrick that the dress would have looked better if it had been pulled up about two inches.

Farie's waxed print was so bright and bold. Her pattern matching down the front was almost perfect too. But FIVE missing buttons? Especially after she had issues finishing her made to measure last week!

I loved the print that Jean chose. It was a riot of colors that looked so cheerful. I also liked the style of dress she chose. It looked very summery and comfy. The skirt had great movement, but the uneven hem was pretty bad. I didn't notice the two issues that Patrick pointed out from a distance but once they zoomed in and I could see that the waist seams were uneven on the right and the left and that she had sewn the buttons WAY too far from the edge of the fabric, I agreed.

I really didn't like Adeen's fabric because it made me feel like I was seeing double (and not in a good way. I liked the shape of the dress but I agreed that the pin tucks were unnecessary. I thought the fold down flap was also very unnecessary and made the dress look like it was unfinished or that the model had forgotten to fasten the top button. She definitely gets points for drafting her own pattern and for putting the buttons on the side to make her dress stand out from everyone else's.

I think Farie scraped by this week because Jean made so many mistakes with her made to measure.

I was surprised that Adeena won garment of the week because it wasn't my favorite dress, but I agree that it was well made.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S3 IG accounts:

Adam

Adeena

Andrew

Cathryn

Damien

Farie

Jean

Julie

Lawratu

Raph

Rebecca

Serena

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S7.E3

Quote

The ten remaining home sewers return to the nation’s most famous sewing room for gent’s classics week. In a gentle first test of tailoring, judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young kick off the Pattern Challenge with a Sewing Bee first - a baker boy cap. The cap requires perfect symmetry in its construction, a supporting brim and a snug fit to get that full Peaky Blinders look.

Next, in the Transformation Challenge, they have just 90 minutes to smarten up and convert secondhand men’s jackets and blazers into a garment for a woman.

Finally, for the Made to Measure challenge the sewers must make a casual utility jacket, which should have a relaxed fit and include at least three pockets. Who will make something for the perfect gent and win Garment of the Week, and who will become the third sewer to leave the Great British Sewing Bee?

Original air date: 4/28/21

[allonsyalice]

I'm so excited for this weeks episode! I can't want to see how they'll handle menswear!

[Aulty]

Sometimes I wonder what came first - the challenge or the perfect oldie song for a challenge.

Loved the cap and especially the jacket challenges. I don't know about you guys, but when I think of sewing and fashion design I think of dresses and shirts and maybe coats, but not utility jackets, so it was a great reminder of what goes into making a great and durable workwear. I also enjoyed the contestants being able to quickly come up with solutions to various problems - with extra panels and open zips. And they faired a lot better with menswear than your average Project Runway contestant (I'll never forget that stripper challenge, what a mess)

[allonsyalice]

57 minutes ago, Aulty said:

perfect oldie song

Perfect oldie song 100%. They're scrolling through spotify. "He's so fine"? Menswear challenge. "A Smile and a Ribbon"? Dresses! (and of course, they upload every episode's soundtrack on spotify!)

I definitely want to make a bakers cap now, they're very cute! I loved seeing the made to measure as well, and it's exciting knowing there's a women's jacket MTM challenge coming up too. I only sew for myself, so utility jackets are probably the last thing in the world that I'd sew.

One of my favourite things about this show is seeing the pure creativity that the contestants have. Look at the pattern challenge, they were so creative in their uses of colours and patterns, and always the same in the made to measure. I love seeing them have the same brief and go in so many different directions 

[TVbitch]

Damien's model was serving full on Blue Steel! : D

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I've never seen a hat made before so the pattern challenge was really interesting to watch. I recently saw that Peaky Binders is currently filming its final season so the hats just reminded me that I can't wait to see it! I actually never knew these were called baker boy caps.

I was afraid Andrew was jinxing himself at the beginning of the episode with all of this "gent's wear is right up my alley" talk, but his hat wasn't bad. His color choice was very traditional. Esme looked positively gleeful about prying the button off the top of his hat.

Like the judges, I wasn't crazy about Serena's half brown/half blue hat. She seemed to be having a lot of issues while she was sewing it so I was glad that it turned out so well.

The two shades of blue that Rebecca chose for her hat reminded me of someone I saw wearing a similar hat on an old show from the 70s - maybe JJ on Good Times?

I liked the dark blue that Farie chose for her hat. It looked well sewn.

Cathyrn's green hat was a nice color. I couldn't see the untidy bits that Patrick was pointing out, but I trust his judgment.

I loved the bright blue herringbone fabric Adam chose to alternate with the more traditional darker blue. It looked very neatly put together.

I wasn't a huge fan of the reddish fabric that Lawratu chose. The big gap between the peak and the band was pretty bad. The eight pieces were not symmetric which I guess you wouldn't notice unless you were taller than the person wearing it.

I LOVED that Raph chose such a bold graphic fabric. When he realized that flipping every other piece over would make a cool pattern, I wanted to high five him. His hat looked so good. He took a risk with that fabric because if he didn't cut and sew each piece perfectly, the pattern would be off. The only flaw I saw was that the pattern wasn't lined up perfectly on the button. He definitely deserved first place!

Oh, Damien. These pattern challenges will be the end of you. I had to laugh when he told the judges how confident he felt and said he'd been very precise cutting the pattern pieces and then Patrick immediately disagreed. I mean, the pattern is still on top of your cut piece of fabric and it was obvious that they weren't cut accurately because there was fabric sticking out from under the pattern. Based on his sloppiness with that, I wasn't surprised to see the numerous mistakes that Patrick pointed out. Last place was what I expected.

I liked the grey fabric that Adeena used but black thread and multiple holes. GIRL.

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Transformation challenge:

Andrew's skirt made of sleeves looked very neatly made but I didn't like the huge scallops at the bottom. I wish he had just cut straight across.

I liked the way Damian's black skirt constasted with the red lining, but the skirt itself looked very ill fitting on the mannequin and the way he used one button to close the side looked so awkward.

I appreciate that Rebecca tried to do something different, but criss crossing the fabric over the chest to make a huge X didn't work well. It looked odd and the burgundy fabric she put underneath it to cover the boobs wasn't placed well. The grey band would have looked better if it was lowered to be at the waist.

I liked that Adeena used the striped lining for most of her top, but they weren't lined up well which made it look wonky. I agreed with Esme that the white straps didn't work. It would have looked better if she had left them off or used a different fabric.

I loved Raph's blue and plaid dress. The way he used tucks at the front to shape the dress was very flattering.

Lawratu's top looked really bad. It was obvious that this was a blazer that got taken apart and sewn into something else, and not in a good way. The way she placed the sleeves was so clunky, and the brown top wasn't lying flat. I liked the back of the top so much better. She managed to make a backwards jacket look without instantly calling to mind Celine Dion's famous white suit.

Farie's blue top was cute but the gaps in the front made it look like she ran out of fabric. I liked that she added darts for shape but the back looked too much like it was still a blazer.

Cathryn's vest didn't seem like a huge transformation from the original blazer. I didn't like the blue ribbon holding it shut. The skirt at the bottom seemed really short and it seemed like it just got tacked on in order to make it a dress rather than a blazer with chopped off sleeves.

Adam's pinstripe dress had a nice shape. I wish he had gotten rid of the collar though.

Serena's top was a mess.  It didn't even look like a top. It looked like a bunch of scraps sewn together. I did laugh when she suggested the snack pocket though. I can't believe that came in first place.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I liked that Serena went with a bright color and a pattern. I usually agree with Esme, but I was glad that Serena didn't listen to her advice about the pockets and decided to pattern match them as originally planned. The print was SO busy that if she hadn't matched the pattern, it would have made the jacket look really messy.

I liked Cathryn's grey tweed jacket. The colorful pattern under the collar was a great contrast.

The way Raph created a graphic pattern using the two different colors was very bold, but it wasn't my taste. The jacket was very slim fitting which kind of made it look more like a shirt. He did a good job fitting it to the model, but it made the pockets impractical and it would be hard to wear anything thicker than a t-shirt underneath.

Rebecca's brown camouflage jacket looked pretty good. Using a raglan sleeve was a good choice!

Damien's cowboy jacket wasn't my favorite specifically because of the cowboy detail on the shoulders. And because that section was made of corduroy, it didn't lie flat which I didn't like.

Adam's blue jacket was good. The nautical fabric with anchors to line the pockets was a fun detail. I thought the buttons were a tad bit too high on the pocket flaps.

Andrew's blue and orange jacket is not for the meek. That orange really stood out. I loved that he problem solved when it was too small for the model. Adding the strips of orange to the center was a smart solution.

The proportions of the chest pockets on Lawratu's burgundy jacket seemed really off. I didn't like the pattern she chose. It looked too much like a blazer and not enough like a utility jacket.

Adeena's blue camouflage jacket turned out better than I thought it would. When she put one half of the zipper in backwards, I thought it wasn't fixable. I loved that she decided to make it a feature. Patrick looked dubious when she told him her plan but it looked great.

Farie's jacket fit her model perfectly. I loved the colorful contrasting lining and pocket flaps. She did a great job. Congratulations to her for winning garment of the week!

Farewell to Lawratu. She just had a really bad week.

[allonsyalice]

I Would Die For Esme Young.

[allonsyalice]

Farie totally crushed that made to measure. I’ll admit to not knowing much about Frida Kahlo but I loved seeing such a bright M2M. (I think her pieces are beautiful though. There are some where you can feel all the pain she has.) I also like how Adeena bought her own culture into the made to measure. 

Died at the sarong/so right joke. 

That pattern challenge was a bitch and a half!

 

[TVbitch]

I was going to ask what on earth was Esme wearing around her neck, but the FB link answered it! She's quite a little sprite. Um, the magical pixie, not the soft drink. : D 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Apologies! I just realized that I hadn't posted the episode description for last week!

S7.E4

Quote

T

he nine remaining sewers go global, taking on garments and techniques from around the world. First, they must follow a pattern as judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young ask them to make a French Breton top. Horizontal stripes must be perfectly matched, the wide-set boat neck must lie completely flat, and the fiddly button placket must be expertly constructed.

Next up, it’s the Transformation Challenge, with the sewers taking on sarongs. These colourful cloths must be transformed into a brand new outfit in just 90 minutes, making imaginative use of the distinctive, bold print.

For their final challenge, the Made to Measure, the sewers make outfits inspired by the life and art of iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Known as much for her personal style as her vivid artwork, the sewers must use Kahlo as their inspiration while creating a modern garment that fits their model perfectly. Who will ace this creative brief and win Garment of the Week, and who will have to leave the sewing room?

Original air date: 5/5/21

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I really enjoyed the pattern challenge, partly because Breton tops are so classic, comfy, and all purpose but partly because I'm a sadist who loves seeing the contestants have to pattern match stripes.

Andrew's navy and white top looked pretty good. The stripes were lined up and the placket looked very neat.

Oh, Damien, always follow the directions in the pattern challenge! Trying to pattern match the stripes on the placket was clearly going to be a negative in the eyes of the judges. The binding was so lumpy too. I did like that he chose a more unusual color combination. The teal and orange was very different.

Cathryn's turquoise and white top looked very summery. Her placket looked good so it's a shame that her shirt got eaten by the overlocker.

I liked Adeena's black and multicolored stripes in theory, but one issue is that it made it really obvious that the stripes on the sleeves didn't line up with the stripes on the main body. To be fair, those stripes don't have to match (and I don't think anyone else's did either) but having the sleeve stripes one color off really drew my eye. The buttons on the placket were really off. I don't know why she spaced them so unevenly.

Raph's mustard and navy top was pulling around the collarbone area because of his issues with the binding. And another one who tried to pattern match the stripes of the placket instead of just following the directions - WHY?

Serena's red and white top was really well done. I loved how perfect the placket was.

Rebecca's pink and red top looked like the sleeves were uneven. I don't know if that was due to the placket being sewn on the wrong side or if it was just the camera angle, but it seemed really noticeable to me and then the judges didn't say anything about it so maybe it was just me. And only two buttons!

Adam really cracked me up when he only put two buttons on his placket and then just sewed a third button on top. The cheek! But kudos to him for using that multi colored stripe material and getting the stripes on the sleeves to line up with the stripes on the torsos (unlike Adeena).

Farie was smart to choose a wider stripe to help with pattern matching but she made so many mistakes AND didn't finish. No surprise that she came in last.

No one did perfectly, but Serena and Andrew did really well. I loved that Serena said she would make another one because she really liked it.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The transformation challenge was a gimme this week. They gave the contestants two giant triangles of fabric so they could have made ANYTHING. They didn't have to worry about decpnstructing an existing article of clothing, incorporating existing features like zippers or pockets, etc. so this should have been super easy. Instead we got a really odd mishmash of designs.

Andrew's pink and orange polka dot button down shirt was well made, but I didn't like that the back was so much longer than the front.

Farie had a beautiful blue sarong. I liked the pleats on the back but the front was kind of a throwaway. I wish she had cut the bottom shorter to make it obvious that it was a top, not a really short dress.

Damien's animal print dress seemed a bit simple, but he manage to get a zipper in. Heh, I'm with Esme - I'm not keen on brown either! But I gave Damien a pass on the brown cape since he had to choose from the sarongs that were on the rack.

Raph's playsuit looked very sloppy to me. I'm not saying that everything has to be super fitted, especially for children's clothing but the entire thing seemed impractical from the draped back to all the ties on the front.

I know the judges loved Rebecca's animal print tube top and skirt but it didn't seem transformed enough for me (especially since the judges complained that some of the others still looked like beachwear because this definitely looked like a beach outfit). It looked well made and intentional in design though, which is more than I can say for some of the others. I hated the lace trim on the top. It seemed too old lady for an animal print crop top.

Cathyn's dress was shapeless and there didn't seem to be much design there. I agreed that there wasn't much transformation there. It looked like a six year old threw their mom's sarong onto a dress form.

Adam's pink dress was amazing. All the pleats gave it such a flattering shape. I liked that he added snaps to get in and out of the dress. The two fabrics he used complemented each other nicely too.

Serena's dress was another "kid playing with mommy's sarongs" design. It was one sarong draped on the right and one sarong draped on the left. In addition to Esme's question about where the arms would go, I didn't like that it wasn't sewn together in the middle. If she had put a seam there, I could at least argue that it was a dress. But having it split all the way to the wait means that it was just a beach coverup.

Adeena's was another kid playing with sarongs design. I did like the elasticized waist she added, and the two fabrics went together well, but other than that it just looked like a mess.

Adam definitely deserved to win. It was far and away the most wearable, the most transformed, the best designed, and well sewn on top of everything.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I know the made to measure challenge was just inspired by Frida Kahlo but some of them I didn't see any Frida at all.

Raph's turquoise and yellow huipil inspired top was very vivid with the red culottes. I liked that he used red trim on the top and red embroidered flowers on the sleeves to tie all the colors together. The way he mimicked the pleat of the sleeves on the front of the pants was a nice touch too.

I know Patrick said that Serena's yellow and white top didn't seem connected to the red floral pants, but since the solid yellow and white colors of the top were echoed in the floral print, I thought it was fine. I liked that she had the square shape of a huipil top without making an exact replica of it. The pants looked casually elegant.

Adeena's black floral dress was pretty so it's a shame she didn't have time to hem the skirt to finish it. But in her defense, I could see someone wearing it that way with the floral overlay part longer on a red carpet for some extra drama.

Rebecca's outfit looked kind of sloppy and messy to me. I didn't mind the sheer floral fabric over the bright pink. My bigger issue was that it looked poorly constructed, ill fitting, and too simple in the design.

I couldn't decide if I liked Andrew's look or not. I liked the way the sky blue top with the orange and red rectangles were reflected in the print he chose for the skirt. But I agreed with Patrick about how untidy it looked overall. I wouldn't have minded the skirt being lined but the top?

I saw absolutely no Frida in Damien's strapless dress. I give him credit for making a boned top and I laughed at the black lace on the sweetheart neckline mimicking Frida's eyebrows, but that satiny floral jacquard with the brownish skirt? I didn't understand any of these choices.

Adam's playsuit was cute. The white gave a nice crisp contrast to the colorful embroidered fabric. I loved the buttons, but when the model turned around I could see that it didn't fit very well in the back.

I get Cathryn's story about Frida having an affair and how the white lacy material was covering the babushka dolls. The concept was interesting but the problem was that the white overlay ended up making the dress look a bit frumpy.

I didn't see much Frida in Farie's dress but I liked the story and inspiration with the spinal column and the frayed fabric down the middle of the dress (it looked a bit crooked in the close ups though). I wish she had put the big bow in the back further down so that it would be a surprise when the model turned around. Having it stick up so much made it look like an angel wing costume. I'm glad that the judges liked it because that really saved her this week.

Farewell, Cathryn!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S7.E5

Quote

The eight remaining home sewers return to the nation’s most famous sewing room for children’s week. The garments might be tiny, but their fiddliness makes them a mammoth challenge to sew.

To test the sewers’ dexterity, judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young kick off the Pattern Challenge with a classic for any toddler’s wardrobe – a romper suit. The task requires the sewers to combine tricky techniques, including crossover straps, an elasticated back and, most difficult of all, snap fastenings at the crotch.

Next, in the Transformation Challenge, the sewers let their imaginations run wild, turning adult wet suits into Under the Sea-themed fancy dress for children.

Finally, the Sewing Bee welcomes mini models for the Made to Measure challenge, which is to make a child’s raincoat. These must be well fitted, allowing enough movement for jumping up and down in muddy puddles, whilst also being fully waterproof. Who will win Garment of the Week, and who will stumble, becoming the fifth sewer to leave the Great British Sewing Bee?

Original air date: 5/12/21

[jpgr]

10 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Rebecca's outfit looked kind of sloppy and messy to me. I didn't mind the sheer floral fabric over the bright pink. My bigger issue was that it looked poorly constructed, ill fitting, and too simple in the design.

I couldn't decide if I liked Andrew's look or not. I liked the way the sky blue top with the orange and red rectangles were reflected in the print he chose for the skirt. But I agreed with Patrick about how untidy it looked overall. I wouldn't have minded the skirt being lined but the top?

I saw absolutely no Frida in Damien's strapless dress. I give him credit for making a boned top and I laughed at the black lace on the sweetheart neckline mimicking Frida's eyebrows, but that satiny floral jacquard with the brownish skirt? I didn't understand any of these choices.

I get Cathryn's story about Frida having an affair and how the white lacy material was covering the babushka dolls. The concept was interesting but the problem was that the white overlay ended up making the dress look a bit frumpy.

I didn't see much Frida in Farie's dress but I liked the story and inspiration with the spinal column and the frayed fabric down the middle of the dress (it looked a bit crooked in the close ups though). I wish she had put the big bow in the back further down so that it would be a surprise when the model turned around. Having it stick up so much made it look like an angel wing costume. I'm glad that the judges liked it because that really saved her this week.

Agree with all of these critiques. Rebecca hasn't made anything that wowed me at all yet, she's very forgettable to me.

I don't understand why Andrew would waste so much time lining his top with fabric that served no purpose and wouldn't be seen. Use that time to finish that embroidery detail and really get your whole look together.

Hated everything about Damien's look - color, style, lace "eyebrow" - ugh.

Cathryn's overlay obscured the Russian doll fabric too much. If you don't get any "peek-a-boo" looks, what's the point?

I loved Farie's because to me it was the most "inspired by" without trying to copy a huipil or other obvious look. I liked the energy of it.

[bybrandy]

On 4/27/2021 at 7:15 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

The issue I had with Lawratu's yellow dress was that it was SO fitted to her model's body that the buttons appeared to be pulling

Weeek 2 comments

This.  The dress was gorgeous but I felt like it looked either too tight or in the wrong fabric.  So much pulling/crinkling.   

On 4/27/2021 at 7:15 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I really didn't like Adeen's fabric because it made me feel like I was seeing double (and not in a good way.

I wonder if that showed up more on camera than in life because nobody mentioned it but i couldn't focus on the dress the lines were too distracting.   

[Aulty]

Esme and Patrick penguin-waddling towards each other!!

The unicorn coat certainly looked great, a really fun idea ... until you get pleated tail soaking wet for the first time.

Edited May 13, 2021 by Aulty

[jpgr]

6 hours ago, Aulty said:

The unicorn coat certainly looked great, a really fun idea ... until you get pleated tail soaking wet for the first time.

Right??? How was that practical at all?

I was shocked that Damien's shower curtain worked, and that he didn't get reamed out for using the magnets to attach the hood.

Loved all the "romping" and most of the transformation challenge results - so fun!

[TVbitch]

That was the first thing I thought about the unicorn coat. That the tale would get wet and heavy, and would stay damp for a long time.

Don't know if I would have given Farie the win again, but I totally trust these judges to be fair and impartial. 

Sad for Adam, he's such a positive, spirited guy. 

Hard to say who is the front runner, cuz they all seem to have pretty big  highs and lows. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

On 5/13/2021 at 10:30 AM, TVbitch said:

Hard to say who is the front runner, cuz they all seem to have pretty big  highs and lows. 

Serena has been pretty consistent so far. She's a very good sewer and she usually makes good choices in her fabrics, patterns, designs, etc. I think she, Andrew, and Raph seem the most likely for the finale. Damien will probably be out next. But Adeena and Farie are the wild cards for me because they've been so up and down (although I think Farie has been on an uptick). Rebecca has made a few good garments but they've mostly been forgettable so I don't know if staying middle of the road will get her to the finale while other people flame out or if the judges will end up eliminating her because she fails to wow them.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Pattern challenge:

Oh, Damien, when the choice is to follow the pattern or trust your instincts, ALWAYS FOLLOW THE PATTERN. The print was cute but there were so many problems - no facing, the channel wasn't done properly, etc.

I liked the colorful print that Farie chose for her romper. I just wish she hadn't centered a humongous circle right over the crotch area. Congrats for having all three snaps stay on.

Serena's lemon fabric was so bright and summery. It looked the most well made of everyone's rompers.

Rebecca's dinosaur romper was so cute. She was smart not to even try pattern matching. Making a choice to put one big dinosaur on the bib was also a good decision.

I was glad Patrick pointed out that a white romper is not the best choice because it WILL get dirty. Other than that, I liked the blue fish print. But I agreed with the issue with the channel. And only one snap survived (although I did laugh when the first one popped off and Andrew said, "Oh, Patrick," in a chastising way).

Adam's three fabric romper was cute. I liked the white jungle print on the bib combined with the red straps and the blue legs. Only one snap managed to stay on so not great.

Raph's chartreuse, purple, and geometric fabric is not one I would have expected for a baby romper but he used the pattern nicely.

I liked Adeena's tropical fabric with the birds peeking through the greenery, but even from a distance I could tell there was something wrong with the bib portion.

I agreed with the judges giving first place to Serena. Her romper looked perfectly sewn!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Transformation challenge:

Turning neoprene and lycra into underwater costumes sounded like the kind of challenge that would be on RuPaul's Drag Race but not in a good way.

I was surprised that the judges liked Andrew's crab costume so much, but I think he won because (1) they could immediately tell what it was, which was not the case with several of the other costumes and (2) it wasn't a mermaid. Honestly, it wasn't well made. It looked like something a kid made with scraps at home for a last minute costume.

I was surprised that the judges had so many nice things to say about Adam's green mermaid costume. I thought the scrunched up section over the legs looked so bad, like he had cut the material too long and instead of making it shorter he just decided to scrunch it up. Using the foam pieces for the tail fins could have been a good idea but since he attached them in the front, any kid who wore this costume would be kicking those fins with every step.

The main problem with Farie's baby shark costume was that it wasn't clear exactly what it was. It was just a hat and a dress made of silver material. She didn't give it any defining characteristics that would identify what it was. She should have made a big fin for the back and a hood with teeth.

Damien's mermaid costume was a good start but it wasn't executed well. It was just a tube dress with a little silver frill at the bottom.

Serena's jellyfish costume looked like something a kid would love to wear. My only issue is that because of how low she placed the pool noodle, the kid wouldn't be able to raise their arms above elbow level, and kids do not like costumes that restrict their movement.

Adeena's mermaid costume was very colorful (I really liked her color choices) and I liked the way she layered the scalloped pieces of fabric, but it looked like a dress up dress as opposed to a mermaid costume.

Rebecca's octopus was a fun idea but having the tentacles longer than floor length was a mistake. A kid would end up tripping over the front ones AND all of the tentacles would get dirty from being dragged all over the ground. If a kid wore this outside the house, the fabric would rip and shred from being dragged along the sidewalk. With tentacles, you have to curl the bottom up so that you get length and the illusion of movement but you can still walk easily. The hat was cute though.

I liked everything about Raph's mermaid costume except the weirdly shaped shells on the chest. They just looked so awkward.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Made to measure challenge:

I can't imagine deciding that my kid's modeling career needed such a boost that I would take them to be filmed indoors during a pandemic. And how good is the exposure when they're all wearing masks? How much talent can you see from the forehead to the bridge of the nose? One of the boys seemed very uncomfortable.

Damien's raincoat was interesting. Using a clear shower curtain over taffeta was definitely a different idea than what everyone else did. Realistically I don't know how good that would be for a kid because neither fabric breathes well so they would end up getting hot. Using magnets to attach the hood and the front closure was a cool idea in theory but I think that would end up meaning that the hood would get detached and lost very quickly.

Farie's rainbow raincoat was so cute. Great fabric choice! The braided tail was a fun idea even if it wasn't practical.

Raph's bird inspired raincoat with the colorful lining wasn't my favorite in terms of the color combination but I liked his inspiration.

Andrew's reversible raincoat was a fun idea. He gave himself an extra challenge since it meant there was nowhere to hide any mistakes.

Serena's blue raincoat looked well made. I liked the stripe on the hood. The lining being too short made the back puff out though.

I liked the rain cloud fabric that Rebecca chose but there were several mistakes that were immediately visible. The snaps not being lined up meant that the front closure didn't lie flat. The top closure not lining up made me want to reach into the screen and adjust it.

Adeena had the same problem that Kathryn had last week with her babushka fabric - putting a white fabric over a print doesn't let enough of the print underneath show. No one would be able to see the dinosaurs unless they were 12" away. The nonfunctional toggles were pretty bad too because the rain coat would end up flapping open.

Oh, Adam. Where to begin? His rain coat was just a mess. The snaps weren't aligned which made it look like the garment didn't fit. I wish he'd had time to add the boat pockets. And what good is the closure at the top if it's too tight to get it snapped shut? I wasn't surprised at all that it got him eliminated. I loved that he kept a positive attitude too. I hope he does make matching versions of that raincoat for himself and his nephew just to prove to himself that he can do it.

Congratulations to Farie for winning garment of the week!

Edited May 15, 2021 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S7.E6

Quote

The fashion industry is the biggest polluter of our planet next to oil, so The Great British Sewing Bee returns to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Week, with all the usual fabric in the haberdashery being replaced with charity shop clothes and soft-furnishings.

Host Joe Lycett kicks the six remaining home sewers off with a pattern for a gentleman's waistcoat using just second-hand clothes.

In the Transformation Challenge, the sewers are tasked with changing items of army surplus into a stylish and wearable garment for a woman.

Finally, the sewers are asked to use old jeans to create a Made to Measure dress. Jeans are one of the most polluting garments to manufacture, so to breathe a new lease of life into them, the sewers must create a new denim dress that fits their model perfectly.

At the end someone will win Garment of the Week and the sixth sewer is asked to leave the Sewing Bee.

Original air date: 5/19/21

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Joe wearing Patrick's suit did nothing for me, but Patrick wearing Joe's sequined jacket and sunglasses was hilarious.

Damian is lucky that Serena told him exactly what to do since he is known for not following the directions correctly in the pattern challenge. I didn't like the brownish color combined with the greyish color for the front panels. It looked like there was an existing seam running up the brown pieces in addition to a seam that he sewed which I also didn't like. The left side being longer than the right side was bothering my OCD. And Esme saw where he didn't sew it correctly on one seam so the fabric wasn't lying flat. I liked the purple buttons though.

Andrew's red vest looked very neat. I wasn't crazy about the sweater vest he made for himself out of recycled socks. It was just too lumpy.

Farie's grey tweed vest was nice. I liked the light blue striped fabric on the back. But I agreed that the left side of the front being longer than the right side was a pretty noticeable mistake. It wasn't quite as bad as Damien's but still. And she didn't finish the strap on the back, hence the pin. I wouldn't have noticed the problem with the facing if Esme hadn't pointed it out.

Rebecca's brown vest was okay from a distance but upon closer inspection, it looked like the tops of the two back pieces weren't the same level at the collar. The buttons were spaced unevenly. When looking at the back, it seemed a bit lumpy, like maybe the lining wasn't flat.

Serena's gold brocade and black vest was a bit too, I don't know - 80s sofa? Magician's costume? But it looked very well sewn. I liked the red she used for the back.

Someone said that Raph's turquoise striped waistcoat was very Raph and I agree. It was very colorful and cheerful. The purple he used for the back went well with the purple stripes on the front. It looked very neatly sewn. Taking apart the jacket completely before picking out which pieces to use for his pattern really paid off.

Adeena, on the other hand, should have done the same. I didn't like how she had old seams and pockets everywhere. It made her waistcoat look very messy. No surprise that she came in last place.

Raph and Serena were by far the best in this round. I think Raph won because they loved his fabric choices and how well he assembled the fabrics so seamlessly.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Transformation challenge:

I didn't like Raph's one shoulder top because I'm a practical person. What kind of situation would I be in where I would want one arm covered with a full sleeve and the other arm completely bare? But the orange trim was nice.

I wasn't crazy about Rebecca's dress for the exact reason that the judges liked it. I didn't like using the front of the jacket for the front of the skirt.

I hated the brown trim on Andrew's dress? Poncho? I also didn't like how shapeless it was.

Serena's dress looked the most transformed and wearable to me. She made some good decisions about how to use the fabric. The camo net skirt was cute. I liked the way she used the part with the label as the center of the halter top.

Adeena's dress was a bit too shapeless for me. I didn't like how the front was longer than sides. I also hated the frinte.

Damien's dress was surprisingly cute. Using the sleeves for the cross back was fun. I didn't like the bottom of the dress being uneven.

Farie's cape had a really strong silhouette. Can we please have Esme model the outfits every week?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Made to measure challenge:

I really liked Serena's striped dress. She did a great job lining everything up perfectly. I also liked that she used the old waistbands for the edges of the sleeves.

Damien's dress was nice. I wish he hadn't added the pockets though. I love pockets as much as the next girl, but slapping some pockets on top of that dress ruined the nice lines. The dress looked like it was too big in the back but it fit well on the front. I didn't like the oily pieces of denim. The seams were lined up nicely on the front but not in the back.

I think Farie's dress would have looked better if it had been made in a softer fabric. Making it with a stiff denim made the whole dress very stiff and it looked ill fitting.. Didn't she already do the same neckline that folds down in an earlier made to measure challenge?

I liked Andrew's chevron dress. The diagonal zip was cute too. It was too big though. The judges were pointing it out in the back but it was too big in the front too.

While I liked the red, white, and tan chevron section down the middle of Rebecca's dress, I didn't like the rest of the dress which looked too simple. It was a plain tank dress.

I didn't like Adeena's patchwork dress. I also didn't like the pockets. I didn't like that she put the red painted section on the back. It also didn't fit well at all.

Raph's wave dress was really cool. I didn't like the whale but I get why he included it. I just wish the dress had been a tiny bit more fitted. He deserved garment of the week. It was obvious how much thought and work went into creating this dress.

I was pretty sure Adeena was going home after she came in last place in the first two challenges. Her made to measure dress wasn't enough to pull her out of dead last.

[TVbitch]

Joe was cracking me up during the camo challenge. He plays well off the contestants.

I like Raph, and appreciate his concept and the work involved, but his dress must have looked more impressive in person, cuz it looked a bit unpolished to me. 

I had no idea old demin was worth THAT much. I probably have some 40 year old jeans in the back of my closet! 

It was Adeena's time. 

[Aulty]

Fo anyone interested: The Great Photography Challenge starts tonight (May 24th) at 9 on BBC Four. Its only 4 episodes for the first series.

Quote

The search is on for an exciting new name in British photography. Six talented photographers from across the UK embark on the photographic masterclass of a lifetime with Rankin.

 

Edited May 24, 2021 by Aulty

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S7.E7: Winter Week

Quote

Patrick and Esme’s Pattern Challenge this week is a man’s flannel shirt. The sewers must create cuffs and collars, challenging both their construction technique and precise sewing skills.

The sewers wrap up warm for the Transformation, turning old scarves into a new wearable garment in a mere 90 minutes.

Finally, in the Made to Measure, they are asked to make a festive winter party dress. Working with tricky-to-handle fabrics, including velvets and sequins, each must create a perfect fit for their model. Who will cheer the judges’ spirits and win Garment of the Week, and who will be sent out into the cold?

Original air date: 5/26/21

[GaT]

On 5/24/2021 at 9:26 AM, Aulty said:

Fo anyone interested: The Great Photography Challenge starts tonight (May 24th) at 9 on BBC Four. Its only 4 episodes for the first series.

 

I watched this & it was OK, but I don't understand how anyone wins. They kept having things they had to photograph, but there was no winners or losers. Am I missing something?

On 5/25/2021 at 2:33 PM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

S7.E7: Winter Week

Original air date: 5/26/21

How is Farie still there? She hasn't been able to finish so many garments, I don't understand why she hasn't been eliminated already.

[Aulty]

25 minutes ago, GaT said:

I watched this & it was OK, but I don't understand how anyone wins. They kept having things they had to photograph, but there was no winners or losers. Am I missing something?

I think they are judged on their whole body of work in the final episode. It was really anticlimatic that there was no elimination during the episode, he could have at least ranked them.
The first episode was really disappointing - the beach pictures were terrible, half the nature pictures were staged and I am sure they expected the photographers to at least look at the clothes available for the shoot and maybe choose an alternative. Why did Rankin not give them a masterclass, a technical challenge on lightning/composition/... or something like that - or go to Brighton and take pictures himself to show them what they could've done.

[GaT]

12 minutes ago, Aulty said:

it was really anticlimatic that there was no elimination during the episode, he could have at least ranked them.

Exactly, it was confusing.

[Aulty]

• I love the cold openings and comedy bits with Esme and Patrick and their deadpan expressions! They seem to be really into it too.
• You don't tell Esme that you will have to make a smaller bow. Mammy wasn't happy!
• Damien saying that he snookered himself - loved that old school reference.

Edited May 27, 2021 by Aulty

[ElectricBoogaloo]

When they said the pattern challenge was flannel shirts, the first thing I wondered was if they're anywhere near as popular in Europe as they are here in North America. They've been pretty inescapable here for my entire life.

Serena has consistently done well at the pattern challenges so I was not surprised that she pattern matched everything perfectly and that the collar was symmetric. She definitely deserved first.

Andrew's shirt had visible problems even from a distance. Aside from the pattern matching issue, I could see in the long shot that something about the button placket was wonky. It looked like they weren't spaced properly which cased some gapping. 

Rebecca's pink gingham was a fun color choice but the collar wasn't done properly.

Raph's flannel looked very 90s to me. Heh, putting the yoke on the bias eliminated the need to pattern match, but that's not what the directions said to do! Missing buttons, raw edges, not enough button holes - oh, Raph.

Damien's red and black fabric was classic. His shirt looked pretty good, but when he said he was not going to follow the directions for the collar, I was like AGAIN, DAMIEN?

I was cringing as I watched Farie fall farther and farther behind. What she finished did have the pattern matched nicely, but she was nowhere near being finished - no collar, no cuffs, no buttons. No surprise that she came in last place.

The transformation challenge seemed like a gimme since scarves are just big pieces of fabric. And this time they were allowed five pieces so they had a lot of freedom.

Damien's dress was not transformed enough. He just folded one scarf in half, sewed the edges together, cut out a neck hole, and then inexplicably started adding fake flowers. His insistence on adding trim during all of the transformation challenges makes me really question his taste level.

I really liked the striped scarves that Raph chose so I was disappointed with what he ultimately created. Like Damien's it was just too simple.

Serena's turquoise creation was kind of a mess. It looked like a little kid wrapped and pinned her mom's scarves to a dress form.

Rebecca's was even worse. That pastel plaid skirt did not go with the scrunched up grey top. And that huge purple bow was atrocious. I don't know how that ended up in third.

I liked Andrew's rust and chartreuse dress from the waist up, but I wish he had cut the scarf used for the lapels at the waist and just done a skirt. Not cutting that top skirt resulted in a lumpy silhouette.

Farie's was by far my favorite. What really wins the transformation challenge in my book is when I can look at the garment and it doesn't look like an upcycled garment. Her dress looked like a regular dress. She made some smart decisions to give it some shape.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

What kind of holiday parties are these people going to that they think these dresses are what women want to wear to a winter party? First of all, I disagreed with each person who said a winter dress had to have long sleeves. You're going to a party which is inside which means you will be wearing a coat over this dress. If you're going to be dancing (as several people mentioned), you don't need a long sleeved dress because you'll just hot and sweaty.

Farie's purple velvet dress was good. She was smart to make it a wrap style which helps with the fit. Although stretch velvet can be a pain to work with, it's great for a holiday party because, as my mom loved to tell me, that means you can eat and your dress won't be too tight after dinner!

I had one of those suit dresses which I wore to one of my very first jobs but I never would have wanted to wear it to a holiday party. Serena's major mistake (aside from thinking someone would want to wear that style of dress to a festive party) was choosing satin. It shows every wrinkle, every pucker, and every hole made when you pull out a thread. If you wore that to a holiday party, the middle would be creased and wrinkled after you sat down once. I also didn't like the pointy shoulders or the asymmetric flap of the skirt in the front. I did like the color though.

Rebecca's green skater dress was perfect for a holiday party. It was really cute and appropriate for a variety of different kinds of parties.

Raph's gold dress was pretty with a lot of technical sewing and details. And pockets! I liked that he used the bow as the belt.

Andrew's purple dress was far too simple for my taste. It looked like a straight tank dress. I also didn't like the big bows on the sleeves (silver or purple). The uneven back darts, the crooked zipper, and the bow falling right off did not help.

Damien's grey dress fit his model well. Despite the sexy zipper, to me this looked more like a sporty work dress rather than a holiday party dress. I agreed with Patrick that this was by far the best thing Damien has sewn all season.

If I were choosing a dress to wear, I would have picked Rebecca's. But I understand why the judges chose Raph's as garment of the week. There were a lot more technical aspects to his.

Andrew has been pretty consistent but he had a bad week.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S7.E8: Movie Week

Quote

The five remaining sewers tackle challenges inspired by music and the movies, taking on garments and techniques from the silver screen. First, they must follow a pattern like none they’ve encountered before, as judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young ask them to make a dress inspired by Baby from Dirty Dancing. The techniques involved in creating the iconic dance dress include a tightly fitted bodice and perfect full circle skirt.

Next up, it’s the Transformation Challenge, and just like Julie Andrews's Maria in The Sound of Music, the sewers are asked to adapt old curtains into play clothes for children.

For their final challenge, the Made to Measure, the sewers take on the disco era with an outfit inspired by the movie Dreamgirls. Tasked with creating a dazzling 1970s-influenced dress fit for dancing the night away, they must ensure it skims the model’s body using tricky technical fabrics. But only four of these five talented sewers can make it through to the semi-final.

Original air date: 6/2/21

[Athena]

On 5/27/2021 at 2:53 AM, GaT said:

How is Farie still there? She hasn't been able to finish so many garments, I don't understand why she hasn't been eliminated already.

I love Farie's designs. When she finishes and she has for her three winning Made to Measures, her items are incredible. She has consistently been the one to design things from a runway point of view. She struggles with the pattern challenges and some of the Transformation challenges, but I like her designs the best. I like Raf's stuff next, not always to wear but I think he has a good eye.

 

On 5/28/2021 at 8:24 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

What kind of holiday parties are these people going to that they think these dresses are what women want to wear to a winter party? First of all, I disagreed with each person who said a winter dress had to have long sleeves. You're going to a party which is inside which means you will be wearing a coat over this dress. If you're going to be dancing (as several people mentioned), you don't need a long sleeved dress because you'll just hot and sweaty.

 

In the UK and Europe, I generally see a lot more of these long sleeved winter and wool dresses. The milder winters mean that they don't wear heavy winter coats so the outfits end up being a warm layer as well. I got the impression most of these holiday parties don't involve a lot of dancing so much as mingling and a lot of drinking.

[Cactus]

Damian's Made to Measure looked like a flight attendants uniform to me.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Awww, Dirty Dancing!

Serena's was by far the best Baby dress. It was finished which was already a step up from most of the other contestants. Everything was very neatly sewn and her skirt was so nice and even at the bottom. She definitely deserved first place.

Although Raph didn't finish, he was so close to being done and since part of it was an issue with the overlocker, I give him more of a pass tha nthe others.

I disagreed with Esme - I HATED the lace that Rebecca chose for her waistband. It was just so ugly.

Once again, Damien CHOSE not to follow the instructions in the pattern challenge. For me, that's a huge demerit and just as bad as not finishing. Maybe some of the other contestants would have finished if they had just done whatever they wanted instead of following the directions. I'm glad he got last place for that.

Farie didn't finish again. While I admire her meticulousness, it definitely does not work in her favor on a show like this since every challenge has a time limit. I loved the color she chose though.

Ha, I loved that the transformation challenge was straight out of The Sound of Music!

Serena's was by far my favorite of the five. I don't know how practical those big sleeves are for a little kid's playsuit, but it was a really cute outfit. I liked the wine colored trim which was a really nice contrasting color.

Farie's floral jumpsuit was cute. I liked all the pleating at the waist. The flutter detail at the shoulder looked much better on one side than the other (not sure if it was the camera angle or the construction). But not finishing the zipper knocked her out. And why was the zipper on the outside of the leg?

Raph's lederhosen was a nice use of the gathered part of the curtain as the waistband. I wish the producers would throw away that godawful fringe trim. Damien used it more than once in earlier episodes and I still hate it.

Damien's lederhosen was okay but I was so distracted by how crooked the waist was. I could tell it was really uneven. I don't know how much of that was due to the snaps being placed incorrectly and how much of that was due to his sewing of the waistband, but either way I noticed it immediately and couldn't stop looking at it.

Rebecca made good use of her fabric and I liked that she used the lining as a contrast. I just wish she had paid more attention to the details (the bow was crooked, the waistband wasn't sewn straight, etc).

I'm not a huge fan of 70s fashion so I wasn't super excited about the Dreamgirls made to measure challenge.

For a bunch of people who complained about having to use satin for the Dirty Dancing challenge, a lot of them CHOSE to use it for the made to measure! Unfortunately, I thought the satin cheapened some of the looks.

I didn't like Rebecca's gold dress. The sequined fabric at the top looked like a circus costume. The satin on the torso made it look cheap. The sheer mermaid skirt would have looked better if there had been a layer of fabric beneath each ruffle.

I liked Serena's red and silver dress better but I knew she wouldn't win garment of the week when Esme pointed out the seams pulling a bit.

Raph's jumpsuit was A LOT, but he definitely got points for going in a completely different direction.

I didn't like the lace sleeve that the judges raved about on Farie's red dress.

Damien's dress was such a mess. It was a series of bad choices: the pattern didn't fit the brief, the material was awful, the colors weren't great together, etc. Just one of those choices would have been bad but all of those things together? Yikes.

Once again Farie saved herself from elimination by pulling out something good in the final challenge. Bon voyage, Damien!

Edited June 3, 2021 by ElectricBoogaloo