Anyone else going to join me on the Sewing Bee watch?

[flubba]

A bit excited about it

:o

Rubygate what do you mean JUST corsets etc...that's a skill I'd like to pick up...but I can't imagine them doing corsets on the show!!

By the way the laundry bag tutorial is available on line: www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-04-02/the-great-british-sewing-bee-make-a-laundry-bag

Happy sewing

Purples, I mean i've never really done domestic, useful sewing. Zips are my nemesis (and buttonholes). My Nan was a tailor and I've been sewing since I could hold a giant needle (about 3), but I've gravitated towards stuff that is more like construction than needlework.

I did get asked to apply for TGBSB through my re-enactment society, but I knew that zips, and basting and interfacing and stay-stitching would be the kind of skills they were looking for. I'd have been out before I got in

I think that Mark is suffering from the same sort of problems. Ancient needlework skills are not what they are looking for.

I like Mark and hope he gets through a little further, but I can't see him winning the overall comp.
I imagine, as he is into steam punk, that if they have to do something like a prom dress, he'd make a fantastic creation! I'd love to see it.

I agree - he's clearly made some fantastic items.

Thanks purples.

I take your point about not bothering with something you don't like.

I just remembered I made a mini skirt (heavily supervised by my mum) when i was little but didn't wear it because the fabric she'd chosen - which was easy, I grant that - was a lovely dark blue-purple, that shade that was everywhere a couple of years ago, and at that age I hated it.

My memory is mum did all the work anyway.

ruby - ooh, but corset-sewing skills must be very useful! When the price of them is so high for a good one. And it must be lovely to get exactly the right measurements.

My DH does LARP and a lovely friend of ours is going to make him a costume just as soon as she's got his measurements ... what period re-enactment do you do?

All of them have great clothes.

LRD, most of my stuff is Tudor/Elizabethan, but as I hang out with goths I can get asked to make practically anything. Victorian is very popular.

Here's a corset that I was asked to make. As I couldn't get satin embroidered with ladybirds, I had to do the embroidery first. (Or rather my embroidery machine did).

At the last count I had 8 sewing machines and one cost more than the car I had when I bought it. I am a sad case.

farm1.staticflickr.com/23/29472362_c12b12594a_z.jpg?zz=1

Ruby, that's a beautiful and unique piece!

Thank you
But I still can't sew in a zip.
I'd be scuppered in a skirt-making competition.

I think I made everything in this photo except the shoes...

farm3.staticflickr.com/2462/3788642760_131eb088f4.jpg
But none of it would have helped with the basics that they were looking for. But I would have paid good money to have a rummage in their studio

Ruby, How did you learn such wonderful skills? Are you self taught and just picked it up as you went along or did you do a course?

My Nan taught me. She was a tailor/ seamstress and made big puffy ball-gowns for things like "Come Dancing", all covered in sequins and stuff. Wonderful.

Wow Ruby. They're amazing. I am in awe.

Surely someone with your talent could pick up the basics quite quickly should you put your mind to it. If not, there's no hope for me at all.

I think it's too late for me
But I'm going to have a go at the skirt just to see if I can conquer my fear of zips.

Hello - this thread is zooming along!

I find eBay is a good place to look for cheap patterns - lots of people sell on the Prima free patterns that you get if you subscribe and they are always pretty easy to do.

I just wish we could get nice dressmaking fabric in the uk that wasn't eye popping! I once went to Mood fabrics in New York ( the one they go to in Project Runway) and got so overwhelmed by the choice. The US sewing blogs I follow always seem to have easy access to great fabric shops too

I've read a few newspaper reviews of the prog and I have to say I'm fairly at the comments - 'no-one under 50 is interested in sewing', 'if you put cameras in a haberdashery department you'd see more action in a cemetery', etc etc.

I had my issues with the programme but for goodness' sake. People are interested in sewing

I'm actually feeling a bit defensive of women of a certain age who are maybe not that photogenic but are brilliantly skilled at crafts. HELLO! there are probably more of us in that demographic than the under 5's, or people who watch crap like Snog Marry Avoid, AND we have more spending power. It tells you more about how out of touch the reviewers are, they've obviously never seen the scrum at the Knitting and Stitching Show or Hobbycraft on a Saturday. Or the entire crafts and needlework blogosphere.

I agree completely, fossil.

And I am now determined to start sewing again.

Ruby, do you have the right sewing machine foot for sewing in a zip? It makes it much easier. I love my invisible zipper foot.
(and as someone else who learnt to sew Tudor before I sewed modern, I came late to the joys of different sewing machine feet).

Possibly not Tunip......
I shall have a look in the accessory tin of doom

I love the title "accessory tin of doom", that makes my humble button tin pale into insignificance!

Wow, ruby, that corset is amazing. I love it.

The Tudor costumes are beautiful too.

FWIW I'm sure knitting and sewing are on the up and up - I'm 28 and plenty of my students who're younger are into crafts. I know lots of knitters. I think it is all coming back into fashion. So people who think it is out of date are out of touch!

This is a lovely thread.

We met didn't we? At TSC's 40th.

We did indeed.

Hello!

No no Ruby! It is an Accessory Tin of Miracles!

and those Tudor costumes are just gorgeous, btw - the line of the woman's gown is just so totally perfect for the date.

I have two old paper patterns if anyone is interested, a dress and a petticoat. The dress was probably cut to a size 10 and the petticoat Med

picture here