the Sewing Bee watch part II (it might be over, but we're still sewing)

[UniqueAndAmazing]

I thought I'd better start a new thread so that we don't lose it!

Original part here...

Background - flubba got excited by The Great British Sewing Bee and we all piled in too

[UniqueAndAmazing]

sod forgot to attach the link

[UniqueAndAmazing]

that's not even the right picture! googl images for android is stupid.

[UniqueAndAmazing]

this one I hope

[UniqueAndAmazing]

good old tilly

[TheOneWithTheHair]

Brilliant. Thank you. I know what it is now. I've never done it.

I love it when things get explained to me and I suddenly get it. I usually say something like "Oooooohhhhhhh!"

I think I'll definitely need to do a lot more sewing. I got a bit scared of the patterns so I've decided to make replacement car tidies for the dcs first.

[PigeonPie]

DameFanny that looks like my sort of website - I shall look at it in more detail later on a larger screen. Thank you

[DameFanny]

I'm coveting so much from that site pigeon...

[TheOneWithTheHair]

Afternoon everyone. I have another question if that's ok? A fabric one.

I was cutting today and my scissors just went through the material without me having to open and close my fingers iyswim? Like with wrapping paper. Does that mean the fabric is cheap? Am I cutting wrong?

Loved the website DameFanny but I fear it will be a long time before I know what I'm really looking at.

[Shesparkles]

Thehairyone Don't worry about your fabric, but it might be better if you take it a bit slower as when you cut fabric that way, it's very easy to lose control of the scissors and cut where you're not meant to!

Hello fellow sewists! I've taken the plunge that I've been threatening to for a couple of years And now have 6 "pupils" for dressmaking! I'm absolutely loving sharing my knowledge and experience, and think that at the age of 42 I might just have worked out what I want to do with my life! I'm not jacking in my job just yet, but I have so many ideas and so much research to do

[Shesparkles]

Thehairyone Don't worry about your fabric, but it might be better if you take it a bit slower as when you cut fabric that way, it's very easy to lose control of the scissors and cut where you're not meant to!

Hello fellow sewists! I've taken the plunge that I've been threatening to for a couple of years And now have 6 "pupils" for dressmaking! I'm absolutely loving sharing my knowledge and experience, and think that at the age of 42 I might just have worked out what I want to do with my life! I'm not jacking in my job just yet, but I have so many ideas and so much research to do

[Shesparkles]

Twice

[TheOneWithTheHair]

Thanks Shesparkles and well done. :)

[HalleLouja]

Can I join pretty please?

My next project is this dress. When I have finished piecing together the PDF pattern. I am going to make a matching hat too.

I made a cape at the weekend and my son loves it. Best thing is it only took a couple of hours in total.

[HalleLouja]

Also need to finish my skirt which is nearly there.

One question about the skirt. Am for some reason a bit scared of hemming. The skirt is quite full what is the best way to do it? Skirt is really cute and have some Amy Butler fabric to make another one.

[DameFanny]

Re hemming, you could finish it off with a bit of contrast bias - give it a good drape and make it sturdier?

Am jealous of the 6 students - I've borrowed my niece as a pupil once a fortnight - doing my technique no end of good

[nennypops]

So, inspired by the programme, I went off to John Lewis to buy some material for a very straightforward long dress. And found there was nothing less than £9 a metre, so it was going to be at least £27. I can buy the sort of dress I'm thinking of for a lot less than that on Amazon, but I'd still like to make it. Any recommendations for reliable sources of cheap material?

[DameFanny]

Look for more fabric stores locally, our online? John Lewis is pretty expensive - I can generally get cheaper with much more variety, in my local crack dealer fabric shop.

Love John Lewis for bits and pieces and the odd splurge though.

[UniqueAndAmazing]

yeah,avoid john lewis.

try //www.fabricland.co.uk for cheap fabrics. you have to phone to order which means you can ask their advice.

[TolliverGroat]

If you're in/near London the fabric shops on Goldhawk Road are great (they are still great if you aren't in/near London, obviously, but under those circumstances their greatness will be of purely academic interest to you)

[Doyouthinktheysaurus]

Fabricland is great!

I bought fabric for £3 a metre which is much more affordable for a beginner like me. I'm not so scared of bodging it all because the fabric didn't cost much.

[InMySpareTime]

Anyone who's in Manchester or North Wales, try Abakhan, it's like an aladdin's cave of all sorts of fabrics, trimmings, crafty stuff, buttons etc.
Their offcuts are really cheap, actually it's all pretty cheap, I usually leave with as much as I can carry, and have never spent more than £30!

[reindeesandchristmastrees]

Abakhan also have a store in Liverpool, and i agree fab!

[UniqueAndAmazing]

I wondered about abakhan - their website looks full of fab.

[SarahBeenysBumblingApprentice]

I have been lurking and have to join in now, sorry! I went to Aberkhan in Hanley (Stoke on Trent) this weekend and it was amazing. I used to sew clothing as a teenager and I gave up due to the cost of fabric (at John Lewis as my Mum thought it was the only place you could get it ).

I now have enough fabric to make a dress for my little girl and two Colette Macarons for me - a wearable toile (?sp) and the final version. And a pattern. And loads of thread. For £60!

(I just have to finish a bastard of a roman blind first. I am never making one of those buggers again

[SarahBeenysBumblingApprentice]

Do I mean muslin not toile?