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Yay! Sewing Bee is back!

777 replies

Roussette · 17/02/2014 13:43

Does anyone else watch it? Or is it just me...

I love it because it reminds me of another life when I used to sew (before the DC's came along and before I lost the footpedal to my sewing machine in a house move).

The contestants are just so talented and I like the beardy man judge too. Anyone else?

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OwlCapone · 20/03/2014 07:48

Heather is beginning to annoy me with her jolly hockey sticks, bucket of gin persona.

I'm sure they have deliberately edited the footage to give the contestants the personas they want them to have but it's beginning to grate.

LetsFaceTheMusicAndDance · 20/03/2014 08:10

True about the editing Owl but I thought they were going for the 'bucket of gin and desperate to prove that I'm still a bit of a girl with all my sexual references' persona. Sad

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Roussette · 20/03/2014 08:33

Yes on the editing and I'd forgotten David's alteration challenge - horrendous - the pocohantas look with lots of rips! I think Tamara and Heather are pretty equal - sometimes excelling, sometimes really not. Chinelo is a bit freestyle for me and I agree with the competitive streak - I think she thought she was going to walk it, and now realises perhaps not. I do think Lynda is the all-rounder and the one who will win. (But what do I know?!)

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OwlCapone · 20/03/2014 09:07

After the first episode, I thought Heather was a dear cert for winner.
Tamara seems to have improved over the last week or two but I don't think she's good enough to win. I agree that Lynda has good all round talent and she is now my favourite to win.

DebbieOfMaddox · 20/03/2014 09:14

According to Twitter, Lynda was really quite ill the day they filmed this week's episode, which may account for the anorak going quite so badly wrong. I still think her or Chinelo to win, probably with Tamara joining them in the final -- but I have no idea which way it will go between the two of them (whereas earlier I thought Chinelo was more-or-less a shoe-in).

I would love to do Sewing Bee if it weren't on television and they gave us three times as long to do everything; all the contestants seem to have a great time and actually forge some lasting friendships. But that might defeat the object just slightly...

LRDtheFeministDragon · 20/03/2014 09:15

I really want to know who Heather is on MN. But I guess if she is, she is reading .

I think it's noticeable when they've asked a leading question and only shown us the answer - they're definitely pushing Chinelo's competitiveness but if you listen to how she phrases things, she's clearly replying to someone.

OwlCapone · 20/03/2014 10:18

I agree. They have clearly decided what personas they want and manipulated the footage to show that. Which is fine if you know they've done it. I bet they are all lovely really.

I seem to remember reading stuff from Anne (?) last year when she said there was lots of stuff edited out which changed what really happened.

DebbieOfMaddox · 20/03/2014 10:55

In particular I remember Ann saying that the judges' comments on each garment were really long and detailed, going into lots of positives and negatives and areas for development -- obviously this needed to be edited down for time, but often they are edited to be much more one-sided than they actually are. Also last year the wording on one or two challenges was switched after they had already chosen patterns and ordered fabric, but that wasn't mentioned on screen so viewers were left thinking "well, that doesn't really meet the brief".

I have even checked to see whether Heather follows MN on Twitter Blush (she doesn't, BTW. Not that means anything)

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 20/03/2014 11:00

One of the things I really like about both the Sewing Bee and Bake-Off, is how friendly and supportive the contestants are. Like David helping the others with their press-studs the other week, or Lynda abandoning her sewing to go and give Jenni a cuddle when she was crying.

TunipTheUnconquerable · 20/03/2014 11:10

Yes, it's so positive, no fake conflict, just real hard work and appreciation of other people's skill.
It's very good for us all Grin

dawntigga · 20/03/2014 11:30

I do rather think that this would make a splendid pin cushion dog Grin I'm not going to make it because I haven't got the patience for patchwork.

Then I found this which you can buy and they are v cute - should work as a pin cushion if a tad expensive.

And then I found this and now it's a HAVE TO HAVE!

Waiting for the pattern to come home from being printed.

I do think Chinelo would benefit from some formal training, she's got so much raw talent it feels wrong for her not to get it iyswim.

Of course they edit it to make great tv - it's what the show is for. Go watch Project Runway (not illegally on peer to peer of course) Wink it's ALL edited. Am watching Under the Gunn at the moment and that's edited with a different 'bad guy' each week, which is quite irritating tbh.

LUFFSTimGunnTiggaxx

LRDtheFeministDragon · 20/03/2014 11:33

Yes, I like that non-meanness a lot too. I liked how they said 'good luck' to each other before the judging.

tigga, I thought Chinelo had had some training from her aunt who's a professional? That draping technique she uses, she said in the first episode that it's a professional technique.

debbie, I wish we had more of the judges' comments. Though I am finding them much more useful this year.

Does the books include more of that, does anyone know?

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Roussette · 20/03/2014 11:36

It's so obviously heavily edited but they just seem to all get on. And because the public don't vote for anything it just doesn't matter so much. I hate it when there's editing in order to skew the public vote. I trust May and Patrick to pick the right one to win !Grin

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DebbieOfMaddox · 20/03/2014 11:36

Yes, but the reason people like Bake Off and Sewing Bee is that they doesn't have (much) of the interpersonal drama and spats that shows like Project Runway have -- I've seen a lot of American viewers say the same, that it's really refreshing to watch. So it's worrying when you catch them editing some in. Do they really understand what they have here?

TunipTheUnconquerable · 20/03/2014 11:39

I have the first book and it isn't about what they did in the series - it's an introduction to sewing techniques with some patterns and step-by-step instructions.

LetsFaceTheMusicAndDance · 20/03/2014 12:15

I can't watch the shows where there's jazzied-up conflict 'situations'. They're way too much of a cringe-fest. I'm stuck with GBSB and Bake Off and Strictly.

Hardcore, me. Smile

LRDtheFeministDragon · 20/03/2014 12:40

YY, I meant, is there more step-by-step explanation in the book, tunip.

I need quite a lot of tips because the way lots of stuff is explained isn't easy to follow, but then when someone shows you or at least gives you a picture, it's easier.

TunipTheUnconquerable · 20/03/2014 12:56

I've read through a few of them and the explanations aren't always 100% clear, though there are some very good photos; however there are so many fab tutorials and videos online these days I think it should be easy enough to find another explanation of anything that doesn't make sense.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 20/03/2014 13:11

It's interesting how differently people explain things. I was looking online yesterday to try to understand and wow ...

BlueSkySunnyDay · 20/03/2014 13:20

Im desperate to make some trousers with flat felled seams now, I will have to ask my teacher if she thinks I am capable Grin

SunnyL · 20/03/2014 15:11

Dawntigga I may have to copy you and make the little dog. I don't need another pin cushion but I've been looking for a doorstop/draft excluder for a while.

I finally caught up with sewing bee last night. I still can't believe no one decided to do a Bon Jovi fringed jacket for the leather challenge. They all seemed so tame to me. Sure leather = rock!! Grin.

They've really pushed the briefs this year haven't they? Makes the mind boggle to think what they might do to people next year i.e. make a spacesuit for a NASA astronaut but if you put a pin in the wrong place they will die. DIE I TELL YOU.

Or maybe they will have to make clothes for dogs??

Think I need to go back to work and stop thinking about what bonkers challenges they could make them do next year....

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Roussette · 20/03/2014 15:15

SunnyL or dolls clothes or teensy weensy sylvanian family outfits!

now I'm just being silly

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SunnyL · 20/03/2014 15:28

Are you being silly though? I mean last night they made a frickin anorak! Who in their right mind would think about making an anorak?

Maybe they'll have to make a kilt? Or period costumes?

Or a wetsuit?

LRDtheFeministDragon · 20/03/2014 15:31

Period costumes would be awesome.

I remember the nice bloke last year who made period costumes and was a bit out of his depth making modern women's clothing!

dawntigga · 20/03/2014 15:52

LRD, it takes 8 hours for me to make a corset - and I've made HUNDREDS - there's no way they could do anything like that unless the brought in the 2 day challenge.

SunnyL we must see the results - my first dog will be made from scraps of fabric in my work room scrap bag. I KNEW there was a reason I kept them. I shall mostly be doing this between catching the sick and poop from the poorly Cub.

FeckFeckFeckTiggaxx