Yay! Sewing Bee is back!

[Roussette]

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?

Fight up? Caught up!

Im shocked Lynda went home, I have a sneaking suspicion that the judges didnt really want her to go but she did have a very bad week - really thought (and hoped) she would win.

I think this was the first week where it really seemed to have become a "competition" I liked the group last time but much preferred them this time, they have been really warm and supportive of each other (even if doing the "what is she up to" look out of the corners of eyes)

I think Chinelo is very talented, Patrick definately doesnt "get" her style though at all - I did feel she is probably one of the most competitive ones there but have started to warm to her more this week.

Tamara - is the most competitive, she's a bit "boden" yummy mummy for my tastes but I do like a lot of the things she makes, she definately has an eye for colours and patterns which appeals to me.

Heather is a bit "jolly hockeysticks" for me but I do feel I am being a bit unfair to her as she seems to be a really nice lady and a traditional home dressmaker. Her dress this week though was just way too simple - like something you would make in an early dressmaking class, obviously if the fitting had been spot on then it would have been a real achievement - but it wasnt.

Not a clue who will win, its certainly nowhere near as cut and dried as last time (no one stood a chance against Anne with her couture background and it think its telling, if as someone said previously, they have tightened up the application guidelines)

If I could wake up tomorrow and the talent from one of them had been magically transferred to me - then id like to have Chinelo's im already good with patterns/colours but the raw ability she has to just magic fabric into clothing would be wonderful.

I was shocked at the time but, on balance, I am not surprised. I think she did some stunning pieces but also had some that were not good. This week she had a couple of disasters.

Anyone else a tad annoyed that when they did the trousers they had fit buddies but nothing this week?

StillRantingABitAboutThisTiggaxx

Lynda is a superb seamstress but I think, on balance, maybe it was the right decision but what do I know

Do you think that's why the fit on Heather's dress was so bad, Tigga?
I was a bit surprised tbh because I'm sure she's well capable of getting it right, and will have been doing her best.

I think that's exactly why the fit was off.

GrumbleGrumbleTiggaxx

But they were copying their own items of clothing, and they had time to practise at home -- they shouldn't have needed a fit buddy, really.

copying from a garment isn't the same as altering a pattern to fit, it only takes the garment to move a little for the fit to be off. It's worse if it's a simple garment as it will show more. 1 or 2 cms in the back did make a difference to her fit.

GrumbleGrumbleGrumbleCurmudgeonTiggaxx

A friend of my mums is banned from most wedding shops jere because she has copied so many dresses by just making a quick sketch. She has made some beautiful creations for a fraction of the price. Sadly her dementia means she is barely sewing anymore.

I think Heather made the mistake when she adjusted the fit. Originally it was too loose.

Is ripping off a wedding dress design any less illegal than a pirated movie/game/song?

Owl as long as you make a minimum of 5 distinct changes you should be fine. That includes seam width.

AmNotALawyerYouDoItAtYourOwnRiskTiggaxx

From what I've read, if you are making something for personal use there isn't a legal issue but if you're copying a design and then selling the pattern or copying a design and then selling the finished garment you're on potentially shakier legal ground (although even that's not cut-and-dried). There's a bit of a question mark over precisely what is copyrighted in terms of garments and their design.

In particular, in the case of wedding dresses (if you aren't actually making patterns from the garment itself but rather just looking at the design and then constructing your own lookalike as in the case of SunnyL's mum's friend) then the designer can't really have copyright in the idea of "a fitted princess-seamed bodice with puff sleeves and a mermaid tail", and you're drafting your own pattern rather than copying theirs (and the pattern pieces will have quite different dimensions because you'll be making it as a custom garment to fit the person who's going to wear it while the one you saw will have been a standard size, so your finished pattern pieces won't even look massively like the ones the dress designer used). So it would be more-or-less impossible to make a case for illegal infringement of copyright.

Am not a lawyer either but have read a few blog posts on this from people who are.

I meant "fishtail hem" but for some reason typed "mermaid tail". That would be an unusual wedding dress...

A friend of my mums is banned from most wedding shops jere because she has copied so many dresses by just making a quick sketch. She has made some beautiful creations for a fraction of the price.

My comment was in response to this. Clearly not "personal use" in contrast to the copied coat mentioned earlier.

Personally, I think what SunnyLs mum's friend was doing crossed the line.
[shrug] not that it matters.

"mermaid tail". That would be an unusual wedding dress...

But rather unique!

She might have been doing it for friends at cost.

And it's hard to argue that there is copyright in a design at the level of detail that you can capture in one quick look backed up by a sketch - paradoxically the "copying an item you already own" would come closer because then you are effectively getting close to recreating the original pattern pieces, which is the one thing almost everyone agrees is protected by copyright.

I'd put it in with card counting in a casino - not actually illegal, but against the spirit of the establishment and you know you'll be banned if you're caught (although probably less likely to get beaten up first in a wedding dress shop).

To clarify - she makes dresses for her friends daughters. These dresses were like the original but had differences. So the bride might say I like the top half but would prefer a more fitted skirt. Clearly the material would be different. Actually these days she could probably use the Internet to do the same work. Sadly her dementia is so bad now she can't sew at all.

She didn't profit from it.

I bet it's you that's selling the dog pattern.

Otherwise it's a strange that you registered just to post that.

This thread used to be nice and positive. we were all in awe of the amazing craftsmanship of the people on the sewing bee. In the last week though it seems to have taken a darker turn and become a bit unpleasant. Not exactly in the spirit of the sewing bee. I hope it gets its mojo back for tomorrow night. I'd like to chat with other inspired people during the final.