Great British Sewing Bee 2020 part 2

[GrandAltogetherSo]

Hope I haven’t jumped the gun, but the old thread was getting quite full.

I’ve just been browsing the
www.bigcommunitysew.co.uk/
and trying to work out what sewing machines they were using at home. I always do that when a magazine has a feature about one if the contestants.
I think Therese has the same Juki machine as I have and she’s also got the mini quilter too. Lucky lass.

Also, do you think that maybe either Therese or that slightly annoying bloke Peter might have won this year as they also have Juliet, the winner from the last series in this group?

Loved the reuse and recycle element. This is something which Patrick is really very passionate about and his Twitter feed is full of stuff about sustainability and reusing old fabric. I volunteer in a charity shop and we get a lot of people buying stuff "for the fabric" - we always wonder who's going to buy that size 26 maxi dress but if you look at it as 3 metres of fabric rather than a dress, it's not surprising it sells.

Oh and yes - the charity I volunteer with has its own recycling plant. Textiles which aren't fit for the shop are graded, some are sold in bulk to the developing world, others are shredded and used for mattress stuffing. Others which aren't even good enough for that are used in a special incinerator which provides heat and hot water for the plant. Nothing goes to landfill.

If you mark your bag clearly as rags, you'll be the volunteers' favourite person ever.

Claire's jumper was so pretty.

Jo L was actually quite amusing last night, he has grown on me as I liked Claudia

so it is always worth sending even very tatty things to the a charity shop.

Yes. My preferred shop is happy to accept tatty stuff if you bag them up and label them as rags. It saves them sorting them.

I volunteer in a charity shop and we get a lot of people buying stuff "for the fabric"

My best "haul" was a box full of old saris.

I bought a skirt 'for the fabric' once. I can't sew and don't own a machine but I managed to hack it into a bag of sorts. Not neat enough to use outdoors but very pretty for home storage use.

I just couldn't bear to leave the skirt in the shop.

I loved Matt's made-to-measure. Great colours and range of textures.

I'm glad Peter's gone. He was up himself and not as good as he thought. Therese dodged a bullet though, and she knew it. There was a surprising flash of temper from Therese when she shouted at herself that her jumper was 'Boring. Boring!'

I'm really tired of Liz 'did I mention I was a goth/punk?' and her made-to-measure gave me flashbacks to Jane Norman in the early noughties.

I love Clare. 'you beast!' I love a lot of Nicole's work but am not sure she's that nice a person.

Loved Esmee's bomber jacket. I hope I can look that cool when I'm her age fat chance as I've NEVER looked that cool

I love how cool Esme is (and that fab hairstyle too).

I quite often hit the charity shops for fabric. I made a beautiful patchwork lap quilt for my gran last year that was all floral shirts/bedding that I'd found in charity shops. I really want to do some new cushions for my living room and I'm desperate to go on a charity shop rummage!

Was it last series that Esme had a photo of her taken in the 60s by a motorbike?

Whilst googling her, I came across this video of her on Would I Lie to You which I'd forgotten about 😂

This is the photo I was thinking about though.

@poshnorthessex I think they advertised that all previous series are currently available on iplayer

@SoupDragon

This is the photo I was thinking about though.

That photo was probably in the late 70s or early 89s when she had the shop Swanky Modes. I think she would have been too young to rude a motorbike in the 60s.

Unfortunately, it only looks like The current series is on iPlayer 🙁 I would quite like to re-watch the earlier ones.

Ride not rude.

80s not 89s. Oh for an Edit button.

I think she would have been too young to rude a motorbike in the 60s.

Apparently not - she was born in 1949!

(Which I only know because I just googled)

I just checked that! I thought she was a similar age to me but she is 6 years older. She could well have posed on a motorbike in the late 60s. I somehow doubt she could ride one that big though.

I don't think it was hers. I can't remember the story that went with it now though

Much as I like the idea of using charity shop clothes for the fabric, I rarely found modern fabric that it is worth reusing, as it's such poor quality.
Also, I don't like to be a party pooper, but are you aware that the developing world's clothing industry has been ruined by us dumping our old clothes on them?

@Wilma55 I can only see the current series on iPlayer

They said several people went charity shopping rather than their own so I think Claire was fine there. I think if you had to do it from your own stuff it would be harsh - if I own something it's because I want it as it is! I think Claire was fine to choose similar and appropriate fabric, in fact I think that is a big part of the skill. I loved her dress and would have worn it. I wouldn't be surprised if she was marked down for not self drafting as all the others did though.

Have to he honest if have bought some cheap jersey to practise if I'd been one of them!

Nicole didn't self draft either I think.