Sewing Bee 2021, thread 2

[dillite]

Sorry, couldn't think of a clever title

Just caught up.

Raphs hat was great.

Serena's top was weird. Why on earth did that win?

Farie's jacket was a beautifully done and a gorgeous colour.
Non of the others fit properly at all. Most were too short.

The male models looked like grumpy teenagers who'd been asked to model at their mum's sewing group

I think Esme and Prue Leith should be twinned on the necklace front ...

Damien is probably quite personable and is clearly a bloke's bloke but obviously come unstuck when he can't rehearse. I won't miss him when he finally goes, around week 7, though.

I don't think Andrew has long. OK technical skills, no creative flair or eye for colour and style. Too inconsistent, as a result. Always weak in the last round, though he recovered fairly well, this week - the music used in Wickes ads did make me giggle.

Serena will go the course but her loud fabric needed some plain relief.

I'm thinking that a presumably Frida Kahlo inspired make might unstick some of the less creative sewers.

Hello All

Didn't get a chance to join you last nigh - but I've watched it. Will read rest of other thread then come over here.

Fashion historian sounds like quite a fun job...

Sunbird - Amber Buchart did a series once where she introduced clothes from history (as shown in famous paintings) alongside a lovely lady and her team who recreated them using the techniques available at the time (as far as they could.

It was fascinating. She also does forensic "fashion" work re: clothes at crime scenes, I think, though I can't remember where I got that from.

@Roussette

Patrick always looks bemused when he's talking to Damien.

He does!

As though Damien is another species ("My Octopus Teacher") and he can't quite work out his body language or intonation emphasis . . . is he being friendly? Flirty? Will he bite?

It seems that I am the only one, but I am warming to Damien - he's largely rubbish (though last week's dress shows he Can D It If He Tries, as my mother would have said), but he's very quick on comebacks.

@Piggywaspushed

These jackets are all so short in the arms and body! Is this the style now? Their bum will get cold!

The chest pockets are too high.

That's what I was saying. Too short, too tight, totally impractical.

I actually thought Andrew's (that is Mr Vicar isn't it?) looked the most practical and workmanlike - but of course you're all right - it's Sainsbo's!

Also - I'm not keen on Rafe.

He's amazingly talented, good-looking, superficially charming etc - but there seemed to be something that flashed across his face at one point when he didn't get a "first" that I just didn't like. (And his jacket was ridiculously tight)

I did like his cap though.

Serena's top was weird. Why on earth did that win?

I can only assume it looked far better in real life and showed some great flair and technical skills.

Poor lawratu. Just shows a bad week can totally screw you up when you don't deserve to go overall. Unfortunately they couldn't really do anything but let her go. Farie's jacket was the only one that was wearable. Poor showing this week. The judges are totally in love with Serena.

I think Esme and Prue Leith should be twinned on the necklace front

Oh yes. I had to go to the opticians the other day, and would you believe it.... there was a Prue Leith range of frames on sale! Maybe Prue and Esme ought to do a necklace range....

Damien's alright really... he's like an annoying bloke I used to work with who I bump into occasionally and want to say 'shut up will you' but sort of harmless really. Just grates a bit.

But... Damien's still in so he must be doing something right, even if Patrick is bemused by him!

Bring it on next week Frida Kahlo I hope too!

Farie's jacket was the only one that was wearable

I would disagree with this. Very few were what I would want to wear but most were wearable (ignoring the fit aspect). Even the Sainsbury's one 😂 Serena's fabric was loud but I suspect no one on this thread is the target market - stick a designer label on it and I can think of a few of DS's friends who would go for it for example. One seems fond of loud camo style prints for example.

I don't mind Damien any more. I quite liked his transformation skirt, it looked quite flattering.

And my Dad would have worn his jacket without complaint.

He may actually get better as the episodes go on, it's all about learning.

Regardless I think he's a necessary addition to the show. There's always a LOT of very camp men on this show and sometimes I think the tag line should be "SEWING - for bubbly Mums and queer men!". I think Damien in his own way, is showing you can be a real blokes bloke and have this as a hobby and I think that's important to see.

Is Adam one of the lost bee gees?!

I think Damien is being edited to look more annoying and gung ho than he actually is.

That transformation round was really disappointing. A couple of series ago they had to turn a dinner jacket into a little black dress, and Charlotte made a stunning one.

Just dropped in to draw your attention to Patrick's tweet mobile.twitter.com/paddygrant/status/1387640141548826625

Love it!
Just got to follow him on Twitter now!

I've just watched it and caught up with the thread. I agree with all the comments above although I think most of the jackets were wearable (by somebody). Farie deserved GOTW. Sad to see Lawretu go.

@awesomekillick

Cannot watch anymore - the person who runs out of time every time, makes life harder than it needs to be because why? Someone else can't get poppers practiced at home in - omg Things don't fit, zips in wrong, it's just too darn stressful and amateurish for words

Amateurish is right, awesome

Why can’t they just cast the twelve best amateur sewers who come through the non televised heats?

Then we might have a chance of seeing some excellence. They are so busy doing the pick n mix casting that I bet hundreds of great sewers are rejected.

How can anyone think it’s enjoyable to watch the bodgers not bother to read the instructions, can’t interpret a pattern and have rubbish machine technique?

That and the daft time limits have ruined what could have been a great show.
Someone like Damien should never get near this show, he simply doesn’t have the skills.
Also how often is the Freddie Mercury look a like going to sew bloody anchors on everything?

Joe can bugger off as well, with his cheap innuendoes. Patrick and Esme could run the whole thing on their own.

I have to agree to some extent... if I was doing poppers on a TV show, I would've practiced poppers at home until I was sick of it.

The anchors on everything is hilarious.... somehow I think we are going to have a swishy cocktail dress with a voile overlay and big anchors on the material underneath.

Love Patrick and Esme... you're taking your life in your hands criticising them

I enjoy seeing that they aren't perfect and how they fix mistakes. A show of dull perfect sewers would be, well, dull. It's primary purpose is entertainment, it's not a documentary or educational programme.

You seem to hate everything about it 😂

@SoupDragon

I enjoy seeing that they aren't perfect and how they fix mistakes. A show of dull perfect sewers would be, well, dull. It's primary purpose is entertainment, it's not a documentary or educational programme.

You seem to hate everything about it 😂

I agree with you but there has been a tendency for some of the competitors to over complicate things and make slapdash mistakes. They never seem to use pins or tack anything let alone read the instructions through. I don't think this happened in the earlier series. Clare, last year's winner, was careful and precise and although some called her a bit boring I didn't think she was.

I'm sure in previous series viewers were given a view of what contestants had sewed pre SB, plus it was obvious that a lot of them were wearing their own sewn garments on the show.
This series is all "I'm quirky me" and the sewing seems to come second. The only examples of a previous interest in sewing have been Jean and her matching outfits and cat Yoda, and Rebecca's quilting. Have we seen any other examples?

I'm sure I've seen Lawratu wearing a pattern I recognised - the pockets looked really similar to the 'Uniform Tunic' I'd sewn the other week. Also looking at Raph's striped tshirt this week, I'd be amazed if that wasn't home made as the way the stripe was matched on the neckband seemed to be very deliberate in the way most factory made clothes aren't.

They're always going to have a smaller pool of possible contestants during a covid year, with all the extra show-bubble restrictions that it entails. So perhaps they have people with less skill showing up.