Sewing Bee is back

[Cocolapew]

Wednesday 24th May at 9pm 🥳

@SparklyTwinkleGlitter you mean his female identifying grandparent.

I hated their swimsuit instructions. I would have preferred them to ask for a well fitting well sewn swimsuit you can swim in. The GOW was attractive but designed for posing on the beach not swimming in

One comment on Matthew from me and then back to all of the joyous sewing. I have no issue whatsoever with what he wears. I was a teenager in the 80s and before Clause 28 fucked things up we were in a period where you had androgyny and as they were so delightfully called "gender benders". It might not have been "normal" to a lot of the population but it was to me and the people I knew. It was liberating and freeing and then, for a while, things got dark.

My issue is the whole trans thing and it's not his fault. He's just a young man living a non-binary life and all power to him, but as a woman who's been called awful names because I don't buy into the whole TRA thing, not transphobic but also not for the whole if you say you're a woman you're a woman thing. Because of that, he gets the sharp end of my tongue. It's not who he is but a lot of the hateful people who make up the radical end of the TRA movement. That's all really. I just wanted to make that clear because it's not about being anti-anything or horrified by a man wearing a skirt - more of them should do it - it's, I guess a cultural/political thing that doesn't belong here but I don't want to be seen as "Oh no a skirt on an actual man!" type person.

Anyway, blah, blah, blah. I doubt he'll be there for long if his swimsuit is anything to go by and I'd much rather focus on the sewers who inspire me, Asmaa and Lauren so far but as the crowd thins out I'm sure others will come into focus. Oh, and Tony two specs is great too. Sorry, for the long post. I will shut up about the whole trans thing now.

Honestly, trans people are not the enemy and the knee jerk reaction on Mumsnet to anyone even vaguely gender non-conforming is pitiful. To me Matthew just seems like a cute young guy doing his own thing, no need to get all worked up about the fact he likes heels and a manicure. Some people won’t even watch the show because the dude likes a skirt, for heaven’s sake.

I think you have missed the point if you think the reaction is about gender non-conforming people.

Many many many people objecting strongly to the word women being erased from language do not conform to gender stereotypes themselves

At the time it completly bypassed me what Matthew said though TBH. I was too focused on his unforgivablely crap swimming costume bust darts, which is what the show is actually about.

I'm bisexual and spent the 80s and 90s supporting my gay male friends in dealing with AIDS. I have friends who died.

I am so, so sick of being schooled by people who tell me I don't understand gender non-conformity. Take your ignorance and patronising shit elsewhere. I'm not interested

Honestly, it is just a sewing competition with a young male contestant who likes a bit of lippy. There is need to get so aggresive and unpleasant about a lovely show with lovely, friendly sewers. I think it obviously is not the show for you as it exudes warmth, friendliness and acceptance.

I am off to a how to use your overlocker workshop today.

I won't be gracing your screens on Sewing Bee any time soon but I do love a good stitch.

Can I suggest that the non sewing chat gets moved to another thread so we can get back to chuntering about fabric choices and wonky top stitching.

I think using an overlocker is next level and definately elevates you to potential contestant level. I think I am a genius if I manage a decent hem

This.

I dream of owning an overlocker, but then I remember that I hardly ever use one and have nowhere to store it! They make such a difference though.

100% agree.

Yes, apologies. I just don't like being patronised.

Overlockers scare me

Are you living under a rock?
You’re so far off the point, you’ve landed on another planet.

Nobody cares what Matthew is wearing! It’s the nonsense mantra he’s parroting, that’s the problem. It’s got nothing to do with men wearing dresses and make-up. I’m Scottish so men in skirts/kilts has been grand for centuries. We’re extremely proud of our heritage.

I have also worn “mannish” clothes since the early 80’s so have no problem with men wearing whatever clothes they want to, inc.heels and make-up etc. That is not the issue here!

It’s this made up Gender/non-Binary bollocks I strongly object to.
Men cannot ever become Women and vice-versa. A Transwoman will remain a man no matter how many hormones or surgery s/he has. They can’t “think like a woman” because it’s a physical impossibility for a start. Even if they had a brain implant, every cell of their DNA will contain the YY chromosomes. You cannot erase your own biology.

Anyone who genuinely believes they can change their sex has some serious mental health problems that need carefully addressing. When you’re dead and buried, if you get dug up in a hundred years time, no-one will know that you identified as a dolphin but your bone dna will conclude your sex with 100% accuracy.

Seriously, I hide the FWR board for my own mental wellbeing. Please please can we stop now? I love Sewing Bee and Telly Addicts is my safe space to have a gentle gossip about TV.

Enjoy your overlocker course @Unescorted I did the tilly and the buttons one and it really helped with the fear. I use it all of the time now.

I read this thread before I watched the last episode and knew who was leaving, but to be honest, there were some poorer sewers than Gilly that should have gone. I guess the overall thing was she didn't listen to the experts re the fabric or meeting the brief.
I thought the bag challenge was great but wish they were given more time. As mentioned upthread, someone said they could be done in about 5hours if you knew the pattern. Is the fabric choosing etc included in this time? That was a bit unfair with this one with them having to find unfamiliar haberdashery items.
The windbreak challenge I am a bit meh about.
I did like the swimming costume challenge. I loved the colour and shape of Matthews one but the fitting and execution was awful!
I liked the one that won garment of the week. The sleeves were really fun.
I liked Tony not with the two glasses (loved his ginkgo leaf shirt) costume and such a shame the colour blocks slightly overlapped.
Asmaas was very retro and what a shame about the melting! I don't know why none of them didn't use a cotton cloth between the iron and the item? I guess time and pressure have a lot to answer for.
I loved the Battenberg inspired one too and that was sewn really well.
I'm trying to remember the others...

Is an overlocker the thing they stitch stretchy fabrics with?

I often think that home made clothes, delightful as they are, are limited to rigid fabric. I haven't got a scooby how to sew clothes but I have a weird urge to make my own knickers and that ain't happening in calico.

Also why are overlockers so expensive? Is it basically a factory machine?

I'm hoping if we stop responding they'll stop posting.

Absolutely not!

Quite a lot of what I make is in stretch material - you can use a zig zag stitch on a normal sewing machine if you don't have an overlocker, OR you can buy something called maraflex thread which is thread with a little bit of stretch in it and use it like normal cotton thread with a straight stitch on a normal sewing machine.

An overlocker is great for tidying up seams very quickly or doing particular types of hems, but it's perfectly possible to manage without one and sew pretty much anything you want to including stretch.

Aldi often sell overlockers for about £150 and they do a perfectly reasonably job- I have one myself!

I've got the aldi one too. It's very similar to the singer versions apparently. I really like it.

Ah that's interesting re Aldi 👍

I’m one of the ‘they’ who does spend a lot of time on the FWR board, and thinks it’s perfectly OK for us to do so, but I also like sewing and enjoy this thread. So I don’t feel I need to go away.

Overlockers don’t have to be £££££, Morris. I got mine from Lidl for £99, which is a snip considering many cost thousands. It’s really useful and I wouldn’t sew anything stretchy without it now.

@Halsall £99 is such a bargain.

I sew heaps of stretch - kids stuff like leggings, tops, baby overalls, and then T-shirts and sweatshirts for me. I don’t use an overlocker, and have no intention of getting one. My machine has a stretch stitch, and a faux overlock stitch which I find work perfectly fine.

I’ve never made knickers - though I did download a free knicker pattern (Megan Nielson Acacia knickers, and I think Madalynn also has free lingerie patterns) so maybe I should give it a whirl!