Sewing Bee is back

[Cocolapew]

Wednesday 24th May at 9pm 🥳

Our postman always wears shorts all year, too.

I asked him about it one bitterly cold November day some years ago, and apparently they had a game of "Chicken".

Every week each postie put a quid into a pot, and whoever wore their shorts the longest got the lot at Christmas. It's got to the stage now where it is pretty much a way to save because they are all "dead 'ard" lads and lasses (North East).

Agree Asmaa didn't strictly stick to west Africa but they did say make it personal and if only people who had connections to W Africa could do the personal bit that's discriminatory so I think a middle Eastern Boubou variant is fine as that is personal to her. No idea how I'd make a Boubou personal I'd probably have to either embellish my trip to Africa (not W ) years ago or have a fabric with something meaningful on it. It is like adding a creative writing aspect to the dressmaking task. You're either lucky in your past experiences fitting the project or you embellish or invent stuff.

I don't think a french seam takes longer than an ordinary seam and overlocking if you're doing them in a straight line. More ironing but I don't find french seams time consuming.

I get the feeling that the standard is much more variable this year. Or am I imagining that?

Quite. It’s all over the place.

I suppose they have a list of personalities they need, and any sewing abilities come second when the contestants are chosen.

Agree. I think the same happens with all the reality skill programmes. The people who are really good and who want/are able to commit to the filming apply in the early series and thereafter, the law of diminishing returns applies.

A lot of this year's bake off contestants were just woeful too.

I saw that the closing date for applications for the next series has been extended..... Is that not enough applicants or not enough that would make a 'good' series?

Very disappointed with the standard on bakeoff this year and I hope Sewing Bee doesn't dumb it down in future. I don't think they realise that we don't want 'drama' we want to see skill and to be inspired....

They should do an all stars series. That would be amazing to watch.

I'd hate to have the cameras on me and I'd be rubbish at the middle challenge. I could do it given a week to think about it but would be rubbish just inventing stuff on the spot, that's not one of my strengths.

The standard is always variable in the earlier weeks. They are all good sewers, but having to do it to a set time is a difficult challenge and I think that is the issue for many.

I can't talk with any expertise about what the sewers are doing, but comparing it with GBBO, where I do at least know how to make a cake, I've felt for years that they think viewers need to see more and more challenge in every series. With that in mind, they make the time limit for each challenge ridiculously short and the requirements ridiculously complicated. What I want to see is good bakers producing reasonably straightforward stuff to a good standard, with most of the emphasis on taste, not decorating and personal backstories. I'd be perfectly happy with similar on the Bee.

I actually really liked Maria's, although the neck was wrong at the back. I agree she was weaker in the other rounds though. In fact I liked all the final items.

I’ve fallen asleep for the last 2 episodes. I’m thinking the unthinkable that the contestants are not as engaging and maybe the tasks a bit meh. Mind you I do miss Joe Lycett …

I'm not entirely sure why we had a west African week, but there you go. Loved the pattern challenge - the idea of how to make a garment from wide strips and godets is interesting. I do a lot of zippered welt pockets (I make shoe-bag style rucksacks) so I'm confident making those.

Draping? i think you either get it or you don't. I don't really so i'd be rubbish at that. it would be a shame to go out because you don't drape things - many sewists don't.

Matthew's sewing slippers!! His boubou looked lovely, liked the colours. But no. the patterned fabric was too heavy for the main and it stopped it flowing properly. If he'd used something a bit lighter it would have been spot on. I'm with Patrick about the harness - go big or go home. I want a week from him with no harness. This isn't one of these shows (like Making the Cut or something) where you're supposed to show your own style and "branding".

agree. I think pp upthread put their finger on it: we're so far in that all the really good people who were going to do the show have done it. (I remember the series where one of the finalists was a colonel in the army, that was one of my favourites)

It's no good. I've had another look at Matthew's boubou and still can't see a harness.

It's just a little strap across the neck opening. Nothing weird. I wouldn't even call it a harness.

Not really. I know people who have applied and didn't get it, moat because the won't make for "good TV", being ordinary middle age women. Nothing to do with their sewing skills.

They extend the closing date every year. Everyone who follows this sort of thing reasonably closely knows the first closing date for GSB is never the real actual closing date.

next year is the 10th series so perhaps they have something very specific in mind for the 10th anniversary.

I don't think it's fair to judge the quality of the sewing on the snippets we see. It will be edited in a very specific way by people who already know the outcome of each episode.

some of the faces on this years show are quite familiar to people in the sewing community - I already followed one of them on Instagram before the sewing bee line up was announced and Matthew had posted some of his makes on one of the sewing Facebook groups on a few occasions.

Honestly I think they had that theme because they wanted that particular expert to come on and they made the theme relevant. Which is fine. I'd wear a boubou every day if I could

I think the problem is as well that you want people who are interesting to watch as well as competent. You also need a diverse range of people. I expect they could fill it ten times over with middle aged, middle class, quiet, white women who would be competent. A friend of mine, who is a great sower, applied but she was told that she couldn’t do it as she counts as a professional. She had a day job and makes children’s clothes on the side.

sorry, that's what i meant. The good ones (from the POV of the series producers) have all been and gone

I'm not so sure i want "interesting" people.
I want people who are going to be able to produce a good garment, well made, in the time, who don't always just wing it, but do on occasion.

I want them to be competent.

On the swimsuit challenge, very few of the garments looked anywhere near competently made. Even the one that was garment of the week (and i didn't agree with it because of this) was pulled up by the judges for the bad fit across the back of the pants.

I would personally absolutely love to watch a series with a full line up of 60 year old competent women sewers. I personally don't see people as all the same just based on their age... they would all have their unique story

Same, but this is exactly who I want to see!!! People who know their shit, make some beautiful, well made things, no kerazy characters that make me roll my eyes and wait for the actually talented people to come back on screen.

So I can’t believe I forgot this was on last night. I’m catching up now. Thanks for the insta recommendations!

I’m a massive fan of African prints and colours so I’m really looking forward to this week. I’ve not heard of a Batakari before, not the most flattering design but pretty on trend for now. Wow I’ve never seen a construction like this before, that’s really interesting. Ooh I love the history/cultural info bit.
I adore these fabrics, simply gorgeous! I might have to go to west Africa for fabric alone. I’d love to learn draping too.

Lizzie reminds me of Sally Phillips. Love both her makes. We really saw her shine this week.

I wasn’t surprised blue hair girl went this week, she did struggle but her boubou turned out quite well.