Sewing Bee back tonight

[Dottiethekangaroo]

I have just seen this in the newspaper. I am so excited, brand new host too.

Totally agree. She became very tiresome. Also interesting that no one really made an issue of her naked painting of 'afternoon delight' (very attention seeking). Inappropriate in the context and if Don had had a similar painting there'd have been uproar and he'd have been labelled a'dirty old man'.

The overlockers are air threading machines to save time for the technicians. These, I think
https://www.sewingmachinesales.co.uk/overlocker/janome/janome-2000d.html

I love the show and I like Esme, but I get sick of the bows joke. Bows are pointless!

I’d like it if someone taught the contestants how to tie functional bows so that they sit neatly and horizontally. There was one last night or a week ago which was tied at the back and was untidy and vertical. There were neat ones on the shoulders, though.

Maybe Esme’s comments about those bows are cut out.

Thank you. Do you have a suggestion for the coverstitch machines? I don’t know what I’m looking for when I search. Something like this?

I think it might be the new 3000 https://www.janome.co.uk/coverpro-3000

I might be mis-remembering, but I thought Janet said Brigitte Bardot was one of her inspirations in the first episode, so I thought she'd be going for a classic boat-necked top/capri pants or Bardot style 50s dress. Would seem to be an obvious match?

I can't say I'm sorry to see her go.

Interesting, thank you.

I would imagine that they are all given lessons on how to use the various machines

You could say that about anything that's just decorative though.

They are and the buttonhole foot is almost identical to most other one step buttonhole feet so will only be unfamiliar to someone who has only ever used a very basic or vintage machine.

I am so enjoying this series, and I really liked the challenges this week.

I loved Suzy's own dress that she was wearing. Her proposal was lovely - that was in Mood Fabrics in NYC. As a fellow Project Runway nerd, I also visited it when I was last in New York - it's over several floors, absolutely crammed with fabric, and somewhat overwhelming. I think the customers were 50% sewers and 50% fans of the show

One thing that frustrates me with the final challenge is WHY go beyond the brief??? If you only have 4 hours and you're trying to make something, make the one thing you do perfect, instead of flinging a perfunctory/scruffy/totally unfinished top in!

Janet’s idea of classy and mine are not the same - I was very ready to see her go (although she was quite gracious in defeat).

With regards to the rubber being sticky, a Teflon foot is amazing but when I first started making bags with vinyl pockets, I put washi tape under the foot & masking tape over the plastic bits of the machine. Makes it all run smoothly.

Good idea Ladybirds. You can also use a layer of tissue paper although that does make it harder to see. But the point is there ARE ways around it that any sewer good enough to go on the show should know.

I really enjoyed this week. I loved the section on beach pyjamas and have a photo of my granny and friends on beach (in the north of England not the Riviera!) in beach pyjamas, probably from the 1930s.

Janet's outfit was so un-Riviera it was an easy choice for who had to leave, especially after she didn't use a tablecloth for the back of her blouse. I loved the idea of the table cloth blouses - what a great way to repurpose something stuck in the back of a cupboard. A very satisfying week all round.

I loved that the tablecloth blouses were the pattern challenge, and therefore were only sacrificed to actually make half decent items of clothing.

I had assumed from the trailer that they'd be the transformation challenge, and they'd all be chopped up to make varying levels of crap. Far better that they were put to good use - and that it will set in people's heads that you can make proper clothes from them, rather than hacking and chopping to anyone's imagination/desperation.

Janet didn't seem to get the usual degree of "Oh-we're-sorry-to-see-you-go" hugs - or was that my imagination?

I am loving this show and this thread. It would be interesting to see out takes on the show!

Janet was very miffed most of the way through that but putting a brave face on it!
Fabric choice not great for her final piece.

I used to use tracing paper.

so am assuming that although machines are provided (and there are presumably experts on hand to help with threading and other problems?) the sewers take their own sewing boxes/kit with them? Mine has things like washi-tape in (I write the size/type of needle on it and stick it on the machine so i don't forget when i put it in) and tracing paper, so it would be totes legit to use those things?

Unrelated comment but I’ve just noticed that the IOW DJ whose name I’ve forgotten - is it Georgie? - is a model for the IOW ethical clothing company Rapanui.

Here’s a pic

Ahh DH has some of their T-shirts. They shrank dreadfully so he only got one wear out of them.

DH is very very long in the torso so all T-shirts are short on him and shrinkage is obvious.

Yes, they’re not great quality unfortunately, though I’ve managed to keep mine from shrinking by washing them on 30. The designs fade very quickly. We need to use them for a Transformation Challenge!