In other social media (FB groups) people are reporting attending “an evening with Patrick and Esme”, and the issue of timing is a big question from the audience.
If I recall correctly, they said pattern challenge and timing is indeed tried out on a panel of sewers including previous contestants. And Patrick’s other comments implied that many of this year’s contestants spent too long faffing and talking and not enough time concentrating and sewing.
I think the challenges have been good this year - just this week making a child’s animal outfit from a beach towel was a realistic task for any home sewer for example. The MtM had huge scope for them to do virtually anything that played to their strengths.
I think the frustration many here are feeling is that the balance in contestants is off. Usually a better mix of those who are intuitive and design focused, and those who play it safe but deliver to a high quality. Part of the joy of previous series have been watching intuitive sewers gain new skills, and safe sewers learning to push themselves with design choices, and the final is usually one of each plus a wild card who could either have a disaster or play a blinder.
We’re at the stage now where I think most of the remaining contestants’ strengths lean towards design, and there’s very little experience in the room, especially now Don has left. And by experience I mean what can be gained from years of churning out clothes for themselves or others and thus judging what fabric would suit what project and encountering different types of seams, zips, pockets, plackets, linings, collars, bindings etc etc. I don’t think I’ve picked up a single tip or trick this year.