The Great British Sewing Bee
Yes, yes, yes! We've been loving it so far, from those jumpsuits in week one (some seriously stunning ones!) to everyone letting loose in the punk challenge during seventies week. 3 episodes in, we're nearly at the halfway point, so let's see what inspirations we can take (and sometimes tenuous links we can make)!
Click images to shop throughout. This contains spoilers!
Week 1 - Cotton
So if you've been following any of the GBSB news everyone's been in shock at the number of people who chose printed cottons for their wiggle dresses! It's the first challenge, keep it simple with something plain!
Has it inspired you to make a wiggle dress? We've got some lovely cotton fabrics which would be perfect for this sort of project!
How about a printed floral? The ditsy print of this one is so small and complex you'd be completely forgiven for not matching it up.
Or a heavier twill? The weight of this fabric would help keep that bold, structured shape that the wiggle dress is known for. It would look stunning in this pink too!
The transformation challenge was a denim spectacle but let's talk about jumpsuits. Juliet's was STUNNING, from the mix of fabrics to the way it hung but we loved Alexei's more military style and are dying to create our own out of the khaki twill we have below.
We also thought Leah's choice of peacock print was particularly striking and we're channelling this in this feather print cotton.
Our own Emily jumpsuit has been a firm favourite of yours since she came out, we're excited to make a new version taking some inspiration from the bee to play with colours and prints - think a denim version would be very cool!
Week 2 - Kids Week
So starting with hoodies, EVERYTHING had to be overlocked with no raw edges on show. If like Ben, the overlocker scares you, we have a workshop intended to get you over this very fear. Overlocking for beginners is designed to simplify things and get you comfortable using the overlocker.
The transformation challenge was a fun one with some incredible creatures being created then we moved on to dance outfits. While some had woven materials most focused on jersey.
Following Janet's nautical theme, we have a striped jersey, which is great for all your sailor themed outfits (or maybe keep it more wearable with just a Breton tee).
Week 3 - Seventies Week
This time we were taken back to the seventies and the first challenge started with everyone making flares! There were some bold fabric choices with the majority of contestants choosing a cord.
This navy cord has been one of our most popular materials since we started and we'll be getting more colours in very very soon!
The transformation challenge featured ALL the tartan with checks of all different types mixed to portray the punk movement.
This is one of our favourite checks, it features a miniature houndstooth in the centre!
The last challenge saw the contestants making floaty maxi dresses. Lightweight materials were a popular choice from most with many choosing almost sheer fabrics.
The polyesters which in stock have beautiful drape and would be perfect for something like this.
You could even hack our Lucy Dress into a maxi by simply extending the skirt. With the open back detail, it would make a gorgeous maxi dress!
We can't wait to see what the next few weeks brings and will keep you posted with updates!
Have you been watching? Who do you think is in line to win?