Step 18: attach the skirt to the bodice making sure the centre folds line up (I often start sewing from the centre) It’s been a while since my last post, but all for good reasons. I have been hard at work setting up my studio!!!! It has been quite difficult working from home; as a devout sewist you will identify with my plight; fabric everywhere, pins all over the house and the sewing equipment’s over spilling their allocated boundaries, oh and not forgetting a patient husband smiling his encouragement through gritted teeth lol. The move out of home was due and very welcomed. Step 14: Minus the length of the bodice from the shoulder to hem measurement then add the length of the reference to this, (this is now your skirt length)

I’m sure everyone remembers my tie melt down. Gosh that was a very wordy pattern and not being a pattern girl it completely threw me. Prior to the sewing bee I had never used a pattern, but when I was confronted with my first pattern for the show, I relied heavily on the pictures for direction. So sorry to all those who were disappointed with the melt down, but hey, I never have to make a tie EVER again (I say that now but something inside me tells me I will soon post up a tutorial on making a tie freehand). Do you make all (or most) of your own clothes and what is your favouritegarment that you've made foryourself to date? The machine sat idle for a few months after failed attempts at cutting a top and a skirt (freehand). I finally decided to go to my aunty who is a dressmaker and I sat watching her work for 3 months, taking notes and doodling what she was doing; I still refer to my little sketches sometimes. Cut this out and use the pieces as templates for cutting the matching fusible interfacing. Fuse the interfacing to the facing, snip along the bottom edge with pinging sheers, turn up a single 3/8″ hem and sew.The first commercial pattern I ever used was on the show for the pattern challenge, and first and only one I have ever bought was for the pyjama challenge (ep 2). The pattern I used for my trouser legs (ep 5) I drafted myself because I’m not perfect at doing trousers freehand and didn’t want to spend time figuring it out on the show considering the timed conditions. I am quite a spontaneous person and my mind is always working in overdrive mode, I sometimes set out to make one design and then change it as I go along, this is why I love the free hand method, I am not restricted at all. Don’t be afraid to try your hands at new fabrics and even if you don’t do very well with it first time round, don’t give it up, the more you handle a specific fabric the more you understand how it works. The show’s youngest ever contestant keeps up her sewing by presenting at Great British Sewing Bee workshops across the country. She is also a columnist for Love Sewing magazine.

Step 5; At the top of the straight line draw a straight line 2″ in towards the centre, then from the furthest marking from the centre, along the top edge, draw a deep curve the joins the 2″ line you just made. It should now resemble the second picture. I am sure you have a very bright future ahead, and that the GBSB will be a great springboard for future projects. What are youworking on at the moment, and what do you have planned for the future? Firstly, and most importantly, I will like to say a huge thank you to all of you who have supported my sewing bee journey, I am so grateful for all the kind messages that have kept me very busy responding. to all the new followers, welcome to my blog and I hope it will be a useful resource for you. I have been extremely busy working on my new studio and other things, all very exciting, but have kept me completely busy. I will do a tutorial for something as soon as I possibly can, I’m thinking something up-cycled, let me know your opinions and watch this space for itShe was last interviewed by fellow contestant Tilly Walnes on her blog Tilly and the Buttons in 2013. Previous stand-out contestants Series Four I really hope give it a go, and please send me pictures of your completed garments, I get sew excited (sorry, I couldn’t help that) when I see what other people have done. As ever if you have any questions just send them over and I will try my best to answer. along the bottom draw a curve that is lower at the folded edge, and slopes upwards to meet the bottom outer edge of the template. It should resemble this: These are all vertical measurements (our vertical measurements are used as reference marks along which we mark our horizontal measurements)

To be honest I did really think your mum would be a finalist also. I felt really proud of myself for having made it to the finals with such accomplished sewist. Obviously I wanted to win; I’m sure we all did, but Heather was a great sewist and she really deserved her win.Step 3; along the line of your first reference point (the 7″ down mark) mark a quarter of your bust measurement+2″. Along the last reference point (shoulder to hips, this should actually be the bottom edge of the paper), mark a quarter of your bust measurement+3.5″.

Customising existing garments, or upcycling, is how I started my sewing journey. Before I learnt how to sew, I upcycled everything. My advice is, if you don’t know how to sew, see the garment as a blank canvas, and use your thread, needle and embellishments to bring it to life. However, if you already have some sewing experience, then look at the garment as a piece of fabric and really go for it. This was what I did with the Alteration Challenge whilst I was on the Sewing Bee. Join these marks with a smooth curve and using your tape measure make sure that the curve is a quarter of the waist measurement+(0.25″ to 3/8″). if the quarter circle is too big or to small, shorten or lengthen the reference length and repeat until you get a close enough match to the waist measurement. My favourite Challenges so far have been the wrap dress and the prom dress, these are the kinds of things I love to make. Now that Jenny is not with us anymore, I am the least experienced sewer of the group, winning would prove to me that experience isn’t always what counts, but dedication and real passion can excel a person. Results and elimination [ edit ] Colour key Sewer got through to the next round Sewer was eliminated Sewer won best Garment of the week Sewer was the series runner-up Sewer was the series winner Sewer withdrew Elimination chart

Step 13. Lay the facing over the relevant piece, right sided facing each other, pin (if you must) and sew with a 3/8 seam allowance. Press the seam allowance towards the facing and top stitch on the right side of the facing (this is done right at the edge of the seam). press She continues to do patchwork, crochet and sewing, as well as helping with sewing problems on Stitcher’s Guild, a community of people who like to sew. As usual I would love to see how you get on, please send me your pictures, questions, comments, and suggestions Invert the dart lines that are outwards facing on the right side of the fabric, now you are ready to draw your darts My sewing bee freehand antics seems to have a few of you interested in learning to do this also, so due to popular demand I have decided to set up a workshop to teach just this.