What a joyful, relaxed final it was – with just a few nail-biting moments in the made to measure! True to form, the Bees powered through with clever sewist problem-solving (something we’re all rather good at, aren’t we?). So let’s dive into the patterns, fabrics and tutorials to help you sew along with the Bees one last time.
Series 11 Episode 10: The Final
The Pattern Challenge: A Bias Cut Slip Dress
Looks were deceiving in the pattern challenge - the Bees were tasked with sewing a bias cut dress, which had to be finished with French seams and sewn neatly in order to impress the judges.
The key challenge here was working with fabric on the bias and making sure it didn't stretch out. One of the best ways to avoid this whilst sewing is to use a walking foot and you can see lots of other difficult sewing techniques a walking foot can help with in our handy video below.
Sewing Bee Patterns, Tools and Habby
There are lots of beautiful patterns and fabrics you could use to sew up a bias cut dress and we love the idea of pairing them with long sleeved Tshirts or lightweight knits for Autumn Winter.
- Tessuti patterns Sadie slip dress pattern
- Simplicity 9745 slip dress pattern
- Viki Sews Lucia slip dress pattern
- Vogue 9278 slip dress pattern
We have a range of satin viscose fabrics that would be perfect to sew them up in.
- Viscose satin multi coloured fabric
- Fabric Godmother Patriza viscose satin fabric
- Viscose satin fabric
If you need any tips for sewing neat French seams you'll find all the information you need in our 'how to finish seams - 5 techniques every sewer should know' article plus lots of other ways to professionally finish your seams.
The Made to Measure Challenge: trompe l’oeil
For the Made to Measure challenge the Bees were tasked with sewing a garment using the art of trompe l'oeil to create an optical illusion.
It was no mean feat and the Bees showed sheer determination and resilience as they faced and overcame difficult challenges under time pressure to produce some truly impactful garments.
Orla
Orla sewed a turtleneck dress with a full skirt in scuba fabric and attached multi coloured posts to the front, which were hidden by black squares of fabric until viewed from the side.
We took inspiration from the dress (minus the posts!) and thought Vogue 1907 looked like a smart, yet warm and comfortable dress for Autumn Winter sewn up in our Suzette jersey fabric, which is a ponte like weight.
Caz
Caz sewed a fitted body con style strappy dress and created a dramatic ribcage to sit over the top in reference to the open heart surgery she underwent a few years ago.
We thought Know Me 2094 was a similar style of dress and the straps over the cups were a nod to the ribcage shapes Caz created on her dress. Our Mystique satin fabric would be the perfect match.
If you wanted to make an even more dramatic effect for a fancy dress party you could use McCalls 7306 to sew a structured skirt in a ribcage style using boning.
Yasmin
Yasmin sewed a very fitted satin dress complete with tie and a heart shaped tulle structure attached to the front.
We thought Vogue 2045 could be used to sew a similar dress. It is a fitted design with the option for a sharp collar and sleeveless design like Yasmin's. Our John Kaldor Prestige crepe would work well for this sewing pattern.
We can't quite believe another year has drawn to a close and are now wondering what on earth we will do on a Tuesday evening. Not really, we know exactly what we're going to do - sew of course!
Series 11 Episode 9: 1920s week
It was high drama for the semi finals when we headed back to the roaring 20s sewing plus fours and party outfits. As always we're sharing wearable interpretations of the Sewing Bee designs and have some great tip sand tutorials for you too.
The Pattern Challenge: Plus Fours
The Sewing Bees were challenged with sewing a pair of plus fours this week including a fly front zip, pleats, a waistband and button and buttonhole. Think tally ho on the golf course vibes!
If you're more likely to be going to the supermarket, or work, or for dinner or drinks we've got the modern day equivalent for you to sew up!
Sewing Bee Patterns, Tools and Habby
Lucy has just sewn up a pair of the Rose pants by Made by Rae and it is love! They have a flat waistband piece at the front, an elasticated waist at the back, double pleats and a wide leg plus lovely deep pockets.
Lucy sewed them up in our new navy classic pinstripe fabric, which is lovely and warm and hangs and drapes beautifully. By all accounts it feels like you are wearing your pyjamas and yet the look is put together and very firmly in the smart casual category. Quite honestly, what is not to love?!
Made by Rae also give you lots of tips for fitting and adjusting and making a quick, simple toile plus lots of additional body measurements, although in all honesty the only real place to fit is the waistband and that is elasticated.
Lucy is planning on sewing multiple pairs up this winter!
If you wanted more of a challenge and some of the Plus Fours sewing details including a fly front zip (check out our handy blog tutorial) you could sew up Vogue 2094 in either the cropped or full length. We think they'd look perfect for Autumn/Winter in our 50% wool mix check mulberry fabric.
There was lots of chat about the importance of good pressing skills this week and we spotted a clapper being used to wrestle bulky seams into submission plus tailors hams at the ready.
If you want lots of top pressing tips check out our in depth video tutorial below and elevate your dressmaking results.
The Made to Measure Challenge: A 1920s Party Outfit
For the Made to Measure challenge it was party, party, party. Three of the Bees sewed dresses inspired by the flapper style and Yasmin sewed a sailor dress.
We were super surprised to find we have quite the collection of sailor dress patterns, including vintage Laura Ashley re-releases from the 1980s much like one of the famous Princess Diana dresses many of us will remember.
We didn't have many flapper style dresses so we've just picked out a collection of dress patterns with a nod to 1920s fashion or with sewing details from the contestants' outfits on the night.
Kit
Kit sewed a slinky sleeveless number with a deep V at the back and ruffle tiered hem. We thought McCalls 8582 had a similar hem design and the sexy low V back and could be sewn up in our satin backed crepe fabric alternating the matt and the shiny sides on the bias cut panels.
Yasmin
Yasmin created an impeccably sewn sailors dress complete with pleats, oversized collar and a cute little hat to finish the look.
We thought McCalls 8540 in our Prestige crepe in ivory and delphinium blue would be a nice understated colour palette for such an iconic design.
Caz
Caz sewed a flapper style dress with a cute, sheer waistcoat and we thought the Liesel and Co Marais knit dress had a similar silhouette to the flapper style, but is a wearable, modern version. For Autumn Winter we'd sew it up in our black paislely print viscose jersey fabric.
Orla
Orla also sewed a flapper style dress with a handkerchief hem and we thought Burda 5899 had some similarities, but was also a pattern that could easily be overlooked. It has a handkerchief/hi lo hem design and can be sewn up in drapey and silky fabrics to create a cute party dress. We thought it would look great in our new viscose satin fabric with abstract print.
We hope you're feeling super inspired by this week's episode, happy sewing, and don't forget you can share all your makes with us at [email protected], we love seeing what you've created.
Series 11 Episode 8: Movie Week
Movie week and quarter final week this week and we are feeling very Autumnal and excited for Halloween! There were some super spooky creations, but as always we've taken inspiration and found patterns and fabrics you might like to sew rather than trying to recreate the crazy costumes.
The Pattern Challenge: The Tippi Hendren Jacket from Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds
The pattern challenge saw the Bees creating a beautiful jacket inspired by Tippi Hendren in the Aldred Hitchcock film The Birds. Fully lined and with tricky, fiddly gussets at the underarm it was no mean feat.
The finished jackets looked warm and cosy, chic and timeless and it has us wanting to sew ours up straight away.
Sewing Bee Patterns, Tools and Habby
The Style Arc Harriet jacket is a similar boxy, cropped shape with a similar shaped collar, gorgeously vintage French darts and sleeve darts.
It has a button down front, but you could omit this and add patch pockets if you wish.
It would look great sewn up in our Robert Kauffman flannel fabric with mini herringbone design that makes it look decidedly tweedy!
Simplicity 9239 is another fun, simple jacket pattern with a similar collar, sleeve options including an epaulette option and patch pockets.
It would look lovely sewn up in our very Autumnal floral cotton fabric.
The Bees had to focus carefully on precision cutting and some chose to use rotary cutters and cutting mats for this very reason. We have a wide range of rotary cutters, cutting mats and scissors on our site if you need to improve your cutting tool kit.
The Made to Measure Challenge: Scary Costumes
For the made to measure challenge the Bees had to sew up a scary costume and two entries in particular really stood out.
Orla made a hideously creepy life size doll and developed a detailed and horrifying tale behind it! Kit was inspired by freaky scarecrows from a Doctor Who episode and we were terrified by the menacing mask!
As always we've taken inspiration from the makes on the show and found wearable sewing patterns and fabrics you could sew up instead. Unless you want to create a seriously creepy costume of course!
The only outfit we haven't found a pattern and fabric for was Kit's scarecrow outfit, we're guessing no ones in a real rush to make one of those.
Orla
Orla's creepy doll costume was largely about the freaky mask and wig, but the dress was inspired by the Edwardian era and it immediately reminded us of Vogue 2005, a beautiful dress with front bodice yoke, pretty ruffles, a button down front and options for a knee length or full length skirt.
We've had our eye on this one for a while, it is firmly in the 'to sew' pile and would look great sewn up in our polka dot black and white fabric.
Caz
Caz sewed a full length cape with hood and a complicated dress - the judges seemed quite impressed she managed to finish it all!
The cape gave us inspiration for Vogue 8959 with stylish full length, cropped and mid thigh length options.
We thought it would be chic, timeless classic in our grey wool coating fabric or grey boiled wool fabric.
Yasmin
Yasmin sewed a white bardot style dress with fitted bodice and skirt and it immediately reminded us of a recent release from Vogue - Vogue 2105. A gorgeously elegant fitted dress with sleeveless and long sleeve options.
It would sew up perfectly in our John Kaldor Prestige crepe available in a range of colours.
Gaynor
Gaynor used Welsh folklore to inspire her make and sewed a full length scuba sheath dress and long flowing cape.
We took inspiration from the scuba sheath dress and immediately thought of Butterick 7040, an elegant, sleek jersey dress that would look lovely sewn up in our John Kaldor ritual soft knit jersey fabric, which comes in a range of colours including navy, but we also love this rich wine colour too.
We hope you're feeling super inspired by this week's episode, happy sewing, and don't forget you can share all your makes with us at [email protected], we love seeing what you've created.
Series 11 Episode 7: Art Week
It's art week, which means eccentric, colourful outfits this week on the Sewing Bee including a Grayson Perry inspired baby doll dress and pop art inspired made to measures. We have wearable patterns, fabrics and helpful tutorials and tools to help you channel your inner artiste and sew along as always.
The Pattern Challenge: Baby Doll Dress Inspired by Grayson Perry
The Sewing Bees were tasked with sewing a voluminous baby doll dress with puffy gathered sleeves and a whole lot of gathering elsewhere for the pattern challenge.
We've picked out some super wearable patterns and fabrics plus we have a handy how to use a gathering foot video tutorial to speed up your gathering!
Sewing Bee Patterns, Tools and Habby
Know Me 2016 has been a hugely popular pattern in the sewing community and has the most gorgeous gathered puff sleeves just like the pattern challenge dress.
The pattern includes a gathered tiered skirt with a twist and options for shorter or longer sleeves.
Cotton or linen blend fabrics with a bit of body are perfect for emphasising the shapes and volume.
- Know Me 2016 dresses pattern
- Spot print cotton fabric
- Fabric Godmother sardinia print viscose linen mix fabric
Burda 6265 has a similar Peter Pan style collar and gathered skirt to the baby doll dress the Sewing Bees made plus a tiered maxi dress version with shirred collar and cuffs. We thought this would be a great pattern for an easy to wear Autumn day dress in our navy floral viscose fabric.
The tricky technique this week was sewing lots and lots of gathering stitches, some of the Bees even swore they'd never sew them again! The thing is we just can't resist a pretty gather so we've included our handy video tutorial for how to use a gathering foot with your sewing machine.
In the video we show you both how you can sew gathers and how you can sew gathers on one piece of fabric and attach it to a none gathered piece like you would with a bodice and a gathered skirt.
This foot is a serious time and sanity saviour when it comes to gathering and we sell them for Brother, Janome, Husqvarna and Pfaff sewing machines. Always check compatibility for your make and model of machine using our handy charts and don't hesitate to give us a shout via email if you need any help.
The Made to Measure Challenge: Pop Art
Esme and Patrick were looking for something 'punchy' in keeping with the pop art theme for the made to measure challenge and boy did they get it?!
It was so fun to see the Sewing Bees going crazy with out there designs, I have to say Kit and Yasmin's were my favourite.
You might not be planning on sewing a dress from crepe paper just yet, but we've got some wearable patterns inspired by what the Bees made for you and we also have horsehair braid and boning in case you fancy adding some extra volume and structure to your hems!
Kit
Kit went all out arty and sewed an incredible dress from crepe paper backed with stitch reinforced interfacing. It was so adventurous, fun and impactful, it must have felt like a real gamble, but it definitely paid off.
We're imaging you're probably not looking to sew a crepe paper dress, but the silhouette of Kit's dress reminded us of the beautiful Vogue 1879 dress with it's unique seamline details, gentle Aline skirt and elegant V shape back.
It would look stunning sewn up in our raspberry coloured Mystique lighter weight Duchesse satin fabric.
Caz
We loved Caz's inspiration for her dress, it took us for a walk down memory lane. Does anyone remember those cute paper dolls where you used to get the clothes to cut out separately and dress them up? Caz made a dress inspired by this and the super wide leg voluminous trousers David Bowie wore.
She quilted the satin fabric adding extra impact and bias bound the edges in a contrasting black bias, which was so effective.
We're imagining there aren't too many of us looking to sew something similar up, but took inspiration from the voluminous skirt and thought Simplicity 3132 would make a lovely evening dress in our black soft knit ritual fabric teamed with our lighter weight Duchesse satin fabric.
Orla
Orla had her own fabric printed for the challenge - if anyone would love to be able to do this, we do stock the Brother Print Moda Studio fabric printer so you can even do it at home!
She sewed up some super wide bell bottom trousers and a fun waistcoat with text detail on the back.
We took inspiration from the bell bottoms, waistcoat combination and thought you could use Butterick 7027 to sew up a more wearable flared leg co-ord set in our textured stretch crepe Farne fabric in dusky pink.
Stuart
Stuart made a brightly coloured panelled dress, which impressed the judges, although they felt it wasn't pop art enough.
We were massively inspired by the fabulous panelling and it reminded us of the Megan Nielsen Karri dress, which we'd forgotten all about! In fact we think it might be the actual pattern Stuart used.
We think it would look fab sewn up in our denim chambray fabric and you could even add contrasting top stitching to really show of those panelled seam lines.
Yasmin
Yasmin sewed a cape, which utterly embodied the pop art theme and it got us thinking about capes for elegant chic evening wear as we start to approach party season. Vogue 2078 has a simple, round neck, open front cape perfect for this brief. It would look super glamourous sewn up in our brocade gold and cream fabric.
Yasmin sewed a simple sheath dress to sit underneath the cape and we thought the June dress by Style Arc would work for this element of the outfit in our Prestige crepe fabric.
Gaynor
Gaynor sewed a swinging 60s style shift dress using colour blocking and cut out shapes to embrace the pop art theme.
We thought Simplicity 1609 would be a great option to recreate a similar look, Lucy has sewn this one up before and it is a super simple sew and very wearable.
It has French darts at the front and fish darts at the back to create a lovely shape, only has two main pattern pieces and looks great layered over lightweight knits for Autumn Winter, especially sewn up in our luxurious, high end navy check suiting fabric.
We hope you're feeling super inspired by this week's episode, happy sewing, and don't forget you can share all your makes with us at [email protected], we love seeing what you've created.
Series 11 Episode 6: Children's Week
Cuteness overload! Episode 6 was children's week on the Sewing Bee involving a dungarees pattern challenge with a difficult placket (don't worry we've got a step by step tutorial so you can ace this technique!) and outfits inspired by their future career aspirations. We've got the patterns and fabrics you could sew up for the mini people in your life.
The Pattern Challenge: Adaptive Dungarees
For the pattern challenge we were introduced to elements of adaptive fashion for the first time with a pair of children's dungarees. The placket seemed to cause the most confusion, with Caz making horse noises - apparently always a bad sign!
Sewing Bee Patterns, Tools and Habby
We've got lots of cute children's dungarees patterns to choose from plus fabrics you could sew them up in too.
- Simplicity 9661 knit tops, overalls and jumper and doll clothes age 3 to 8 years
- Soft glitter French Terry Okeo Tex certified fabric in old rose
- Soft glitter French Terry Okeo Tex certified fabric in dusty mint
- McCalls 8489 Pinafore and Overalls pattern age 3 to 14
- Sevenberry cotton twill fabric in hot pink
- Sevenberry cotton twill fabric in lake
We also stock a wide range of snaps, tools, colourful elastic and decorative elastics for you to make your own adaptive wear.
Lots of the Sewing Bees struggled with the placket on the dungarees so we've included our step by step tutorial 'how to sew a continuous placket' in case you want to master this technique.
The Made to Measure Challenge: What do You Want to be When You Grow Up?!
The Bees were tasked with sewing something to reflect what they wanted to be when they grew up including a politician, an arctic explorer, a dancer, a ring master, a singer and lots of other fun variations.
We've picked out sewing patterns and fabrics we think would be practical and wearable for both the adults and children in your life with a special mention for Jalie sewing patterns, many of which run right through from children's sizes to adult sizes.
Many High Street stores now create 'mini me' outfits so you can twin your outfit with the children in your life and we thought you could use the Jalie patterns to do just that.
Kit
Kit wanted to be a singer and sewed a pair of jazzy dungarees and a sparkly long sleeved jersey top inspired by the one and only Elton John.
We've already covered some dungarees patterns, but Jalie 3669 is a great raglan short and long sleeved Tshirt pattern with sizes from toddlers to men included.
It would look great sewn up in our cotton jersey fabric.
Caz
Caz was inspired by the magnificent Zandra Rhodes and made a gorgeous flamboyant outfit and matching beret - so cute! We took inspiration from the flutter sleeve and chose Jalie 3888 the Adele top and tunicwhich runs from toddler to women's sizes so you can make one for all the family.
It would look super pretty in our ditsy print cotton fabric.
Orla
Orla wanted to be a beekeeper and sewed a cute boiler suit and hat with netting to protect from bee stings! McCalls 8567 is a gorgeous unisex boiler suit pattern and would be super practical and hard wearing in our Sevenberry cotton twill fabric available in a range of colours.
Stuart
Stuart wanted to be an arctic explorer and sewed a hooded coat and trousers. We thought Burda 9213 had the same style features, but is a more practical, easy to sew hoody and would sew up beautifully in our classic sweatshirt fabric available in a range of colours.
Yasmin
Yasmin wanted to be a politician and even served in Parliament as a youngster! She sewed up a cute blazer and dress combo and we thought Simplicity 9831 and McCalls 8593 could create a similar look using our Robert Kaufman fabric for the jacket.
Dan
Dan wanted to be an entertainer and made a ring master style outfit with a long tail coat, waistcoat and trousers, a great idea for a fancy dress costume. Burda 9528 is just the ticket to recreate that look! You could sew it up in our Kona cotton fabric.
Gaynor
Gaynor wanted to be a dancer and sewed a leotard and petal skirt combo. Jalie do a fantastic range of leotard patterns so we picked out Jalie 4237 and we also thought the skirt on McCalls 8952 was fantastic so included both patterns.
You could sew a leotard up in our soft knit Ritual jersey fabric and the dress in our pretty floral cotton lawn fabric.
We hope you're feeling super inspired by this week's episode, happy sewing, and don't forget you can share all your makes with us at [email protected], we love seeing what you've created.
Series 11 Episode 5: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Week
This week the Sewing Bees were tasked with creating a zero waste jacket and refashioning garments into outfits for a family get together all in the name of sustainable sewing. We've got lots of tools, patterns and tips to help you sewalong with this week's themes.
The Pattern Challenge: A Workwear Jacket
To start reduce, reuse and recycle week the Bees were tasked with making a zero waste work jacket with four pockets, a collar and buttons down the front.
As a zero waste pattern no pattern pieces were provided and the Bees had to draw the pieces onto the fabric, which required a lot of maths and measuring and marking tools.
Whether you want to follow a good old fashioned pattern and find other ways to sew more sustainably or you fancy having a go at a zero waste pattern, we've got everything you need to have a go.
Sewing Bee Patterns, Tools and Habby
We've picked out some lovely workwear jackets to choose from and we also have lots of suitable fabrics - denim(including fun prints like leopard print as well as your classics), Sevenberry cotton twill and linen and cotton mix fabrics available in a range of colours.
From left to right our top pick workwear jackets:
- Burda 5941 easy sew workwear jacket pattern
- Chalk and Notch Den jacket pattern
- Friday Pattern Company Ilford jacket pattern
- McCalls 8561 workwear jacket and skirt pattern
If you want to have a go at a zero waste pattern, have a look at our measuring tools, pattern drafting tools and marker pens and pencils. The Simflex sewing gauge is one of our most popular measuring tools and is great for button and pleat placement - perfect for the buttons on a zero waste jacket.
We saw lots of the Bees using something similar to our Prym dressmakers ruler to measure out their pattern.
The Made to Measure Challenge: Make Do and Mend
The Bees were tasked with embracing the ethos of the make do and mend war campaign when the British public were encouraged to make do with the clothes they had and make them into something new.
Sourcing textiles from charity shops or wardrobes the Bees were tasked with sewing up a garment fit for a family get together.
Kit
Kit sewed an 'all my friends' jeans' dress in repurposed denim using the different shades of denim to create an ombre effect.
The dress had a V neck at the front and a full panelled skirt and we thought you could adapt New Look 6797 to create something similar.
Caz
Caz sewed a wide leg strapless jumpsuit in scraps of denim, we loved the strapless design, but struggled to find one with a wide leg so we opted for McCalls 8360, a Brandi Joan design with a sweetheart strapless neckline and boot cut trousers. We have some lovely soft denim that would be perfect for ultimate comfort whilst wearing it too.
Orla
Orla made a Christmas ceilidh dress from crushed velvet. It was a very 60s inspired tunic dress with a V neck bib opening at the front, sleeve and hem bands and large patch pockets on the skirt in a contrasting colour.
We have a real soft spot for vintage 60s and 70s patterns and thought Simplicity 9845 could be used to sew something similar plus it is heralded as an easy sew - win win!
Stuart
Stuart sewed a menswear summer party dress with a halter neck top and button down skirt with patch pockets. We stumbled across New Look 6736 in the search and thought it was a lovely, simple halter neck design, which could be tucked in and paired with the True Bias Blair skirt to create something similar.
Yasmin
Yasmin sewed a scoop neck dress with dramatic box pleats at the front and we thought the Cashmerette Upton dress pattern would be a great way to create a similar look using a lovely heavier weight fabric like jacquard or brocade for extra drama (and perhaps easy to get your hands on if you are repurposing fabrics).
Dan
Like Orla, Dan chose a Christmas theme and created something with a definite vintage feel - a halter neck dress with a flared skirt and princess seams accessorised with a cute fake fur muff.
We thought you could sew something similar with Know Me 2085, although it has an asymmetric halterneck, which is slightly different, it has the princess seams and full skirt.
Jess
Jess sewed a dress from an old lab coat and another dress, it had a v front and definite milk maid vibes with gathering/ruching and ties at the bust. We thought the Viki Sews Holy dress definitely embodied this vibe.
Gaynor
Gaynor sewed an out for a meal waistcoat paired with a wrap skirt with a tulip hem. We thought our super popular Butterick 6901 waistcoat, shorts and trousers pattern would be perfect paired with Simplicity 9111, a clever faux wrap skirt with shorts/trousers underneath.
We hope you're feeling super inspired by this week's episode, happy sewing, and don't forget you can share all your makes with us at [email protected], we love seeing what you've created.
Series 11 Episode 4: Korean Fashion & Textiles
It was time to learn about Korean fashion and textile traditions for the Sewing Bees this week with special guest judge fashion designer Eudon Choi making a guest appearance. We've picked out patterns with similar design details and lines, which are super wearable and many of them also happen to be in our current sale too! Plus we share our in depth tutorial for stitching in the ditch, full of great tips for mastering this useful sewing technique.
The Pattern Challenge: The Jeogori
For the pattern challenge the Bees had to sew up a traditional Korean garment called the Jeogori.
The Jeogori is a garment for the upper body, which covers the arms and upper torso and is usually paired with trousers by men and skirts by women. It has wide sleeves, a V neck front and is finished with a contrasting band around the neckline and sleeve hems.
In the pattern challenge the Sewing Bees were tasked with stitching in the ditch to secure the band, a tricky task at the best of times, let alone under all that time pressure with Esme and Patrick breathing down your neck!
Luckily you can perfect your stitch in the ditch skills from the comfort of your own home and with our 'how to stitch in the ditch' in depth video tutorial as your companion (see below). Packed full of useful tips and hints you'll be stitching in those ditches like a true pro in no time.
Sewing Bee Patterns, Fabrics, Tools and Habby
We found several patterns that had definite Jeogori vibes, which are also incredibly wearable and Lucy even previously sewed one of them too.
First up New Look 6720 has a V neck wrap over neckline finished with an optional wide panel and a gathered peplum fastened with a simple tie at the side. Choose from short sleeves or 3/4 sleeves gathered into a narrow binding at the hem.
Next up New Look 6700 has a V neck wrap neckline and a beautifully quirky asymmetric button down design detail along one side, tulip style hem, optional waist tie and long or short sleeves.
New Look 6601 is another wrap over top with options for a buttondown fastening or ties at the side, an asymmetrical or straight hem and short sleeves or sleeveless views. All views have shaped waist darts up to the bust to create a close fit.
New Look 6560 has a chunky waist tie, shoulder yokes, options for a ruffle neckline, long, short or flutter sleeves and you can see the version Lucy made below.
The Sewing Bees chose lots of cotton fabrics with contrasting plain cotton for the bands. We've picked out some lovely cotton fabrics for the New Look patterns below.
If you want to master stitching in the ditch, useful for facings, waistbands, binding and so many more sewing tasks, watch our in depth tutorial video below. One of the tips is using a stitch in the ditch foot on your sewing machine and you can find our full range of sewing machine feet and accessories here.
The Made to Measure Challenge: The Cheollik
The made to measure challenge was evening wear inspired by the Cheollik, a traditional Korean overcoat with a connected top and pleated skirt.
The Cheollik is very similar to the Jeogori, but has a longer bodice and the skirt is attached.
We found some great sewing patterns along a similar theme and some pretty fabrics you could sew them up in too.
Kit
Kit chose to sew up a wide leg jumpsuit with stand collar and waist ties using the military history of the Cheollik as inspiration.
We thought the Know Me Romper Jumpsuit had similar vibes with the epaulette fastenings on the sleeves and wide leg trousers and could be sewn up in our linen cotton mix fabric.
Caz
Caz opted for a wrap dress style with a high neckline and we thought Vogue 1239 was a great pattern to create something along a similar theme with it's fabulous stand up collar and wide waist tie.
Novello
Novello sewed a wrap dress with waist tie fastening, gathered skirt and loose sleeves. Simplicity 9224 had a similar feel thanks to the wide neck band and gathered/elasticated waist.
Orla
Orla chose to sew a co-ord set (we do love a co-ord set!) with a cropped wrap top fastened with side ties and pleated wide leg shorts.
You could create a similar look with New Look 6601 featured above for the Jeogori top and New Look 6756 for the shorts.
Stuart
Stuart sewed a trench coat themed garment in denim complete with storm flaps.
Vogue 2055 would sew up into a very similar yet wearable look.
Yasmin
Yasmin chose to sew a white, black and red wrap dress with detachable sleeves for archery. We're not quite sure when we'll be picking up a bow and arrow, but the Hali wrap dress and jumpsuit by Named Patterns felt like it had a definite Cheollik feel.
Dan
Dan sewed a short Cheollik themed wrap dress with contrasting red waist tie, hem band, cuffs and neck band.
A shortened version of the Wildwood wrap dress by Sew House Seven would sew up into a fun alternative.
Jess
Jess sewed a floor length dress with waist pleats, contrasting neckband and waist ties.
One of our all time favourite Vogue patterns 2024 has a similar style and shape, although the pleats are on the back of the skirt for an extra quirky design detail.
Gaynor
Gaynor sewed a wrap dress with neckband, waist ties and knee length pleated skirt.
Vogue 1777 could be sewed up to create a similar look.
We loved the way traditional Korean dress could inspire so many wearable sewing project ideas and we even found ourselves bopping along to the K pop!
We hope you're feeling super inspired by this week's episode, happy sewing, and don't forget you can share all your makes with us at [email protected], we love seeing what you've created.
Series 11 Episode 3: Design Icons
This week the Sewing Bees were inspired by some of the greatest design icons of our time Diane Von Furstenberg, Vivienne Westwood and Versace. Lucy has previously sewn up the DVF wrap dress so we're sharing her video review plus lots of patterns, fabrics, tips and tutorials relevant to the show.
The Pattern Challenge: The Diane Von Furstenberg DVF wrap dress
We were so thrilled to see the famous DVF wrap dress included in this week's episode. Last year the original vintage Vogue 2000 sewing pattern was re-released and Lucy made her own retro inspired version (see in depth review video below).
Sewing Bee Patterns, Fabrics, Tools and Habby
Lucy loved sewing the DVF dress and the pattern has been hugely popular on our site ever since, we've stocked up especially for the show, grab your copy of the original DVF Vogue 2000 wrap dress pattern here.
The original pattern was so popular Vogue also re-released three other Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dresses Vogue 2040, Vogue 2060 and Vogue 2081 for you to choose from too.
We have a range of stretch and knit fabrics you could choose from both patterns and plains.
Watch Lucy's review video of the DVF dress below (and of course she wore it for this week's Sewing Bee round up video too!)
Watching the Bees using a coverstitch might have left you wondering whether you would like to step up your sewing game with one of these machines. Watch Lucy's easy to understand overview video of coverstitch machines and the different options here and save yourself hours of research.
Sewing stretch and knit fabrics is so much easier on an overlocker, you can see our in depth review of the Janome Airthread 2000d overlocker below, which you might just recognise (wink wink).
The Made to Measure Challenge: Versace
The made to measure challenge was full of glamorous Versace inspired designs, think staps D rings, safety pins and luxurious satin fabrics.
There were lots of ideas for beautiful dresses that could easily be made highly wearable whilst maintaining definite Versace vibes - we were delving deep into the Vogue archives for this one!
- McCalls 8505 knit dress sewing pattern
- Simplicity 9885 dress sewing pattern
- Vogue 1922 top sewing pattern
- Simplicity 8330 dress sewing pattern
You can find a range of beautiful, luxurious fabrics such as Duchesse satin and soft knit fabrics on our site and don't forget to check out our YouTube video above for options for each Sewing Bee look in the made to measure challenge.
We hope you're feeling super inspired by this week's episode, we can definitely feel another wrap dress coming on! Happy sewing, and don't forget you can share all your makes with us at [email protected], we love seeing what you've created.
Series 11 Episode 2: Activewear
This week was all about activewear, and boy did they deliver! We saw a huge variation on design, pattern and more colour than on Joseph's coat. We've done the work for you and rounded up some of the most wearable designs and fabrics from this week's episode to keep you sewing up a storm.
The Pattern Challenge: A Seven-Panel Cap
This pattern challenge certainly didn't pull any punches, and by the looks of the contestants faces, a seven-panel cap was something they certainly weren't expecting! Although a little scary and fiddly looking at first, it was certainly something that has us intrigued about trying.
Sewing Bee Patterns, Fabrics, Tools and Habby
If a peaked cap is something you've not tried before but would like to give a go, it would be a great stash-busting project. One pattern that came to mind was the Minu Fibre Mood Cap
The beauty of any cap is that you really can play around with fabrics, colours and trims to create something that is uniquely you. To keep that structure, a good strong iron-on interfacing such as the Vilene S520 is recommended for the panels, and buckram like our Vilene S133 is perfect for the peak. This cap also features boning to help the cap keep it's shape.
Tools you'll find useful but may not already have:
If you've not got the fabric lying around in wait for a cap to be made, why not try some of our cotton twill fabric, perfect for this make and available by the 1/2 metre.
Topstitching is key for this make, so if you're topstitching currently has more wobble than your legs after an intense workout session, check out our top tips for topstitching to help you get back on track.
The Made to Measure Challenge: Athleisure
The made to measure challenge was a great chance for the Bees to get creative. Athleisure (athletic leisurewear) is a comfy trend of clothing saturating the fashion market, and we are here for it. Comfy and on trend - yes please!
The Bees
The contestants each went for something a bit different, from yoga cool-down to tennis chic. All of the outfits had an element that we could re-create and wear on a day-to-day basis. So if their outfits inspired you to whip up some of your own athleisure-wear, check out our edit on patterns and fabrics.
Sweatshirts
We all love a sweatshirt, be it for a casual day out or something you chuck on after you get home and lounge around in, we've got you covered.
- Drew Sweatshirt Tilly and the Buttons Sewing Pattern
- Amina Hoodie Viki Sews Sewing Pattern. Size 6-24
- Bree Sweatshirt Fibre Mood Sewing Pattern
- Unisex Sweatshirt in Two Lengths Simplicity Sewing Pattern 9897. Size XS-XXL
Half-zip tops
A half-zip top like Gelndora's relaxing yoga outfit is another alternative to a sweatshirt. Check out Lucy's make of the Alex half-zip pullover by Jalie
Some more great options of half-zip patterns we have available are:
- Misses Knit Tops and Skirts Simplicity Sewing Pattern 3035. Size XS-XXL
- Misses Pull-Over Top McCalls Sewing Pattern 8343
- Pogonip Pullover Friday Pattern Company Sewing Pattern. Size XS-7X
We have plenty of sweatshirting fabrics if you choose to make any of these, with a multitude of colours to choose from, giving you the option to colour block or just keep it simple with a single fabric in your favourite colour.
Linen trousers
If sweatshirt fabric feels a bit too heavy for you and you're looking for something a bit cooler to lounge around in, why not take inspiration from Glendora's bottom half of her made to measure outfit and go for some linen trousers. Keep it comfy with an elasticated waist and wide legs.
- Chanterelle Trousers and Shorts Sew Liberated Sewing Pattern. Size 0-24
- Benita Trousers Fibre Mood Sewing Pattern
- Saguaro Top and Trousers Friday Pattern Company Sewing Pattern. Size XS-7X
We have some beautiful viscose linens and cotton linen blends on our website which would be a fabulous match for any of these patterns.
Crop tops, sports bras and leggings
If you wanted to try your hand at sewing up a crop top or sports bra to go underneath your sweatshirt, we've got a few pattern ideas to test your skills and expand your sewing repertoire! Leggings are also a fantastic comfy fitted alternative to joggers and trousers, pair it with an oversized hoodie for that classic athleisure look.
- Misses and Womens Knit Sports Bra, Leggings and Bike Shorts Simplicity Sewing Pattern 9620
- Misses Knit Tops and Trousers McCalls Sewing Pattern 8368. Size XS-XL
- Misses Knit Top and Leggings McCalls Sewing Pattern 8455. Size XS-XXL
If this week's episode has inspired you to throw out all your uncomfortable clothes and swap it all for some me-made activewear and athleisure wear, we don't blame you! Happy sewing, and don't forget you can share all your makes with us at [email protected], we love seeing what you've created.
Series 11 Episode 1: Creating Shape
It's back! The Great British Sewing Bee has returned to our screens, and we couldn't be more excited! We can't wait to get stuck in and be inspired by beautiful fabrics, clever designs and creative sewing techniques. And of course, Esme's outfits.
The Pattern Challenge: A Tie Front Blouse
The first week started off strong with a seemingly simple design of a tie-front blouse, with gathers used to create shape and lots of 'bounce'. The fabric choice was imperative here; too drapey and you lose the shaping the gathers create, too structured and your gathers become stiff and you lose the feminine drape. A fine line to tread!
Sewing Bee Patterns, Fabrics, Tools and Habby
If you're ready to pull at that thread and give the gathers a go, the perfect choice would be the McCall's 8557, a tie front blouse pattern with lots of options to sew it your way.
If you're a beginner looking for something similar, but need a bit more help getting there, the Tilly and the Buttons Nell Blouse and Dress is a great option. The Tilly pattern instructions are always super detailed with plenty of clear coloured pictures to guide you along the way. The bonus of this pattern? It can even be made into a dress!
Some good fabric choices for this type of blouse, would be something with a bit of body that will hold its shape, such as cotton lawn, poplin, chambray, linen blends or Tencel (lyocell).
We've chosen a few that would work well. Our candy stripe cotton, is lovely and soft, with a bit of drape but not too much, and is a bit like a thicker muslin fabric, so nice and cool for the summer. Another stripe option that matches nicely with the McCall's pattern picture, is the grey stripe lyocell fabric, gorgeously silky soft but still has a bit of body to it. If you're looking for a little less stripe and a bit more bold and colourful, why not try our floral cotton pima lawn, again, a bit more body than a viscose, but it still has those glorious soft and drapey qualities.
We also have plenty of plain options in our linen blend or for a bit of texture, try our swiss dot fabric.
Sewing a couple of lines of gathering stitches and manually manipulating them is one way to get the right fit for your garment, however, if you're ready to add some gorgeous ruffling to a me-made item, a gathering foot might be what you need. Most machines have a compatible gathering foot, so why not take a look and try one out! You can also see how to use one in our video:
The Made to Measure Challenge: A Pleated Dress
For the made to measure challenge the Sewing Bees had to sew a dress showcasing pleats, that once again, gave their garment shape.
We've chosen a few pre-existing patterns featuring some fabulous pleats that will hopefully inspire you to re-create a similar look, or just to play around with pleats to give a simple dress some flare.
Jess, Caz and Saffie
These lovely ladies - plus a couple of others - chose to use box-pleating to give shape on the skirt of their dresses.
Something similar creating those gorgeous skirt pleats, but with a little more length, would be the Simplicity 9742. Use the halter neck version, to give a vintage vibe to your dress. It also has some more of those lovely gathers used earlier in the show!
Stuart
While Stuart created a similar pleated skirt to the others, his dress had a fabulous statement pleated collar.
A dress with a pleated off-the-shoulder collar that would be a stunning option, is the Vogue 2104. With box pleats, fitted bodice and a cinch-you-in wide belt.
Gaynor
Gaynor kept it simple but stylish, an option many of us love! With a lovely v-neck dress featuring a box-pleated front and 3/4 length sleeves.
An option for a very similar dress would be the Style Arc Patricia Rose Dress. Comfortable and wearable for the every day.
Peter
The amazing origami-style sleeves on Peter's LBD was stunning, and the judges agreed! Multiple pleats and lots of manipulation, created a statement piece that wouldn't look out of place on a runway.
Although not quite as much of a statement piece as Peter's dress, a pattern we love that has unique pleated sleeves, is the McCall's 8161, if you're feeling bold, why not create the pleats in a different colour fabric? A simple bodice featuring multiple sleeve options, meaning you'll re-use over and over again.
There are many many more patterns on our site featuring gathers and pleats, so if you're ready to experiment with something new or you've just been inspired to get sewing again, take a look at our patterns, choose some fabric and get creating!
There was a lot of variety and outside the box (pleat) thinking on this week's episode, and we can't wait for next week's episode to see what these super-talented contestants come up with next.