Pattern Challenge
Vital statistics: 3 hours and 5 minutes to make a travel bag - in a robust outer fabric, with webbing and a zip and 13 separate pattern pieces.
There were lots of shots of concentrating faces, muttering of instructions and exasperated exhalations. Gillie declared that she was ‘having a lovely time’ but this task was an engineering job with 13 pieces to puzzle out. Making bags is a rewarding sewing project and it was great to see it included in the show for the first time. We love a bag project at The Dressmaker Fabrics Studio
Mia: ’I can see Tony storming ahead…’
Tony R: ‘I’ve done it wrong’. Oh dear, we’ve all been there Tony. Fortunately, Tony pulled himself together and later he was heard to be ‘birthing a bag’. His camo bag with orange webbing looked great and the judges were complimentary about his progeny. Several contestants were not quite finished in time - always a shame but definitely part of the game. Esme told Gillie that hers was ‘a disaster’ and the poor woman looked thoroughly done in.
Upcycling Challenge
Using a plastic windbreaker, contestants were tasked with creating rainwear. Esme and Patrick hoped for ‘practical, sculptural and unexpected’ rainwear, describing the fabric as ‘definitely not drapey’. The results were entertaining: a corset with a hood, cropped jacket, skirt, jumpsuit with a codpiece crotch arrangement, a giant cape, a zip-up dress and an Elizabethan dress with a ruffle collar.
Pull quote: ‘Regency meets Ru Paul - ridiculous!’ Lizzie
Made-to-Measure Challenge
Swimwear must surely have filled those poor people with dread. It’s not rocket science but it’s not easy either. Tony R quipped ‘lycra is enough to make anyone nervous’ and viewers everywhere shuddered in collective recognition of the traumas lycra-wearing has inflicted.
A couple of sewers opted for scuba fabric, three designs had long sleeves and only one person (Lizzie) had made swimwear before. Lessons learned included: do not iron Lycra fabrics (Asmaa burned hers), test sew new fabrics to see how they behave (Matthew’s was a lot stretchier than he anticipated and was rather baggy), always listen to your Mum (Mia credits her Mum with having ‘a good feeling’ about this challenge).
Pull quote:
‘I wish I could bottle the atmosphere and every now and then, breathe it in’ Gillie
