Hello! It’s sewing time again on the Great British Sewing Bee, I have been loving this show so far! I may even go back into previous seasons after this one, as I did with GBBO. Let’s roll into our current episode, GBSB S6:E04 Sportswear Week after the break!
I’ve been inspired to research making my own sewing project by the Great British Sewing Bee! Anyone who understands my unfortunate history with small appliances not located in the kitchen is smiling in a hesitant but encouraging way right now. If I manage to sort it, I’ll post progress pics as I go.
Onward to Sportswear Week, where we open with host Joe Lycett and his glittery boxing gear get knocked out by tiny judge Esme Young as an opener. Poor Esme had to swing all the way up, he’s twice her height and that’s just his hair.
Oh no, given the preview I’ll be expected to know something about tennis and that’s unfortunate. I have no clue what words mean good or bad so I’ll revert to watching faces for those times.
Liz is very excited about Sportswear Week, she’s got her Rocky gear on and everything!
I am much less excited as I made another attempt at finding out last names, not only did I NOT get Liz’s last name, I also got spoiled for the next two episodes. It’s fine, it’s fine, we’re all here to watch the majesty and excitement of a four hour pattern challenge, it’s FINE.
Patrick Grant and Esme introduce the Pattern Challenge, everyone ohhhhhhs when they see they will be making a men’s rugby shirt with collars and cuffs. (That sounds dirty and I don’t know why) They have four and a half hours, will use three types of fabric and will be wrestling with a deceptively difficult placket.
Nicole Akong is using a stripy pink fabric because she must not have seen any gold lame kicking about.
Ahh our Patrick Grant used to play rugby on the TV level! (I don’t know what level that is, but they show him getting creamed on the TV so he must have been decent! Except for the creaming, which could happen to anyone on the TV level, I imagine).
This seems like a LOT of work to do in four and a half hours, all sorts of difficult bits and hemming. It’s the measuring I’m really bad at, see also: carpentry.
Matt Gage is a marathon runner, see, you can’t tell my looking! He could literally run a marathon in the time it takes him to make this rugby shirt with which he is completely unfamiliar. He could make four rugby shirts in the time it would take me to run a marathon.
On to banker Mark Francis who is looking particularly banker-ish today for Sportwear Week, he’s gone with beautiful yet also masculine fabrics reminiscent of his school shirts for his gear.
He just told Patrick he could see him in a tight pair of shorts and a rugby shirt, that’s creating a hostile work environment, Mark!
There are four pieces to this placket, and they all look exactly the same. Everyone flips pages and looks increasingly frantic.
Aww but Peter Cant is walking around helping explain it to people, that’s lovely of him. If this was a North American show, he’d be cackling in the corner about not being on the show to make friends then going home in flames due to karmic retribution and a crap attention to detail because: cackling.
Therese and Liz both topstitched together their placket pieces, but so far only Therese has noticed. Will Liz see her mistake before it sinks her in judging?
Why…is Peter in a fez?
Anyone?
The collar is the next challenge, Liz follows up her placket error by sewing her collar on upside down. Is this a stressful week, Liz? Someone give Liz a cuppa and five minutes with a ciggy.
Peter is also riding the struggle bus; he’s cut two right sleeves and he’s out of material. There are less than 90 minutes left so he presses on.
Hazel made the unfortunate choice to re-work her placket sewing, she’s made it worse and there is only one minute left, she needs to get her shirt of her mannequin.
“Needles Up” is called, this is when Liz realises her placket is wrong. I’d really hoped she would find it before then but with the collar problem, she wasn’t likely to have had time to fix it anyway.
I’m always amazed that they have recognisable and wearable clothing completed in such a relatively short amount of time, but they all look great!
Time for judging:
Matt is up first and does fairly well, no real standout badness or amazingness.
Clare Bradley made a serviceable, tidy garment.
Patrick likes the colours Ali chose, Esme likes her topstitching.
Mark had to redo his collar a bunch.
Therese’s topstitching pickout shows a bit.
Peter and Joe made a bet, Joe owes him a pint if the judges suss that he’s got two right sleeves instead of a proper pair.
Joe owes Peter a pint!
Nicole did very well, Patrick loves that she went with a pink material.
Hazel really messed up the placket.
But not as much as Liz, who cries as Patrick and Esme carefully take apart her rugby shirt.
In order from least best to most fabulous, they are:
- 9th – Liz
- 8th – Peter
- 7th – Hazel
- 6th – Therese
- 5th – Ali
- 4th – Matt
- 3rd – Mark
- 2nd – Clare
- and Nicole wins the Pattern Challenge this week! She dabs.
Everyone goes for drinkies, let’s run back in for the Transformation Challenge, wooo! I would probably choose to be sober if I had to made a toddler’s waterproof onesie out of a kagul, whatever the Sam Hill that is.
Peter and I:
Is a kagul(sp?) like a windbreaker? Oh! It’s a cagoule and it is like a windbreaker! Thanks, The Google!
Nicole chose a red leopard print and a zebra print because of course she did.
Tell me this isn’t adorable. TELL ME.
It’s so much fun watching sewers work on their designs, somehow they’re all different.
OR HOW CUTE THIS IS?
You absolutely need access to bathroom areas at that age, perfect!
I’m trying something different this week, just showing them in the order they placed, what do you think?
9th place is Liz, her onesie was too tight.
8th is for Ali, whose legs were miles too long.
7th is Matt, I’m surprised at this as his is adorable.
6th belongs to Peter
5th goes to Mark for his clever striping.
4th is for Hazel’s nappy-area access.
3rd is won by Clare for her sensible onesie and working pocket.
2nd is for the leopard zebra mashup by Nicole, I thought she won this one with her eye-bleedy abomination!
But no, it was Therese and she’s won her second Transformation Challenge in a row!
We move on to the Made to Measure Challenge, today featuring a tennis outfit. Joe’s already spouting jokes I don’t understand, expect a lot of pictures and very little talking coming up.
YOU’RE WELCOME wooooooo!!
We’ve got some shockingly different fabric choices flying around the room from Ali’s mixed neon/fuchsia animal print to Mark’s staid navy, I can’t wait to see how they all turn out! I am slightly concerned when Esme says the outfits must come with matching knickers, the models dress in the room and there’s no chance to wash the fabric before it becomes knickers and
I’M OVERTHINKING.
We get a short history of tennis outfits, I spaced out until we got to the Battle of the Sexes which I had to go look up to make sure the woman won. Whew! I mean, she was half his age, but still. Whew.
Let’s see what everyone is making!
You know, just because you have short hair, you don’t have to call everything punk, Liz. Punky Brewster, perhaps.
I love Peter’s whatsit!
Patrick…does not. That’s English for “what the &*^( mate?”
I don’t understand Nicole’s.
Clare is so, so quiet. Hazel is so, so far behind. Liz is so, so strategic.
There are only 15 minutes left and people are starting new pieces! Madness.
Judging! I can’t believe everyone managed to finish.
Therese is up first, she did well.
I don’t know why I don’t like Mark’s.
Clare’s racerback something is good but it’s a bit puckery in the cleavage.
I adore Matt’s skirt but I don’t see how it goes with the top.
Do you think Nicole wanted her model to look a lot wider than she is?
Ali made me a believer with her cute dress.
Oh unfortunately Hazel’s dress is not great.
Liz made an awesome tennis outfit! Did she save herself?
I would 100% wear Peter’s dress but apparently you can’t play tennis in it, whatever.
So! I have no idea going into the ending, but I’m worried for Hazel. She’s not placed well at all today. I can’t tell if Liz redeemed herself enough with that adorable tennis outfit, otherwise there would be no question. And I’d be happy if Nicole got Garment of the Week, she’s really shone during these challenges but Ali’s tennis dress was perfection.
Garment of the Week is: Ali’s terrific tennis dress!
And going home is: Hazel, awww, but as expected. Top 9 in Britain, lady, you’re fantastic!
We’re out and I’ll see you next time! Cheers
