Oh Helen, I'm so jealous that you are able to go to such glorious places for a quick run. When Bob and I go up there, we love going round the small roads, and just exploring the places off the beaten track. And Sutton Bank is so glorious, and I've never been able to capture the whole essence of the place in a photo. Somehow the Quantock Hills don't seem to be able to compare with that.
The Cross Stitch Forum » CSG Forum
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Sewing Bee
(148 posts)-
Barbara Stone
MemberPosted 4 years ago # -
Helen Hawkins-Ainsley
MemberWe didn't watch football last night - sense prevailed
So what do you think of last nights garments & results?
Posted 4 years ago # -
brenda midgley
MemberMorning girls - Ha...! had to laugh ....I was wondering who would be first on the scene to start the discussion on last night's programme..... Might've known it would be our little bright-eyed chick in Yorkshire....
Well, for me - the Marilyn Monroe dress sort of went over my head really - not a style of dress I liked and each one of the 4 had something about it that wasn't quite right - the droopy hemlines didn't help - couldn't see Marily wanting to wear any of them!!
Transformation challenge - well, I think the stuff they were given to play with really did make it a challenge - Clare's was the only one that stood out - I loved what she did with the 'tubing' item to make the hem stand out in the way it did.
The flapper dresses - I'm not entirely sure that they had the concept correct in how the dress should be made up - it seemed to me they made the mistake of putting the underdress (shall we call it) as the prime focus with the jewelled or jazzy bit just being sewn over it as a kind of decoration. Liz, to my mind had it right because her underdress sat, as I felt it should, as a backcloth to the real outer dress - and you had only to look at the beautiful bust/neckline/shoulderline she created to see that it was that aspect of the whole thing that should be the dominant part of the creation. Looking at the neckline - and Clare's hanky hem section - of the other contestants dresses, the undress took more prominense and caused some quite cheap looking lines I thought.
I was sorry, therefore, to see Liz go......although having said that her transformation challenge just looked a total mess. I think P & E are beginning to struggle for ideas on what kind of project they can give the contestants to transform, so it doesn't help the overall picture really of what each person is capable of producing.
Right - we will all have differing views I don't doubt - so over to the rest of you now..........but - big groans - only one more programme to go........
Posted 4 years ago # -
Christine Berrett
AdministratorMorning Brenda! I'm absolutely, totally with you on this one - Liz wuz robbed!!!
Posted 4 years ago # -
Helen Hawkins-Ainsley
MemberHi Brenda, I start work (horrible 4 letter word) at 8.30 so am probably the first to open my computer on a morning.
I thought Clare's transformation was very good & had just said to Mick I could see it on a catwalk when Esme copied me. I think they could give her garment of the week so they could send Liz home. I know Liz did badly in the first two rounds, but her flapper dress was the best - Clare's was awful. I liked Matt's overdress fabric, but he needs to listen to E&P when they suggest something.
I think the Marilyn dress was just to test how much they'd learnt during the competition. None of them finished, so the time allowed was never going to be long enough.Anyway the garden is getting a drink again this morning, although any forecasted wet stuff has missed us this week until today.
I better do some more work now, weekend starts today & we should have all been meeting up tomorrow in Leeds :(
Posted 4 years ago # -
Barbara Stone
MemberQuite agree with all the comments. Liz was definitely the best one in the made to measure challenge, Clare’s was the best transformation challenge and as Brenda said, none of the pattern challenges were anything to write home about.
It’s been tipping down since about 3.00 am, and we had over a months worth of rain yesterday afternoon, so don’t think I’ll be doing any gardening done today. So spare a thought for me this evening and next Monday please - I intend to go and watch my boys in their crucial football matches in my cabin. So no sewing tonight either,Posted 4 years ago # -
Helen Hawkins-Ainsley
MemberBarbara, Mick'll be watching & cheering them on with you. I'll be working !!
Posted 4 years ago # -
Barbara Stone
MemberThanks for that Helen, unfortunately, I should have said I'll be watching the comments on the website because they're not on tonight, and I don't have Sky so I won't be able to see them, but any support would be welcome.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Jean Strange
MemberI thought the Marilyn Munroe dress was a bit of a “disaaaster” to quote a judge on another show! None of them managing to produce a very good result. I did like Clare’s transformation challenge it was very imaginative and I could definitely see it as a costume in a sci-fi film. As for the flapper dresses agree with everyone that Liz definitely filled the brief here.
Have spent today making face masks from a kit bought from Lady Sew and Sew from Marlow and Henley did a click and collect from them. I did make a couple from scratch but found them fiddly to sew and the measurements given didn’t fit me!!! These are in lovely rainbow colours and pattern and instructions much easier than the others. Have taken measurements and drawn a rough pattern with placement of pleats marked to make more if I decide to.
Conservatory coming on well inside finishing things now plastering, final seal on all glass, final screed on floor and electrics. Then it will be carpet tiles, decorating and getting the chairs and coffee table that have already arrived installed. Looking forward to sitting in it with my stitching!!!!!
Posted 4 years ago # -
Barbara Stone
MemberHi Jean, I make my face masks so they measure 8 inches by 9 inches and put a layer of interfacing in between the two layers. That seems to fit e erybody quite well. As for making the pleats, I normally put three in, and as they say, just jiggle it! Don’t measure them at all. Don’t know if you put ties on yours, but my ties are 3 foot each side, sewn onto the mask and then strengthened with extra stitching, so they cover the raw edge. Hope that helps. I’m now into the 50’s in the numbers I’ve made.
Good luck with the conservatory!Posted 4 years ago # -
Helen Hawkins-Ainsley
MemberHi All
Hope you're all well this week.Firstly, Barbara sorry about the football last night - enough said I think.
Jean you're conservatory seems to have come on really quickly. We are waiting for them to come back to fit a transformer for the outside lights & do the final sign off. That is all going to be July 7th - we needed to push it back a bit then we didn't have to pay the final bill too soon. Mick has finished all the decorating & the patio is built. We will then need to put a new carpet right through the living room & in to the extension, put some blinds up at the windows and put a fence thing on the edge of the patio so we don't fall in the pond. I have some wood arriving to day to make in to a new mantle piece & hearth for the fire. The new bookcases don't arrive until the start of October. When the charity shops re-open we're going to look at furniture to see what type we want & what will fit
Posted 4 years ago # -
brenda midgley
MemberHello girls,
Well, it's afternoon now and it's getting warmer so the dreadful temperatures they've promised us for tomorrow and Thursday seem to be heading towards us......
Thought of you Helen and Jean earlier on as I was sitting in our conservatory doing a bit of stitching. Once the both of you have got your respective conservatories to the point where you can start relaxing and stitching in them you won't know you are born! I particularly like to stitch in normal daylight and of course a conservatory is ideal for that.
I too am waiting for charity shops to re-open. They usually are good for books and I am getting to the point now where I would like something new to read. All my library books are now gathering dust, having been finished well over a month ago and I am now re-reading all my favourites from books I have at home. Charity shops I find are brilliant for books and you can usually find all sorts in them.
A few years back now our choir joined forces with Romsey Choral Society and we spent the weekend at Romsey singing in the Abbey there with them. The weekend weather was absolutely dire so on the Saturday morning in the most horrendous rain I trawled the charity shops there looking for books (mainly though to keep out of the rain!) but was fortunate indeed to pick up two amazing cross stitch books - one of which was produced by that well known lady Mrs. Greenoff. I was so chuffed with my find!! It was a nice way to fill up the morning. By the afternoon we had to be in the Abbey for rehearsal so the rain was no further problem.
All we want now is for our hairdressers to get cracking......
Posted 4 years ago # -
Helen Hawkins-Ainsley
MemberBrenda you won't have to wait long for the hairdresser - Boris said yesterday that they can re-open from July 4th along with a lot of other things.
I like looking in charity shops as well - you never know what you might find.It's only 8 am & already hot here in Leeds.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Jean Strange
MemberHi everyone
Plasterers arrived before 7.30 this morning!! Couldn’t do job yesterday as window boards (window sills to us) that had been fitted were too narrow not enough over hang after plaster board on. So window people came back and redid those. Getting on well with plastering today. Electrician put off until tomorrow now. Then it is final floor screed and putting sealed man hole cover on. I think we are lucky that our plasterers managed to get plaster!!! Then it will be waiting for everything to dry out then Jeff can paint walls. I already have 2 rattan recliner chairs and a coffee table in garage in boxes. Saw them in a Robert Dyas catalogue then went on line. Jeff always moans lots of these chairs aren’t tall enough for him but they had measurements and these are same height as his in lounge. When it showed only 1 set left in stock I ordered quickly!! Will see what else we want once all finished and these chairs are installed!!!
Yes Helen just before 9 here and definitely warm.Posted 4 years ago # -
Barbara Stone
MemberSo ladies, tonight’s the night of the Final. Phones will be on silent, and unless it’s a matter of life and death, then I’m not stirring from this seat. Helen, thanks for the comment - quite agree with you. I was in s very bad mood on Monday evening, as you can imagine! I’m looking forward to seeing pictures of all your conservatories - they sound great. There’s no way I can have one here, but I do have my cabin where I can sew. Unfortunately, the light isn’t brilliant, but I can live with that.
Got to go and finish picking the gooseberries. Only did half the bush last night, and picked over 4 pounds. Not bad for something that doesn’t get too much attention. Might leave it until s bit later, as it’s hitting 30 degrees outside, so I might have to stay inside and sew. What s hardship!Posted 4 years ago # -
Helen Hawkins-Ainsley
MemberBarbara, I'd stay inside as well, but I burn too easily.
I have to work this afternoon - boohoo - haven't stopped all through the shut down
Looking forward to the 4th when we can go to the pub
Was asked last night if we wanted to do a camping trip 24th July - YES! YES! YES!As for the Sewing Bee, I did tell Mick I would record it & watch when his team having finished being idiots - wish they'd get on & win the league. Enough on that subject.
Posted 4 years ago # -
brenda midgley
MemberIt's afternoon - and sticky here. Not sure we've hit 30 Barbara, but it does feel like it's building up.
Great that the conservatory seems to be coming to fruition Jean........but anyway....
In the meantime - as Barbara says - final tonight of The Bee so I just want to wish you all a Happy Hour of viewing....it's getting me all excited.
No doubt the keyboards in our homes will be red hot tomorrow morning ....... wheeeee, s'all good fun!!
Posted 4 years ago # -
Barbara Stone
MemberWell I never expected that - I’m delighted but surprised! Loved the made to measure dresses, wonder what everybody else thinks?
Posted 4 years ago # -
Helen Hawkins-Ainsley
MemberMorning all & happy midsummer
8am & already sticky here
I'm delighted that Clare won, I was hoping she would & not Nicole. The made to measure was just Clare's time frame though & the transformation was ideal for Nicole. I thought Matt's dress was interesting & ideal for his boyfriend. Nicole's dress didn't look to quite fit to me - a little too snug in places or it needed pressing
Posted 4 years ago # -
brenda midgley
MemberHello girls,
You've more or less summed it up for me Helen- although personally I did quite like Nicole, but Clare was a deserving winner.
I think Nicole's carnival outfit was the best of the three as it was flamboyant in the way you'd expect a carnival outfit to be. I did think though that Matt would have won that, seeing his connection with the making of more outrageous (shall we say) outfits in his personal world - and to be honest when we first saw him puting it on the mannequin I truly thought he'd put it on upside down!
When it came to the red carpet design though - I confess to feeling a little disquiet. I felt Clare and Nicole had aimed in the right direction of meeting the brief - but with Matt choosing his boyfriend to model his design; and the design itself, I had everything crossed that he wouldn't win. We have been made aware of course of his connection with the drag queen world - and by using his boyfriend to act as model, it was a distinct no-no for me and it put him in a different 'category' I thought.
For starters I didn't like the heavy drag queen make up and ear-rings and then looking at the dress itself - although I loved the fabric of the skirt - the top part of the dess I thought was horrible - a faux leather type look with slashes of leather with holes which were then laced together had me cringing a bit if I'm honest as I felt there was a little bit of 'seediness' in it, the holes and lacings to me smacked slightly of 'bondage' and I hated it.
Compared to Clare's dress - the lovely sleek lines of the fit with the over the elbow gloves in classic elegance style sat in stark contrast to Mark's presentation of his dress.
You could be forgiven in thinking that I'm against the gay scene, which I'm not, but I just wasn't happy with what we saw. All in all it may be because we seem to have had a plethora of gay men (in contestants and hosts) this year I feel we've drifted away a little from the context of what the show was all about when it first started all those years ago.
Perhaps I'm just getting set in my ways!.....I expect lots of comments back telling me I'm wrong and that I should have wider 'vision'.......I'm quite happy to listen to your views on how I've got it all wrong.....it could be that you'll make me see things in a more liberal way.......
Posted 4 years ago #
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