Sewing Bee 2023 Week 1 Patterns & Techniques
That’s right, The Great British Sewing Bee 2023 episode 1 has aired! So we’re rounding up the patterns you loved from the show and the techniques for you to try on your next project.
MADE TO MEASURE CHALLENGE
GBSB Week 1 featured some beautiful cut out dresses so we’ve picked out the perfect patterns to recreate the contestants Made To Measure challenge. Many of the contestants used our patterns – but some are now out of print. And as always those creative bees hacked some of our designs so they look a little different to the originals! Where we don’t have a perfect pattern match, we’re also suggesting the closest style.
Tony W wowed the judges with hist jersey dress with ruched details in fun print. You could see in the episode he used our fun McCall’s dress M8253
If you liked Fauve’s side cut out dress then look no further than our Vanessa dress M8175. She changed the sleeves for added VA VA VOOM, but you can also choose from two styles of sleeve in the original pack.
Lizzie’s dress was simply stunning with wrap neckline. We could see it was one of our patterns from the tissue but not the number, so we recommend V9259 to recreate the look as it has that same neckline and you could swap the trousers for a gathered skirt! It’s perfect for woven fabrics like cotton or viscose. Now you just have to find a dreamy fabric to sew it in!
Gillie’s dress only had small cutouts which she added to our Simplicity 8594 dress. We love the distinctive halter neckline, princess seam bodice and full skirt. Plus the fabric Gillie chose is similar to our envelope!
Tony R showed his love for rockabilly fashion by picking Simplicity 8051! We love this pattern as it has two vintage inspired views to pick from. He impressed the judges with his cut out back bodice.
Maria chose our sadly out of print M7740 BUT there are still a few copies left at some of our stockists like The Fold Line, Escape and Create, and Patterns and Plains! Her eyelet choice was lovely and she showed off the open back of this Summery design.
With it’s square neckline and open back, puff sleeves, and maxi skirt with ruffle… we’re recommending New Look 6692 for recreating Vicki’s dress! It has a shirred back panel for easy fitting and could be made in lots of different fabrics.
Asmaa wowed the judges by mashing two patterns together into a modest dress with daring back cut out. We saw her use Alister McCall’s 8043 for her bodice but she closed the front keyhole!
PATTERN CHALLENGE:
If you preferred the twist top challenge with those French seams, then keep reading. See our top four sewing patterns that feature twists so you can boost your skills, and find more in our Sewing Bee episode 1 pattern category. You might also like to watch our French Seam masterclass video.
And if you are excited to try French seams on your next project watch our step-by-step video guide on how to construct this lovely finish.
