Sewing Bee Week 3 Patterns & Techniques

It’s getting hot hot hot… The Great British Sewing Bee 2022 episode 3 was Summer Week! So we’re rounding up the patterns you loved from the show and the techniques for you to try on your next project.

Challenge 1 Shirring

GBSB Week 3 featured a shirred sundress that looked surprisingly familiar! That’s right, it’s a dead ringer for our M7946 dress pattern which also has different sleeves and hems to try. You can see our video guide for creating shirring on the product page and on our YouTube channel.

We share how to adapt the instructions to do a fully shirred bodice, how to use shirring elastic and top tips for shirring success!

Made to measure challenge

The Bees had to create two piece summer outfits that included shorts or trousers. It was an interesting mix of styles with crop tops, shirts, palazzo and cigarette trousers, elastic waists and fly fronts. Here are the patterns we saw them use or the closest designs we could find. This week we struggled to match Richy’s outfit to anything we produce as he completely self-drafted his design!

Debra’s boat print top and short set was marvellous. And we could tell instantly it was our S8840 top. The shorts looked just like V9008 with their pleats and pockets. Such a staple pattern!

Annie and Brogan Made very similar outfits. Featuring tie front crop tops with puff sleeves and elastic waist palazzo style trousers. We recommend S8654 for the top (gives a bit more coverage than the TV versions) and S8134 is the perfect match for the trousers.

Angela’s outfit was super familiar, she made M7962. This two piece pattern is a gorgeous outfit and we loved the ruffled view. Angela ended up making the top rather short, but we’ve seen many versions with good coverage from our customers.

Christian and Steve both chose Cuban collar aka notch collar shirts which feature a flat open neckline made by sewing a revere – a folded back edge. This is my favourite kind of collar to sew because it sits flats on the chest. I’m pretty certain the gents used S9157 as I saw the tissue but you could also N6197 which is a unisex pattern everyone can enjoy!

Marni created a cool camisole top with ribbed hem. This would be easy to recreate with S8545 and some ribbing fabric added to the bottom. For her cool piped cigarette pants, I’d recommend V9189!

Let’s talk about a wardrobe staple – The shell top! Gill made a top just like N6483 which is our ultimate pattern for beginners. Quick to sew, stylish, and with endless variations to really get your money’s worth.

Man Yee opted for a bralet top which is a great introduction to fitting the bust. You’ll practice sewing the perfect cup size for you and use up lots of scraps in the process. S8549 is a pretty good match for the top with simpler construction. And the pleated shorts from S8654 would go great with the top!

We also saw Man Yee was wearing her version of M7974 on the show! This is one of those smash hit patterns that everyone has loved making since it’s release. Man Yee is no exception as we’ve seen two versions on her Instagram!

To get even more inspiration for summer sewing, check out our dedicated Sewing Bee Collections – themed around each episode they’ll have you itching to sew the trends you saw on the show.