Sewing Bee


Patrick Grant and another less interesting judge..he's lovely
You have to hand it to the BBC,for when they find a formula that works well, they clap their hands with glee and repeat the idea to death.
As most readers here may remember I am a firm fan of the achingly middle class The Great British Bake Off . For those that don't know, this TV competition pits a group of amateur bakers against each other over a whole host of baking challenges while nice judge ( Mary Berry) and sexy hard judge ( Paul Hollywood) look on.
Last night I watched The Great British Sewing Bee ...a fact that may surprise most of you, seeing that my dress sense could only be described as being "beyond help" The Great British Sewing Bee is Bake Off with clothes instead of sticky buns. The format, the pace, the competition, the type of presenter and even the incidental music is exactly the same...and to me, who couldn't give a flying fart about home made duds, I found the whole thing rather fascinating.
Of course the competitors have all been hand picked to make for partisan viewing. 80 year old Ann ( a yoga loving fit as a flea granny) ,Lauren ( a beautiful young Scot who cried a bit), bit of rough Sandra, and wisecracking  gay Queen Stuart all agonised over their home made girls' frock with suitable emotion as professional judges and mad as a box of frogs Claudia Winkleman looked on....

Judge , the Saville Row designer Patrick Grant, with his trendy Edward VII looks did it for me......
I am seriously thinking of changing my image........
Yeah right!

Link   http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0165nj8

Check it out...even if you couldn't be arsed about sewing.... The whole thing makes for an interesting study of skills that have almost disappeared from normal everyday life.

Would a bow tie suit me?

59 comments:

  1. Bow tie? There's a bow tie?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Such a crying shame that the lovely, sensitive Stuart was given the boot, though not entirely unexpectedly. Although most of my interest has now gone I'll probably watch it next week just to see who gets the crown.

    Btw: If my own blog of last week was at least partly instrumental in getting you to watch this, then I'm pleased to have been of some influence. If not, well, as long as you got some buzz out of it, then that's also fine.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I prefer BAKE OFF but it was worth watching Ray

      Delete
  3. He is a bit dandy! I think you would rock the dickie bow look! I love it. I was taught to sew properly at my 1970's Barnsley comprehensive school as most of the girls were expected to go on to work in the many sewing factories dotted in and around the town (none left now). Its a skill that has stood me in good stead through my life and something I still get a great deal of enjoyment from. xxxxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If I looked like Patrick I couldn't give a fig what I wore

      Delete
  4. But lightning doesn't strike twice. It's been a ratings flop...

    I think they didn't realise that you need a Mary Berry to make this sort of thing work and the Mary Berrys of this word are extremely rare.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Agreed....bring back berry
    I adore the BAKE OFF

    ReplyDelete
  6. I loved watching the The Great British Sewing Bee as much as The Great British Bake Off. I'm sure you would look lovely tending to your animals & bossoms with a bow tie. What about one that spins round?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Want the brummie lady to win bc she is too cute, silver fox second bc she is a bit of a goody two shoes love the drama over a seam

    ReplyDelete
  8. We have watched it from the beginning and absolutely love it. I was sorry that the gay chap got the boot last night - it was a close run thing between his originality but poor sewing and her penchant for never getting a garment finished. I thought he took it in good part - I did love what he had made but it was a bit slapdash. My mother in law was a fanatical sewer so the farmer is interested. I love the yoga granny - wish I was as fit as that - obviously it will be between her and the pretty blond - not sure who will win.
    The idea of making that jacket they had to make in 6 hours last night fills me with terror - I couldn't do that given a whole lifetime.
    The whole programme has such a friendly atmosphere. Perhaps it will persuade you to take up sewing John!

    ReplyDelete
  9. You could always sew yourself one and see.....a bow tie shaped piece missing out of the curtains wouldn't be THAT noticeable....would it!!

    I've just been having a mini catch up of your posts up to now this week, my computer keyboard is now full of spluttered coffee droplets..... dog poo in back pockets, gay ducks, man you know how to live.

    Love it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I live a quiet life Susan...a quiet life

      Delete
    2. Call me Susan again and it won't be quiet for much longer!!

      Delete
  10. Anonymous8:35 am

    There was a British show screened here not long ago featuring the restoration of an old house. I can't recall the name of it now, but I was amazed at the people who still had the skills to do things the old way, from timber joinery to carpet weaving, to matching expensive wallpapers as they were hung.

    ReplyDelete
  11. How about getting a bag of dig shit from your pocket and carefully lining a piece of string centrally , then tying the aforementioned string producing two equal sides that would then fit nicely within your collar region ? Cheap , Eco friendly and aromatic ..... You may need to find differing shades of dog shit bag in order to be able to colour co-ordinate with your various shirts but the overall effect could be quite stunning in my opinion

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A low blow...Jason.......a low blow

      Delete
    2. nothing other than what you would expect from me I am certain John....

      Delete
  12. Oh no, you're going to take up sewing now, aren't you?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No Tom.......pearls before swine is the phrase that comes to mind

      Delete
  13. Yes I must admit that Patrick is good eye candy but that Paul Hollywood could knead my buns anyday!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You slag Shirley x
      I think Patrick pips Paul in my book......Patrick can hem my skirt anytime

      Delete
  14. Anonymous10:05 am

    Could you put Mr Grant in my Christmas stocking please?

    ReplyDelete
  15. I can`t cook to save my life but I might have to learn to get myself on the bake off!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. actually...I prefer strumpet!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Sewing is no dying skill, poppet. It's a boom industry, hence the show. Bit gutted if it was a flop though.
    If you want to join Team Patrick (oo er!) here's a link:
    http://didyoumakethat.wordpress.com/2013/04/08/ive-decided-i-know-who-i-want-to-win-the-great-british-sewing-bee/
    It's a bit of sewing blogger nonsense, but Mr Patrick, he can press a crease in my slacks any time! ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  18. How about a show about an animal carer who wears a bow tie and his village life? Now there is a show for you! I learned to sew in Junior High School and can go with the best of them...it's something I have used all my life. Now they have taken sewing and cooking out of the High School here and I believe it's a shame.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. With my face.?
      It would be better being a radio programme

      Delete
  19. Patrick would make watching mud dry a show to anticipate...rrrrwow...

    ReplyDelete
  20. I think there is a show over here similar to that but the name is escaping me. I'll have to consult Dr. Google.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Oh my, when I saw Patrick I melted, and trust me I haven't melted for many a long year, truly.
    I love Claud, I want to lick her face.
    I think, just by watching this show I will become a tailoress, almost by osmosis.
    I don't want to be controversial but Mary Berry does not do it for me, the kitchen is not my favourite place. 'Tho I love Mel and Sue any day of the week.
    You have pocket dog poo, I have kitchen cat litter, it's all glamour!
    Susan x

    ReplyDelete
  22. Please john ...post a pic of you in a bow tie and your knit beanie ... other attire optional.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I bought a sewing machine when our son was a baby. The machine was sort of a Porsche - but I had the knowledge of a cyclist. When the dashy cord playsuit for son was finished, he already had outgrown it.
    But a bow tie - Why Not? (Sometimes)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would have forced him to wear it nevertheless

      Delete
  24. My great grandfather was a court milliner,my Mum was a seamstress. I hate bloody sewing.
    Jane x

    ReplyDelete
  25. I 'found' this programme accidentally on YouTube, and have become quite hooked. Love it. Hope it inspires other people to get their sewing machines out. Do you have a sewing machine John?

    ReplyDelete
  26. I watched the one where they made a pair of men's trousers. I must say, I found the whole thing fascinating (but I don't think I'll watch another episode).

    ReplyDelete
  27. Yes, I can see where you're coming from re Grant, and I think for the (further) amusement of your readers you ought to have a go at that image.

    ReplyDelete
  28. They ought to do a fly on the wall documentary about OUR craft bee, the conversations would make for fascinating TV!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Something really weird going on here. I have, supposedly, a Blogspot feed from your blog so that every time you, John, post a new blog entry, it appears down the right hand side of my blog page.

    This morning I did not fire up my laptop as usual as I wanted to watch Baroness Thatcher's funeral (and was pleased the anarchists were muted) so only now have logged on. The feed shows your last post as 'A Night Out In Trelawnyd' allegedly posted only 40 minutes ago.

    That can't be right, I thought, I read this post yesterday. So I shut Internet Explorer down and opened Firefox. Still it showed your last post as a night out etc, but this time as posted by you six hours ago. Still bollocks. I may drink to excess but I still know that if I read something in broad daylight and then it got dark for a long time and I fell asleep and then it got light again and I woke up and watched a funeral, that's more than six hours.

    So, rather than click on the link on my blog, I Googled 'Rather affable gay welsh animal lover' and clicked on the top hit: 'Going Gently'. Having been confounded by Blogspot's feed, I had decided to go round the back, so to speak.

    Now I see that I missed 'Gay Ducks' and the latest, 'Sewing Bee'. Relying as I do on the feed to notify me of new posts by my favourite bloggers I am beginning to wonder how many I have missed courtesy of the Blogspot not-so-instant feed.

    (Ooh! Thunder! Maybe I am in for some desperately needed rain now that I have done all my planting. That'll cheer me up!)

    Regarding Mr Grant. Keep the hairstyle, lose the facial hair I never could grow and keep the suit and tie and that is exactly how I used to dress in Europe.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tom
      I too have missed out on blog updates
      Is it something to do google reader?
      Fucked if I know

      Delete
    2. I read something similar on a thrifty mrs blog

      http://www.athriftymrs.com/2012/02/news.html

      could that be it?

      I dont know if this works well?

      http://www.bloglovin.com/what-is-bloglovin

      Delete
  30. Anonymous1:31 pm

    A bowtie would look dandy on you!

    Janet

    ReplyDelete
  31. I was thinking the three piece suit would supply you with plenty of pockets for bagged dog poop. You might use the bowtie to strangle Eric, so i don't know that you want to tempt yourself in that way.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have NEVER owned a. Suit...does that surprise you?

      Delete
  32. So that's what that 'look' is called! John, it would SO suit you! Seriously, I can see you know mosing about dressed like that. I am sure there would be a 'working look' available as well to handle all that shit you get covered in daily!! You live in the perfect setting and you could pull this whole thing off.
    Next thing, you'd be mayor.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If I ended up looking like Patrick I wouldn't be mayor...I'd. Be a bloody magician

      Delete
  33. Loved watching this series. My husband seemed fascinated by it too. He said "I'm surprised Davina McCall presents a programme like this"...

    ReplyDelete
  34. I am trying to learn how to sew.
    With my internet though, I'll have to wait for a PBS showing.
    Enjoy your sunshine!

    ReplyDelete
  35. I've not seen the programme but Oh My that chap is gorgeous......suited and booted and looking just how a gentleman should....sigh......

    ReplyDelete
  36. Bloody hell! What next? The Great British Toilet Bleaching...The Great British Dishwasher Filling....The Great British Bed Making? The mind boggles! As for you having a fashion makeover it would be easiest for you to nip down to your local Oxfam for some dead men's clothes. Suit you sir!

    ReplyDelete
  37. Good Lord he is a dish!! Yum, yum. Imagine having him around the house? Ahhhhhhh....

    ReplyDelete
  38. put any man in tweed and in a instant they have 30 IQ points added to their persona ...

    ReplyDelete

I love all comments Except abusive ones from arseholes