Sewing Bee

[Clover]

Ladies who aren’t watching Shetland tonight might be interested to know that The Great British Sewing Bee is starting this evening at 9pm on BBC2

[Enfys]

Yes I’m looking forward to it Clover. Will record Shetland Ithink.

[Grauntie Mag]

I’ve been excited at the thought for a few weeks now Clover! I’m ready, cup of tea, foot stool...I am going to miss Claudia though. Her humour is so necessary. 😆

[Oma]

Looking forward to it

[Gemini]

I hope you all enjoy it

Me I have some paint to watch dry............

[Plantaholic]

Great British Sewing Bee watched and enjoyed and Shetland recorded, I have been out this evening so have to catch up. Those of you who have Sky, there is a programme called
Portrait Artist of the year on Sky Arts, they also have one on Landscape Artist later in the year. I really enjoy it but easy to miss.

[Nana]

Plant it's one of my favourite programmes along with the landscape one. Sometimes the judges talk a load of 'you know what' but I always feel as tho I should start painting after it's finished. The models they get are interesting too.

I watched Shetland but won't say anything...my lips are sealed.

[Clover]

I hope you all enjoy it

Me I have some paint to watch dry............

Oh Gem.

Plant I like the “ Artist “ programmes too.

[Gemini]

Sorry Clover, I am hopeless case when it comes to sewing, and would never want to watch a programme about it

I never have though and they say you should try everything once, so maybe I should give it a go?!!

[Daisy]

Plant - I watch the 'Painter of the year' as well. I prefer the Landscape one, but the Portrait is also very interesting. It's incredible how a group of people can look at the same person and interpret them so differently. Yes, it makes me want to get my paints out too, but portraits are too difficult for me!!

Although I can't sew I like watching the Sewing Bee - I'll see it on catch up tonight. It's interesting to watch anyone with skills I know I will never have, and admire what they produce.

[Clover]

Gem I’m not a sewer either but I like to watch what these talented people can achieve in just a few hours.

[Daisy]

Sorry Clover, I am hopeless case when it comes to sewing, and would never want to watch a programme about it

I never have though and they say you should try everything once, so maybe I should give it a go?!!

Gem - when I was a teenager (way back in time!!) someone showed me how to make a flared skirt - the sort you could wear 6 net petticoats under. Basically 3 yards of material, cut a bit off for the waistband. It was great - I made loads of skirts for next to nothing from material from a local market stall for less than £1. She also showed me how to do a patch button hole (I don't know if that's the right name) and I was very proud of that.

But I have no patience and if it goes wrong I just want to shove it in a drawer and forget about it.

[Gemini]

I recently joined the FB group for my grammar school From 1910 to the early 80's a girl's grammar school, one of the 2 in York. Later a comp, then it closed.
There is a discussion atm about needlework and in particular one needlework teacher, I thought was the only one who hated her, the subject and got their mm to do the work in 'homework!' Not so!

[Nana]

When I was at secondary school a nun (the needlework teacher) made me put on a blouse I'd made in front of the class. Big fail & she knew it. I'd sewn up the arm hole. I laugh now but at 12 I wished the ground would have swallowed me up.😳

[Daisy]

Nana - what a good example of how NOT to be a teacher! What an awful woman to do that to you.

Gem - our headmistress (girls' grammar school) was way ahead of her time in terms of what we should learn. Domestic Science and Needlework were only on offer to the third of the three streams. But the reality was that in our industrial working-class area most of us would never be in a position to go to university and have the kind of career she pictured for us. Learning to cook and sew would have been more useful!!

Looking back I can see that she was trying to tell us to open our horizons beyond our expectations. The significance of our school colours - green and purple - has only dawned on me recently - the colours of the Suffragette movement. We all hated her because she was so unsympathetic and out of touch with our lives.