We finally have a date for the return of Great British Sewing Bee. The latest series; series 10 is back on our screens on Tuesday 21 May at 9pm on BBC1.
12 new amateur sewers from across the UK are joining judges Esme Young and Patrick Grant and new(ish) host comedian and actor Kiell Smith Bynoe.
Who is looking forward to meeting the sewers!!!??? I know I am!
Hoping for better use of the haberdashery this year!
This years' Great British Sewing Bee Contestants
Ailsa, 28 @ailsalyall insta tiktok
GLASGOW,
EVENTS PLANNER
Taught to sew by her late Mum who was a seamstress.
Enjoys upcycling second hand clothes.
Describes her sewing style as contemporary, sustainable, modern and experimental.
Likes wild swimming in Loch Lomond.
DERBYSHIRE,
COPYWRITER/EDITOR
Learnt to sew at a young age and would make her own stuffed toys.
Is passionate about sustainability.
Likes to make oversized garments as she believes comfort is key.
Ultramarathon runner.
Comfort, 33 @kamphat
SOMERSET (originally UGANDA)
SELF EMPLOYED DESIGNER AND BUSINESS MANAGER
Started sewing after giving birth to her first child and feeling she was lacking creatively.
Loves vibrant colours and batik which reflect her East African heritage.
Designs her own fabrics.
Don, 84
CHESHIRE,
RETIRED RESEARCH PHYSICIST
Oldest ever competitor and Dad of eight!
Was taught to sew over 70 years ago by his mum on a hand-crank machine.
Is a perfectionist and likes to create unusual but simple garments.
Was a keen offshore sailor and sailed his own boat to La Rochelle.
Georgie, 40 @georgie.keep.sewing
ISLE OF WIGHT,
CLUB AND FESTIVAL DJ
Is passionate about sustainability and often uses tablecloths and quilted blankets as recycled material.
Loves to knit as well as sew.
Former police officer.
Janet, 75 @janetrockandroll
YORKSHIRE,
RETIRED MARKET TRADER
Has been sewing since she was 12.
Loves making formal, glamorous dresses for holidays and dancing classes.
Is passionate about oil painting.
Mum of three.
MANCHESTER,
FINANCE ADMINISTRATOR
Is inspired by eighties fashion and loves the bold pops of colour and styles of the era.
Follows in her mum's footsteps as a talented singer.
MANCHESTER,
DIVERSITY, EQUALITY AND INCLUSION DIRECTOR
Was taught to sew by their grandmother when they were eight.
Has a drag persona, Selma Skreams.
Likes to break stereotypes with their designs.
Non binary.
LONDON,
TEACHING ASSISTANT, ARTS AWARD COORDINATOR
Inspired by the Sewing Bee to make clothes for his wife, before making 90s-style streetwear for himself.
Describes his garments as jarring, garish or kitsch.
Enjoys DJing, rollerblading, writing, art, building Lego and playing video games.
Neil, 52 @neil_from_1970
LEICESTER,
WOODWORK INSTRUCTOR
Learnt to sew when he couldn't find 1940s vintage clothing for swing dancing to fit his 6'4" frame.
Leads a murder-themed bike tour.
Has a ventriloquist doll called Terry.
GUILDFORD (BORN IN SWITZERLAND),
STUDENT
Is studying Psychology and Innovation.
Loves using her great-grandma's old seamstress patterns to create reversible clothing.
Once made a Marie Antoinette inspired silk ballgown.
Enjoys growing, foraging and fencing.
Suzy, 28 @suzysankeystudio
LIVERPOOL,
HOSPITALITY
Lives in Liverpool and recently left a corporate marketing job to return to hospitality.
Regularly uses charity shop curtains and bedsheets as material.
Features big ruffles and enormous sleeves in her designs.
Got engaged in a fabric shop in New York!
What to expect from Great British Sewing Bee Series 10 ....
Episode 1
The first week challenges are inspired by the very first set of challenges from the first series.
The first Pattern Challenge, is a denim A-line midiskirt.
The 90-minute Transformation Challenge, they have to transform a T-shirt into a completely new garment.
Made-to-Measure, the sewers meet their models for the first time to make their interpretation of a vintage day dress
Episode 2 - SPORT WEEK
Patrick and Esme have set three challenges inspired by the wide world of sport in honour of 2024 being an Olympic year.
The Pattern Challenge; half zip fleece.
The 90-minute Transformation Challenge, they have to transform a whole new outfit from cricket whites and protection.
Made-to-Measure, the sewers nominate a country and make an outfit for a specific sport fit for an international sporting event.
Episode 3 - HOLIDAY WEEK
It’s Week 3 of The Sewing Bee, and the sewers face three challenges inspired by travel.
The Pattern Challenge; nautical bag.
The 90-minute Transformation Challenge; creating summer blouses from tablecloths.
Made-to-Measure; an outfit fit for the French Riviera.
We can also look forward to:
upcycling wedding dresses into party dresses
India Week (yeah!) with a dress inspired by a sari
Designs Icons Week, with a Paul Gautier transformation challenge.
Diva Week, making Tina Turner's iconic fringed dress in the pattern challenge, and a stage outfit for a diva.
Where is The Great British Sewing Bee filmed?
Since series 8 in 2022 the Great British Sewing Bee has been filmed at Sunny Bank Mills, located just outside of Leeds in Farsley, West Yorkshire.
This 19th-century woollen mill was once one of the world's most important fine worsted mills. Worsted is a high-quality type of wool yarn used for fabric and dress-making.
At the time Sewing Bee judge Patrick Grant said: "Leeds is at the heart of the wool and textile industry so it feels appropriate to film in a great big spinning mill."
The series has come a long way since it began in 2013, filming in a former chapel in Dalston, with a caravan out the back acting as a green room and using the coffee shop over the road.
They hoped for a million viewers and got double that and an icon was born!
In 2014, for Series 2, filming moved to Metropolitan Wharf, a line of five 19th Century warehouses on the banks of the River Thames in the East End of London.
From 2019 , for Series 5 and 6, the series was shot at 47-49 Tanner Street in Bermondsey, historically considered the home of London's textiles.
This is perhaps now best known as the filming location for fellow BBC show Dragon's Den.
From 2021, for Series 7, filming moved to The Chainstore on Trinity Buoy, London on the riverside near the 02.
How long does it take to film The Great British Sewing Bee?
Filming takes place over a 6-8 week period, usually between August and November.
Contestants are asked to commit to 20 days of filming for the show.
Why not apply for Series 11?
While you are waiting you could apply for the next series!
You need to be aged 16 or over and consider yourself an "amateur sewer".
This means no NVQ or other equivalent sewing-related qualifications.
You also can't have previously worked full-time as a "dressmaker, sample machinist, pattern cutter, tailor or seamstress at any time during the last 15 years."
Be sure to read up on all the Sewing Bee rules before sending off your application.
Keep colourful.
Alison
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