Say hello to the 8th Sewing Bee to leave the Sewing Room!

This week we remaining five sewists tackled Movie Week, celebrating iconic garments, fabric and techniques from the silver screen.

First up, the Great British Sewing Bees tackled fitted dance dresses with circle skirts and lace embellishments, a-la Dirty Dancing. There were some great efforts but sadly a couple of sewists left Baby in the corner without a finished dress. Claim your FREE circle skirt pattern here. And check out these 5 FREE dancing dress patterns!

For the Transformation Challenge the hills were alive with the sound of sewing machines as the fabulous five were tasked with upcycling curtains into children’s play clothes, just as Maria had done in The Sound of Music. All five impressed judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young, making it tricky to rank them from top to bottom. Interested in trying upcycling? Download a FREE skirt pattern here and find lots of expert advice!

Finally, the Made to Measure asked everyone to take inspiration from the movie Dreamgirls to make a glitzy 1970s-influenced dress using technical fabrics that will skim the model’s body and ensure they help the sewists dance their way through to a semi-final place. We have a fabulous FREE 70s Diva dress pattern here to download - and don't forget to share your photos with us too!

Sadly, one sewist had to say goodbye and the judges eliminated Damian, after he failed to impress with his fabric and design choices in the final challenge. Damian will be sorely missed in the Sewing Room and by us at home, what did you think of his creations this series and what were your favourite Damien moments this series? Leave us a comment below!

We caught up with Damien to get the inside scoop on his Great British Sewing Bee journey!

When did you first start sewing and why do you love it so much?

I started sewing three years ago and I love it because the feeling you get from making your own clothes and wearing them is pretty good.

My mentor is my sewing teacher Janet. I have taken some classes with her in her studio in Leyland over the past year or so and I look forward to having some more with her soon. I think she will be surprised to see me on the show.

I started sewing three years ago and I love it because the feeling you get from making your own clothes

What is your favourite garment to sew?

My favourite garments to sew are shirts, I have done quite a few of these and enjoy making them. I really enjoy top stitching and always try to get it as neat as possible. I also really like hand sewing but this is an area which I need to practice more.

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Why did you want to be a Great British Sewing Bee and who did you want to most impress of the judges?

I wanted to be on the GBSB to have the amazing experience and to learn a lot (which I did!). My sewing skills have got a lot better since doing the show and my life is more enriched for doing it. I really enjoyed the judging which was one of my favourite parts, after the M2M fashion show. I had a fantastic time with Joe and am still chuckling to myself at some of the stuff we did and hopefully most of it will make it onto the show.

What were your first impressions walking into the sewing room on this year’s Sewing Bee?

I was in awe when I first walked into the sewing room. I tried to have as many moments of taking it all in as I could. Most of the time was taken up with sewing and concentrating but there were quiet moments when I was sat there just thinking “wow, this is truly amazing!!”

My worst challenge was the transformation challenge, I was not looking forward to it!

What was your best and worst moment that first week?

My best moment on the first week was when my model put the dress on in the M2M challenge, when she put my finished dress on I was bursting with pride. Esme commented on the fine tweaks that were needed but I wasn't really bothered about that because I was just so pleased I got it finished and it fitted!

Inspired by the Sewing Bee to dust off your stitching skills?
FREE DRESS PATTERN PDF DOWNLOADS

How did you try and stay calm when things were going badly wrong or you ran out of time in the first week?

I tried to stay calm by just keeping my head down and concentrating on my own garments, the moment I looked up and saw other sewer’s stuff was when the panic started. I think for the most part my time management was pretty good and I really enjoyed sewing to a time limit.

the moment I looked up and saw other sewer’s stuff was when the panic started!

Do you have an attachment to a sewing tool, and why is it special to you?

My favourite sewing tool is the tailors awl/bodkin and hammer. I really enjoy making holes and hammering rivets and buttons into fabric. It is a great feeling to put these finishing touches on garments.

In your sewing life: What has been your worst sewing disaster - and your biggest triumph?

My worst thing that I have ever made is something you will see in episode 1 and my best thing I have made is my own denim jacket which I wore on the show.

I mostly make for myself but have done a couple of things for family and friends. I expect I will be getting asked to make them some stuff after they see the show.

My style is smart casual. I mostly wear jeans and a shirt. I have made myself about 10 shirts but now I just usually buy good quality second hand shirts and jeans and alter them to fit. I will continue to make myself clothes but at the moment I have enough.

Can you give a sewing tip for amateur sewers who have been enjoying the show?

I got a lot of tips while sewing on the show from the judges and my fellow bees. I think the main thing is to practice with a piece of the fabric first by pressing it, seeing how it moves on the machine, check the thread tension, foot tension, decide what best needle to sew with and most importantly - cut precisely.

Are you a beginner sewist? Check out our 5 easy sewing projects to get you started!

What is the best way to describe the relationship between this year’s Bees?

The relationship between all us bees is fantastic. I really enjoyed talking sewing 24/7 as my normal circle of friends are not into it. I think they are great and we will all hopefully stay in touch. There are a great selection of personalities and the production team did a fantastic job of choosing us all. I feel blessed to have met everyone.

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What will you take away from your experience of being on The Great British Sewing Bee?

The whole experience was fantastic, from the interview process, at home practicing the M2M challenges and the experience of being looked after so well in the studio and in our accommodation. I have had so many laughs on the show with my fellow bees, Joe and the judges, the camera crew and the production team and the most memorable thing for me is that I celebrated my 40^th birthday with everyone there. I will never forget that!

the most memorable thing for me is that I celebrated my 40th birthday with everyone there. I will never forget that!

What's next for you in the sewing world?

I am going to make some garments for friends and family who have been supportive on my sewing bee journey as a thank you. I am then going to make myself a nice Harris tweed jacket, after that who knows?

Best and worst moment for you during the whole series?

There are so many great moments that I had and it is difficult to choose one but I was really proud to receive great judging comments from Patrick and Esme on my week 7 winter dress. My worst moment was when I was making my Dreamgirls dress in 70s week, [Episode 8], the fabric was a nightmare to work with and my interfacing was really difficult to iron on without bubbles. I nearly gave up on it but I managed to finish it, just in time.

My favourite challenge was the baker’s boy cap in Episode 3. It was great fun to cut out and assemble. I have never made a cap before and it was quite challenging, even though it didn't turn out great.

The outfit I loved the most was my button-down dress in Episode 2, with the coconut shell guitar pick buttons. I really thought a lot about the different elements of the dress and it just looked fantastic.

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