Tatty Devine does the Great British Sewing Bee
Charlotte Prichard, 23 April 2013
It's official: we're obsessed with the Great British Sewing Bee. The smash hit BBC show where amateur sewers take on challenges as they compete to be named Britain's best home sewer has captured our hearts - and our sewing boxes. In honour of the show's finale tonight, Team Tatty rifled through our collective wardrobe to tell the tales behind our home made garments. Warning: it's impossible to read this blog without catching the DIY bug...
We headed to our Brick Lane boutique and caught our Stores Manager Lou in her homemade jumpsuit and Hot House Ultra Flora and Fauna Necklace:
"I bought the fabric in my home town, Norfolk, from Anglian Fashion Fabrics. I like the print because it looked a little Parisian but also had a bit of a Hawaiian twang to it! I have millions of vintage jumpsuit patterns at home, which I normally buy off Ebay, so I used the trouser section of the vintage pattern and then adapted the top half to what I fancied. I put my jumpsuit addiction down to always wanting to go to work with my dad and fix motorbikes in overalls!"
Our Marketing Manager Sonja layers her Goddess Hand Strand Necklace over a home made sleeveless top:
"I bought the pattern for this top in John Lewis, after finding it really hard to hunt down a pattern that I liked. It had a really vintage look to it. I have some wallpaper in the same print that I've never actually used, but I'm hoarding it in case I do! It's the first piece of clothing I've made from a pattern and even though I found it a little difficult, it was really pleasing. The best part of making it? I loved learning how to make a button loop. I recently learnt that this pattern is called windowpane check and it's a micro trend at the moment. I even spotted Susie Bubble wearing it on her blog! I've started to wear this top a lot more often now..."
Our Production Manager Becki teams her GIANT Lobster Necklace with a homemade colour pop patterned blouse:
"As soon as I saw this jazzy fabric in a shop in Shepherd's Bush, I had to have it! It took me about two weeks to make this shirt, working on it in the evenings and at the weekends. I've been making my own clothes since I was 15 years old and my biggest achievement has to be making my friend's wedding dress! My next project? Well, I have some sixties silk which I might turn into a shift dress..."
Meet Tatty Devine's resident Nigella Lawson, Lucy, whose extravagant birthday cakes are the stuff of legend. Not only is she a culinary queen, she's a dab hand at sewing, too. Just take a look at her home made kimono jacket:
"I made this kimono jacket back in the day for my GCSE Textiles exam! The vintage silky cherry blossom fabric belonged to my Grandma and dates from the late 1940's. I wear it with the Blossom Branch Necklace in pink, keeping with the floral theme. The sleeves are excellent for keeping things in, particularly snacks!"
How do you rate Team Tatty's sewing skills? What's your favourite thing you've ever made? Tell us - and tweet us your photos, too!
"I bought the fabric in my home town, Norfolk, from Anglian Fashion Fabrics. I like the print because it looked a little Parisian but also had a bit of a Hawaiian twang to it! I have millions of vintage jumpsuit patterns at home, which I normally buy off Ebay, so I used the trouser section of the vintage pattern and then adapted the top half to what I fancied. I put my jumpsuit addiction down to always wanting to go to work with my dad and fix motorbikes in overalls!"
Our Marketing Manager Sonja layers her Goddess Hand Strand Necklace over a home made sleeveless top:
"I bought the pattern for this top in John Lewis, after finding it really hard to hunt down a pattern that I liked. It had a really vintage look to it. I have some wallpaper in the same print that I've never actually used, but I'm hoarding it in case I do! It's the first piece of clothing I've made from a pattern and even though I found it a little difficult, it was really pleasing. The best part of making it? I loved learning how to make a button loop. I recently learnt that this pattern is called windowpane check and it's a micro trend at the moment. I even spotted Susie Bubble wearing it on her blog! I've started to wear this top a lot more often now..."
Our Production Manager Becki teams her GIANT Lobster Necklace with a homemade colour pop patterned blouse:
"As soon as I saw this jazzy fabric in a shop in Shepherd's Bush, I had to have it! It took me about two weeks to make this shirt, working on it in the evenings and at the weekends. I've been making my own clothes since I was 15 years old and my biggest achievement has to be making my friend's wedding dress! My next project? Well, I have some sixties silk which I might turn into a shift dress..."
Meet Tatty Devine's resident Nigella Lawson, Lucy, whose extravagant birthday cakes are the stuff of legend. Not only is she a culinary queen, she's a dab hand at sewing, too. Just take a look at her home made kimono jacket:
"I made this kimono jacket back in the day for my GCSE Textiles exam! The vintage silky cherry blossom fabric belonged to my Grandma and dates from the late 1940's. I wear it with the Blossom Branch Necklace in pink, keeping with the floral theme. The sleeves are excellent for keeping things in, particularly snacks!"
How do you rate Team Tatty's sewing skills? What's your favourite thing you've ever made? Tell us - and tweet us your photos, too!
