The new 2023 season of The Great British Sewing Bee is finally upon us. As you can imagine, we’re huge fans of the program – it’s full of everything we hold near and dear to our hearts at Sewing Direct. Some of our absolute favourite sewing projects have come out of this event, and we’re excited to see what the latest batch of contestants can cook up this year.
With that in mind, now is the perfect time to pick out some great sewing project ideas that we can’t stop thinking about. As it’s Great British Sewing Bee season, now is the perfect time to get creative and pick up a new project to work on!
The Great British Sewing Bee is all about testing contestants’ raw ability, creativity and technical sewing skills. As such, there’s an element of challenge that really brings their creations to life.
The below 5 project ideas fit this mould, so feel free to pick one out to test your own abilities!
Create a showstopping evening gown with intricate details such as hand-sewn beading, lace appliques, and expertly constructed draping.
This is a challenge certainly not for the faint of heart; your precision sewing, fitting skills, and ability to work with luxurious fabrics will all be tested. However, it’s a challenge that can be extremely rewarding with enough patience and dedication.
Nothing beats a classic. The tailored suit project is a popular challenge, as it requires excellent pattern matching and attention to detail, as well as a strong understanding of tailoring techniques.
Fitting the trousers, jacket and shirt to a model’s proportions is a great way to flex your tailoring skills and develop them further. With some practice, mastery is not out of reach!
Upcycled projects always go down a treat, and they can be as easy – or as difficult – as you want them to be. Taking old garments or textiles and transforming them into fashionable, unique pieces can result in some truly irreplaceable gems, and it has the added bonus of being a sustainable approach to sewing. It can also give you a newfound appreciation for old clothes, so pick out some unused pieces and engage those problem-solving skills – this one will test your ability to repurpose materials effectively while maintaining a high standard of craftsmanship.
Patchwork is a passion of ours at Sewing Direct. There are more ways to go right than wrong with these sorts of projects, and while not ‘garments’ per se, they’re still a brilliant way to test and develop your sewing skills.
Choose a variety of fabric combinations and work to piece them together in a complex but visually satisfying pattern. Quilting can be an intricate process, so read our beginner’s guide to quilting with a machine if you need a hand getting started.
This is one that always seems to come up each year on the Great British Sewing Bee, and with good reason. It’s the perfect challenge for pushing you out of your comfort zone by recreating an outfit from a past time, such as an Elizabethan gown or a Victorian frock.
In addition to testing your research skills, it requires attention to historical details and encourages you to experiment with techniques you won’t be able to use elsewhere. If you’re feeling inspiration strike at the thought of it, this may be one for you!
We’re often asked what machines we’d recommend based on what contestants use on The Great British Sewing Bee.
While they use a variety of home sewing machines, there are a few standouts that we can recommend if you’re looking to take your projects to the next level. See our blog on sewing machines fit for the Sewing Bee to find out more.
Feeling inspired? You’re in the right place!
Get into the swing of Sewing Bee season by exploring our sewing machines and sewing patterns for sale. We have something for sewers of every skill level, so feel free to browse what’s on offer or get in touch with us if you’d like some advice on picking out the perfect product.
