Great British Sewing Bee

**Jock Scot** · 26th February 15, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by StevieR

Lieutenant Colonel Neil Stace, REME.

Thank you.It seems that I have made 2+2 into 22! Maths was never a strong suit for me!

**Pleater** · 27th February 15, 08:51 AM

I think that the time was actually SIX and a half hours - and Neil sewed the pleats by hand - WOW.

I noticed that no one seemed to have pressed in their pleats to start with but tried to measure and pin and then sew before pressing.

I usually press in the pleats up to fell level to start with in order to get some order into the fabric, and it is then possible to check along the edge and see if there is a pleat larger or smaller than the others due to misalignment or an error in measuring.

There were also things such as the fabric being folded so a strong element was right on the edge of the pleat, rather than in the centre, but from the way that the kilts were tight at the hipline I suspect that tapering or shaping was not understood - those large darts put into the aprons of the women's kilts were just wrong. With the soft fabric used they could have just eased them onto the backing material, but some of the kilts didn't have that to work with in the first place.

It is interesting to see how even competent sewers don't understand the aspects of tailoring which go into a kilt, but it is perhaps not surprising then the basis is working with a wool fabric which is not very common these days. The lower ranked kilts might have been improved if the subtleties of the kilt were explained in the brief, or perhaps they should just have handed out copies of Barb T.'s book.

They certainly did well but I think there are bits of the dark arts involved in crafting a kilt.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

**Tarheel** · 28th February 15, 04:31 AM

Originally Posted by Pleater

I think that the time was actually SIX and a half hours - and Neil sewed the pleats by hand - WOW.
They certainly did well but I think there are bits of the dark arts involved in crafting a kilt.

Every time you post tidbits of wisdom Anne, I feel more like the "Sorcerer's Apprentice."

**Pleater** · 28th February 15, 06:11 AM

I do have a long history of making garments,over 55 years now so there are few types of garment I have not attempted and many techniques I have not only used successfully but elaborated or adapted to different ends. I also had the advantage of two grandmothers who had old fashioned knowledge handed down to them and who were available to me.
It does make a big difference to the result to have information passed down the generations.

Anne the Pleater. :ootd:

**Schiehallion** · 28th February 15, 10:15 AM

Patrick Grant one of the judges wore a Grant kilt but oh how inelegant he looked in a long suit jacket. He looked terrible with hose right up to the bottom of the knee. All together not a good look. He needs to join XMTS ! Then with some advice he might look suave.

**MNlad** · 28th February 15, 10:46 AM

I totally agree on the inelegance of the Saxon jacket with the kilt. It was just out of place. For those who have not seen it yet, the program has been posted on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZPOPOdH_Vo

While several competitors had problems understanding the need for a firm under-structure, it's amazing what they accomplished under the time constraints. By the way, I enjoyed the previous episode where they had to contend with working with 1950s Singers.

**Pleater** · 28th February 15, 03:51 PM

But those 'old' Singers had electric motors.

My first machine was a toy, but functional hand cranked machine, and I was allowed to use my grandmother's treadle with the long bobbin once I got a bit older. I have a Gamages hand cranked machine which I use for sewing silk.

I did feel my heart sink when the advice about the length of the kilt being to the lower edge of the kneecap was given.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

**MNlad** · 28th February 15, 05:44 PM

I did feel my heart sink when the advice about the length of the kilt being to the lower edge of the kneecap was given.

And The old saw about kneeling and the hem (selvedge) kissing the floor. That was the test for acceptable girls' skirt length back when I was in high school . . . back when the earth was still cooling.