tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2241710623843639250.post8632400110427581753..comments2023-06-03T06:58:45.048-07:00Comments on makery: Are Television executives missing a trick?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10017802422891332588noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2241710623843639250.post-9919147693747433912012-10-14T01:14:12.707-07:002012-10-14T01:14:12.707-07:00I just stumbled across your blog today and I'm...I just stumbled across your blog today and I'm very impressed with this post. I am self taught and would absolutely love sewing to feature more in the TV schedule. I don't want to poo poo Kirstie though, she has afterall given handmade and handcrafts a bigger profile. Before Kirstie, if I told friends about my sewing they thought I was a complete wierdo "why don't you just buy it?" and after Kirstie "oh that's nice, I'm hopeless myself" then eyes glaze over...<br />I would watch the sew off programme but I have to admit, the competition element turns me off. I have read all the comments and Abby's ideas are closest to what I would want to see. I think lots of segments in the programme to keep up the interest and engage with the beginner whilst also providing new techniques or inspiration to those more capable.<br />My auntie made costumes for the royal ballet and I loved hearing her stories. I also had relatives who competed in ballroom dance and had to make their costumes. I think if, intertwined with improving wardrobe, adjusting, pattern use etc there could be a weekly feature showing something like this that is not run of the mill would keep things interesting and stop it going stale.<br />I also agree that I would hate it to be purely female oriented. My little boys are very interested in sewing and I know when hems need taken up or buttons sewn, it's my brothers and not their wives that do it.<br />What I would welcome most is generally showcasing sewing as a valid use of time and energy.<br />Well done Miss P, I wish you every success x xVickyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16216915929056277644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2241710623843639250.post-89749252493032865312012-10-11T13:03:38.637-07:002012-10-11T13:03:38.637-07:00But don't forget me as a happy learner! One wh...But don't forget me as a happy learner! One who knows absolutely nothing so could prove that anyone could do it if taught a technique!D McEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01251487227503099224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2241710623843639250.post-70602363175631394622012-10-10T17:27:38.938-07:002012-10-10T17:27:38.938-07:00I've just posted below and then noticed your p...I've just posted below and then noticed your post mentioning The Clothes Show too. I'm so glad I'm not the only one to miss it and the amazing Caryn Franklin. It did indeed have a design and manufacturing slant - I was doing my City & Guilds Fashion qualification in the early 90s and it was expected that we watch it - it was so useful for the course.<br />We need a design/sewing programme with substance - before Gok decides to dress some vulnerable lady in a giant knitted pea pod!!!!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07968621532089147258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2241710623843639250.post-40560028911753741122012-10-10T17:23:00.229-07:002012-10-10T17:23:00.229-07:00agreed. I'm teaching an 8 year old boy to sew...agreed. I'm teaching an 8 year old boy to sew. No way is he going to leave all that creativity to his little sister! And as an impatient teen that would rather speed sew seams, it was my Dad that I handed fabric and self covered buttons to - he was far more talented at getting them perfect than the rest of the household :)<br />And what is pattern drafting if not technical drawing?!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07968621532089147258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2241710623843639250.post-53181442969016326262012-10-10T17:19:09.085-07:002012-10-10T17:19:09.085-07:00Wow what an interesting post and responses. I rea...Wow what an interesting post and responses. I really do think that a series on sewing could be very timely (craft seems to be getting a little more serious on TV - eg Paul Martin's Handmade Nation) and if I've heard one person say they'd love to start sewing, I've heard at least 20 in the last few months.<br />I agree that it could be a time consuming and relatively dull prospect to literally step by step garments but this could maybe be achieved by a Sew-a-long section each episode, plus the good old web! It's where we pick up lots of tips, after all. So perhaps additional tutorials on a programme website could work to help beginners along and keep them interested and informed.<br />Also agree that items on vintage and on clothing construction across the ages? could work well; that the public don't know about lace hemming is a crime in itself, surely?! Other ideas would be fabric manufacture (I do wonder where it all gets made - I'm from the one time world's weaving capital in Lancashire but they don't make fabric there now!) <br />Some element of the things that were great about The Clothes Show (oh I loved it) would be excellent - key seasonal trends and associated pattern and fabric inspiration for example. Slots on imaginative use of fabric and trims (no - not Gok and his dreaded staple gun!!).<br />Oh and let's not forget thrift - uses for all those fabric scraps, upcycling done well etc.<br />And how about the odd homage to great Brit designers like Biba and Ms Westwood? Again, with pattern inspirations and the key techniques and shapes that make those designs so recognisable?<br />I could go on - and on!<br />Fingers crossed like many others :) It would be a great achievement!<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07968621532089147258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2241710623843639250.post-43528731330454312322012-10-10T13:09:54.214-07:002012-10-10T13:09:54.214-07:00Now is the time to make a programme like this and ...Now is the time to make a programme like this and you have a wealth of input from passionate sewers. I loved The Clothes Show as a teenager and the format was so appealing. I think that Kirsty (sorry Kirsty) would be the kiss of death, but it would be a good opportunity to see new faces, fashion graduates who know the skills of pattern drafting for a start! How to sew clothes sections (but no Molliemakes stuff please) and insights to the industry, input from the likes of Oral Keily or the founders of Howies (these are just the ones that spring to mind). Fabric designers, costume designers, people that used to work in the factories and their stories, the scope is endless … A sort of Countryfile for seamstresses and knitters only without Matt Baker (unless he likes to sew of course)! This is so interesting, thank you for posting!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2241710623843639250.post-84696149921261061702012-10-10T09:32:26.456-07:002012-10-10T09:32:26.456-07:00I often wonder if Kristy has hidden dressmaking sk...I often wonder if Kristy has hidden dressmaking skills?! Doubtful.<br />Runway incorporates so many aspects we're curious about.<br />Inspiration, sketching, fabric and notion selections and cost, time management, construction/draping, and mentoring from experts.<br />The drama and personality and judging just give it structure momentum and fun!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2241710623843639250.post-42671516330891928492012-10-10T08:27:18.704-07:002012-10-10T08:27:18.704-07:00Please, yes, we need sewing on TV!!! I think ther...Please, yes, we need sewing on TV!!! I think there's absolutely scope for a crafting programme (just ask Kirsty!) as well as a more sewing-focused show, which could work really well with a design and vintage angle, since so many people love vintage and many non-stitchers would have their eyes opened by how (relatively) easy it is to make their own clothes. <br /><br />It would also be fabulous to have a segment in each show that visits different designers, from small independent businesses to couture fashion houses to look at their gorgeous garments as well as how and where they're made. (This was one of the things I liked about Gok's Fashion Fix, where the designer-loving, slightly batty lady (sorry, can't remember her name) used to visit different workshops across the UK that produced items of classic British clothing, such as the brogue shoe or Harris tweed.)<br /><br />Keeping my fingers crossed for developments - please, TV execs, hear us roar!Clarehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04122069613332906904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2241710623843639250.post-1648134518284558602012-10-10T07:50:25.224-07:002012-10-10T07:50:25.224-07:00Definitely agreeing with Catherine on these ideas ...Definitely agreeing with Catherine on these ideas for content!<br /><br />If you were to go down a documentary route, one other idea would be to examine the construction of RTW garments, looking at why one outfit costs a lot more than another. This would be particularly interesting if you looked at tailoring. Perhaps you could "follow" different designers or particular garments styles and how they evolved over time...focusing on technical rather than autobiographical points.<br /><br />You could even do a "reality"-style series about sewing. The UK must have some great sewists/pattern designers/sewing professionals who could generate a following. I'll confess now that I watched a couple of episodes of Thelma's Gypsy Girls, under the impression it may have a bit of sewing content in it. Sadly, mistaken. Katrinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02429683896726352793noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2241710623843639250.post-76143114778472546552012-10-09T13:47:38.099-07:002012-10-09T13:47:38.099-07:00I would love to see a sewing programme - it would ...I would love to see a sewing programme - it would be so good to see something done, to see the way different fabrics drape and move. (Photographs are great, and there are loads of good tutorials, but moving pictures are so much better.)<br /><br />But what I think we have to remember is that one programme cannot be all things to all people. I don't particularly rate the Mollie Makes-style of craft (just because something is pretty/cute doesn't mean that it has a point and a place in my home), but I recognise the appeal to some people and I wouldn't want to be too offensive about their taste. So I suppose what I'm saying is that I want several sewing programmes!<br /><br />More than anything, though, I want something that isn't over (life)styled. There are some programmes (*cough*LittleParisKitchen*cough*) that spend more time showing you the presenter wafting about on the business of their fabulous life rather than on the subject, which I find colossally irritating.Awfulknitterhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/24810486@N04/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2241710623843639250.post-10743762529835208672012-10-09T12:20:03.735-07:002012-10-09T12:20:03.735-07:00It would be amazeballs if such a show could be fre...It would be amazeballs if such a show could be free of sponsorship ties, too. I get tired of shows where they can only use a particular brand of stuff, and this limits what the users can do. Although in the UK I am sure it is not such a big problem as here - your Changing Rooms was so interesting and eclectic whereas the NZ version had to use a particular brand of paint, wallpaper and curtain fabrics, so no fun thriftshop finds, so boring!! <br />I like the idea of a format broken into three or four segments - some ongoing, some research based (a trip down Goldhawk Road or Beerwick St, or visiting three designers or costumiers or sewing bloggers to see what is on their work table) some technical (this week we're tackling how to do a blind hem/perfect button hole etc) and maybe a feature on a wardrobe makeover (love that idea!) and I also love the "5 sewists, one metre" challenge.<br />Really there is so much fun to be had! Oh MissP, I will start praying that the TV execs down under decide to buy this delicious programme when it inevitably happens! :)MrsC (Maryanne)https://www.blogger.com/profile/14440723067459232998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2241710623843639250.post-87704717851144007182012-10-08T05:33:04.430-07:002012-10-08T05:33:04.430-07:00It seems that almost any subject can make it onto ...It seems that almost any subject can make it onto tv these days if the program makers can turn it into either a competition or a 'journey' - so why not sewing? Personally I'd like to see a series of programs where people with different levels of ability and experience, including complete beginners, set a challenge for themselves to achieve something and then we all get to see their progress. A beginner might want to learn to use a machine and make a skirt, a more experienced sewer might want to make a ballgown/wedding dress/tailored suit. It would be fascinating to see how they progress, especially if experts from the world of design, fabric manufacture and sewing techniques also featured. It would showcase the fantastic talent and resources we have in this country and at the same time show how 'you too' can do this. Program makers need to take a leap of faith sometimes I think..KarenMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2241710623843639250.post-90140413928356867982012-10-08T01:48:09.483-07:002012-10-08T01:48:09.483-07:00If there are to be new sewing or knitting shows on...If there are to be new sewing or knitting shows on mainstream TV (as opposed to shopping channels that don't have the time or inclination to give proper demonstrations), don't forget that a "large minority" of men now like making things by stitching, whether for soft furnishings or clothing. They like artistic originality just as women do. Men can be just as practical or arty as women and gain from inspiration on TV. Stitchcrafts should not be sexist! Why shouldn't hand or machine stitching/knitting appeal to men? In fact, the technical side of machining could really appeal to men! Engineering applied to craft!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2241710623843639250.post-1004961436427715212012-10-07T23:07:16.170-07:002012-10-07T23:07:16.170-07:00It would be great to have sewing shows on mainstea...It would be great to have sewing shows on mainsteam TV. I'm not into making clothes but would watch as I love picking up tips and wrinkles. Any sewing show would obviously need the right presenter - pleeeeeease NOT Anthea Turner! I would also be quite happy for sewing to be part of a wider show about crafts, after all, knitting and crochet are also very popular.Bossymammahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17200638216907803818noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2241710623843639250.post-69971372852545695242012-10-07T11:32:39.730-07:002012-10-07T11:32:39.730-07:00Some great ideas here from Abby! I'd also love...Some great ideas here from Abby! I'd also love to see challenges, like 5 different ideas for wearable items from 1 metre of fabric or siilar. It opens the genre up to beginners without being too dumbed down or inaccessible. Great post Portia - think this is the fifth time I've come back to see what people are saying!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2241710623843639250.post-28751712611668127302012-10-07T11:12:33.000-07:002012-10-07T11:12:33.000-07:00I love Abbey's idea. That would stay fresh and...I love Abbey's idea. That would stay fresh and interesting and frame the topic in a way that would interest both sewers and non-sewers.Karinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06551387452771116176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2241710623843639250.post-43822791250891251722012-10-07T09:47:32.927-07:002012-10-07T09:47:32.927-07:00I think one way of making a sewing show more inter...I think one way of making a sewing show more interesting might be to frame it in the context of improving someone's wardrobe, rather than having it be a simple how-to show. People could apply to go on the show (sort of like What Not to Wear or similar fashion makeover shows). Every episode, they could feature a different person, have some video of their current wardrobe, discuss their wardrobe/clothing needs, and make them a complete look that complements their body and style and fits into their current wardrobe or updates their look. They could also feature a basic sewing skill every episode for the beginner, framing it in the context of teaching the featured person how to sew on a button, hem a pair of pants, take in a t-shirt, etc. <br /><br />Some possible episodes for such a show: updating a wardrobe for a weight change; how to modify menswear for women who prefer men's clothing; sewing a wedding dress from beginning to end; a new outfit for a career change; quick, cheap, and fashion-forward maternity clothing; sophisticating the college graduate's wardrobe for real-world use... I could go on and on. Of course, sewists would be glued to the show regardless, but as long as the episodes always had new, compelling people in them, I think the draw would be there for people whose hobby isn't sewing as well, and it would also empower those people by showing them how easy some alterations are to do.Abbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00596360832206980948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2241710623843639250.post-10847457412462025482012-10-07T08:18:53.960-07:002012-10-07T08:18:53.960-07:00I'm waiting with baited breath for the Sew Off...I'm waiting with baited breath for the Sew Off! Hopefully no pea pods... <br /><br />Did you see the Young Tailor of the Year on BBC3 last year? Only the one episode from a series of other talents, but it was at least something! Again, competition style seems to be what the TV execs like... <br />I don't remember learning much of anything from it, but they could easily shoehorn in some quick "how to" sections if they wanted to go with that style?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2241710623843639250.post-20038316818540721782012-10-07T03:31:46.183-07:002012-10-07T03:31:46.183-07:00Again Roobeedoo, you could be reading my mind righ...Again Roobeedoo, you could be reading my mind right there!<br />PxAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10017802422891332588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2241710623843639250.post-1863669185048436762012-10-07T03:30:30.869-07:002012-10-07T03:30:30.869-07:00I agree D McE, there's potential for the conte...I agree D McE, there's potential for the content to be a bit pedestrian and consequently turn people off rather than switch them on to sewing as a skill that ANYONE can access at one level or another. That is of course the challenge and perhaps why a show like this has never really been pursued in the past. However, I'm a great believer that the question is not "can it be done" but "how are we going to do it". I have my ideas, I'm pretty ure they'll meet that challenge; but obviously am having to keep my cards close to my chest at this stage!<br />PxAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10017802422891332588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2241710623843639250.post-5901713986475238672012-10-07T03:26:15.221-07:002012-10-07T03:26:15.221-07:00Hey Lucy, Yep. Love Sarai's approach too! Anot...Hey Lucy, Yep. Love Sarai's approach too! Another anti Mollie commenter? Do they actually have a readership at all? I've not heard a good word about it, lol!<br />PxAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10017802422891332588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2241710623843639250.post-18738939149692956622012-10-07T03:24:00.782-07:002012-10-07T03:24:00.782-07:00Roisin, your comment had me laughing my head off. ...Roisin, your comment had me laughing my head off. You're so right. It's time media shook this idea that we're all twee, apron wearing, bunting loving, Stepford wives; and realised we are stylish, creative and unique individuals that hate nothing more than being patronised with knitted pea pods, lol!<br />PxAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10017802422891332588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2241710623843639250.post-38977260409304251952012-10-07T03:20:46.910-07:002012-10-07T03:20:46.910-07:00Sounds like a challenge ;)
PxSounds like a challenge ;)<br />PxAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10017802422891332588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2241710623843639250.post-11198650583685011392012-10-07T03:19:05.075-07:002012-10-07T03:19:05.075-07:00You're so right about what the "challenge...You're so right about what the "challenges" are in producing a show of this nature. That's been at the very forefront of my ponderings from the outset. I think there are ways around it in this day and age. I'd love it if you'd stop by and finish your comment!<br />PxAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10017802422891332588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2241710623843639250.post-65876523198777480522012-10-07T03:15:51.363-07:002012-10-07T03:15:51.363-07:00Hi Janice, Harris Tweed is fascinating actually. D...Hi Janice, Harris Tweed is fascinating actually. Did you know that each garment has it's own unique reference code linked to a directory that allows you to trace even vintage garments right back to source. ie the farm that reared the sheep, the individual weaver etc. How cool is that?!<br />I shall have to check out the internet for some footage of the show you mentioned. Thanks for that!<br />PxAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10017802422891332588noreply@blogger.com