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meet the contestants: <\/p>\n https:\/\/instagram.com\/p\/DL10pV0MEQU<\/a> <\/p><\/blockquote>\n Caz Dan Gaynor Glendora Jess Kit Novello \u00d3rla Peter Saffie Stuart Yasmin This week’s shenanigans: GBSB crew wore shirts with Esme’s face to see how long it would take her to notice. The answer: A LONG TIME!<\/p>\n https:\/\/instagram.com\/p\/DOL62IijHm_<\/a> <\/p><\/blockquote>\n 11×9: 1920s Week pattern challenge:\u00a0plus fours (sports trousers)\u00a0
Age: 59
Lives: Staffordshire
Job: Retired
Instagram:\u00a0https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/cazsews<\/a>
Caz recently retired after running her family’s printing business for the last 30 years, something she loved doing. While she may get another job soon, Caz is enjoying having more time for sewing. She began sewing at 11 years old and fell in love with it immediately and before she knew it, was constantly sewing by the time she was 16. Caz loves technical sewing and is a big fan of topstitching and French seams.<\/p>\n
Age: 37
Lives: Durham
Job: Performer
Instagram: https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/danando.creations<\/a>
Since he was young, Dan has been drawn to the stage, and his passion for performance led him to become a versatile entertainer. While performing is his passion, sewing has become Dan’s creative sanctuary. Dan began sewing at 10 years old, working on hand-stitching and reconstructing garments. 16 years later, he crafts costumes for his performances and more.<\/p>\n
Age: 72
Lives: Port Talbot, Wales
Job: Retired office manager
Instagram: https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/gaynorsewing<\/a>
Gaynor has been sewing since the late ’50s, and although she only scraped a pass in needlework while at school, she has since flourished. Nowadays, Gaynor teaches her granddaughter how to sew. Gaynor describes her style as “classy and smart” and will be bringing her touch of traditional styles into the sewing room.<\/p>\n
Age: 59
Lives: Luton
Job: Bus driver
Instagram: https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/chase.glendora<\/a>
Glendora began sewing at eight years old and has honed in on her skills throughout her life. She has made an impressive 36 quilts since June 2021. Her sewing style is classic, as she focuses on well-made, quality garments that also save her money.<\/p>\n
Age: 33
Lives: London
Job: Head of communications
Instagram: https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/sewrelative<\/a>
Growing up, Jess found sewing to be a way of connecting with her mother, aunts, and grandmother. She began sewing at 11 years old, using leftover fabric scraps to make things with her sister. Jess began developing her own style in secondary school and found herself making her own clothes in sixth form. She picked it up again during lockdown and hasn’t stopped since.<\/p>\n
Age: 24
Lives: Manchester
Job: Digital marketer
Instagram: https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/kit_giroux_originals<\/a>
Kit lives and works in Manchester but grew up in Surrey with their parents, brother, and sister. When their mother started teaching their sister to sew sock puppets, Kit taught themself out of spite and then tried to sell their creations at school before getting into a spot of trouble. Since then, they picked up the hobby again at university and have been making a garment every week, often exploring haberdashery and looking for the most “awful” fabrics, hoping to turn them into something beautiful.<\/p>\n
Age: 66
Lives: London
Job: Family business owner and magistrate
Instagram: https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/novellosewsstuff<\/a>
Novello began sewing at the age of 5 after becoming inspired by Blue Peter, and once she was gifted a sewing machine on her 7th birthday, she never looked back. Nowadays, Novello uses her sewing as a way to express her boundless creativity and love for unique, personalised creations.<\/p>\n
Age: 19
Lives: Inverness
Job: Caf\u00e9 worker\/student
Instagram:\u00a0https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/sewsbyorla<\/a>
\u00d3rla, the youngest of the bunch in this year’s Sewing Bee cast, is still in the process of discovering her own fashion style, but sewing is helping her to explore a mix of feminine and androgynous looks. She began sewing four years ago, often for her friends and family, and hopes that one day she will have a completely self-made wardrobe.<\/p>\n
Age: 45
Lives: Devon
Job: Senior pre-construction manager
Instagram: https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/petee_h<\/a>
Peter began sewing after tuning into the Sewing Bee with his daughters, which sparked their interest. Since then, they have been learning how to make their own clothes. Peter first learnt how to sew alongside his mother, helping her make dance costumes for his siblings. He enjoys practical and wearable clothing and loves to repurpose things like turning his son’s old skit jacket into a bag!<\/p>\n
Age: 32
Lives: London
Job: Lecturer in Product & Industrial Design
Instagram:\u00a0https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/pluckddesigns<\/a>
Saffie learned how to knit from her great aunt at just eight years old, unlocking a lifelong love for sewing. Saffie has been recently finding joy in creating her own wardrobe using patterns from indie designers. Her style is driven by functionality, with a preference for pieces that serve a purpose while looking great.<\/p>\n
Age: 53
Lives: Herefordshire
Job: Premises manager
Instagram:\u00a0https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/eieaskew<\/a>
Stuart’s sewing journey began in 2020 with a simple plan to make hats, but this hobby soon turned into something greater. Whether he’s making a perfectly tailored shirt or repairing his son’s rucksack, Stuart’s sewing corner is where practicality meets creativity in the most delightful way.<\/p>\n
Age: 30
Lives: Gateshead
Job: Research and development scientist
Instagram: https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ypkmakes<\/a>
Yasmin comes from a family where fixing, mending, and making were always preferred over buying new, and it was her dad who taught her how to make her own clothes from scratch. The pair always joked they’d apply for the Sewing Bee as a father and daughter duo, but when he passed away in 2023, Yasmin decided to apply in his memory. The last item they made together was a pink zebra dress that she wore to his brightly coloured funeral and to this day, he continues to be her biggest inspiration. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s the semi-final! In the pattern challenge, the sewers must recreate iconic plus fours, a staple of 1920s outdoor pursuits, combining practicality and style from the era. For the transformation challenge, the sewers take inspiration from tennis legend Rene Lacoste, inventor of the polo shirt, and are given a selection of polos to turn into modern, colour-blocked garments. In the made to measure, it\u2019s time to create an outfit for a 1920s party. From the bold fashion of Weimar Berlin to the lively style of swinging Soho, it\u2019s time to embrace the revolutionary fashion of this iconic decade. <\/p>\n
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