Wednesday 26 July 2017

Win Tickets to The Great British Sewing Bee Live!

Just a quick post today for my UK based readers (or readers further afield who might fancy a trip to London in October!). There's a new dressmaking event in town brought to us by Upper Street Events in collaboration with Love Productions who brought us The Great British Sewing Bee! The Great British Sewing Bee Live will be taking place at Excel London from 21st-24th September 2017 and there will be a whole host of things going on to entertain and inspire anyone with a passion for sewing, fashion and textiles.


It looks to have a fairly similar format to the Knitting & Stitching Show which I've had a brilliant time attending for the last few years. I always discover something knew and leave inspired to sew but as much as I'm interested in and inspired by all kinds of craft my real passion is sewing and dressmaking so I'm really excited to see an event focused purely on that. Plus of course anything to do with the Bee has my extra special interest as I was lucky enough to combine my work and my hobby and join the sewing team last series as fabric buyer!

There is a huge array of things on offer to do and see including dressmaking drop-in clinics, a catwalk and garment and vintage fashion galleries. Of course one of the main draws for me at this kind of event are the exhibitors stalls and there will be over 200 dressmaking and sewing suppliers offering up their goods. Of course it wouldn't be a GBSB event without the chance to rub shoulders with prior contestants and judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young. A visit won't be complete without attending one of the Super Theatre sessions where Jenny Eclair will be hosting two shows a day including live sewing challenges with former contestants and audience members. I'm beginning to think that a single day ticket may not be enough!


One of the things I was most impressed with when looking into the event was the variety of workshops on offer (over 250 across the four days!). They vary in length from 1-3 hours and there is pretty much something for everyone with all abilities and specialities catered for. I was really delighted to see some more advanced sessions included in their number and found plenty to interest me. I was very tempted by the fitting classes including the one on tissue fitting which is a technique I have never attempted but have also never tried machine embroidery and find the idea quite intriguing. In the end I stuck with what I love and focused the nitty gritty of sewing techniques and construction. I've got myself booked onto the Double Welt Pockets Workshop led by GBSB competitor Paul Clarke and am really looking forward to it.

The good news is for you guys that I have five pairs of tickets to give away! All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning is leave a comment below. Make sure to include your email address if it is not easily accessible on your blog profile so I can contact the lucky winners directly. You have until midnight GMT on Sunday 30th July to enter and I will announce the winners in my monthly Indie Pattern Update post on Monday. Good luck!

If you're super keen to come along and want to book yourself a ticket then make sure to use the discount code the event organisers have been so kind to offer me to share with you. Enter the code DCS at the checkout for a £1.50 discount on adult advance ticket sales and concessions. I hope to see many of you there!

47 comments:

  1. Well I was considering going , it's a long way from Sheffield for someone who also doesn't like the tube system in London but you've sold it to me it will be well worth a taxi from train station to venue , really looking forward to it now 👍

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  2. Hello! Yes looking forward to this and would love a pair of tickets for me and my lovely sewing buddy friend to attend!

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  3. I would love to win some tickets. It's my ideal day out. Fingers crossed. jepoole1948@gmail.com

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  4. I would love to win those tickets please. jennylarking at gmail dot com

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  5. I'd love to go to this!! Perfect excuse to visit my best friend in London, and she's dying to start sewing after watching my journey over the past year! Belfast doesn't have any events like this, it'd be amazing! And it's the day after my birthday!! It'd be unreal!!
    Aileenmcgreevy@gmail.com

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  6. I'd love to win tickets for me and a long-distance sewing friend. It'll be my first ever sewing show! joannawoods11@gmail.com

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  7. Catherine Shuttleworth26 July 2017 at 22:26

    Would love to go with my friend who has just moved to London!
    c.shuttleworth89@gmail.com

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  8. would love to go. really want to get back in to my sewing

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  9. oh, and tinyboosh@gmail.com

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  10. I've been toying with buying tickets to go to this. I'd love to win them instead
    Kafecogs@gmail.com

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  11. These tickets would be great

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  12. I would love the opportunity to go.
    Kayasuni@yahoo.co.uk

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  13. Pick me, pick me ;-). Would be great to celebrate my birthday with Mr Grant ������

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  14. I wanna go!! It's looking better and better! Bourkeem@gmail.com

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  15. I would love to win tickets, it looks like it's going to be a great show lynnedayer@hotmail.com

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  16. I'd love to go to this and I think I would combine the trip with a visit to the May Morris exhibition at the William Morris Gallery. c53pritchard@gmail.com

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  17. Please enter me in the draw- interested in fitting workshops too
    Annwatts25@gmail.com

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  18. I want to go too!! Cat.does.mail@gmail.com

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  19. This would be amazing. Blades.alexis@gmail.com

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  20. Would love to go, it would be great to see you live & all the other sewing bee contestants. Look forward to your blog every week xx lynda.embleton12@hotmail.co.uk

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  21. might be just what I need to get my sewing mojo back on! minimonstersmum at gmail dot com

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  22. I'm going but haven't bought my ticket yet, so fingers crossed. maggie.cawthorn@kendal.ac.uk

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  23. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOh yes please, I would love to go. bernadettetaylor_76@hotmail.com

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  24. Reading your post has made me feel excited at the possibility of attending this event,I'm just passionate about all things sewong. Thanks for the chance of winning tickets
    sarahguthrie1963@googlemail.com

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  25. I'd love to win tickets! poppyinstitches@gmail.com

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  26. This is my idea of a brilliant day out. I would love to win tickets

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  27. Yes please! This would be so much fun :) my email is astrid[dot]breel[at]gmail[dot]com

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  28. I would definitely like to pay this new event a visit! Email address is tribespirit@hotmail.com

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  29. I'd like to win for my daughter and friend - I already have mine. Thanks. I've had problems posting via Instagram link so hope you don't suddenly get a bunch from me - please delete if you do!

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  30. That would be an awesome trip to take for my daughter and I. Neither of us have ever been to Europe and to go for a sewing related trip would be great.
    jmajne@gmail.com

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  31. I'd love to go. My email is marionahp@aol.com

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  32. I was so sad when I heard the programme wasn't to be on. It started me sewing after a 25 year gap after to A-level Needlework! Am just on a pair of tana lawn pyjamas! Would love to go and find out what else I've missed in those intervening years! Sewinguppingham@outlook.com

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  33. Hey, so it was you that filled the shelves with all that exciting fabric?! How cool! Such a shame the Bee didn't come back this year - that new craft programme on C4 is a massive let-down (putting leaves in picture frames is not a craft, people!!). blog.ninas[at]gmail.com

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  34. I would love to go! mdeaner86 at gmail dotcom

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  35. This looks like such a great show, focused just on dressmaking rather than all needlecrafts. How cool that you worked on the last show!

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  36. Dorothy Downie28 July 2017 at 19:16

    I would love to go to the show

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  37. Thanks Fiona, for mentioning this as I miss the Sewing Bee on TV, and I'd love to get my tickets for free.....allmytutt@gmail.com........no I'm not a robot.xx

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  38. I would love to take my Mum :) christine[dot]yallup[at]yahoo[dot]co[dot]uk

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  39. I would love to take my Mum :) christine[dot]yallup[at]yahoo[dot]co[dot]uk

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  40. Just stumbled across your blog when researching best buy sewing machines for my daughter, who is a beginner. Bonus- hadn't realised the sewing bee was coming up in the Autumn.
    willsagain@gmail.com

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  41. I would love to go! Once in a lifetime kind of thing since my life in England will be ending soon!

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  42. Might make a fun change from the K&S Show as an autumn sewing outing! julie [at] yogasundram [dot] co [dot] uk

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  43. Wow! This is a terrific reason to visit London again! Haven't been to the UK in ages (i'm dutch) but love the GBSB!!!
    Would also be the perfect cure for my sewing slump, but i will stop begging now ��

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  44. I'm just getting my sewing mojo back, so would love to go and take my mum with me :-) lucycw87 at gmail (.com)

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  45. Would love to go as i am just learning. Emdunn07@gmail.com

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  46. Would love to go as i am just starring to learn.

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