With 2.7 million people tuning in to watch the Great British Sewing Bee final this week, it is clear that there is a definite growth of interest in Sewing. With the recession in the past few years, we noticed the old war time spirit of Make Do and Mend was on people's minds and the Great British Sewing Bee has continued this feeling. We are seeing new customers who have been inspired by the Sewing Bee to begin Sewing and dressmaking as well as regular customers becoming more adventurous in their Sewing projects. Tuesday night saw Heather Jacks crowned the overall winner of the Sewing Bee making a gorgeous red and black evening dress for the final challenge. Whether you are an advanced sewer like Heather or just beginning to sew, Sewing can be both rewarding and a way to create unique outfits or items to decorate your home. It can also be a cheaper way to create an outfit, especially for children. Sewing doesn't always have to be done with an expensive machine either, many Sewing techniques can be done by hand and it is just as important to be able to sew by hand as it is to use a machine. Many of our customers are quilters and hand Sewing is a much needed skill for this as well as attention to detail and a good sense of numbers for all those specific measurements! On the Great British Sewing Bee we also saw Chinelo in the final who frequently made clothes without using a pattern. This can be done from using clothes that you already have and can be a handy skill to have if you are looking to recreate a piece of apparel that you own. Chinelo, however came unstuck in the final when it came to following a commercial pattern as she had not done this before and it can be a daunting task, especially under pressure with the cameras following you! There are numerous patterns available on the market from easy to complex and it is great to learn to work with a pattern if you are hoping to become an advance sewer. What did you think of this year's Great British Sewing Bee? Did you enjoy the show? Please leave a comment on our Facebook and join in the discussions about Sewing.