THE FINAL!!! BBC TV's The Great British Sewing Bee 2014

Okay sewing fans... are you as excited as me?

Well you should be - tonight is the final, and the 3 lovely amateur sewing ladies battle it out for the coveted crown of Britain's best home sewer :)

Find them all on Twitter here (in alphabetical order by first-name): Chinelo @Chinelobally, Heather @heatherjacks9, and Tamara @thegreenthimble 

Left-Right: Tamara, Heather & Chinelo - The GBSB 2014 Finalists
Image Source: via @Sew_UK on Twitter

To quote the BBC's own website:

Quote "The Great British Sewing Bee reaches its climax as the three finalists enter the sewing room for the very last time.

Sewing expert May Martin and Savile Row's Patrick Grant must decide who will take the title of Britain's best amateur sewer. They set the contestants three tough couture-themed challenges.

The first surprise pattern tests their hand-sewing skills, when they are asked to make a man's tie. It sounds straightforward but, as it is couture week, the judges expect nothing less than perfection. For the alteration challenge they give the finalists a choice of wedding dresses from which they must produce a child's bridesmaid dress. Finally they are asked to fit a stunning made-to-measure couture gown for a model they were not expecting.

Family, friends and the other contestants are reunited in the sewing room to see one person crowned the winner of The Great British Sewing Bee 2014." unquote

CLOSER Magazine (UK)

It being the final & all - this week is "Couture" week (eeppp! - so pressure then eh?). The 3 challenges are to be as follows:

Challenge #1: Hand Sew a Men's Tie
                     Here's some FREE patterns for Ties - Men's Tie: Colette Patterns, *Boy's
                     Tie: Fishsticks Design Blog (*I've made the Boy's tie myself for Christmas 2013 here)  

Challenge #2: Refashion a Child's Bridesmaids Dress from a Wedding Gown 
                     Here's some tutorials I found via Pinterest for refashioning:    
                     Prom/Bridal Dress into Little Girls Dress-Up, and
                     Skirt into a Little Girls Dress. (It seems surprisingly hard to find a Wedding -to- Child's
                           Bridesmaid dress refashion on the web... but to make from scratch these 2 patterns from Simplicity
                           are cute 1510 and 9497, or McCalls M6829 or M6685).

Challenge #3: Fit a made-to-measure couture gown for a live Model

Even though the contestants themselves already know the outcome (what with it being filmed in advance & therefore the winner already being decided by the judges; plus all those concerned being sworn to secrecy until the programmes are aired live on TV!) I want to wish all 3 ladies the best of luck - and long may their needles be sharp & their thread never ending! Whomever wins shall be very deserving, and I'm sure that they all feel sew enriched for having had this wonderful experience (stressful though it may have been at times :)!).
                     
I have thoroughly enjoyed viewing this series - even more so than 2013's launch series too - especially as it had 8 episodes (twice as many as the first series), and I have been drawn in by the friendly, lovely & co-operative nature of all of the contestants. And, it gladdens my heart to see sewing as a creative outlet and worthwhile craft taking seed in the affections of the British public :)

All the contestants for GBSB 2014.
Image Source: Metro.co.uk

So, be there, or be square a 'Fat Quarter' peops! 
BBC 2, 8PM (UK time) tonight.