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Style Arc Dallas Woven Shirt Dress Pattern Gingham Front

Patterns Inspired by The Great British Sewing Bee

Watching the sewing bee tends to have one of two effects: either you want to make what you just saw, or you want to try the technique it was made with. This collection is our pick of independent patterns for exactly that, chosen for the garments the show tends to celebrate: shirt dresses, wrap dresses, coats, jumpsuits, swimwear and bags. It's an independent selection, not an official one, and every pattern is from a named designer.
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What makes the programme good television is also what makes it good for anyone learning to sew: it treats dressmaking as a craft with real skills in it, and it shows those skills being applied under pressure by people at very different levels. A pattern matched, a collar turned, a zip set into a curved seam. This collection gathers patterns that let you have a go at the same things, from designers whose instructions are good enough to teach from.

What's in the collection

The selection covers the garment types the show returns to most often. Dresses in shirt, wrap and shift shapes. Coats and jackets, including proper tailored outerwear. Jumpsuits and rompers, which turn up in almost every series. Swimwear, a reliable technical challenge. Children's clothes, and bags for the days when the challenge isn't a garment at all.

The designers included are all independents with a reputation for clear instructions: Style Arc, Cashmerette, Closet Core Patterns, Merchant & Mills, Megan Nielsen, Named, The Assembly Line, Friday Pattern Company, Made By Rae, Sirena, Noodlehead and Wardrobe By Me. Several offer patterns in more than one size range, including Cashmerette, who draft specifically for curve and cup sizes.

Where to start

If you're sewing along at home rather than competing against a clock, start below the level you think you need. A well-made simple garment teaches you more than a rushed complicated one, and most of the skills the show makes look dramatic are ordinary techniques done carefully. Pick a pattern with a stated beginner or confident-beginner level, make it once in an inexpensive cloth to check the fit, then make it properly. Our calico is what most people use for that first test version.

Fabric choice does more for the finished garment than any amount of careful stitching, so follow what the pattern recommends rather than substituting freely, at least the first time. Order Sample if you want to check a cloth before you commit to a full length.

This is an independently curated selection of patterns from the designers named above. Croft Mill is not affiliated with, endorsed by or licensed by The Great British Sewing Bee, its producers or its broadcaster. The Great British Sewing Bee is a trade mark of Love Productions Limited.

Are these the actual patterns used on the show?

No. This is an independently chosen selection of patterns from designers we stock, picked because they suit the kinds of garments and techniques the programme features. They aren't official patterns and we're not affiliated with the show or its producers. Every pattern here is from a named independent designer, and that designer is shown clearly on each product.

I'm inspired to start sewing - where should I begin?

Below the level you think you need. Pick a pattern marked beginner or confident beginner, make it once in a cheap cloth like calico to check the fit, then make it properly in your real fabric. That first test version is where you learn the pattern and find the fitting changes you need, and it's what stops you cutting into good fabric before you know what you're doing.

What's a good first garment to make?

Something without a zip, a lining or a collar. A simple shift or wrap dress, an elasticated skirt, or a knit top will teach you the fundamentals of cutting accurately, sewing a straight seam and finishing an edge, without three techniques you've never tried competing for your attention. Once those feel comfortable, a shirt dress is the natural next step.

Which patterns suit larger or curvier figures?

Several of the designers in this collection draft across broad size ranges, and Cashmerette in particular drafts specifically for curvier figures with cup size options built in rather than requiring a full bust adjustment. Style Arc and Wardrobe By Me also offer wide size ranges, with some patterns sold in separate size-range versions. The range for each pattern is on its product page.

Do you sell the fabrics used on the programme?

Not specifically, since we've no way of knowing what was used on a given episode. What we do stock is a wide range of dressmaking fabric suitable for the sorts of garments the show features, and each pattern here lists the fabric types it's been drafted for. Following that recommendation is the single biggest thing you can do to make a garment turn out well.

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