I am a story person. When I visit a museum, I prefer to go alone. This lets me spend as much time as I want, to not only look at the art but also read artists' statements without which, any artform is incomplete IMO. Art is a part of the artist. If you just look at this collage below, you may see a dress, a vest, a suit, a jacket, a cape. I urge you to go "alone", and visit the special exhibit at the
PatternReview Fashion Museum "The Sewist's Art: Quality and Fashion"
.
And when you delve a little deeper, you will fall in love with our artists, like I did. Each and every one of these outfits was thoughtfully created with attention to even the minutest of details. I was impressed by the thorough research all of our participants did in order to create their one of a kind garment. In this age of trendy fast fashion, every single of these outfits is a museum worthy, family heirloom.
This reflection by dolorousrattus resonated with all the judges.
"Why do some of us spend our time sewing basics when we could take an hour at the store and buy off the rack? Some sew for practicality, some so that we can get an excellent fit on our unique bodies, some to express ourselves in a way we can't find in the store, some to avoid fast fashion, some for the simple enjoyment of the process of creating something with our hands." - dolorousrattus
My favorite thing about the Sewing Bee is the camaraderie! We may not particpate on the forums but we read all of your reviews word by word and we love the chatter on the forums. Not being a competitive person by nature, personally I love that we have been able to create a community where we can empower each other in the most supportive and fun way.
Everyone should read this fantastic research by member bcch about Art, Sewing and Fashion.
I thought I might share some of the concepts that I've decided might apply...thinking it might help someone develop a concept or offer something to think about and inspiration while you sew.
The Art of Sewing. So, what's an art? Is Sewing an art or a craft? What's the difference?....
...My take away from all this is that the contest basically just wants you to best express Yourself thru the outfit you create. Your vision, your emotions, your creativity. Read more here.
In case you missed it, we are actually talking about the 4th and Final Round of the Sewing Bee where we asked our 11 participants to create an outfit and an accessory for the PatternReview Museum! Click the collage below to check out each entry (I hope you do!).
Obviously the museum exhibit would have to include all the entries, which show such a wide variety what can be sewn at home. Serged, bound, lined, unlined, casual, formal, vintage ... even a creative work-in-progress is included to round out the exhibit. Congratulations to everyone.
- AnneM (Contest Committee, Sewing Bee Judge)
As a fan of well-sewn high quality garments, it was truly a treat for me to see amazing handiwork and read about the process. Thank you for proving that the art of sewing is alive and is here to stay!
- MVi14 (Contest Committee, Sewing Bee Judge)
It was so rewarding seeing the artistry in this round. I would need a two-day ticket to this museum exhibit to have enough time to completely view all the details in each of the entries.
- Bonnie O (Contest Committee, Sewing Bee Judge)
The words I said for every.single.entry... "She did what? Wait - she did WHAT??!!" Bravo to all the finalists! I'd visit the museum that houses your pieces in a heartbeat!
-Connie Bontje (Contest Committee, Sewing Bee Judge)
We scored your entries based on the following criteria:
1. Adherence to the rules.
2. Fit
3. Sewing Quality
4. Presentation ( Review and Photos)
5. Creativity
6. Overall impression
We scored independently first and then combined our scores to come up with the winner. Lets meet the winner.
THE WINNER
ClaudC for her Orchid Dress and Spiral Scarf. Congratulations!
Your orchid Caftan dress and scarf was a perfect ode to Georgia O'Keeffe. Even though the dress appears simple, you made it your own with a handpainted orchid and several design and pattern modifications. The way you described the process transported us to your sewing room! You created a one of a kind garment while staying true to your design asthetic and yet challenging yourself.
Even though it is a simple garment, it is beautifully sewn and the fit is perfect. The artwork/creativity blew me away.
- Sandra B (Contest committee, Sewing Bee Judge)
Orchid motif: watercolor paints, fabric painting medium and embroidery floss
Accessory scarf: White 100% silk organza, 5.5 mome, 54" wide, 1 yard. From Vogue Fabrics, Mar 2023. RIT dye in Fuchsia.
Georgia O'Keeffe is one of my favorite artists, for her depiction of close-up flowers filling an entire canvas. My entry is what I imagine she could have worn. It marries the art of Georgia O'Keeffe with my personal fashion aesthetic, sewn to the highest quality (possible in an 8 day time frame, whilst juggling other life responsibilities
- ClaudC
Congratulations ClaudC you have won the final round of the 9th Annual Sewing Bee Contest!
You will receive a $100 Gift Certificate from Fabric Mart, our Round 4 sponsor.
In each round we also pick a random winner from the participants.
Congratulations to kidnotes for winning Round #4 Random Prize. You will receive a $50 (CAD) from Jalie Patterns.
Grand Prize Winner
But wait, there is more! We still have the Grand Prize winner to announce. Come back tomorrow, Monday, March 27th to find out who won the 2023 Sewing Bee!
THANKS
Many thanks to both our sponsor FabricMart and Jalie Patterns them for providing the prizes and mudcat for managing the final two rounds of our 2023 Sewing Bee. We really appreicate your help!
Also thanks to our Contest Committee spending countless hours scoring the results.
We are grateful to our sponsors for providing so many wonderful prizes for 2023 Sewing Bee. Please support them.
and of course PatternReview! support your favorite sewing community ;)
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I leave you with this heartwarming poem by Seamingly Simple
And now the Bee is done
And so I face its final curtain
My friends I'll make it clear
It's been a blast, of that I'm certain
I've sewn a closet full
By completing each and every entry
And more, much more than that
I sewed it my way
Yes, there were times I'm sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But friends were here, and when there was doubt
I turned to the chat and we worked it out
Let the record show I made all those clothes and sewed them my way
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