Our Striped Fabrics Hit The Great British Sewing Bee

Coastal Stripes

This episode showcased our famous Ticking Stripe, Devon Stripe and Blazer Stripe fabrics in coastal inspired shades of peony, blue and sage. These fabrics are woven using 100% cotton yarns at our own weaving mill in Burnley, Lancashire.

The contestants took on the challenge, set by judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young, to transform fabrics that were made up into deckchairs and parasols into stylish garments suitable for the seaside in just 90 minutes! This sparked the creation of some absolutely beautiful and original outfits.

Ready, Set… Stripes!

When we heard Esme say that the challenge was all about their ability to manipulate the stripes, we thought this could be a tricky challenge for the sewers to complete. Stripes are notoriously time-consuming to pattern match, especially when fabric is already cut to fit the deckchairs and parasols. Plus, the sewers had a limited amount of fabric and time to complete the challenge.

We were confident it was possible, though, and as soon as Leah and Juliet announced that the fabrics were really well constructed and an absolute dream to work with, we waited for the magic to unfold!

The garments created showcased this too – every outfit looked stunning and they were all designed and made so differently. We particularly loved how Jen and Leah pleated the stripes, using them in a really unique way.

If you missed the episode, you can catch up on BBC iPlayer.

Why an Ian Mankin stripe?

If you take a closer look at our striped fabrics, you will notice that it isn’t only about the colours that work well together, it’s also about the negative space between the stripes that creates a quality pattern.

Using dyed yarns instead of printing on top of woven fabric, we are able to create a softer, more tonal stripe which doesn’t distort the eye as much as a high contrast solid, printed stripe can, and makes for a very livable fabric. It also makes them easier to work with as the stripes remain true within the woven yarns, and there should never be any distortions when sewing.

To find out more or attempt your own sewing challenge using these fabrics, explore our range of striped fabrics online.