I absolutely love it! Each new season brings a new set of talent and challenges. The challenges range from making ready to wear clothes for department store to borrowing clothes from complete strangers to make garments .I love analyzing the details of each challenge and the choices of each designer---both good and bad. You can learn so much about textile manipulation, fabrication, designing that way. Too bad we aren't privy to the seeing more draping, pattern making and in-depth design details but that's not the focus of the show. Nevertheless, the bits and pieces we are able to see in conjunction with the challenge details and results are very enlightening.This show in a way inspires me to tap into my own creativity and take some risks with my sewing. All in all, it's a wonderfully inspiring show.
How about, has watching Project Runway helped your sewing?
I don't think so-I love the show and enjoy the drama. I really pay less attention to the clothing than my husband does!
ReplyDeleteNo, it has not helped my sewing. I do watch it, but I wish it would focus less on drama, more on sewing/construction/design/technique. And since Lifetime has the show, the challenges have become more silly. Today I watched the videos on lifetime.com about the contestants for this season, and it looks to be a season with some very talented designers.
ReplyDeleteNope. It's obviously NOT a technical sewing show. If it were, it wouldn't draw the amount of viewers it has. But it does cause me to analyse my own sewing so I don't hear Heidi in my head saying, "It looks homemade."
ReplyDeleteI have to say no as well. Wish it were more techical but then it wouldn't draw the viewers who really want to see the drama and not the in depth techical stuff. But the show does inspire me to better my sewing skills!
ReplyDeleteNot at all, but it has wonderfully brought sewing back in to the spotlight and I love that.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Bunny. It has helped to produce lots of new, young sewists!
DeleteWhen I first started to watch Project Runway ( I didn't watch in the beginning) I hoped it would improved my sewing. I wanted to see designs sketched, patterns drafted and sewn into garments. That's not what Project Runway is about. I watch it because I love the drama.
ReplyDeleteCan't say that it has helped me, but enjoyed it anyway. Will admit the last two seasons slipped by me. I haven't watched in a while, mainly because I keep forgetting and when I remember, its nearing the finish line but thank for the heads up.
ReplyDeleteYes! I love Project Runway, and it has improved my sewing, but not in the way one might expect. I agree with the previous commenters - the show isn't really about sewing, and they have upped the drama a lot in the past few seasons. Moreover, some of the contestants have no sewing or designing talent (e.g. Anya or Josh in the last season) but seem to be chosen merely for looks and/or personality (and I won't get into that here). However, watching PR always re-energizes my sewing and I am excited about working on my stuff again as well as trying new techniques or garments. It also makes me feel better about my skills, which are not bad to begin with, because when a "designer" sends out a horribly-fitting garment with puckered seams and a glued hem... well, I am YSL by comparison!
ReplyDeleteI'm really excited about the start of Season 10 too!! Project Runway kicks my sewing creativity into "warp speed"! Just seeing the announcement commercials got me started and I've already start draping! Gosh I love that show and so glad my husband does too...makes for a fun evening!
ReplyDeleteActually it has not helped me any. I haven't watched it in a while myself. I work at improving myself all of the time. I am my greatest critic.
ReplyDeleteI have only seen one season (we don't have that channel) and I found it drama-plus. I liked it a lot but I don't tend to get into contest shows. I wish that everyone could win or be commended for his or her efforts. Mind you, I do enjoy the pace of the sewing.
ReplyDeleteNeither has Project Runway helped my sewing skills. But - I get HIGHLY excited at the first notice of when the season will start. I am; however, HIGHLY inspired by the show, and if I happen to miss an episode I'm not such a nice person. I once walked out in the middle of one of my math classes - "I've got to get home to watch Project Runway"! Love it! I tried to get into Fashion Star as much, I did enjoy it somewhat and it did give me something fashion related to watch after a dry season. I can't stand long dry seasons.
ReplyDeleteOkay, it may not help my technical sewing, but it absolutely inspires me!!! To add details, to change patterns, in choosing fabrics and in so many other ways. Love that show!!
ReplyDeleteThe show has inspired me to step away from making just the basics from TNT patterns to more detailed and challenging things and away from tailored items to more feminine. I often order from Mood Fabrics online, too!
ReplyDeletePersonally, not at all. But I agree with Bunny in that it seems to have gotten lots of young people interested in sewing. The other day I read that sewing machine sales have double in the last ten years. I can't help but think that Project Runway has helped those numbers.
ReplyDeleteI'm a real Project Runway fanatic!!! The way it has changed my sewing is in my admiration for the unique creations of the designers. I still don't know the answer to the question, "Do you need to know how to sew to be identified as a designer?"
ReplyDeleteThe show has helped me identify myself as a patternmaker rather than a designer. Some of the designs and ideas brought forth by the contestants are inspiring and amazing. (I still do not believe Jeffrey Sebelia sewed all of his final garments (Bravo's Season 3 winner) by himself and did not deserve to be that season's ultimate winner!)
Along with these blogs it has helped me connect with other sewists and inspired me to try new techniques, embellishments, and fabric manipulation. I also appreciate the skills I honed doing all the hours of handwork as a very young child. Too many of the new age sewists do not pay attention to the finishing details and the raw edges and glue really bother me.
My least favorite part of the show is the drama....
My most favorite part is the guidance of Tim Gunn...
Great question, Victoria!
I love Project Runway but I can't say that it's helped my sewing. I'm glad you reminded me when it starts I tend to miss the beginning.
ReplyDeleteI love Project Runway as well, how could I not, a show about sewing? but as for helping, not at all. they don't really show anything, I am way more interested in the construction and it is very frustrating when the runway part goes by so quickly. I wish they would show each completed garment in close up, just 10 seconds would be great.
ReplyDeleteI watch and love Project Runway -the contestants creativity and ability to think of designs on such a tight deadline always amaze me. I did sew something that having watched the show helped! I made seat covers for my son's truck and I draped my pattern material and pinned and cut to make a "muslin" rather than worrying about have a specific pre-made pattern. We actually joked about it being a Project Runway design.
ReplyDeleteSeason 9 was my first season and I was sort of disappointed at how little actual sewing and designing were a part of the show. That being said, I did enjoy watching it a lot and seasons 1-8 are currently in my netflix queue. I'm so glad that you posted this though because I would not know that season 9 was about to begin had you not let us know so thanks!
ReplyDeleteI just love this blog. I especially love to see your finished work, and a pic of the pattern you used. I love the fabric choices and will get the pattern when they are on sale here.. love the 1.99 sales at Jo-Anns. I see you have a hemming machine! I do also - its great isn't it? I also just got an 8 head serger - the Evolve which I am learning more about. Well keep up the good work and the wonderful blog. We are learning much from you! Geri in Florida
ReplyDeleteI am glad there is a Project Runway becuase it shows how different people's tastes are and what they can be capable of doing in a short amount of time. I think they need to give them more time to do the actual design and better construction - it is to rushed for my taste and the work is shoddy. I do think it was a great kickstart for the sewing industry which was slumping before this show hit the air. Tim Gunn is the head of FIT in New York - Fashion Institute of Technology. It has helped the school tremendously, and aspiring designers everywhere. It even inspired a magazine called Studio - featuring sewing studios in the home. So much has come from this - I think they need to make a Project Runway magazine - something on the order of Threads - and include places to shop for fabric resources for lace and handbag findings - and internet resources for these things as well. I would love to know where wedding gown resource materials are in New York - finding lace is difficult. I see the site Pattern Review had a meet up in New York and the ladies scouted out fabric places. Sharing info like this would be helpful to home sewers like us! yes looking forward to Project Runway 10th season for sure.
ReplyDeleteI can't say that it has helped my sewing either, but I do love it. PR does inspire me, and I love watching it - drama and all. I also love that more people have become interested in sewing! I didn't watch any of the early years, so, thanks Kimberly for mentioning that the earlier seasons are on netflix. I'll be looking those up!
ReplyDeleteI love Project Runway for the ideas and the challenges. The drama is something I fast forward through. Tim is amazing.
ReplyDeleteI don't watch TV much at all. But that show does seem well liked. I should try to catch that sometime. :O)
ReplyDeleteActually it did. I started watching it in the 2nd season. It made me want to reconnect with my machine. And it has influenced the fabric that I purchase. I experiment with textures and patterns more than before.
ReplyDeleteProject Runway has inspired me to continue to learn new techniques and not to be such a sewing "scarredy cat". I've been watching it from the very beginning and it's still about designing and not so much of the "people drama". I Love It!!
ReplyDeleteYes! It has totally re-energized me, and was instrumental in me getting back into garment sewing.
ReplyDelete