The Great British Sewing Bee 2024 is in full swing! We’re looking forward to a whole season of smart sewing solutions, needle-and-thread mishaps, and all-out DIY drama. But, before we get carried away with all the excitement, we wanted to shine the spotlight on this week’s fleece sewing patterns.
GBSB season 10 episode 2’s pattern challenge was to sew a colour-block, half-zip fleece with a pocket – and that’s right up our street. Not only is the pattern itself a great choice, but the added technical challenge of colour blocking creates a whole new dimension to the look that really puts sewing skills to the test. Ooh, we just loved it! So, of course, we wanted to share our favourite half-zip sewing patterns and fleece fabrics with you so that you can give the challenge a go from the comfort (and stress-free zone) of your home.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at how to get the half-zip fleece sewing pattern featured on the Great British Sewing Bee season 10, episode 2.
Fleece Fabrics: Our Top Picks
(Spoilers ahead!)
Wasn’t Marcus’ idea of taking a bit of fabric from all the other contestants wonderful? He was such a deserving winner of the challenge and we loved his colourful look. His creative choice also highlights how colour blocking is a fabulous way to put your fabric odds and ends to good use, working with scraps to create a vibrant and quirky fleece.
This takes us neatly to our first point: your fabric choices. Choosing the right fabrics is a must for fleece sewing patterns, giving them the weight, breathability, and comfort they need to become a wardrobe staple. Whether you’re making use of scarps or looking for a few metres of sustainable fleece fabrics to create your Great British Sewing Bee fleece, here are our top recommendations:
One to Avoid: Polyester
Before getting into our picks, we first wanted to highlight a fabric to avoid: polyester. It’s the least breathable fleece fabric and plastic-derived, giving it some serious eco-issues that we just can’t get behind. From being a non-renewable resource to leaching microplastics into the environment, it’s a big old thumbs down from us.
Organic Cotton Fleece
Moving away from plastics, one of our all-time favourite eco-friendly fabrics for anything cosy is Organic Cotton Fleece. My goodness, it’s like wrapping yourself up in a cloud! This is a great alternative to Polyester Fleece fabric, giving you an even better supersoft handle for snuggly vibes, and once you’ve felt it against your skin there’ll be no going back.
At Good Fabric, our Organic Cotton Fleece is available in our favourite neutrals; black, white, and grey. For a timeless, monochrome look and a fleece so soft you could sleep in it, it’s our go-to choice.
Sherpa Fleece Fabric
Looking for a bit more colour for your fleece sewing patterns? We’ve got you. If you’re inspired by the colourful fabric choices from the Great British Sewing Bee (season 10, episode 2), you’ll love our sustainable Sherpa Fleece. This is a 100% Oeko-Tex certified, making it better for your health and kinder to our planet.
Sherpa Fleece fabric is still lovely and soft, too, making it perfect for cosying up around a campfire or countryside walks on an Autumnal day. It has a shaggier texture than Cotton Fleece fabrics, giving your half-zip fleece a little more texture, and it’s super breathable while still being warm. Basically, it ticks every box.
Brushed Sweatshirt
Our final pick (not in any particular order) is a Brushed Sweatshirt fleece fabric. As the name suggests, this is usually a go-to for sweatshirts and hoodies, but it’ll also make a wonderful choice for your half-zip fleece sewing patterns. It’s a little lighter and less textured than the other options and perfect for colour blocking.
We also recently received some new fun shades of our eco-friendly Brushed Sweatshirt fabric which are super wide – 175cm! This gives you plenty to work with when you order a metre, so you really can’t go wrong.
5 Top Indie Half-Zip Fleece Sewing Patterns
We’ve got lots of similar fleece sewing patterns up our sleeves to help you give the Great British Sewing Bee fleece challenge a go.
The main focuses from the GBSB S10 EP2 challenge were inserting the zip, ensuring the colour block was aligned, and creating a collar, so we’ve made sure to find patterns that include all of these features for a real test of your sewing skills.
Here are our Sewing Bee season 10 episode 2 fleece sewing pattern picks:
1. Patternay Amy Sweatshirt
The Amy Sweatshirt from Patternay is a loose-fitting fleece sewing pattern, with a centre-yoke half-zip and a welt pocket in the waist seam. It has a more structured feel than some of the other sewing patterns and is super modern, making it a great choice for a contemporary look.
2. VikiSews Lindsay Hoodie
For a relaxed but refined fleece, the Lindsay Hoodie is your gal. The trapeze silhouette is flattering on all body shapes, while princess seams, a back-shaped yoke, and a high to low hem add those high-quality touches for a premium-looking fleece. A tall standing collar is the perfect finish for laid-back chic.
3. Amari Fleece by Seamwork
The Amari Jacket by Seamwork is a dream for colour blocking! With separate pattern pieces for the sleeves, shoulders, and body, you can make your new fleece pop with fun fabric combinations. We also love the wide sleeves and slightly shorter hem, making this a go-to for outdoor adventures.
4. Alex by Jalie
When we picture a fleece, we picture the Alex by Jalie sewing pattern. This is a pretty standard half-zip fleece look, with a funnel neck, side pockets, and optional elastic around the hem for a snug fit. It’s also great for colour-blocking, ticking all of those Sewing Bee boxes.
5. Adult Half-Zip Sewing Pattern by Lowland
Lowland Kids do a wonderful adult version of their Half-Zip Fleece sewing patterns. This ultra-cool look comes with a snuggly kangaroo front pocket and a mock turtleneck collar, as well as options for a hood and a cropped length if you feel like shaking things up.
Join in the Sewing Bee Fun.
We loved season 10, episode 2 of The Great British Sewing Bee and all the inspiration that came with it. Just look at those fleece sewing patterns shine.
We really do think this is a great show for British television and one that’s generating a lot of excitement around sewing. It’s such a wonderful way to show how sewing can be stylish and fun, blowing off the dust to give our favourite craft a new lease of life. You can guarantee we’ll be tuning in every week.
If you’re watching too and would love to see more Sewing Bee pattern advice from us, let us know over on Instagram @good_fabric_store and join in the fun. We also highly recommend following the Great British Sewing Bee Insta @britishsewingbee for lots of extra clips and behind-the-scenes from the show. They post some helpful sewing tips, too, so that we can all learn from the experts.
