Are you a sewist who can’t wait for your latest issues of Sew and Dressmaker, to see what gorgeous garment projects you’ll be making that month? If you love to stitch, then we want to see your creations! Dressmaker of the Year is our new competition to find the sewing stars of 2017, in association with Brother and Create and Craft TV. There are four fabulous categories to enter, including Ready To Wear, Vintage, Customising and Children’s Wear. If you haven’t entered already and need any persuasion, here are 5 reasons you won’t be able to resist…

1 Win fabulous prizes!
We’ve got £2,200+ of sewing goodies for our winners, including a Brother Innov-is F420 sewing machine, an Adjustoform mannequin, Linton Tweeds fabrics, Soft Byte Fittingly Sew 2 software and Simplicity pattern bundles.

2 Share your makes
We’ll be featuring your entries in Sew and Dressmaker before the competition deadline on 9th March 2017, so other potential contestants can be inspired by your stitching. Plus, if you are one of our winners, you and your garment will be featured in print, online and on the Create and Craft TV channel.

3 Try something new
If you fancy stretching your skills, our four categories provide the opportunity to sew something different. Create a garment with an ‘off-the-rack’ look for the Ready To Wear category, or try a retro pattern for the Vintage category. You can also sew beautiful outfits for youngsters in our Children’s Wear category, or upcycle existing clothing into something new and stunning for the Customising category.

4 Get an expert opinion
We have a fantastic line-up of judges for the Dressmaker of the Year 2017, including The Great British Sewing Bee’s Stuart Hillard, Kate Underdown and Rachel Walker of inspirational online sewing community The Fold Line, Sarah Crosland, editor of our sister title Crafts Beautiful, plus Sew‘s very own editor Jennifer Ward!

5 Have fun!
You’ll be taking part with lots of like-minded sewists, showing why you enjoy dressmaking so much and demonstrating the skills that make your garments so special, from your fabric choices to the unique alterations and additions that allow you to make a design your own. So what are you waiting for – grab a needle and get stitching!

How to enter
Simply take a clear photo of your garment* against a plain background and enter by email to dressmaker@makeittoday.co.uk, by social media or at www.makeittoday.co.uk/dressmakeroftheyear. All entries must be received by 9th March 2017.
* For full terms and conditions, visit www.makeittoday.co.uk/dressmakeroftheyear