Fauve Birch: Sewing Bee – October meeting

Fauve was a contestant and runner up in Series 9 of the BBC television show, The Great British Sewing Bee. 2327 people applied and 12 were chosen to compete. She described Patrick Grant as 'tall, dark and handsome', and the second judge, Esme Young, as 'able to drink her own body weight' and a person who always keeps you laughing. Fauve said that Patrick and Esme were supportive if you were struggling, but that Sarah Pascoe did not seem to understand the pressure they were working under and could be a nuisance.  

The pattern challenge is to test the sewers' skills, and the first of the series required French seams which Fauve explained she had never done before. As the series progressed, the instructions provided for the pattern challenge became fewer and fewer. Fauve said that sometimes the programme made mistakes, such as giving them the wrong size zip for the backpack challenge, and the wrong type of machine needles for difficult fabrics. In episode 2 they broke 82 machine needles trying to complete the work asked of them. Despite these mistakes, the contestants were not given extra time. Fauve stressed that the time restraints and challenges are real.

Fauve expressed a dread of the Transformation Challenge, where contestants have to change something unwanted into a garment. This might be nylon bags, discarded tents, duvet covers, tablecloths, etc. One of the challenges of series 9 involved windbreakers. Fauve showed us the jacket she made. It looked pretty impressive to us, but apparently did not impress Patrick and Esme. The noise of the windbreaker material dominated the sewing room, and Fauve described experiencing a type of PTSD a few weeks later at a BBQ with many windbreakers flapping in the wind!

For the first few weeks hanging threads were acceptable, and the inside of garments had little or no finishing, but things got tighter and more was expected as the series moved on. The third challenge of each episode, the Made-to-Measure, was the only one which they knew about in advance and for which they could prepare. They were given a budget for the fabric. Fauve showed us a dress on her mannequin, explaining that she made four versions of it before the episode. She said that they were allowed to choose their model from a list of those available, and she asked for a model of similar size to herself. She was given a lovely model, but she was much taller, a size 6 but more curvy and not really anything like Fauve. Things could become quite stressed in the Made-to-Measure and Fauve told us that one time she sewed her finger to the garment whilst adding a hook and eye at the last minute.

Fauve showed us one of her favourite items made on the show – a dragon dressing-gown for a child. She said she had to run to the fabric table to ensure that she was able to grab the red and green fur fabric she wanted. The contestants are only allowed 15 minutes with the child models: 5 minutes at the beginning, 5 minutes about halfway through, and then the final five minutes when the garment is displayed. Fauve won Garment-of-the-Week for her dress made of leather and lace. She was a lively and entertaining presenter who kept us enthralled throughout her talk.   

Gwenynen Wnïo Bedwen Fauve – cyfarfod mis Hydref

Roedd Fauve yn gystadleuydd ac yn ail yn Gyfres 9 o sioe deledu'r BBC, The Great British Sewing Bee. Gwnaeth 2327 o bobl gais a dewiswyd 12 i gystadlu. Disgrifiodd Patrick Grant fel 'tal, tywyll a golygus', a'r ail feirniad, Esme Young, fel 'person sy'n gallu yfed pwysau ei chorff ei hun' a pherson sydd bob amser yn eich cadw chi'n chwerthin. Dywedodd Fauve fod Patrick ac Esme yn gefnogol os oeddech chi'n cael trafferth, ond nad oedd Sarah Pascoe i'w gweld yn deall y pwysau yr oeddent yn gweithio oddi tano a'u bod yn gallu bod yn niwsans.

Mae'r her patrwm i brofi sgiliau'r gwnïwyr, ac roedd y cyntaf yn y gyfres yn gofyn am wythiennau Ffrengig nad oedd Fauve erioed wedi'u gwneud o'r blaen. Wrth i'r gyfres fynd yn ei blaen, daeth y cyfarwyddiadau a ddarparwyd ar gyfer yr her patrwm yn llai a llai. Dywedodd Fauve fod y rhaglen weithiau'n gwneud camgymeriadau, fel rhoi'r sip maint anghywir iddynt ar gyfer yr her sach gefn, a'r math anghywir o nodwyddau peiriant ar gyfer ffabrigau anodd. Ym mhennod 2 fe wnaethant dorri 82 o nodwyddau peiriant wrth geisio cwblhau'r gwaith a ofynnwyd iddynt. Er gwaethaf y camgymeriadau hyn, ni roddwyd amser ychwanegol i'r cystadleuwyr. Pwysleisiodd Fauve fod y cyfyngiadau amser a'r heriau yn real.

Mynegodd Fauve ofn o’r Her Drawsnewid, lle mae’n rhaid i gystadleuwyr newid rhywbeth diangen yn ddilledyn. Gallai hyn fod yn fagiau neilon, pebyll wedi’u taflu, gorchuddion duvet, lliain bwrdd, ac ati. Roedd un o heriau cyfres 9 yn ymwneud â siacedi gwynt. Dangosodd Fauve y siaced a wnaeth hi i ni. Roedd yn edrych yn eithaf trawiadol i ni, ond yn amlwg nid oedd yn creu argraff ar Patrick ac Esme. Roedd sŵn y deunydd siacedi gwynt yn dominyddu’r ystafell wnïo, a disgrifiodd Fauve brofi math o PTSD ychydig wythnosau’n ddiweddarach mewn barbeciw gyda llawer o siacedi gwynt yn chwifio yn y gwynt!

Am yr ychydig wythnosau cyntaf roedd edafedd hongian yn dderbyniol, ac nid oedd gan du mewn y dillad fawr ddim neu ddim gorffeniad o gwbl, ond aeth pethau'n dynnach a disgwyliwyd mwy wrth i'r gyfres symud ymlaen. Trydydd her pob pennod, yr un wedi'i Gwneud yn ôl Mesur, oedd yr unig un yr oeddent yn gwybod amdani ymlaen llaw ac y gallent baratoi ar ei chyfer. Rhoddwyd cyllideb iddynt ar gyfer y ffabrig. Dangosodd Fauve ffrog i ni ar ei manequin, gan egluro ei bod wedi gwneud pedair fersiwn ohoni cyn y bennod. Dywedodd eu bod yn cael dewis eu model o restr o'r rhai oedd ar gael, a gofynnodd am fodel o faint tebyg iddi hi ei hun. Rhoddwyd model hyfryd iddi, ond roedd hi'n llawer talach, maint 6 ond yn fwy crwm ac nid oedd hi wir yn debyg i Fauve. Gallai pethau fynd yn eithaf llawn straen yn yr un wedi'i Gwneud yn ôl Mesur a dywedodd Fauve wrthym ei bod wedi gwnïo ei bys i'r dilledyn un tro wrth ychwanegu bachyn a llygad ar y funud olaf.

Dangosodd Fauve un o'i hoff eitemau a wnaed ar y sioe i ni - gŵn nos draig i blentyn. Dywedodd fod yn rhaid iddi redeg at y bwrdd ffabrig i sicrhau ei bod hi'n gallu gafael yn y ffabrig ffwr coch a gwyrdd yr oedd ei eisiau. Dim ond 15 munud y caniateir i'r cystadleuwyr fod gyda'r modelau plant: 5 munud ar y dechrau, 5 munud tua hanner ffordd drwodd, ac yna'r pum munud olaf pan fydd y dilledyn yn cael ei arddangos. Enillodd Fauve Dilledyn yr Wythnos am ei ffrog wedi'i gwneud o ledr a les. Roedd hi'n gyflwynydd bywiog a difyr a'n cadwodd yn swynol drwy gydol ei sgwrs.

Newsletter – November 2026

This month we welcome the U3A recorder group to entertain us with a variety of music and songs, from ancient to modern. The group arrangements are in four-part harmony with soprano, alto, tenor and bass recorders. After this we have a short 'add-on' presentation from Trading Standards and a local PCSO on scams and how to avoid them.

Please do visit the table covered with marvellous Christmas decorations made by our craft group. These are for sale to raise money for our charity. Remember you can also always make a donation in the pot on the refreshments table to help boost fundraising.

The next meeting will be just before Christmas (yes, Christmas already!) and there will be festive musical entertainment, mince pies and Christmas cake. Please remember that we are having our buffet as a New Year celebration at the January meeting, as we did last year, which was so successful and appreciated. Please do not bring buffet contributions to the December meeting.

May we remind members that we are in need of a new treasurer. Our WI is not allowed to continue without a treasurer and will simply be closed in May if no one comes forward to take over the role. The role could be shared and there will be full support from our current Treasurer and from WI headquarters if needed.

Groups: 

    Book Group: Wednesday 11th November / 11.00 am / La Cucina da Mara 

    Family History: 7th December / 2.00 pm / 113 Pantbach Road 

    Poetry and Prose: Monday 23rd November / 10.45 am The Ark coffee bar, Ararat
    Topic: technology

    Craft: Monday 16th November / 2 pm / 18 Heol Stradling 

    St Mary's Gardens: Tuesday 1st December / 10 – 12; working party, all welcome

    Sunday lunch group: 22nd November / 1 pm / Llanishen Golf Club

Following meeting: 

    Monday 14th December; Ararat Church Hall, Whitchurch Common, 2 pm. 

    Speaker: Christmas musical entertainment from Ysgol Glantaf with mince pies and cake.

Newsletter – October 2026

We are delighted to welcome Fauve Birch to speak at the October meeting. Fauve was a finalist in the 2023 competiton and will talk to us about 'Sewing, and The Great British Sewing Bee'.

Would anyone like to lay the Whitchurch WI poppy wreath on Remembrance Sunday, 8th November? Please let a member of the committee know if your would like to.

 

May we remind members that we are in need of a new treasurer. Our WI is not allowed to continue without a treasurer and will simply be closed in May if no one comes forward to take over the role. 

Events:   

A small group joined in the trip to Penarth on Friday 25th September and a good time was had by all. 

Our charity: 

Thank you for returning your filled Smarties tubes. It is not too late to bring yours to the meeting if you haven't yet. So far the venture has raised over £400 for our charity, Parkinsons UK Cymru. Thank you for your donations. 

Although we will not have a stall at the Christmas Fair at Ararat this year, the craft group are making decorations to sell at the November meeting for our charity. They could do with a glue gun, so if anyone could lend one please see Glenys Care or a committee member.

Remember you can always make a donation in the pot on the refreshments table to help boost the fundraising for our charity. 

Groups: 

    Book Group: Wednesday 14th October / 11.00 am / La Cucina da Mara 

    Family History: 26th October / 2.00 pm / 113 Pantbach Road 

    Poetry and Prose: Monday 26th October / 10.45 am The Ark coffee bar, Ararat
    Topic: homes 

    Craft: Monday 19th October / 2 pm / 18 Heol Stradling 

    St Mary's Gardens: Tuesday 3rd November / 10 – 12; working party, all welcome

    Sunday lunch group: 25th October / 1 pm / Llanishen Golf Club

Following meeting: 

    Monday 9th November; Ararat Church Hall, Whitchurch Common, 2 pm. 

    Speaker: U3A recorder group will entertain us with a variety of musical pieces. This will be followed by an 'add-on': information on scams from Trading Standards and a local PCSO

Historical Whitchurch – September meeting

The advertised speaker for the September meeting was unable to attend due to ill health. At the last minute, Nigel Lewis, the husband of one of our members, stepped in to talk to us about interesting facts about Whitchurch.

Nigel started a blog during Covid, called '101 things you do not know about Whitchurch'. These are now being turned into books and he had the first of them with him for sale. The books are illustrated with Nigel's delightful sketches. He did not cover all 101 items in his talk, but included many interesting snippets about Whitchurch in Victorian times.

Approximately 400 people lived in Whitchurch during this period, very few of whom were well-to-do. Most were poor, working class people. The posh people lived in a grand house on the site of what is now Whitchurch Hospital. At that time, houses had no electricity and running water. It was the children's job to collect water from streams and the village pump. Where Domino's Pizza outlet is currently in the village, was a farm in the Victorian period. In the place of Coffee Lab, in the upper part of the village, were a group of thatched cottages. One in four children under the age of four died. But if a child survived to four years old they enjoyed the prospect of a long and healthy life. There was a school with 75 pupils on the register. In 1855, however, a new school was established. Parents paid 10d for each child to attend. Although most people spoke Welsh at that time, schooling was in English and the use of Welsh was not allowed.

Boys and girls worked at Melin Gryffydd, and boys might start in the coal mine as young as eight years old. They had no clocks. They simply rose at dawn and went to bed at sunset. Families lived in tiny cottages even though their household might include large extended families, with grandparents, aunts and uncles living with them. Sometimes a cottage might be shared on a shift system - being used by one family for one working shift, and for another family during the next working shift. Most clothing was homemade, and children lived in hand-me-downs. Families would grow their own vegetables, and might keep chickens or rabbits. Some families would share a pig.

Nigel presented a most interesting talk, and we were very grateful to him for stepping in a such short notice. 

Eglwys Newydd Hanesyddol – cyfarfod mis Medi

Nid oedd y siaradwr a hysbysebwyd ar gyfer cyfarfod mis Medi yn gallu mynychu oherwydd afiechyd. Ar y funud olaf, camodd Nigel Lewis, gŵr un o'n haelodau, i mewn i siarad â ni am ffeithiau diddorol am Eglwys Newydd.

Dechreuodd Nigel flog yn ystod Covid, o'r enw '101 peth nad ydych chi'n eu gwybod am Whitchurch'. Mae'r rhain bellach yn cael eu troi'n lyfrau ac roedd ganddo'r cyntaf ohonynt gydag ef i'w gwerthu. Mae'r llyfrau wedi'u darlunio â brasluniau hyfryd Nigel. Ni wnaeth gynnwys pob un o'r 101 eitem yn ei sgwrs, ond cynhwysodd lawer o ddarnau diddorol am Eglwys Newydd yn oes Fictoria.

Roedd tua 400 o bobl yn byw yn Eglwys Newydd yn ystod y cyfnod hwn, ac ychydig iawn ohonynt oedd yn gyfoethog. Pobl dlawd o'r dosbarth gweithiol oedd y rhan fwyaf. Roedd y bobl cyfoethog yn byw mewn tŷ mawreddog ar safle Ysbyty Eglwys Newydd heddiw. Bryd hynny, nid oedd gan dai drydan na dŵr rhedegog. Gwaith y plant oedd casglu dŵr o nentydd a phwmp y pentref. Lle mae siop Domino's Pizza yn y pentref ar hyn o bryd, roedd fferm yn y cyfnod Fictoraidd. Yn lle Coffee Lab, yn rhan uchaf y pentref, roedd grŵp o fythynnod gwellt. Byddai un o bob pedwar plentyn o dan bedair oed yn marw. Ond os byddai plentyn yn goroesi i bedair oed, byddai'n mwynhau'r posibilrwydd o fywyd hir ac iach. Roedd ysgol gyda 75 o ddisgyblion ar y gofrestr. Ym 1855, fodd bynnag, sefydlwyd ysgol newydd. Byddai rhieni'n talu 10d am bob plentyn i fynychu. Er bod y rhan fwyaf o bobl yn siarad Cymraeg bryd hynny, roedd addysg yn Saesneg ac ni chaniatawyd defnyddio'r Gymraeg.

Roedd bechgyn a merched yn gweithio ym Melin Gryffydd, a gallai bechgyn ddechrau yn y pwll glo mor ifanc ag wyth oed. Nid oedd ganddyn nhw glociau. Roedden nhw'n codi gyda'r wawr ac yn mynd i'r gwely gyda'r machlud. Roedd teuluoedd yn byw mewn bythynnod bach er y gallai eu cartref gynnwys teuluoedd estynedig mawr, gyda neiniau a theidiau, modrybedd ac ewythrod yn byw gyda nhw. Weithiau gellid rhannu bwthyn ar system sifftiau - yn cael ei ddefnyddio gan un teulu ar gyfer un sifft waith, ac ar gyfer teulu arall yn ystod y sifft waith nesaf. Roedd y rhan fwyaf o'r dillad wedi'u gwneud gartref, ac roedd plant yn gwisgo dillad llaw-fi-lawr. Byddai teuluoedd yn tyfu eu llysiau eu hunain, ac efallai'n cadw ieir neu gwningod. Byddai rhai teuluoedd yn rhannu mochyn.

Cyflwynodd Nigel sgwrs ddiddorol iawn, ac roeddem yn ddiolchgar iawn iddo am ymyrryd ar mor fyr rybudd.

Newsletter – September 2026

Have you had a wonderful summer break? Did you enjoy the heat? Some people found it a bit too hot, but the sun-lovers should be well satisfied. 

Welcome back to Whitchurch WI with a full programme up till July 2027. 

We are very sad to report the recent passing of Jean Bendoui, a longstanding member of our WI. She had been unwell for several years, but still attended our meetings whenever she could. 

May we remind members that we are in need of a new treasurer. Our WI is not allowed to continue without a treasurer and will simply be closed in May if no one comes forward to take over the role. 

September 14th meeting: 

The speaker is Ted Richards who will be talking to us about 'Captain Scott'. 

Events:   

The trip to Duffryn Gardens to view the costumes from the recent television production, 'The Other Bennett Sister', was a great success. 

A trip is proposed to the RWCMD to see 'Christmas on Broadway'. It will be on Friday 11th December at 2 pm. Tickets are £23. Sandra can reserve 20 tickets but only has a week to confirm that number. So to guarantee a place, please pay the full amount at the September meeting, or at least half and the rest by 21st September. There will be a tick list at the meeting. 

The Bus Pass Group is back! There will be a trip to Penarth on Friday 25th September. Meet at Cardiff bus station at 10:30. 

Our charity: 

Please remember to bring your Smartie Tube' filled with cash to the September meeting. This is a major fundraiser for our charity, Parkinsons UK Cymru. If you forget in September, please bring it to the October meeting at the latest. Thank you. 

The committee has decided not to take a stall at the Christmas Fair at Ararat this year. Instead, we will have a Bring and Buy sale at the January meeting. Hang on to those unwanted Christmas presents until then! 

Another way to help raise funds for our charity, is to put a donation in the pot on the refreshments table if you have a drink and a biscuit. We do not ask for a payment for refreshments, but the charity will appreciate a donation. 

Groups: 

    Book Group: Wednesday 16th September / 11.00 am / La Cucina da Mara 

    Family History: 7th September / 2.00 pm / 113 Pantbach Road 

    Poetry and Prose: Monday 28th September / 10.45 am The Ark coffee bar, Ararat
    Topic: favourite poems and poets 

    Craft: Monday 21st September / 2 pm / 18 Heol Stradling 

    St Mary's Gardens: Tuesday 13th October / 10 – 12; this meeting will also be the
    AGM of Friends of St Mary's Gardens over lunch at the Fox and Hounds. 

    Sunday lunch group: 27th September / 1 pm / Butcher's Arms, Rhiwbina 

Following meeting: 

    Monday 12th October; Ararat Church Hall, Whitchurch Common, 2 pm. 

    Speaker: Fauve Birch: 'Sewing, and The Great British Sewing Bee'