For those of us who have been eagerly awaiting the return of Patrick Grant and May Martin for series two of The Great British Sewing Bee, last night's Christmas Special of the hit BBC 2 show was just enough to whet our appetites for all things sewing and get our creative juices flowing just in time for the hotly anticipated second series due to hit our screens in 2014. There is no better way of relaxing away from the hustle and bustle of Christmas with the family than to spend a few precious hours sewing and making in front of the fire and last night saw some great ideas for Christmas sewing projects including home decor ideas including a Christmas table runner and some gorgeous gift ideas such as the fabric notebook cover and of course Ann's charming hand crafted bear. Series Two is due to hit our screens in the spring and in preparation we have complied a list of all of the essential sewing items you will need to sew along with next years contestants. Sewing Bee Essentials - Shopping List! Prym Pinking Shears - similar to regular dressmaking scissors but with a saw-toothed instead of a straight edge resulting in a zig zag pattern. Pinking Shears are used to reduce fraying of your fabric edge and can also be used for decorative cuts. Made from stainless steel, Prym Professional Pinking Shears are a superior quality product which will cut through your fabric crisply and neatly and with proper care should last you for many years. Always bear in mind that Pinking Shears cannot be resharpened so it is worth investing in the best pair you can afford. Prym Sewing and Household Scissors - with soft handles and sharp blades for high precision cuts, these excellent quality, general purpose scissors are a great choice for all sewing tasks and particularly for beginners. Prym Sewing and Household Scissors are a must have item for every home, these handy scissors can be used for both basic sewing and dressmaking as well as general household use. Prym Sewing Machine Needles -  in order to achieve the best results from your sewing and dressmaking projects it is important to select the correct size needle for your material which is why we stock a wide variety of sewing machine needles suitable for all manner of fabrics. Manufacturers Prym, have developed a wide range of sewing machine needles suitable for a variety of sewing techniques such as embroidery and patchwork. Bias Tape Maker - for keen sewists and dressmakers who wish to create their own single fold bias tape at the push of a button, it is worth investing in this fabulous machine. With a 1" tip included you will be able to get started straight away. Dressmakers Pins - for any dressmaking project and for many sewing projects, pins are one of the most important pieces of equipment. Pins are used for a number of reasons including to hold your patterns in place to ensure precision cutting. We stock a wide range of Dressmakers Pins including Ball Point Pins, Plastic Head Pins and Bridal and Lace Pins. Olfa Pinking Cutter - for the keen crafters amongst you this is an essential item. Olfa Cutters will cut your fabrics into many shapes accurately and efficiently. Threads - for any sewing or dressmaking project it is important to ensure that you always keep a wide selection of threads available. Our range of threads encompass almost any type of thread you can think of in almost any colour imaginable. For long lasting items it is important to select the right kind of thread in reel sizes from 30 metres up to a massive 1000m in overlocking threads. All of our threads from renowned manufacturers such as Gutermann, Moon and Coats so you can be confident that you are purchasing the highest quality threads available. Zips - we stock a wide range of zips suitable for all of your sewing and dressmaking projects including Metal Zips, Plastic Zips, Dress Zips and Concealed Zips from renowned manufacturers including Trebla and YKK. For those larger projects, many of our zips are available in a bulk buy option. [caption id="attachment_6044" align="aligncenter" width="300"]The-Great-British-Sewing-Bee-Judges The Great British Sewing Bee returns on BB2 in 2014.[/caption]   To keep up to date with all of the news and projects featured in the new season of The Great British Sewing Bee, follow our dedicated Pinterest board. Until next time! Calico Laine.