The Great British Sewing Bee

Just caught up to it.

Like the new presenter, although I don't know who she is.

Disagreed with all the Number #1s but did agree with the one who went home.

I liked the Ghananian dress best of all, and thought the garment of the week looked like a summer weight dressing gown I once had.

All this said within the context of being able to sew on buttons and darn socks but no more.

A gentle and creative programme, I really enjoyed it.

Really enjoyed last night's programme. I thought Sara Pascoe was very good and the contestants seem a co-operative bunch. Here's hoping for a good series.

What I like most about Sewing Bee is its atmosphere of friendly competittion. All are doing their best, all want to win, but all will stop to help a fellow competitor rethread a machine or replace a needle.

Tom Daley, the Olympic diver, took up knitting to calm his nerves and has made some terrific things.

Just read the article about the sewing soldier. It is amazing how
A creative activity can help ones mental health.
A man I know is a soldier, I have just sent him the article and offered to give him lessons!

I used to sew all the time but stiff swollen fingers and bad eyesight unfortunately make sewing difficult but I stick to easy things these days. I have enjoyed making appliqué cushions recently.
Much prefer the new compere, no constant grimacing and in your face as Joe.

PS. I have just read that article and it's interesting and very inspiring. Thanks again. On the programme I always liked the methodical and mathematical way he approached sewing.

OakDryad Thank you so much for that link. I'll take a look. I really liked him on the programme.

I thought Sarah Pascoe was excellent as the new presenter - thankfully she didn't attempt to be too whacky. I loved Joe Lycett but think Sarah is a really good replacement.
I really enjoyed last night's programme but felt a bit worried about Esme who didn't seem herself and appeared "croaky" and out of breath. Hope she's ok

Lucca

I liked the African print wrap dress it floated nicely, not that I’d ever wear a wrap dress…

That was my favourite too Lucca.

That was Lt Col Neill Stace Sparklefizz. You might enjoy reading this article about him:

armyandyou.co.uk/the-power-of-creation/

He said of the Sewing Bee recruitment process:

I was asked whether I’d ever been in a stressful situation, which sounded barking having been on operational tours, but looking back you need it, because the whole reality TV thing is pretty brutal.

They could find a thousand quality sewers, but they needed a group of people who could interact, and who had a bit of a back story.

Oh so would I! All that fabric I would love it and the buttons and ribbons.

I love this programme, and enjoy seeing how the contestants improve and learn as the weeks go on.

It's interesting that sales of sewing machines soared during lockdown, and often to men. There was an army Lt. Gen. a few series back who took his sewing machine on deployment and made a wedding dress for someone while he was away. Men like him make the idea of sewing more accessible to other men.

I'd love to be let loose in that haberdashery and do a "supermarket sweep" with a trolley!!

... can't sew. Really can't.

But everyone else's enthusiasm for this programme has whetted my appetite so I'm going to watch it!

It's never too late to learn, I hope.

And I'm sure the programme is a healthy distraction from everything that's going on around us at the moment.

I would have loved to work with some of those wool tweed fabrics! Some of the skirts were quite 'wearable' and the dresses too.
Must agree though, some of the contestants were out of their comfort zone but I guess the producers are keen to create a programme showcasing all capabilities and skill levels.
GBSB is compulsory viewing in our house.

I liked the African print wrap dress it floated nicely, not that I’d ever wear a wrap dress…

The purpose of telvision programmes is to entertain and few programmes would survive from Time Team to The Repair shop if we saw them done dead straight. Of course it is highly edited, any tv show is, and last night I thought we saw an engaging and varied group of competent sewers, finding that working under pressure and with time constraints made mistakes. Don't we all?

Imagine instead, 10 contestants all professional level amateurs, who are all as dull as ditchwater and churning out almost perfect garments, with the judgement of winners and losers being based on millimetre differences in a seam or the thread used to sew on a button.

Sewing Bee would not have lasted as long or been so eagerly looked forward to were it like that

Yes beautifully finished insides would be nice - but there are time restrictions, but last night we were shown some really wearable dresses and it wouldn't surprise me to hear that at least some of those dresses will have a last few tweaks done later and then will be worn as any other dress would be.

Some of the men are new sewers, they're out of their depth, I feel sorry for them. It's television though and highly edited ?

A couple of the contestants had no clue, I wonder what made them apply?

A chance of 15 minutes of fame on the telly?

The skirt was a good start and the dresses were lovely. A couple of the contestants had no clue, I wonder what made them apply.

I liked the new setting, the peaceful Yorkshire countryside which was quite the antithesis of the busy, industrious tasks happening in the mill. Some of the wrap over dresses were very classy.
The person who left shouldn't really have been there in the first place.

Some lovely dresses tonight and I thought Sara Pascoe did well as the new host.

I really enjoyed the first series. Like Susie said, chosen on personality rather than sewing skills. Since then I could take it or leave it. We could do with some proper learning programmes, there are many budding sewists out there, just needing to be shown the skills. Sewing bee is entertainment, not teaching. Inspiring perhaps, showing what can be done from a piece of flat cloth

Really looking forward to this - a riot of imaginative constructions.

muse I’ll miss Joe but Sara Pascoe should be good.
My thoughts exactly.

Excellent. My favourite part is the Transformation challenge.
I’ll miss Joe but Sara Pascoe should be good.

Really looking forward to the programme - I love it.