Sewing Bee 2026

BlueBelle

I take it you don’t like it then Specki4eyes ! best you don’t watch it and leave it to those of us who do enjoy it then you can stick to your ‘educational informative and entertaining programmes’ good job they are around for you
🥱

This doesn’t invalidate specki4eyes ‘opinion though does it?
GN is a discussion forum, not an echo chamber and without differences of opinion, there can be no discussion.

(Why knock/mock educational, informative and entertaining tv programmes just because they are not to your taste? )

MawsRosie thank you for defending my right to an opinion. I would love to learn more about garment creation. I'm 80 but don't want ever to stop learning!
Gransnet responses to OPs often come across as snarky and snappy which must put those, more sensitive than me, off offering an opinion.
You and I remember when GN was such a forum.

Both types of programme have their place.

It's rather like comparing The Big Painting Challenge with The Joy of Painting or Awash with Colour.

Different concepts, possibly different audiences, although some viewers may watch both types of programme.

specki4eyes

MawsRosie thank you for defending my right to an opinion. I would love to learn more about garment creation. I'm 80 but don't want ever to stop learning!
Gransnet responses to OPs often come across as snarky and snappy which must put those, more sensitive than me, off offering an opinion.
You and I remember when GN was such a forum.

But, as you yourself say, specki4eyes you have a right to an opinion. No one would disagree with that. But so does anyone who disagrees with your opinion, also have a right to express their views, and providing they do that in a courteous manner, it is surely what you expect when you join a discussion forum like GN.

How do you have a discussion if people cannot put forward opposing views? In my time on GN and in life generally I have learnt a lot from listening to/reading the views of people whose views, at least initially, I disagree with. Sometimes they have changed my opinions

Critiquing someone's views, is about their views, not about them as individuals.

There's critiquing and there's mocking amd dismissing which happens when a phrase is enclosed in speech marks as in ‘educational informative and entertaining programmes’ , and there's also being effectively told to jog on best you don't watch it effectively shutting down any discussion.

I wondered why I had never heard of 'The Dog House' then I discovered it was all about dogs. It is not necessarily obvious

Hmm - I wonder what else it might have been about? Gardening? Sport? Music?

I've done a great deal of sewing in the past but now I'm happy to watch other people being creative. My money is on Anna to win, but it really isn't over till it's over. It only needs one thing to go wrong.

MawsRosie

^I wondered why I had never heard of 'The Dog House' then I discovered it was all about dogs. It is not necessarily obvious^

Hmm - I wonder what else it might have been about? Gardening? Sport? Music?

Someone being 'in the dog house' is a popular phrase for someone who is in trouble in a domestic space for doing something that another person is unhappy about.

A programme called 'The Dog House' could easily be a domestic sitcom. I have never heard of it. How was I to know?

We do disagree a lot MawsRosie 🤣

Some of us have had personal experience of The Dog House too! 🐶 🐕

MawsRosie

^I wondered why I had never heard of 'The Dog House' then I discovered it was all about dogs. It is not necessarily obvious^

Hmm - I wonder what else it might have been about? Gardening? Sport? Music?

The way words are used nowadays, ‘The Dog House’ could have many questionable meanings, not necessarily about our four legged friends.

Calendargirl

MawsRosie

I wondered why I had never heard of 'The Dog House' then I discovered it was all about dogs. It is not necessarily obvious

Hmm - I wonder what else it might have been about? Gardening? Sport? Music?

The way words are used nowadays, ‘The Dog House’ could have many questionable meanings, not necessarily about our four legged friends.

But would a GN member admit to watching anything questionable on a thread?

I've chatted to a number of men and women over the past few years who have taken up sewing for the first time because they have watched Sewing Bee, in the first instance out of curiosity or accidentally.

It may not show perfect techniques (they never have time to finish their seams!) and the clothes made may not be to everyone's taste, but what it has shown in my opinion is that it is a hobby/craft that anyone can have a go at. A second-hand sewing machine, needles, some thread and a bit of fabric costs less than the equipment for a lot of other crafts and you can build up on your equipment and expertise as you go along.

I also know many non-sewers who absolutely love watching it every week just for the entertainment value!

Last night's episode was interesting. Making a leather jacket in 5 hours seems impossible to me! I wasn't impressed with any of the transformations. I did agree with who went home, but it was a close thing.

I really liked Heather and she is an excellent seamstress but her dress was slightly short of the others. Anna was over ambitious and for once I didn’t think too much to hers, oreviously she’s been my favourite, I thought Emma’s dress was lovely and I liked the way she sneaked the colours in together but Beth has come on in leaps and bounds over the last few weeks and I think she ll be the winner.
The right person went but she was a great competitor

I thought Anna’s dress was pretty awful, actually. It did the model no favours. Yes, she looked like a dumpy little lampshade.

I had Anna down as a clear winner, but the last couple of weeks her nerves have been in evidence.

Beth always seems so focused and calm, at this rate she will win.

Not keen on Emma, don’t know why.

I agree Bluebell. I think Beth has quietly improved over the series and is looking like a probable winner.

I hated Anna's dress. I couldn't see it looking good on anyone. Esme, in particular, will admire someone like Anna who pushes the boundaries, as she did herself as a younger designer.
I much preferred Heather's little black dress and wished she had made the skirt tighter and more seductive looking.
Beth, Anna and Emma in that order for the final.

AskAlice

I've chatted to a number of men and women over the past few years who have taken up sewing for the first time because they have watched Sewing Bee, in the first instance out of curiosity or accidentally.

It may not show perfect techniques (they never have time to finish their seams!) and the clothes made may not be to everyone's taste, but what it has shown in my opinion is that it is a hobby/craft that anyone can have a go at. A second-hand sewing machine, needles, some thread and a bit of fabric costs less than the equipment for a lot of other crafts and you can build up on your equipment and expertise as you go along.

I also know many non-sewers who absolutely love watching it every week just for the entertainment value!

I agree with you. I record Sewing Bee so that my youngest GD who is 11 can watch it with me. It has fostered an interest in sewing in her. Fortunately, the secondary school she started at last week has sewing as an after school club and she has put her name down to join that.
Maybe one day I will be able to watch her on Sewing Bee.

I like Beth as she quietly pushes the boundaries and her take on the LBD deserved to win as it actually worked as an outfit. Anna's dress didn't. The transformation challenge was particularly awful this week as nothing wearable was made. It was a waste of time (and shirts).

The right one sadly went home last night but Anna was only saved by her whacky idea, which was very poorly done. If she had pulled it off it would have been amazing but it was terrible.
Overall, Beth is the best she's been consistently good. So looking forward to seeing next week's, it's going to be a close one.

I liked Anna's dress, but agree that it was spoiled by the visible boning in the skirt. Similarly with Emmas, there was not enough materia in the drape. I liked Heather's dress as it was, but it was very safe, dresses like that have been around for a long time.

Like others, I thought Emma was the clear winner and I will not be surprised if she wins,, simply because she is consistent. Anna has made some really wonderful clothes, creatively she is yards in front of the others, but she lacks consistency in the quality of her sewing.

Did you mean ‘Beth’ is the clear winner MOnica, not Emma?

I loved Beth's outfit last night and her sewing skills are excellent. Can't take to Emma and Anna is beginning to struggle a bit with her ambitious ideas.

The transformation challenge was just plain silly with nothing wearable.

Calendargirl

Did you mean ‘Beth’ is the clear winner MOnica, not Emma?

Thank you Calendargirl Yes I did mean 'Beth'