New Sewing Bee Series to start this week ...

Is Esme’s necklace a new way with hand sanitisers? I love this programme.

No Ellianne - I have to ask how did miss it!

It was the first thing I noticed ...... but then I am observant = nosy

Here she is

I loved all the Frida Kahlo creations last night.

Agree all round Maggiemaybe - including my lack of observation re the necklace.

I always knew I was unobservant, but I must admit I never even noticed Esme's necklace.

The right person left this week, but I will miss Catherine. I enjoyed her banter with Joe.

Stretch fabric is my challenge at some point this year. There were a lot of small difficulties that were very time consuming in the Breton top weren't there.

I thought the French guy Raphael took the teasing about his country well. Those Breton tops weren't easy even though they look very straightforward.
Esme's bottle necklace was ingenious.
The right person left. Looking forward to children's week next.

Me too!

I keep worrying that whatever that coloured stuff is will start to leak out.

Looks like a load of hotel key rings !

I love the Sewing Bee, think the sewers are to be admired for having a go. Normally I enjoy just watching the sewing, but this week every time Esme appears on screen I can’t tear my eyes from her necklace. Can anyone please explain what she’s wearing?

Frida Kahlo inspired.

Does anyone know what the theme is tonight?

I've seen it but never tried it, JaneJudge. I have done some of Jennie Raiment's manipulated patchwork from her Texture into Suduko book, but I'm not really a quilter; it was the manipulation that captured me.

Oh me too PippaZ I love all fabric manipulation, it's so clever. Have you ever tried Japanese pattern cutting? It is amazing you can just take a piece of cloth and it can become something with depth and structure

I love all heirloom sewing JaneJudge. It's so clever when they used on modern garments.

Amberone I am with you on Jo Lycett, when he started my reaction was that anyone was better than that shouty woman whose name eludes me, but had hair that covered her face, and held sewing and sewers in utter contempt and made no attempt to hide it, but now I have really grown to enjoy Jo's compering, he has the art of seeing himself as their equal and sympathetic, but able to see fun in the situation.

I'm sorry if it came across that I was criticising the contestants, quite the opposite. I think it's very difficult to sew something well in a couple of hours. I also liked the winning dress but I am absolute sucker for pin tucks

I liked the shorts. I've always wondered how to do a turn-up hem like that, and now I know. And I liked the winning dress. Have to admit, I'm not feeling much of a connection with any of the contestants this time around. When it first started I made a comment about not being impressed with Joe but I have to admit he's grown on me. I think he's got his work cut out with the current lot too - only week 2 and there's already been tears.

I have some paper bag trousers from a few years ago that I never wore because they were a bit too big. They will probably be too small for me now! I also saw a white broderie anglaise paper bag midi skirt at the weekend that I am thinking about buying.

I thought the shorts looked nice. If only I could go to the Body Shop and buy myself a new pair of legs, then I think I would enjoy making a pair of the shorts.

The shorts looked reasonably easy to make as long as you are careful with placing the pockets.

Not that I will be making any for myself and the DGD are more into sportswear at the moment.

Seen - and worn paperbag shorts, like 'buffet' dress, just a new name for a familiar style of dress.

I am thoroughly enjoying this series, more importantly, so is DH and he has friends (male and female) who are nejoying it too.

Of course the premise of the competition is false, these are all competent sewers, but not the best and the whole point is meeting the requirement to make something in a short period of time. If everybody was able to finishe everything on time and with plenty of care, where would the competitionbe?

You need to remember that the prime purpose of as television programme is to entertain, not satisfy the strict requirements of purists.

I am an amateur archaeologist and when Time Team was first broadcast, there were experts in the field complaining that you couldn't do a project in three days, that it did not cover all the preparations, that they did not cover the post-excavation work, Yet that programme did more for archaeology in this country than almost anything else in my life time. people now know about the subject, are more concerned about archaeology around them and it has spawned hundreds of local community groups.

Perhaps the same will happen with Sewing Bee, more and more people will start making and remaking clothes and thinking about how they dress.

I love to sew but I think the stress of making something in the time allowed would probably put me off sewing ever again!

I also have professional qualifications and have worked in this area so I do wince a bit at some of it BUT I always think a lot of these people who go on the show can most probably sew very well given the time to do so. It is a different thing being given an hour or two and expecting perfection. You can only really sew competently well in that sort of time frame if you have had A LOT of practice or doing the same thing over and over, a bit like soft furnishings like box cushions with piping or similar, they look easy but they are actually very difficult unless you make a lot of them regular