Sewing Bee! Mannequins at the ready!

[Roussette]

It's back on Thursday! here. No details of contestants yet. How many men this time? Any?

Ten sewers, six weeks, can't wait!

(Can't think of another word for sewers at the moment, wish I could!)

Dull winner. And I thought his dress was crap. The bottom seams looked ruched and all over the place.

Love it. I really, really enjoyed the final today.

I thought the pattern challenge was a really good one. No chance any of them would have seen it before (and what lovely lovely collaborating) and really chuffing tricky.

I was surprised by the alteration challenge: Neil took a big gamble and he knew it was a big gamble, but I thought they would have been politer about it even though it was hilariously unwearable. Matt's looked very weird but it must have been better in the flesh.

I was disappointed by the final challenge and I agree they were sort of going "oh bollocks, how do we top last year? er, I dunno, make them weirder?" That said, the winning dress was exquisitely constructed. I wonder if he had practised with her - they've been allowed to do that in the past, even when they've had the "surprise model" which wasn't exactly a surprise this year.

Oh Lorna. Always the bridesmaid!!

I mentioned upthread that Neil didn't have the flair to win. Today he proved that he can't stray from the beaten track, because he falls into a heap of fox shit face first. He can't use his imagination constructively.

Just caught up with it on iPlayer...

Enjoyed it, what a lovely bunch of people, I just love the camaraderie.

Although Matt's final challenge was bizarre I did like the bodice, it looked exquisite. I really didn't like Neil's dress, it looked ummmm homemade and I know he used lots of different fabrics but I thought it looked a bit of a balls up (and where was the camouflage?!) I liked Lorna's green and pink creation and thought it was avant garde despite what they said, but what do I know! In the end, I think they were all fantastic.

And thanks everyone for the fun on here

Roll on next year! I've just got to talk my mega talented friend to enter, she's resisting at the mo, but I'm working on it!

I thought Neil's dress was atrocious - his wife had to hold up one side, in order to walk in it. But I didn't like Matt's dress either. I loved the colours and the basic structure of Lorna's dress, but I agree it was spoiled by the addition of the netting. Thank fuck she didn't put the fairy lights in, though!

I love this series - as others have said, there is such camaraderie amongst the contestants, even though they are in competition with each other. And seeing that even in the final - that was lovely.

I thought the right person won.

I loved it , although I was a Neil fan at the beginning of the final in the end I was pleased Matt won.If they had wanted to reward the past achievements though they could have made Matts garment of the week and given the over all title to Neil.

I do wish though that it was a sewing competition and not a dressmaking one .I would love to see them make a set of loose covers or a Roman blind or do some quilting or embroidery .

Neil definitely blew it. I was surprised as I thought the avant garde dress would really play to his strengths.

The final dresses weren't a patch on those from last series though.

I agree the final dresses were a bit off the wall and not so attractive as last years.

As for being a sewing not a dressmaking challenge, having been a cross stitcher, I get that... but I suppose there's so many things they could cover, it would never work maybe, not sure.

It was probably because I was tired when I watched it on catch up last night, but I was welling up when they were all hugging each other and ruffling Matt's hair!

I was chatting to an actual real life friend about GBSB who pointed out that curtains and other sewing-but-not-dressmaking projects wouldn't make good telly. Might work in an early round or as an alteration though (like this year's curtains-to-clothes).

Alas true. So never going to happen.

I really thought Lorna should have won. Matt was not the best overall sewer, he just had a good last task.
That being said, they all seemed like lovely people. It's so nice to see competitions where the competitors are not bitching and backbiting and prepared to do anything to win. The Bake Off is the same. Everyone treats each other with respect and there's no nastiness.

One thing: why do they still think it will be a surprise for the final three contestants to have relatives instead of professional models for the last task. They do this every year.

Was really annoyed at Neil for deciding to throw it all away at the last moment with all that nonsense. Matt's bodice was lovely but the bottom half of the dress was awful. The little girl in me loved Lorna's dress and for sheer consistency throughout the series I think she should have won.

Tamara threw it away last year in a similar fashion.

I'm not sure whether Lorna should have won over Matt or not based purely on their performance in the final. TBH, I don't think it actually matters :)

Wasn't Lorna's daughter in law just gorgeous... I thought so anyway. Yes, no surprise to them that rellies turned up, I don't think but it makes good telly to be surprised and to be honest they just looked emotional to see their loved ones after a hairy weekend making japanese tops and massacring a perfectly decent dress and turning it into some sort of horror lampshade round feet creation

I think that, because they were basing the winner on the last task, Matt deserved to win, as his dress was the most suited to the brief.

Lorna appears to have gone for a dress similar to this. I think hers could have won had she, instead of tulle, used several layers of fabric instead.

Also, they should shows us the wonky stitching that they refer to, I think it would be helpful to see what exactly let the contestants down.

Neil blew it, perhaps he didn't want to win.

Did anyone else notice the difference between Matt and Neil's wives greeting and general interaction with their DHs? I know some of it might be length of relationship/personality types but still...

Just watched this on catch up. Neil should have won - there's no point having weeks of competition then have it come down to obe dress, but that's better telly I suppose.

MsInga yes, I noticed that, Matt's wife was very little-girly, bit cringey I thought, although he seemed a genuinely nice guy.

I think it is right that it is judged solely on the garments they produce in the final and nothing else. Neil stuffed it up all by himself. Based on the final only, there was very little between Matt and Lorna.

I think all the final dresses were crap though.

And Neil's wife just looked fed up. She was rather stand offish.

Claudia's struggling to maintain her interest. Look at her in the background at 17:45 and 18:21

Over for another year. Have told dh I need an extention for a sewing room and he gave me a look. Not fair.

I wonder if Claudia actually sews ... or is she just presenting the programme with no interest in sewing. I think it needs a sewer and I doubt she is!

She could see up her mouth

Sew!