Great British Sewing Bee 2026

[LIZS]

Back on 14th July at 8pm

I'd like them to do things like alter a pleated skirt from size 14 to 12 and take it up by 2 inches, or take in a princess line dress - for transformations I'd like to see less stuff randomly pinned to a dummy and sewn up and more properly made wearable clothes.

I think relative to most tv programmes it’s probably significantly less wasteful. And at least it inspires reuse? But it is a good point.

Also TV has to be visual and have “impact’ or people might stop watching I think. It is an entertainment show. I bet they think if you want sewing tutorials then you can go to YouTube. These shows are strange lifestyle formula knock out wish fulfillment hybrids aren’t they? I use to love the bake off but I can’t take the ads. I also liked the pottery throw down but couldn’t stand that potter crying every week.

I tried to read Pride and Prejudice over the summer and failed.

Just caught up. Beth's dress was dreamy - so happy for her. I want her to win.

Anna has fantastic creative vision and her execution is pretty strong. I actually thought her Gothic Austin was the only one that showed any personality and I don't think you can knock her for being more theatrical in her designs. Many of the most successful fashion designers Galliano, Westwood, McQueen, Gaultier, Lacroix - all designed quite opulent and theatrical garments and people didn't dismiss them as 'costumes'. But for wearability, solid sewing and beautiful finishes, it's Beth for me.

I often wonder how much previous garments are taken into account when they choose who to send home. There have been times where someone REALLY solid does one poor make and gets booted and that always makes me cross. I need to go back and compare Emma and Rebecca over the past few weeks again because I really can't decide if that felt like the right call.

Completely agree, the wrong pink and just not well enough made in the end. It would have been easier to cover up mistakes in the dress, than in the jacket.

Esme did comment that Rebecca and Anna had made things more difficult for themselves by including a jacket.

She has done well to get this far, they all have. I think it's between Beth and Anna, I don't mind which

I think with the sewing Bee it’s finding a balance between a sewing competition and a dress designer competition. Yes dress designerstend to have a recognisable style and if this were a “British Fashion Designer Bee” then Anna would win. I think being a good sewer involves being more flexible though and able to move beyond your personal style to sew for someone else’s style. Maybe the Sewing Bee team feel the pattern challenge is enough for that but I think then having 2 challenges that are more design led shifts the balance too much towards design, especially when “ punk” “a bit saucy” “ not brown” and “ bows” are factored in to the judging criteria.

I was shocked that Rebecca went, although reading the thread and thinking about it, I think everyone is right that her style was never going to be much championed by Esme. Perhaps, as Rebecca's sewing was normally very good, Esme made the most of those errors to ensure the semi finals were as exciting as possible.

When she started to cry, she was like a young child 😔 I'm sure she was on Pointless with her fiancée a while back; one of her biog interviews mentioned her sewing. One episode I think they both wore huge tea dresses, but I get false memories sometimes so I might have dreamt it 😂

We watch it FOR the possibility of Keith dissolving!

Me too!

Mumsnet doesn't like emoting!

I felt sure I had seen her somewhere before and watch Pointless so you may well be right.

I think Emma's showed personality too?

I felt her crying was very Violet Elizabeth Bott. That sounds mean but it was that little girl crying.

I think Esme is getting a bit of a rough deal here. She was a designer and therefore much more likely to look for innovative design ; Patrick is a tailor and values craft and finish more. I think they balance each other and rarely feel they make the wrong choice.

I certainly don’t feel that Patrick would allow Esme to over rule him. Maybe the edit just shows her giving her opinion more ?

Maybe she's just a very emotional person. Violet Elizabeth cried to be manipulative.

I wish the transformation challenges were less stupid too. I've seen a couple of posts on Facebook where Patrick is showing how a garment from a charity shop has been upcycled. The one I remember most was a very beige bog standard trench (mac as he called it) where they did some self coloured embroidery on the lapels and placket, did a little of the same on the points of the belt, used some contrasting check grosgrain ribbon (similar colour to the coat) to jazz up the pocket edges and replaced the cuff straps with the same grosgrain but kept the original buckles (and front buttons). It looked great. A challenge along those lines would be really interesting as contestants could be creative and it would inspire viewers. I always think 'I must do some sewing' after watching SB but then can't think what I'd like to make (and being a tad round and large of bust it's easier said than done 😂)

An American woman I follow ( and I follow few people as it’s a bit naff and I have a life!) upcycles stuff but she is a talented quilter and embroiderer so if she upcycles something she doesn’t make it look “ completely transformed “ she just makes it in to something similar but patched up, more beautiful and wearable.

But she should keep her personal preferences out of it and be objective. Not being able to see beyond punk, and dismissing items in shades of brown because she doesn't like the colour is ridiculous. Don't get me started on 🎀🎀🎀

For me Patrick’s critiques are much more objective.. He always manages to find something good to say as well.

Esme always seems to concentrate on mistakes and colour choices. I quite liked her at first but I’m increasingly annoyed by her negativity. This year’s standard is amazing but you wouldn’t think so when she judges.

I forgot who said it but the comments about Anna's transformation garment were that the colours went together perfectly, but I thought the middle bit didn't match at all. It looked a shade of cream when the rest was on greyish tones and it was jarring.

It was Patrick who praised the way she'd placed her fabrics and he referred to them as plain greys and tartan greys. So I think it's safe to say it was a grey fabric (the school shirt) rather than a shade of cream. TV doesn't always show true colours

I havent seen that episode but she is grating on me and find her very manipulative , dont like her at all,

Woah! It's a gentle sewing programme not big brother! Of course viewers will be drawn to some sewers over others but why the the need for such personal comments on threads like this.

Esme is a senior lecturer in fashion at Central At Martin's, I'm sure she has plenty to say that's worth listening to. It's more likely the producers and editors have her content cut down to predictable comments because they like people to follow their roles on these programmes. Same on Bake off, same on Strictly, they are practically scripted.

I thought it unfair that the editing showed Rebecca burst into tears while everyone hesitated in a ring around her. People are going to react in different ways to what is the end of a very stressful event in their lives. Not everyone is going to do the brave ‘chin up’ “ahhh, it was my time to go!” thing as a first response. They should have cut directly to the group hug when she’d had a moment to absorb the information imo. I hope she’s proud of what she achieved, because it was too easy for me to sit at home pulling my face at ill advised bed jackets when I’m not the one putting myself out there.

I was only agreeing with two other posters. I have been binge watching , she got to me!