Great British Sewing Bee 2026

[LIZS]

Back on 14th July at 8pm

Oh, I disagree - it’s a sewing with a purpose competition. If it were not they might as well have timed races where they just machine straight or curved lines into sheets. Or sew buttons and zips onto various deadstock fabrics (the velvet challenge! the damask challenge!) - never actually making anything usable.

For me skilful sewing of something that is beautifully designed to fulfill its purpose (whether that be a tennis skirt, oven gloves, a rain hat or a date night dress) is the point of the show.

I really liked the kaftan pattern and it was well-sewn but the colour combo was disastrous. Those two shades of green screamed at each other, and while a clash can sometimes work, this one was simply wrong. The sludge green was such an odd choice.

I did like other things beside the kaftan. I liked the pink godets. I wish I could see exactly how the maker put those in/on. Sorry, but I can't remember all of the names yet.

This cast list was posted above, last week:

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/great-british-sewing-bee-2026-cast-line-up/

It was the whole theme of the show!

I disagree about the invention test being 'destroy something wearable'. Charity shops are bulging at the seams with discarded clothes and a lot of fast fashion is not meant to last long. I see the invention test as producing something that's more like a preliminary sketch for a garment or costume that would actually be wearable.

Just caught up. I do think whether most people would wear something has to be part of it. There is no point making clothes that fit well but no one would wear or buy. The winning outfit was lovely - wearable, striking, stylish.

I have never sewed but Patrick said the kaftan was simple which is a death knell.
It wasn't in usual floaty kaftan fabric either?

Minnie's bodycon dress looked awful too?

Silly me missed that Sewing Bee has started a new season so I missed the first episode ☹️ and we can’t access BBC Iplayer in Ireland ( I would be willing to pay for access and wrote to the BBC Director General suggesting it as an option to raise cash for the financially beleaguered corporation ).
Delighted to catch up on the show and with you all on here. Thank you for the “thread” @LIZS
I’m not a sewer, I can just about sew on a button and tack a hem and am in awe of those who can sew using a machine and produce lovely garments.
I rather liked Sam’s kaftan. Yes the colours were slightly odd together but I’ve seen worse in shops and “ quirky” is in.
As @nomdegrrr1 posted ”……it was like a bright clearing surrounded by shade……”
I really liked the dark green broderie anglaise outfit too.
The outfit by Beth was lovely.
Adele’s outfit was beautiful too.

I think Sam was doomed after the first two challenges whatever he did. I agree with others that his kaftan colour combination simply did not work.

Loved the ombré dress and the green broiderie anglais outfit. I’d wear that.

I know we’ve only had two episodes but I am thoroughly enjoying this series.

I wonder if the colours came out that well on tv and maybe looked better in rl.

Can you search the TV listings on your service? Episodes are often repeated at odd hours that you could potentially record and catch up.

Re the shell top, there were a few flashes of the back seam completely not pattern matched, which to me is far more obvious than side seams not pattern matched? Seems an odd choice??

Everything I have ever worn in broderie anglaise has snagged itself on something and ripped.

Well - I was going to say something about the epically lovely, still as good as new, broderie anglaise blouse I’ve been wearing relentlessly for more than ten years …

But I wouldn’t want to jinx it. 😄

I loved the kaftan and I loved Sam , such a shame to see him go but sadly his pattern challenge did it for him.

I think I may just be very clumsy...and work somewhere with a lot of fabric related hazards!

I’m especially enjoying Anna’s creations but so many of them are good this year.

@deeahgwitch I watched episode 1 on YouTube. I was in Ireland last week and forgot i wouldn't be able to see it live, found it the next day, albeit with ads, on some random account.

I sew a lot but am going off the series I think largely due to Esme. I loved her at first but she now favours garments that are “saucy” or interesting over wearable. This is particularly obvious in the middle challenge which I hate as it’s rare anyone produces a realistically wearable garment. I would rather just have the 2 challenges with how well they are sewn and in the made to measure producing a garment where the correct fit is important are scored more highly. I was amazed one woman said she had never tried pattern matching before. I thought getting on this show was competitive? The fact that The Fold Line have stopped doing a weekly pattern review shows how far this show has drifted from encouraging people to sew and showcasing garments we would want to copy.

I've never regarded the 2nd challenge (reusing garments/fabric) as an attempt to make something immediately 'wearable' as the time and choice of items available to use are both very limited. I see it more as an opportunity for the sewers to be creative and showcase for the viewer the possibilities of working with recycled fabrics. A 'serious' recycling project would need time to source appropriate garments/items to use and have longer than a couple of hours.

I enjoy the 2nd challenge and the myriad of different options the sewers produce each week.

I preferred the blue long sleeve dress to the winner... Although it was good just not such a fan of colour blocks......Sams just didn't work.colourwise to me but shame as his shirt and chinos were excellent the week before.. Not a fan of the pink godets..
My mum could sew really well and made lots of her own clothes when younger....
Me not so well...sewed a bag together in needlework at school! and wonky hemmed some Ikea curtains as too long as my limit ..Struggled to cut patterns out as v clumsy
Stick to fixing buttons now... But maybe one day..will try again..

Love the show always watch..and enjoy the creating and making.... Like that there's a few really good ones this series

I see what you mean, however lots of shops sell, and lots of people buy or make items that aren’t to my taste (not just clothing) but I can recognise good workmanship when I see it, even if I don’t like the colour or style of the item.

Choice of colour is subjective whereas quality of work is objective. Only objective, measurable criteria should be used to decide who stays or goes.

The woman who made the two-tone blue, close fitting dress should have left imo.

Well, the measurable criteria here are whether Patrick and Esme think they did a good job, or not! 😅

Her face suggested she thought she had dodged a bullet too. She's Minnie.

I actually liked the colour clash in Sam's kaftan - I thought it gave a flash of wow to a mostly sombre piece - but I did think that overall he needed to go.

For me Beth's ombré dress was the standout, I couldn't quite get on board with the GOTW.

Sam came last in both the previous challenges (I think? Forgot the specifics), he would have needed a knock out made to measure to have any hope of staying.

I think the kaftan was ultimately too simple.

My favourite and the only outfit I would have worn was the broderie anglaise dress. I didn't like the gotw with different colour legs although the judges obviously did and what they say goes.