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"When you have a surprise TV hit like the Great British Bake Off, you can always expect plenty of spin-offs, rip-offs and dodgy commissions to follow.  So far we&amp;#039;ve had Simon Cowell nabbing Mary Berry&amp;#039;s bunting but none of her charm with ITV&amp;#039;s Food Glorious Food and now BBC Two have launched an official sister show to the cookery pop culture phenomenon. It&amp;#039;s out with soggy bottoms and cinnamon swirls and in with puckering and scallops, as Claudia Winkleman introduces the nation to the Great British Sewing Bee.  When it was first announced, Sewing Bee sounded utterly ridiculous. What next? The Great British Morris Dance? The Great British Trip to B&amp;amp;Q on a Sunday? The Great British Fish and Chips Takeaway? Actually, that last one doesn&amp;#039;t sound too bad. Can I sign up to be the judge? The beating heart of Great British Bake Off, and central to its incredible success, has been its judges, national treasure Mary Berry and nice-bit-of-middle-aged-crumpet Paul Hollywood, along with its hosts, the eyebrow-raising, pun-tastic Mel &amp;amp; Sue. Winklechops and her ever-enthusiastic fringe was a canny pick as presenter, bringing her usual exuberance to every stitch and thread of a needle. However, question marks remain about Sewing Bee&amp;#039;s pair of judges, stern seamstress May Martin and dashing Edwardian cad-come-Savile Row designer Patrick Grant. Grant has potential. Part Don Draper, part swoonsome Downton Abbey guest star, he definitely looks the part and he delivers a dry put-down with style. He even throws in a bit of Hollywood-esque innuendo (&amp;quot;making a bit of pork&amp;quot;) to raise a cheeky titter. However, at the moment Grant and Martin are both playing the bad cop role, issuing stern looks and inwardly tutting at dodgy A-line skirts. They currently lack the warmth and twinkle-in-the-eye of Mary Berry. Hopefully it will come with time.  What the show lacks in tasty treats, cream-filled puddings and buckets of chocolate ganache, it makes up for with its superb casting of contestants, a fantastic and hilarious gaggle of stitchers and sewers. From upside-down yoga-loving 81-year-old Ann to steampunk eccentric Mark, via trendy youngster Tilly and David Walliams-esque camp caricature Stuart, the cast of hopefuls are all lovable and their love for the needle and thread is fairly infectious. Whether we&amp;#039;ll all be stitching our own flowery curtains, quilts, necklines and trousers come the autumn (we won&amp;#039;t be) remains to be seen. I also suspect the nation&amp;#039;s passion for frills and fabrics isn&amp;#039;t as large as it is for cakes and home-cooked croissants.  However, The Great British Sewing Bee captured the charm of the Bake Off perfectly and even if you&amp;#039;ve never held a needle and thread, there was plenty to enjoy in this new BBC treat. Did you enjoy the Great British Sewing Bee? Share your opinions below! "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/news/a470221/great-british-sewing-bee-is-sewing-the-new-baking/>