Which sewing machine is used in the 2021 Great British Sewing Bee?

Sewzy Wong
Apr 15, 2021
2 min read

If you find yourself watching the 2021 Great British Sewing Bee on BBC One, you may be asking this question: Which sewing machine is used in the 2021 Great British Sewing Bee?

The answer is: the Janome Sewist 780DC.

Well, well, well, there has been an exciting development in the Great British Sewing Bee this year - the producers from Love Productions have upgraded from a mechanical sewing machine to a computerised one!

While NHS respiratory consultant and sewing maestro Clare Bradley claimed the GBSB trophy with a Janome Sewist 725S in 2020, this year, contestants are competing using the Janome Sewist 780DC - a computerised sewing machine with auto-thread cut function, a speed controller, and 80 utility and decorative stitches. A fantastic upgrade from the previous model!

Below is the Janome 725S - the sewing machine used in the 2020 Great British Sewing Bee. This was my second sewing machine during the lockdown, and admittedly, I bought it because of Joe Lycett's show!

For me, the 725S was an upgrade from a really basic, entry level model from Argos (also branded but more about that later). Anyway, going from a complete beginner sewing machine to the 725S was a total luxury. I just loved how sturdy it was, how well made it felt and just the analog ruggedness and the reassurance that went along with it. I loved the pressure foot adjuster!

Anyway. I want to say that this model is actually in the same family as the Janome 780DC used in the 2021 GBSB and seen above is Janome's own promotional graphic.

This pretty much means that both models are based on the same chassis - very similar internal workings and build quality.