For many home sewers
across the country, taking part
in the Great British Sewing Bee is
the chance of a lifetime.
I couldn't believe I was there,
it just felt like a complete dream.
What memories do last
year's contestants have
of their time
in the sewing room?
The experience was extraordinary.
It was really thrilling
and exciting.
In front of a sharp-eyed May Martin
and the discerning gaze
of Patrick Grant...
He's like a great white, isn't he?
..they presented their
best-ever sewing...
I think this is really very good.
This is a jacket I would be
very happy to wear myself.
..and some of their worst.
You haven't finished. Yeah.
It looks a little bit like you've
sewn it with your feet.
That judge is going to k*ll me.
They're going to be looking for
perfection and this isn't it.
And Claudia was with them
every stitch of the way.
Don't cry. What? Do you need tea?
Oh, God. Gin?
I need a valium.
We'll look back at the good bits...
Aww. Do you know what?
I love you.
..and the moments the sewers
would rather forget.
It probably looks awful.
I think they'll hate it.
They have come a long way
since their time together...
My gosh,
Sewing Bee really changed my life.
..but now they revisit their time
in the sewing room
and share their memories
as the Sewing Class of 2014.
Of the thousands of sewers
that applied
to The Great British Sewing Bee,
only ten were chosen.
And as they entered the sewing room,
the reality
of what lay before them
hit them for the first time.
It's utterly peculiar,
just immediately
steeping into an alien environment.
Utterly bewildering.
I thought, "What on earth
am I doing here?"
It finally just struck me
that, "Gosh, you're going
to be on the telly!"
I was really scared.
I was absolutely bricking it.
The tension increased as they got
ready to face their first challenge.
There was genuine tension before
the challenge was unveiled.
There was a virtual drumroll
going on in my head.
Welcome to the Sewing Bee.
Huge congratulations for making
it this far,
it means you are already brilliant.
It was a bit like a sort of rabbit
in the headlights feeling, really.
You're just abuzz with excitement
and apprehension, you know,
waiting to see what's going
to happen next
and when they start talking,
you're listening
like you've never listened before.
Then it was time to actually
start sewing.
This is the scary challenge.
This is when you're given a pattern
that you've never seen before.
Your heart's racing and then
they hand out the little envelope.
I can hear squealing
and somebody just went,
"Oh."
I believe that was you, Cliff.
Good luck. Your time starts now.
The initial stress was phenomenal.
Oh! I can recommend it,
it really makes you feel alive.
Of course, there was the mad
dash to the haberdashery. My God!
And it's commando shopping -
it's just in there, grab it and run.
What have you got? Never you mind!
'It's terrifying.'
I suppose like everyone else,
it were a bit scary. You were...
You don't want to be the class
divvy, so you're worrying whether,
you know, you're going to be
as capable as everybody else.
Pinning is just a nightmare.
I end up pinning myself more
than I do pinning the garment.
The pattern challenge
was very much a friend.
It was one of my strong points,
following the instructions
very technically set out
and I enjoyed doing those.
But that wasn't
the same for everyone.
I usually freehand cut so I would
draw my measurements onto it
and then cut... So you don't use
a paper pattern at all? No.
Working from a pattern the first
time did feel really different,
especially as that was the first
time I'd ever done it
and I did feel a bit
at a disadvantage from doing that.
So I just had to get my head down
and try my best to follow
the instructions, because I just
didn't want to make any mistakes
or do anything that would
cost me my place.
Lay the pattern out, then we're
going to crack on with it.
Chocks away, Ginger. Following the
pattern to the letter was key.
It's a technical challenge.
We expect them to just do what
we say on the brief
and they have to do what we ask
them to do perfectly
before they can start playing.
How's it going?
I ignored the pattern.
Did you just tell May, "I ignored
the pattern?" Yeah.
Wow, that's a brave policeman.
This is an invisible zip.
But it asks for a lapped zip.
I know, I'm hoping they won't mind.
You've met May!
But invisible zips look much nicer
in a... Sweetheart...
It looks much nicer, but you'll get
points for a lapped zip.
OK.
Though sticking to the rules
wasn't for everyone.
I'm not sure how the judges will
respond to me not looking
at the pattern that much,
but at the end of the day,
it's the end garment that's...that
matters, isn't it?
Well, I hated the pattern
challenges.
Julie had very definite ideas about
the way she wanted to do things.
You're going to tell me off now
because I'm not following the
instructions?
I know I'm going to get
into trouble!
She went off-piste a few times and
did what she felt she wanted to do.
Do you think they'll notice?
Asking a bit much, that, I think!
And if the following the pattern
didn't get the better of them,
then time pressure did.
I'm a slow sewer. This was like
every nightmare come true.
I'm now expected to say something
in a particular length of time.
A lot of people seem to be
a little bit ahead of me.
A lot of sewers found it really
challenging to sew against the clock.
It's difficult doing a task to time.
I mean, you don't
realise when you're at home.
You have a cup of tea,
have a biscuit...
I'm not 100% certain
I'm going to finish.
In between each of these things,
I just sort of mentally stand...
..then come back to the centre
and then carry on.
What else can we do?
I don't make anything hurriedly.
I've lived my life like that.
It's part of my Buddhist practices
to do things carefully,
with great consideration.
I quickly realised, "I'm never going
to finish this garment,
"it's not going to happen."
Sewers, you've got five minutes left.
Only five minutes. Oh, gosh.
I'm not going to have time
to do my bottom.
It's like a great white, isn't he?
OK, that's it. Whatever you have,
put it on your mannequin.
(I like them.)
Chinelo.
I don't like it.
I think the colours are horrible.
My colours are boring as hell.
# I can be happy, I can be sad...#
If the sewing wasn't stressful
enough, they then had to present
their work to be judged in public
by Patrick and May.
Why did you choose to put
the trim down that back seam?
Is there something it's hiding?
I actually chose my trims first
and then the fabric.
I would rather you followed
the brief exactly.
I got a bit of a ticking
off from both May and Patrick.
You've let yourself
down a little bit
by doing things that
we didn't ask for.
Oh, like stuck a pin in me, because
you put your whole personality
into each garment,
that's a representation of you,
so for someone to say they didn't
quite like it,
it's a little bit painful.
We are only there to provide
a professional opinion
on the sewing that is
placed in front of us.
Haven't managed to get a button on.
I did, but it fell off. Oh, really?
That's worse, don't tell us that!
We are always honest and we don't
pull our punches when it comes to
the judging and we do that from the
beginning right through to the end.
I'm struck by the remaining pins.
Yes.
Really a lack of all
sorts of stuff going on in here.
The first thing I notice...
I know, I know!
And became known as a bit
of an unruly,
working-class Northerner, which,
you know, I can't disagree with.
What did it say on the brief? Yeah.
Because we'd like to see how well
you top-stitch along an edge.
I would have done it fantastic.
LAUGHTER
May was lovely as a judge.
Will you be very impressed by very
good piping? I certainly will.
Show me your impressed face.
Ooh!
She wasn't as scary as Patrick.
Amazing! Yep.
Everyone wanted to please May.
May is genuinely freaked out.
I am really impressed.
I just wanted to make her proud,
so there was that element there
that you really wanted to do
well for her.
The prick stitching -
a teensy-weensy bit smaller.
May is very much a teacher,
so when she's telling you what you've
done wrong, she's telling you
how to rectify it and she is very
encouraging like that.
But Patrick is like,
"OK, I don't like this.
This isn't it."
I love Patrick's judging because if
he says it's a dog's breakfast,
it's a dog's breakfast.
There's just no two ways about it.
You haven't finished? Yeah.
Looks a little bit like you've
sewn it with your feet.
If this mannequin was two
sizes smaller,
this would be an excellent skirt.
But it isn't.
I don't think you'd want to wear
that out the house. No.
Harsh!
Patrick's blunt honesty wasn't
for everyone,
but for one sewer
he could do no wrong.
It's perfect, Patrick, for leggings!
You know what? Voila!
It's not bad. Feel like...
You can't even see the seam
at this side, look. Ha-ha-ha.
There isn't one!
I've had a lot of stick
about Patrick, as you can imagine.
My daughter, she's like, "Patrick,
Patrick,"
so your sign name is now, "Patrick!"
because you make
her heart beat a little faster.
I'll take that, that's lovely.
While the sewers' technical skills
were always under scrutiny,
there was one challenge
in particular
that tested their more artistic
approach to sewing.
It's an alteration challenge.
We have got not one but two men's
shirts.
We've given you...
A big, baggy, stretchy T-shirt.
We're welcoming you to
the world of wool.
Ooh! That woollen skirt...
It was just so depressing.
I thought, "What am I going to do
with it?" I hated the alterations.
Nothing. Nothing is going
through my mind at the moment.
It had better soon.
I hated the alteration challenges.
I just could not think quick enough.
'Turn this, you know, bin liner
into a wedding dress in an hour.'
I'm going to make a child's
dancing dress,
So I'm going to have some pink
it and some more pink.
I'm really good
at thinking on my feet.
I don't want a baggy bottom.
The alteration challenges were
the ones I was good at.
Can't be showing your knickers,
can you?
The first thing that went through
my mind was absolutely nothing.
It might be an absolute disaster.
What are you doing? Pass.
I was hoping you could tell me.
Do you not know?
I'm making it up as I go along.
No, we can't do that! We can.
I would like to have had a sit
and then think,
"What should I make?"
but there wasn't time.
I'm a child ripping us up.
I wasn't very good at it,
but I still enjoyed it.
The alteration challenge encouraged
everyone to kind of get their
thinking caps on hard and quickly
and to really sew like the clappers.
I have a hem, I have a hem.
You know, it also is an opportunity
for this sewer who isn't necessarily
the most technically adept to
demonstrate their imagination.
I'm just looking at this suit
as a piece of fabric.
I'm going to extract things that
I want from it, like the collar
I want to use, and I'm just going
to make the collar the feature.
(Are you?) Yeah.
You're excited. Yeah, I am. I can
tell. It's emanating from you.
For some of the alterations,
the judges had something
specific in mind.
I have a pillowcase!
Ah...
Right...
You also have these two items.
And what we like you to do is make
a child's fancy dress outfit.
The fancy dress alteration challenge
proved too much for David.
I stood there for about ten minutes
trying to think of what to do.
I had no idea. Come on,
you've got three kids.
And they'd love dressing up.
Come on, then. You're kidding me.
It's red and blue!
I hated it from start to finish.
It's the wrong colour for anything.
I did go down the pub one
New Year's Eve for a fancy dress,
but I did go as Jane,
so I wore three chamois leathers
and carried a stuffed monkey.
Not much of a costume.
It certainly wasn't when it got wet.
Ha-ha! That's what I'm after.
After the challenge had been
revealed, I think
within about 30 seconds I had worked
out what I was going to do,
which was a little shirt
out of the pillowcase
and pirate trousers with
a raggy bottom.
I was really pleased,
I thought it was terribly cute.
Like kids' clothes,
I don't like kids.
No. Patricia hasn't got a hat.
I could make a crown.
OK, three, two, one.
That is it.
When we walked in and saw on the
mannequins what they'd all done,
they were just extraordinary and
so imaginative. They were fantastic.
Wow. Yep, that is pretty genius.
Cerina's pirate outfit was really,
really lovely.
It had satin sleeves
and it was tiny.
A little waistcoat with
a pair of trousers.
APPLAUSE
And that is just brilliant
attention to detail
and all of that in an hour and a
half is swashbucklingly good.
Thank you. I really enjoyed the
pirate outfit, yeah, it was good,
I think because I knew exactly
what I was doing.
But I remember feeling when I won
that challenge, thinking,
"I want to win one of the big
challenges,
"not one of the comedy outfits."
For the Made to Measure challenge,
the mannequins were replaced
with real models as the sewers
tried to impress
with the fit of their garments.
It says 24 but that's the wrong
end of the tape measure.
With the Made to Measure,
we're expecting perfection.
We're expecting a much
higher standard.
This is really quite a fine lace.
Have you worked with lace before? No.
Have you worked with silk before?
No. Holy Moley!
I liked the Made to Measure
challenge
because it pushed my skills.
I learned a new approach
to making clothes,
that it wasn't just a cut
pattern sewn together
and there you go, that's it.
If it fits, it fits, if it doesn't,
it doesn't. Thank you, David.
We're practically married. Indeed.
That back's lovely. I love that.
I actually liked the Made
to Measure challenges.
It fits you lovely over the hips.
Phwoar, get in.
You're in charge of your own
destiny then,
so you know what you're going to do.
It's not something
I had to think up within seconds.
When I first started,
I took all the measurements I needed,
translated that onto my fabric,
so I knew it would fit perfectly.
I was very comfortable with the Made
to Measure challenge
because part of my learning process
when I was trying to learn to sew,
I committed myself to making
clothes for different-shaped women.
For taller women, shorter women,
curvy women, really skinny people...
I just wanted to learn how to fit
clothes to different body shapes
and I think that's one
of the advantages of knowing
how to freehand cut,
because each garment is cut
specifically for the individuals.
Despite trembling fingers
and sweaty palms,
the sewers had to produce
their best work.
I want to see them
make something that's elegant
and figure-hugging,
beautifully balanced, well fitted...
I'd like to think of this
competition as extreme sewing,
like you've been thrown out
of a plane
skydiving with a sewing machine.
Even the most experienced of sewers
could come unstuck
in the sewing room.
Oh, my God.
..and the wraparound dress was
Heather's greatest challenge.
I have just made a massive,
massive mistake.
I was really doing well time wise,
everything,
until it came to sewing
the top to the bottom.
This is going to be
a total disaster.
Sewed the right side of the skirt
to the wrong side of the top.
I'm basically stuffed, now.
That's it.
It was such a disaster,
such a disaster!
Don't panic, Captain Mainwaring.
No, sir. This is just a nightmare.
Why isn't this coming apart? Exactly,
why isn't this coming apart?
Because it's triple-stitch.
I don't know what to do.
I decided to get the scissors -
cut it, remodel it.
It's the only thing I could do.
It was just...
Right side.
Right bloody side. OK.
Are you all right, Heather, darling?
I want to drown in a bucket of gin.
OK, I can organise that for you.
I'll get you a snorkel.
We only just got her in it in time.
David, I'm not one to panic, but...
OK. The time is now.
Go get naked behind the thing.
Is that your usual?
That's my normal chat-up line(!)
Just doing the little about round
the back now
and it's actually finished.
I'll just turn my back for a minute.
Hurry up.
I've got no idea whether it's enough
to impress the judges.
Come on, Heidi.
I'm just grateful that
I've actually got something
to put on my model, to be fair.
OK, here we go, here we go.
All right, that's it.
Time is absolutely up.
Have a lie down, definitely! God!
Can I just wipe the mascara and
sweat from under my eyes, please?
Chinelo produced one of the most
exceptional pieces of sewing
I have seen in The Sewing Bee.
The velvet wraparound dress
was simply stunning.
I mean,
it was a beautiful piece of sewing.
The fit on it was so perfect.
When I was watching you cut
that curve, I was thinking,
"Would it work?" and it's brilliant.
You've done a really good job.
Chinelo works in a completely
different way to most people.
She doesn't use a paper pattern -
she measures, she draws.
It is really, really
an incredible way to sew
and it is a beautiful way to work
and she's really talented,
and that was her gift - the fact
that she could cut freestyle.
This is what we wanted from
stretch fabric week. Thank you.
In all
the challenges on The Sewing Bee,
the sewers could always
rely on the help
and advice of someone with extensive
knowledge of the craft.
Ooh, lovely!
Go on. Do you want a go? Yes!
If you wreck the material, Claudia,
I'm going to find it
very difficult to forgive you.
Tamara, what are you doing now?
You don't really want somebody
poking at you
when you're right at
the end of a challenge.
That is lovely.
That is a picnic dress,
Patrick, you'd look good in it.
But actually, we didn't mind that
because she made you laugh.
Can he leave?
Claudia was pitting
people against each other.
(I want to make a pair
of dungarees.)
Boom! Hell, yes. That is bold.
Simon, you are...
You are finished. Yeah, yeah.
I think Jenni's dungarees
weren't particularly favoured
in the end, so I was a bit...
Thank you very much.
Sewers, you've got five minutes left
and then I'm bringing
the scary people in.
Instead of using your pins,
you chuck it on here.
You chuck it on? Oh.
Oh! I don't know what
you've just done.
Claudia, go away. OK.
I'm not expert,
but I think maybe you cut a tiny bit.
Maybe just put it on the machine,
it's an idea. Yeah.
Come on, army boy.
This is my dream come true, David.
Oh!
As you were, Chinelo, don't panic.
What is that?
That is going to be a little ruche
with a little... A little ruche.
You are pure filth, and I mean
that in a brilliant way. I love you.
OK, if you cut me, I will k*ll you.
You should know that.
On crutches or not on crutches.
She always took the Mickey
out of my fabric.
Some zips in the back
which can be zipped up. Yeah.
I don't know what she was on about,
it was beautiful!
Brilliant(!)
She's just so lovely.
c*ck, you and me. Why not?
Why wouldn't we?
Really down to earth... Argh...
I'm getting down.
Hurry up, Claudia, I need those
pins. All right!
OK, good, that's it. I'm closing it.
That's it.
Good girl, Heather. For the first
time in Sewing Bee history,
I haven't had to shout at you.
While Claudia's presence was always
welcome in the sewing room,
there were other members
of the process that seemed,
at times, unwilling
to help the sewers at all.
There are quite eerie children's
mannequins. Very creepy.
Thank you.
His head just fell off!
Oh! Mind that. I'm trying to dress
the biggest toddler ever.
Come here, Fred.
Come on, Hermione, we're leaving.
As for this person...
..Chinelo, I really don't want you
to have children.
This is how I dress my kids,
Heather. Oh, my God.
A nightmare.
The mannequins were so well-made,
all the arms and legs and heads
fell off.
What?
Yeah, OK.
Claudia is holding the head.
I think she'd done
a bit of Hamlet in that one.
I feel like crying, now, actually.
Don't cry. What?
He doesn't want you to cry.
# If I had a needle and thread
# Tell you what I'd do... #
Challenge followed challenge
but for the contestants,
the sewing room was always a place
of anticipation and surprises.
Let us start the next challenge.
The judges would love you to make
a prom dress for a teenager.
You're probably wondering where your
models are, so let's bring them in.
SURPRISED SHOUTS
It was quite crazy when my niece
and all the girls came in.
I didn't recognise her
until she was about six feet away.
I was like, "Wow."
I was just shocked when Lizzie
walked into the sewing room.
That week,
I hadn't had a very good week,
so it was really nice to
have her there.
But for Cerina, the surprise proved
her biggest challenge yet.
I was....I mean, I nearly fell over!
And you all watched everybody walking
and you went,
"Oh, they know these people.
How marvellous,"
and your daughter literally
stood like that and you went,
"Argh!"
It was so nice. It was such
a relief to have Catherine there.
But then I went into,
kind of, mummy mode
and I completely lost my marbles.
All my timing
and everything went out.
It's a shame you haven't got, sort
of, a sewing oven that you can just
put things in. Come back 25 minutes
later and it's done.
I've made a decision that it's
better just to have a dress
and no skirt. What?
Yeah, I've just...
So overlay gone?
It would have looked lovely,
it would.
I was so sad, I really was.
Move over here for me.
When I read the measurements
of the model, I thought,
"She sounds like she's like Emma.
She's tall and slim."
Honestly, I didn't for one second
imagine that it would actually
be Emma. Anna here is just a joy.
I can put her to work
like I normally do.
They don't call me
Cruella for nothing!
Holly is my niece, the daughter
of a big, burly soldier,
so this better be good or else
he might be having words with me.
That's not bad for a first-ever
concealed zip.
Lynda's finished.
Seriously? Really?
On the table. That's not safe!
Don't worry about safety.
You're a policeman!
I can't believe this is your uncle
and a policeman. Turn around.
Oh, stop shouting at a teenager!
It's not ill*gal.
When they make it ill*gal,
I'll stop.
Oh, my God, what am I doing?
This is definitely not
a conventional way of ironing.
OK, that's it.
Time is up,
step away from your models.
But where Cerina struggled...
I'm just so upset -
I've really done a bad job.
..Lynda excelled.
# Mama, teach me to dance... #
The prom dress challenge was
probably the easiest challenge
for me because that's
the sort of thing I like making.
And actually, the style of
the dress is the style
I used to wear when I was young,
it was my favourite.
Wonder Woman dresses,
we used to call them.
I think there is a really nice
balance to it.
The waist is nice,
the shape in the skirt is good.
I think you should be very
pleased with it.
Emma looked so beautiful in it
and she was lovely to make for,
and it just all fell together
really well, I was lucky.
The intensity of the challenges
increased week on week
but that only brought the members
of the sewing room closer together.
Friendships under pressure.
Trench mentality, almost.
You have to kind of look after each
other. You doing your collar? Yeah.
You've got four bits. Does it say
in the pattern to do four?
No. No. It's common sense...
Oh, yeah, thanks very much.
..for a woman.
I really like my cloth, actually,
I'm really pleased with it
because it's lovely and soft.
It's very traditional, Simon,
just like you.
Oh, I'm not sure how to take that.
You instantly make best mates.
It's fantastic. Oh, that's lovely.
I want to share that with you.
You're sharing the corduroy?
Yeah, it's beautiful.
I don't know
if it was the love of sewing,
the intensity of the competition...
but they formed a great group.
I'm going to go for my hero.
Ah-ah, don't do that.
They looked after one another
and they helped one another and
there was just a lovely camaraderie
throughout the entire competition.
How do you work this out?
We just got on instantly and because
you spend such a long time together,
I mean, I know it's a bit of a
cliche, but you are one big family.
You come through here, then you'll
be able to get back through. Really?
Yeah. So I've done it right?
You've done it absolutely fine,
you were just pulling it through
the wrong side.
You nana. What a dummy.
Heather and Tamara particularly
I am really close to.
I mean, Heather...
You couldn't get anybody a bigger
contrast than Heather and myself.
Hasn't he got a name? Mortimer?
Lancelot? Percival? Horatio. Horatio!
I looked at Julie and she looked
quite scary and she just took
one look at me and she said,
"Eurgh, like a right posh..."
Funny you should say that,
Julie, you know,
I looked at you and thought,
"Common. Not my sort of person,"
and we just laughed and laughed.
That mannequin's got more
brains than me!
LAUGHTER
But of course, we've been best mates
ever since. Sorted.
It's been just a pleasure being able
to talk about buttonholes
and interfacing and really stupid
things like that
which no-one else in my life
understands.
Using that sewing vocabulary
quite freely also,
it's like a different language.
They all had skills to share
but no-one handled a gadget
quite like David.
And then you line that up there,
that goes in there,
give it a good squeeze
and you end up with that.
Having been in the military and now
in the police, it's massive teams.
You don't win
if you don't work as a team.
Aww. Do you know what?
I love you.
Team spirit was
essential as every task
tested the sewers
in a brand-new way.
The needle keeps chewing up
the fabric.
It don't like the fabric.
Tricky materials...
There's an inherent instability
in the fabric itself
that they're going to have to deal
with. That's really stretchy.
That's going
to be a brute!
..and unfamiliar equipment...
How do you get it going?
..all added to the tension.
This is the first time
I've sat at an overlocker
and all I've got in my head
is, "Arrrrrgh!"
Actually, maybe if I did it
right on the edge
that would hold it in place.
What about that thing?
The overlord?
The overlocker!
"The overlord!"
Honestly!
No? No, no overlord.
Sometimes in the Sewing Bee
it was the simplest garments
that caused the most problems,
and making leggings stretched
all of the sewers' skills.
Well, there's stretch,
and there's stretch
and there are fabrics that
really do stretch a lot
and those that don't
move very much at all.
Come on. Come on. This is better
than my wedding night, David.
LAUGHING: Do I wear leggings? No.
Will I ever wear leggings? No.
Dave, I'll lend you these. Are you
going to lend me your shiny ones?
I'll lend you my S&M ones. For a
small fee I'll wear them for you.
They had to make sure the mannequin
had no saggy bottoms.
Oh, my God.
Yeah.
Look at these bad boys.
What we've got here, unfortunately,
is a bit of a saggy bottom.
That's a real shame. It's also
got a saggy bottom. She has.
Um...
It's really not at all neat.
It doesn't add anything.
I like a cheeky pocket.
Well, you don't need one,
you've got all this.
THEY LAUGH
What's wrong with my leggings?
My leggings were great!
Roomy in the seat -
what's wrong with that?
Despite the occasional
saggy bottom,
all the sewers remained determined
to impress the judges,
and winning Garment Of The Week
was the highest prize.
Our Garment Of The Week
this week...is this one.
Yeah, the first week I won
Garment Of The Week. Yay!
It was downhill
all the way after that.
This garment.
CHEERING
So congratulations, Tamara.
Brilliant, professional
piece of sewing.
Lost a few. My confidence
got a little bit lower.
And I just got used to
expecting not to win.
I know for a fact everyone found
that challenge really difficult.
So to have won that was
like an extra star for me.
This is a jacket I would be
very happy to wear myself.
I think this is really very good.
LAUGHTER
Pick yourself up off the floor.
Yeah.
It's like getting the grand prize,
at the end of the day,
when you've been gone over the week.
It's like the best prize.
Favourite piece this week is...
And there was one sewer who
impressed again...and again...
Lynda's overcoat.
..and again.
This one.
Winning Garment Of The Week was
great, I was amazed every time.
I was like, "They choose mine?"
I was really shocked about it.
Lynda, I think, was a terrifically
competent needlewoman
and had lots of experience
in lots of different areas.
It was a near flawless
piece of sewing.
We were really very impressed.
Thank you. Thanks.
"They were almost flawless."
I'll never forget that.
All of the sewers' efforts went into
staying to sew another day.
But every week someone had to go.
In our dream world we would all
just stay here together.
But that is not to be.
Somebody has to leave, and
the person that is leaving is...
All you can hear is your heart beat
in your head, literally. Pin drops.
..Simon.
Sorry! So sorry. Can we just come
and rub ourselves against you?
Can we come and give you a hug?
Give us a hug. Thank you.
It's Julie.
I want you just to stay, anyway.
Pack it in. OK!
What upset me more than anything
were the other contestants
because they were getting upset
and it's like human nature.
If somebody else is upset
it makes you upset.
I was fully expecting it
but it's still not nice.
I wouldn't wish it on anybody.
Cerina.
I'm sorry! No, you can't be
too nice to me cos I'll cry.
SHE LAUGHS
I was devastated to go.
I'd had such a lovely time.
It was so full of camaraderie.
And I've bet a great bunch
of people.
I don't have any other sewing
friends so to meet a whole bunch
of people who all know
what they're talking about,
it's been really good.
Good luck, guys.
Just so sad knowing that either
you're going or somebody who
you've really learned to
care about is going as well,
because we were such a close team.
Now the hideous bit.
And you know someone's got to go.
And you don't want anyone to go.
I'm going to start crying now.
You don't want anyone to go.
It's just horrible.
It's Jenni. Told you. I'm sorry!
No, it's good... Right decision.
Really emotional and you were
losing friends. It's weird.
So it's been nice coming back.
Why am I crying? I've not even
done a task yet. What's going on?
It's getting so much harder to say
goodbye to people each week,
especially Jenni, so it's going to
be really hard not having her
in the room and her energy,
you know. She's my Jenni baby.
It was horrible seeing everyone
go but when Jenni went,
do you know...
SHE EXHALES
What can I say about Jenni?
I love her. She's brilliant fun.
Sewing, for me, gives you everything
that you can ever imagine.
You think of something in your head
and you're able to recreate that
in a garment that you can wear.
Anybody can pick up a needle
and thread and make something
and that's just phenomenal.
I love you guys!
The competition started with
three gentlemen sewers...
I don't want to be associated
with this garment. It's hideous.
Oh, God, I can't watch.
That's not going to fit, is it,
David? Yeah, yeah, it's going to fit.
..but David was the only one to make
it through to the quarterfinal.
We were like his little harem.
It was just great,
he herded us in the morning and
shuffled us around in the evening
and looked after us.
It's on backwards, Tamara.
I realise that.
He brought something
different to the table.
You know, a group of woman
and one bloke.
Kind of, calms you all down
a little bit.
He saw triumphs...
This week's winner is David.
Thank you.
One for Team Gentlemen.
..and disasters.
..but it seems to me a little bit
confused in its execution.
But when it was time to leave,
the other sewers found it
hard to say goodbye.
It's David. I'm sorry!
Come on.
David! Aw!
Oh, David!
We're going to so miss you, David.
It was almost a relief
to leave the competition
knowing that I haven't
got any more sewing to do.
But also it was a real
disappointment to be saying goodbye.
I'm really upset that David's gone.
I cant tell you how upsetting it is,
he's just been amazing.
It really won't be the same.
I'm really, really sad that David's
gone. Really sad. I love him.
He's been my hero.
The girls deserve to be here. I'm
really glad that they're not going
cos I would have been quite upset
if one of them went.
And when he left it was
very, very different.
Going into the semifinal
we really did feel the pressure
and it all got quite serious.
The semifinal is probably always
perhaps the most tense
part of a competition because you're
nearly there but just not quite.
Everybody at that stage
were really good
and they had all earned their place
in the semifinal,
so you knew you were up against
really, really good sewists.
I was surprised to get on
the programme at all.
So every episode for me was like,
"Right, great!"
After making a draped dress
and creating a set-in sleeve,
the semifinalists moved on
to their biggest
made-to-measure challenge yet.
For the final challenge,
the judges would love to see you
re-create a favourite item
of clothing.
You've got six and a half hours.
Your time starts now.
And at that point there was very
little to choose between, I think,
all four of the sewers.
Any one of them could have won it.
Well, everyone else is doing
incredibly complicated stuff.
Obviously now I'm worrying that
this is going to be too simple.
But...this is it.
I don't have enough fabric.
Well, I just re-cut it
and I thought that there is not
enough hanging over the table.
I feel sick. My daughters
are going to k*ll me.
In the midst of the final
challenge, in the semifinal,
under all of that pressure,
she finds out that she doesn't have
enough fabric and then, you know,
what does she do about it?
Does she change the pattern
or try and alter it some way?
Would it help if you were able
to get some more fabric
from the haberdashery? It would
really help, if you wouldn't mind me
cos I'm going to cry. Let's not
waste any more time. Thank you.
Go and have a look in the
haberdashery. Thank you,
thank you so much.
It was my biggest mistake and it was
the one that was most important.
SHE LAUGHS
Oh, there you go!
I'm just so happy to have anything.
SHE EXHALES
I could cry now with relief.
I was so disappointed because
everything just started to unravel.
It's the semifinal, they are going
to be looking for perfection
and this isn't it.
And she realised
that she'd blown it.
What did I do with my needle?
This isn't rolling my hem.
I don't want to panic everyone
but we've got to get dressed.
I don't think I've done enough
to impress the judges, no.
I think it's too simple.
Well, I thought it was definitely
between the two of us,
yeah, and I was absolutely totally
prepared to go at that point.
I really thought that was it,
I'd be out.
It's a mess, it's not
a semifinal garment.
My daughters will be gutted.
I can't even look at that dress,
it ended up looking like a nightie.
It actually felt lovely,
the fabric was lovely,
but it looked like a nightie.
We had to look long and hard at
both Heather and Lynda's garment.
I find the fit a tiny bit
disappointing.
And we had to decide
which one was the best.
Can you just drop your hands for me?
Do I have to? Yes, you do.
The waistline is going
for a bit of a walk.
It was a really, really tough
decision for Patrick and I
because, up until then,
Lynda had been exceptional.
Now, here's the hideous bit -
somebody has to go.
It's Lynda.
Sorry!
I thought it was me.
I loved Lynda enormously. I thought
she was a fantastic contestant.
Thank you so much.
Everybody else did
better on the day.
Thank you. Oh, it's worth going!
It's been an experience of a
lifetime. Even when times got tough
I stuck it out and I'm proud
of myself for that.
You're perfect.
After an emotional goodbye
Lynda left the sewing room
for the last time...
That's for you.
..and returned to her first love -
the classroom...
So you all take yourself a ruler...
..where she works as
a teaching assistant,
and runs a sewing club
for her pupils.
I'm left handed, so I'm going to
work this way.
If you're right handed you work that
way, OK? You're all right handed.
Yeah?
Down... Oh, that's not...
Down...and then back up,
pull it through.
When I was a child we use to sew.
It would be one of the lessons
in school. Of course,
we've lost all that now and I think
it's such a shame because, you know,
at my age we would also knit,
and then there seems to be a gap
where people didn't do it.
Now it's coming back into fashion
again to sew and knit.
A lot of that is due to
the Sewing Bee.
Can you all look at this?
See how perfect that sewing is?
All the gaps, all the stitches
are the same.
You worked really hard there.
You really enjoyed doing it,
didn't you? I can tell.
That's beautiful. I'd be proud
if that was mine.
I'm just hoping that it makes the
children feel good about themselves.
I get satisfaction out of it,
obviously. I hope they do, too.
Are you scared to get the needle in
your fingers or something? Are you?
It was great fun, I enjoyed
every single minute of it
and I wouldn't not have done it
for the world.
Made me see myself a little bit
differently.
I think I've got a bit more
confidence in myself now.
But I'm really glad to be back
in school - this is my life.
But it's great to be able
to sew as well.
For the three remaining sewers -
Tamara, Heather and Chinelo -
it was back to the sewing room
for the very last time.
Going into the final, they were
very, very evenly matched
and they were all very different.
Tamara was more off-piste,
a sense of style
and a way with clothes
that was very different.
It was really exciting
coming into the final
but then also a little bit sad
cos you knew
it was all going to be over and
also knew you got a lot to prove.
Heather, I think had always
chosen to tackle projects
that she knew she could
complete well.
I felt incredibly relieved
that I had got to the finals
but whatever happens
it doesn't matter
because I am going to go out
and I'm going to have fun.
And then Chinelo was the least
experienced
but had an extraordinary ability
with a certain type of clothing.
Going into the final was a lot
of praying, a lot of practising.
I just really, cos at that
stage, I wanted to win,
I really, really did.
Huge congratulations for making it
into the final, can you believe it?
ALL: No.
We'd like you to make a tie.
Oh, gosh, hand sewing.
I've never made a tie before, no.
Never.
When you first started
did you think,
"I'll probably be in the final"?
No. I'd honed to perfection
my leaving speech,
honed it perfectly.
And here you are. And here I am.
Enormous luck. Thank you very much.
I don't want to put too much on it
but everything's riding on this.
SHE LAUGHS
Go away!
Pretty sure this is supposed
to be on the inside somewhere.
When they announced we were
making ties I just thought,
"OK, a tie, how hard could it be?
It's just a tie."
SHE GROANS
SHE EXHALES
Oh...that tie was awful.
It just all went over my head
and the pressure of being
in the finals, it was so much.
I really did just lose my cool and
that tie...had the best of me.
Don't know what I'm...
I had no idea that she had
got really upset over it.
So all I saw was when we finally
judged and her tie wasn't finished.
Sorry.
I'm pretty disappointed.
So am I.
And in first place...Tamara.
It actually was
quite complicated.
It was more fiddly than I thought
it was going to be,
so I was quite pleased
that I'd won that one.
Tamara's success on the Sewing Bee
inspired her to teach others
to emulate her less traditional and
more creative approach to sewing.
She now runs classes
at a local arts cafe.
Since the Sewing Bee,
I've been ever so busy.
I did take three months off sewing
because I had completely
out sewn myself but then, obviously,
like any kind of hobby
or something that you love,
you come back to it, don't you?
You've got to turn yours on first.
Always helps!
THEY LAUGH
It's really nice to be able
to teach people how to sew,
and also do it in a way
that I like doing it.
So I always choose nice fabrics,
bright colours.
We don't make bog standard
aprons or pillow cases.
We make something a little bit
more interesting.
So we are going to sew down here,
down here and down here.
I'm really glad that
I applied for the show.
During the time we were filming
it was very stressful
but in hindsight now, it was
the most amazing experience.
I'm still really good friends
with all the people from the show.
It's been brilliant, awesome,
I couldn't have asked
for anything better.
After her victory with the tie,
Tamara was feeling confident
as the final alteration challenge
was revealed.
We would like each of you to breathe
new life into an old wedding dress.
When I saw the wedding
dresses my heart sank.
You have two hours for this.
Your time starts now.
Come on, girls.
Oooh, dresses!
She's a tall bird, this one is.
I think, you know, just cutting into
a wedding dress feels really...
not the sort of thing
you should be doing.
And it probably was the worst
challenge for me out of all of them,
cos it's all that fabric,
that silky fabric.
And especially sparkly,
froufrou stuff.
There's something quite cathartic
about cutting into a wedding dress.
So, I'm going to make the top
out of two pieces.
Ow.
Can feel where the shoulders are,
so cutting isn't too
much of a difficulty.
What are you making?
I'm making the skirt of my very
classic bridesmaid's dress.
Is that the waist?
Yes, that's the waist seam
and that's the end of the skirt.
So it's like a - poof! Yeah.
Do you feel under immense pressure
to do well in this next challenge?
I definitely do. You've got to come
first is what you're saying.
Well, as you were. Bye.
I thought, "I know exactly
what I'm going to do.
I just looked at it as a piece
of fabric and I was really happy
it was a wedding dress
that I was scaling down.
They've got all that organza and
satin and I just thought I'm going
to have to impress them with
my freehanding on this one.
We've got this beautifully fine hem,
we've got beautiful little
set-in sleeves.
These are about the cutest things
I think I've ever seen.
Our winner on the alteration
challenge is Chinelo. Yay!
Chinelo's unique style for making
clothes in the sewing room
gave her the confidence to set
up her own fashion label,
although she won't be making
any ties.
This has been amazing because we've
been really busy and we're just like
a really good team here and we all
sort of vibe off each other
to make beautiful things.
I think I like the pleats more.
Yeah, I like the pleats as well
cos I like the way it folds here.
Yeah.
I still love making dresses.
It's still the only thing that'll
keep me up till the next day.
It's still the only thing I can
be doing for 48 hours
without any sleep.
It's a bit scary in the sense that
you always want to get
everything right.
You want the fitting to be perfect,
you want people to put it on,
and feel "Wow!" I don't want
to ever disappoint anybody.
It's lovely to know that people
trust me enough to give me
that responsibility.
I do still get recognised and it's
so funny when people walk up to me -
"Oh, you're that Chinelo."
I'm like, "Yeah, Sewing Bee."
But I hate it when I get recognised
when I've not dressed up
and looking nice. I'm like,
"No, it's not me!"
And I'm just sort of living my dream
now so it's just exciting times.
Oh, wow.
After eight weeks of sewing
and having made over 60 garments
between them, the title rested
on one show-stopping dress.
Hello!
Good morning.
For your final challenge
the judges would love you
to make a beautiful gown,
showcasing stunning couture skills.
Models, in you come.
And to help them with pressure
of the final challenge,
the sewing room welcomed some
unexpected but familiar faces.
LAUGHING: Oh, my God!
Oh, my God!
So you've got your very,
very best friends here.
This is it. For the very final time.
You have seven hours
and your time starts now.
If I don't talk to you I'm not being
rude I'm just concentrating.
Don't talk to me just win, win!
I wanted to go in there and really,
really enjoy that last
challenge for what it was,
and...a celebration of having
got through the whole series.
And, of course, being able to do
what I really, really wanted to do.
What I want to make sure is
that they're the same size.
It's the sort of thing that
Patrick's always after - symmetry.
And if it ain't symmetrical...
he doesn't like it.
This is a fight.
This is a glue g*n.
So this is my 3D flowers.
When I did see the other girls
making their dresses I thought,
"Oh, have you really blown
your chances with this one?"
I'm going hell for leather.
That's it!
That is it. Well done, all of you.
Exhausted. I'm feeling
totally exhausted.
Lots and lots of rolled hemming
on the overlocker,
which has given you this lovely
fluted effect. I love that.
I think when we're looking at couture
work it's that liveliness
that you want to keep
in the material.
I think it works really well.
Very beautiful dress.
It fits your model beautifully. You
should be really proud of yourself.
It's a lot of work in a very short
space of time. Thank you.
I was a little bit disappointed that
I didn't see any flowers sewn on.
I'm not sure about using
the glue g*n on a dress.
It could have been quite magical.
It was just too much to do by hand
in the time that you had.
I thought, "Oh, well."
But I'd made something I'd wear.
And I was still pleased with myself,
but I knew that I hadn't
won it by that stage.
Which is a little bit disappointing.
When you come back in, the judges
will announce the winner
of The Great British Sewing Bee.
Jenni!
CHEERING
Friends, family, and their fellow
sewers joined the finalists
before the winner was announced.
Hello.
Hello, lovely friends and family.
Please could the three finalists
come and join us right up here.
The winner of
The Great British Sewing Bee is...
..Heather.
CHEERING
I was absolutely gobsmacked
when they said my name.
Oh, my God!
I was actually speechless.
I can just relive that moment.
It was so surprising, yeah.
So surprising.
So certain in my mind that it
wasn't me...for sure.
So I was quite calm standing there.
I thought, "This is OK.
"It's not me, it's fine,
it's absolutely fine."
That... I...
She showed us how well she could
handle fabric, how well she could
fit to the body, and some
beautiful hand sewing skills.
Finally, this week,
she's absolutely pushed the boat out.
We wanted something worthy
of the name couture
and that final dress was
absolutely the epitome of that.
An incredible experience.
I have learnt so much,
not least from my other competitors
and I thank them to the
bottom of my heart for that.
Your wife won!
So I'm just going to pin down here
to make sure that my zip is
absolutely in the middle.
Winning the Great British Sewing Bee
was an experience which inspired
Heather to help others to sew.
She started a charity teaching
children all that she has learned
behind the machine.
It's free, which means that
the children can come
and learn to sew, there's no cost,
no tuition cost.
You were doing a beautiful,
beautiful seam there.
Absolutely fantastic.
What we're doing with children
is teaching them very,
very fundamental, basic skills
and processes that will take them
through into their next
stage of sewing.
Baseline sewing is where we're at.
I don't really get a chance
to do sewing at home.
It's just really awesome coming here.
It's a big experience
for everybody here,
so I just think we should all be very
good sewers when we grow up.
But now my zip is in place.
So that's what
I want you girls to do.
Go and sew those zips in
and then the magic bit occurs.
I've been recognised loads of times
and the loveliest was a car
that pulled up a few yards ahead,
a little girl gets out,
runs down the street and goes,
"You're the Sewing Bee winner!
"You're the Sewing Bee winner!
"We watched it all, we love it,
I want to come and sew with you!"
And I thought that was absolutely
brilliant. That was just great.
From the moment the ten sewers
entered the sewing room
to the moment they left,
the world of fabrics, patterns and
topstitching became their lives.
Enormous fun. Intense.
And absorbing, and I really
forgot about everything else
in my life during the hours
that I was here.
That was very exciting.
Yeah!
It was just an absolute dream to be
able to do what I love...
for real. On the TV.
In front of millions of people is
just... I still can't believe it.
Pinch me.
I would do it all over again
and I would definitely encourage
anybody else to enter.
I just really enjoyed it. I had fun.
Yeah, there were moments
when I was like, "Oh, God..."
SHE GRUMBLES
Everyone had those moments.
But, generally, I just think it was
a really good experience and fun.
Oh, my gosh, Sewing Bee has
really changed my life.
It's been really, really amazing.
It's been such a ride.
It's changed my life in the fact
that I'm a lot busier now.
But I did work out if you get up
two hours earlier a day,
by the end of four years you've done
yourself an extra year. Great!
SHE LAUGHS
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02x09 - Episode 9
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Amateur sewers take on challenges as they compete to be named Britain's best home sewer.
Amateur sewers take on challenges as they compete to be named Britain's best home sewer.