If last week's woollen capes were
all a bit Mary Poppins,
then I'm afraid the Sewing Room
is about to get just a little bit
50 Shades, as our sewers prepare
to get intimate
with very delicate lingerie.
Welcome to the
Great British Sewing Bee.
At the last Sewing Bee...
BLOWS RASPBERRY
..Angeline just pipped Jamie...
I'm happy. Good stuff, well done.
..to win Garment Of The Week
for a second time.
I still can't believe it.
And Josh clung on yet again...
If you're going to go out,
go out with a bang, I say.
..as Ghislaine became the second
person to leave the Sewing Room.
Now...
The cardigan's coming off.
..the eight remaining sewers face
the most intimate
Pattern Challenge yet.
How can that fit on someone's boob?
An Alteration Challenge that
starts in a charity shop...
We're giving you...
..and ends up in the bedroom.
I'm going to do a babydoll thingy.
Lovely. Covers your bits. Thank you.
..and a luxurious
Made-To-Measure...
It's about ten mile too long.
LAUGHS
..that could deliver...
Pins everywhere!
..the biggest upset
of the competition so far.
Why do I always cut it to the wire?
Come out!
I love it
when a plan comes together.
Our eight remaining sewers are back
to face three more challenges,
set by Esme and Patrick.
Think happy thoughts.
Think of the judges naked. Oh, God.
Think it's going to be
an interesting one. Lingerie week.
Right, nice and organised this week.
Lingerie week could be good for
me.
My style is very feminine.
It's very much about the,
I suppose, the...
Can I say sex appeal?
It's very fiddly
and there's a lot of fine sewing.
I think lingerie's a really hard
one and we're all totally
trying to second guess what we're
going to have to do.
Have you got your slippers,
Charlotte?
Always got the bunnies.
I've got a horrible feeling it's
going to be something like a bra.
Not a bra. No bras, please.
I mean, who wants to make a bra?
I would dread it if the
Pattern Challenge was to make a bra.
I would not have the first clue.
Good morning, sewers.
So, this week, the judges would
like to test you
on how you deal with really delicate
fabrics.
Esme,
would you like to enlighten them?
Here we are.
GASPS AND SCREAMS
No! Pass it round. We were praying
it wouldn't be a bra.
It's a soft cup bra, no underwire...
Good.
..but we want a beautifully
symmetrical scalloped edge
and we want a very close
fit on the mannequin.
You have two and a half hours.
There are some beautiful
laces in the haberdashery
and afterwards, the good news is,
Patrick will be modelling all of the
bras.
Your time starts now.
To make a bra, the sewers have been
asked to use the trickiest
fabric of the competition
so far - stretch lace.
I haven't got a bloody clue.
I'm looking for a lace with
a scalloped edge,
because there is scalloped
edge on the pattern,
so I'm just trying to
search for one that has it.
Nice scalloped edge. Not so nice,
so we'll have that.
I'm going for purple, and I'm going
for this pink underneath,
so it looks naked.
At my age, I should know better.
Stretch lace.
It's not that easy to sew,
because it's fine and it's stretchy.
We want each cup to be symmetrical.
It's very important, the symmetry,
and also this point here.
It might look simple,
but they have to be very accurate
sewing that point together.
But also, there's some very,
very complex geometry,
so the seaming needs to be
very accurate,
the cutting needs to be very
precise, because we will see
any differences from one side to the
other incredibly clearly.
I'm actually quite
happy about the challenge.
It's more construction, it's
kind of quite like tailored stuff.
Jamie's love of construction
and tailored garments
is a family affair.
My grandfather was a big influence
on the style of clothes that
I like to make.
Very much a gentleman, he wouldn't
leave the house without a hat
and he was always very
smartly dressed.
Not a lot of pieces to go wrong,
is there?
There's a lot TO go wrong,
but there's not a lot of PIECES to
go wrong, so should be OK.
With their stretch lace chosen...
This is really mean.
..the sewers need to begin cutting
out the most intricate
pattern yet in the Sewing Bee.
There's so many bits to it,
and they're so small.
Like, how can that
fit on someone's boob?
The pattern is made up of nine
small pieces of fabric.
Three pieces are sewn together
to form the cups,
an underband is attached, two
panels are joined at the back with
a hook and eye fastening,
and it's finished with
two adjustable
shoulder straps.
I've made a bra before and it was
sort of completely useless.
It was like putting on a vest,
it was that effective.
Not all of Charlotte's stretchy,
close-fitting garments have
ended in disaster.
Trying on swimsuits in the shops is
a horrible experience,
but making one is amazing,
because you don't have to get
undressed in public
and you make this thing that fits
you
in a way that a bought swimsuit
can't. It was wonderful.
I don't know. I'm just going to go
with the picture
and hope for the best.
What could go wrong?!
Cutting stretch lace for a
close-fitting bra will be tricky.
Well, it's got to be.
The small size of the pattern
pieces demand even greater
accuracy during cutting.
Just need to be careful.
The slightest deviation will
not only affect
the symmetry of the bra...
Man, this is bonkers.
..but could also prevent
the intricate pieces
from fitting together.
An ill-fitting bra isn't good.
I've got meaty hands and I hate
the fact that this is so fiddly.
Although he's never made
lingerie before,
Josh's passion has had
an impact on his relationship.
When I was first sewing, it was
the odd evening here and there,
and then I moved my sewing
machine into my own bedroom,
so it started taking
over my bedroom life.
My girlfriend's always been open
to me doing what I want,
so she's very supportive.
Morning, Josh. Morning.
There's a sort of sense
of resignation in your voice
this morning.
SIGHS
This is the thing that I was
praying wouldn't come up,
and unfortunately, it has.
It isn't as difficult as it
might appear,
and you've just got to sew it
really accurately.
And you've got to be accurate. Yeah.
What is it about it that is
worrying you the most?
It's something that I've never
even looked at,
in terms of how it's made,
and normally they're only
there for a couple of seconds,
and then it's gone.
# Hold your hand out,
you naughty boy. #
Making a bra in only two and a half
hours may be daunting, but there was
a time when women had to spend just
as long putting their underwear on.
Freedom from countless
uncomfortable layers was finally
delivered in 1894, by divorced
single mother Lucy Sutherland,
the designer of a fashion
phenomenon -
a liberating new dress
known as a tea gown.
Lucille must have realised pretty
quickly that a tea gown, although
lovely, probably needed some pretty
underclothes to go underneath it.
The underclothes they were wearing
were probably rather clumsy,
so she decided not only would
they have a beautiful,
lacy tea gown, but she would
design the most gorgeous
and luxurious and soft
and sensual underwear to go beneath.
Rebranding herself Lucille,
she discarded the constricting
whalebone corsetry and replaced it
with deconstructed bras, camisoles,
nightgowns, negligees and pyjamas.
She liked soft, fluid fabrics.
She loved silk, chiffon, lace,
and all the trimmings.
She would use flowers,
she liked velvet bows.
To add to their appeal,
Lucille came up with an innovative
way to market her creations.
She would call them
these wonderful names.
Garden Of Love, or The Sighing
Sounds Of Lips That Are Unsatisfied,
or whatever it was, you know.
She made it really very, very sexy.
In 1905, she launched her own
boutique in London's Mayfair,
but the business wasn't
an immediate success.
People didn't want to buy them,
because they would come,
they would look,
and they would feel shocked.
They would then come back again,
they would be less shocked,
and on their third or fourth visit,
they would buy them, wrap them
up in brown paper bags so nobody
could see what they'd bought and
then hurry them back to their homes.
To combat Edwardian modesty, Lucille
created a space in her boutique,
known as the Rose Room, where women
could shop in complete privacy.
Luxurious and exclusive,
it soon became THE place to shop for
the women of London's high society.
She had a few very,
very famous people,
that were huge in court,
had huge fashion followings,
and the more they came to her,
the more her business grew.
The more her business grew,
the more outrageous she became,
and she just had
this following of successful, rich,
beautiful women,
that just wanted to wear Lucille.
In 1910, she repeated this winning
formula in New York,
undeterred even
by a business trip on the Titanic.
She was rescued,
but lost over a quarter of a million
pounds worth of stock.
Lucille was a survivor.
She survived bankruptcy,
she survived broken hearts
and she wasn't afraid to push
the boundaries.
For me, her lasting legacy is really
how she changed the way women feel.
I think Lucy was determined to make
women feel fabulous.
With all their pieces cut out,
the first elements to
construct are the cups.
Joining two pieces of stretch lace
requires careful sewing.
EXHALES SHARPLY
Both pieces are highly mobile
and have edges with
different-sized curves.
Unless they're joined evenly,
the cup shape will be distorted.
I'm changing the standard
foot for this foot, which is called
a walking foot, cos that'll help the
fabric go through at the same rate.
So it looks like a fancy bit of kit,
but it's quite simple, really.
Never made a bra before.
Underwear is the only garment Tracey
doesn't make for herself,
but she regularly sews with
stretch fabric.
I'm a big fan of cotton with
a bit of spandex in it.
The style of a lot of the stuff
I make is,
I would probably describe as
"comfortable."
I think... You get to my age,
I'm built for comfort, not speed.
Right, I've fastened the two
under-cup pieces together
and now I'm attaching the piece that
goes on the top half of the bra.
The instruction says,
"Attach the upper cup,"
which is this bit with the scallop,
"to the lower cup,"
which is the bit that I've already
sewn,
so that they make something vaguely
looking like a bra cup.
The complex construction of a bra
doesn't quite suit Rumana's
usual sewing style.
I'm a really haphazard sewer.
I'm a bit like, when you get
an IKEA bit of furniture,
just "Put it together, it's fine,
work it out," but I've realised
with sewing, you probably need to be
a little bit more methodical.
Do you now think, "Do you know what?
This could be my thing.
"I'll make all my own underwear."
I don't know.
It's all brand-new materials,
brand-new everything to me, so...
Just follow the instructions,
that's what my plan is.
But this is the one thing that is
so much cheaper to make at home,
so, ie, if you found the bra that
you like, you're off.
That's true.
I love this colour. Black.
Some people have gone mad. Yeah.
Little bit of Madonna going on here.
In an attempt to give their finished
cups more shape...
See? And it stretches.
..one sewer has already
turned to the iron.
I learnt last week just to make
sure that I press.
But I don't know whether this
actually requires pressing.
Jade has been working with lace
since she began
sewing at the age of 14.
The item that I'm most proud of
would definitely be my prom dress.
All the lace,
that took so much effort.
I do like vintage stuff,
I have quite a few vintage patterns.
Anything from a ball gown to
a pair of knickers.
It looks like a bra, doesn't it?
I'm stealing this.
I don't think it would fit me.
I have never made a bra before,
so today we are
following the pattern, and as we do
each bit, we're ticking it off.
Joyce is a retired schools
administrator
and after 50 years of
sewing by her own rules,
following a
pattern doesn't come naturally.
I just like to do things in my way,
and my style,
but I will try and fit in.
As long as I can do it my way!
"Cut your clear elastic in half..."
The next stage of the pattern...
"..underside of the
scalloped edge." OK.
..should ensure that the cups
cling to the body.
They don't fit on my lady's boobs.
Each cup needs a transparent elastic
to be fitted inside its top edge.
Don't stretch it.
Why would that go in there?
So this goes in here?
Honestly, you can tell I don't get
too close to this sort of garment.
"Cut your clear elastic in half,
using a three-step zigzag stitch."
What on Earth is
a three-step zigzag stitch?
The zigzag's got
a bit of give in it, so obviously,
if you stitch it with a straight
stitch, it'll pop.
The stitches will pop,
and the fabric won't be able to
stretch properly.
The elastic is just five
millimetres wide...
Phew! That felt like the hard part.
..and even if they manage
to begin attaching it...
Oh. No. I'm finding it really hard
to get it into my machine.
..they need to evenly stretch
the elastic as it's sewn...
This is ridiculousness.
..or the most visible
edge of their bra will be lumpy.
That's not worked.
I've not stretched the elastic
enough to actually fit
all the way across.
It's got a bit of elastic on there,
so it should fit.
Ring-a-ding-ding. That is kebab,
and back to mine.
You're so classy, Claudia. That's
what I love about you.
I am.
I have worked with dresses with
stretch lace, and there were
scalloped edges on it, so I am aware
of how the scallops should sit,
but obviously, not on a bra,
but I'm hoping that it
sort of works the same way.
Complex construction with fine
fabrics has been Angeline's
obsession since she mastered
the basics of home sewing.
It brings me
out of my comfort zone slightly.
That's where you sort of achieve
something that you never
think you could ever do.
I love creating something dramatic,
and also just glamorous.
Glamour is definitely the key.
You have won Garment Of The Week
twice now. Yeah.
Twice in a row, and we've only done
the show twice. Yes.
So, do you feel...
Do you go home and bash your chest,
and go, "I am amazing"?
"I am the queen."
Yeah. Do you? No, I don't.
Sewers, you have 48 minutes left,
in bra world.
"With the right sides together, sew
on the bottom band." Bottom band.
I am pinning my underband to the
bra itself.
Charlotte, does that look right
to you? Yes. 100%. OK, I'm sewing.
Once the underband is
sewn to the cups...
Does that look like a bra? Yes.
Unfortunately, I don't
really need one.
..the sewers need to attach
the side bands.
The side bits seem to be too small
for the amount of bra I've got.
I'm wondering whether I've stretched
the lace.
I'm going to have to just slightly
gather that a little bit,
to make it fit onto that.
And then...
Next step, next step, next step.
..there's even more elastic.
The cardigan's coming off.
So, I now need to attach the bottom
elastic to the bottom of the bra.
A second type of elastic, called
picot, holds the bottom and
sides of the bra close to the body.
I don't know which one
picot elastic is.
It's designed to be seen, under the
armhole and lower edge,
to give a decorative effect.
This is the picot.
Now, I've pinned it
so you can see how it just
peeps over the top.
I've never used this type
of elastic before.
Picot should be sewn on the
inside,
with its shiny surface
against the skin.
Three-step zigzag stitch and it's
close to the picot edge. See?
Its decorative loops need to be
just visible above the bra's edge.
Very difficult. Gets on your
nerves.
This is the first time, I think,
that I've really panicked.
But I've attached the shiny side to
the bra,
which means that the wrong
side is facing the skin,
which has
caused me to lose a lot of time.
Right, what do I need to do?
Sewers, you have 30 minutes,
half an hour left.
All right.
I'm not panicked, I'm not panicked.
See, look. This thing here is
supposed to fit inside
this thing here, but it's a lot
wider.
I'm going to have to put a little
gather in it. It's not ideal.
SIGHS
I think I've done it.
Agh! My hand is shaking.
It's just so fiddly.
I'm a wee bit stressed.
I don't think I can afford to not
finish my garment. It seems
to be a recurrence, and I really
don't want that to be the case.
I'm close.
That looks OK.
I have a bra!
So I can sit back and have
a cup of tea, then?
Shush. It's only cos
I've done it before.
Och, I'm so far behind.
It's not going to be perfect, I
know,
but for the time that I had,
I'm happy.
I'm right chuffed with that. You're
right chuffed? I'm right chuffed.
Joyce? Finished, I'm finished,
Claudia! Well done!
You've finished.
One minute, sewers.
Come on, babe.
Mmm.
Angeline, are you all right?
Angeline, are you going to be all
right? No, it keeps...
Just put it on the mannequin.
Why is mine twisted?
Oh, I'm going to cry.
How do you loosen these things?
I've twisted the straps.
Baby, it's fine, it's
fine. Put her on.
I got a twist in my last second.
Guys, it's over now. Over, over,
over.
Step away from your bras.
Bring your mannequins up.
Come on, man, yeah.
Eight stretch lace bras made from
scratch
in just two and a half hours.
But what will Esme and Patrick make
of the sewers' first items of
lingerie?
Charlotte, you're up first. Please
bring your gorgeous bra forward.
I love the colours, the combination
of the colours. Thank you.
All over, it's very neat. It's
hugging well,
there's just the right tension in
the elastic, there.
There's a good tension underneath.
We have got just the very edge of
this picot,
which is exactly what we were
looking for, all the way around.
This works. Not twisted. Back
fastening is very neat.
Actually, you know... You've
gathered it. Actually, you haven't.
I know, I had to.
To get it to fit in.
But I prefer that you've done
that than made it wider...
Yes. ..because it would have
really sung out at us. Yeah.
This is the only thing that stops
this being absolutely perfect.
Well done. Thanks.
The fit all the way round,
everything's doing its job.
Tension here's not bad. The back...
You've gathered it in slightly.
You've obviously cut it a
bit wide and had to just ease
it in, and it's just given us
little ripples.
You're showing a little bit too much
of the edge of this elastic.
We should just see the
loops. Yes, the loops.
When I look at it, it just doesn't
have the symmetry.
Also, it's gaping a little
bit at the front.
Did you press it? Yeah. So you might
have stretched it
when you pressed it, you know. Maybe
when I pressed it, yeah.
But for me, this is the worst bit,
cos it really knocks you in
the eye, that. Yeah.
That they're not lining up.
I was worried you weren't going
to finish, but you have.
Yeah. So well done.
It's a little bit untidy
in various places.
This seam here looks just a little
bit lumpy.
You've actually made it difficult
for yourself,
because you've got this quite
textured lace,
you've twisted this strap,
unfortunately,
in the panic to get things done.
It doesn't have the finesse... Yeah.
..that we would like. It didn't
feel like it was having the
finesse when I was working
with it, to be honest.
You've done a really good
job here. Thank you.
It's matched here, the tension's
good under the bust.
For me, you've done this
fantastically.
I think you're understating it. I
think it's absolutely flawless.
I mean, the picot is very, very
even. Very nicely sewn.
This is absolutely flawless here.
I can't imagine that... It's great.
..there's much else you could have
done that would have improved this.
Oh, that makes a nice change.
Well, I don't know where to start,
but let's start with the
really obvious bit.
You're a long way from finishing.
Yeah.
Here, this strap should have gone
through the other side
of the slider. You're never going to
have any proper tension on that.
It'll always do that. Yep.
Oops a daisy. Not your best
challenge ever. Yeah.
I mean, first impressions, not bad.
Somehow, it seems a bit deeper
there than most of the others.
Yeah, I don't know why.
Almost like you've cut this piece a
little deep. Either that, or
it's all stretched a bit.
The picot's not bad. Again, you've
just had to pleat it a little
at the back here to get it in.
Yeah. I've got a problem with this,
where you've gathered it in to the
side. Yeah.
Overall, I'd say
it's pretty competently done.
Yeah, thank you.
Another twisted strap.
Yeah. Also... Oh, hold on. Oh, no!
This one... Oh, no! You mean,
"Oh, no, we've found it?",
or... No, no, genuinely, it was...
No, honestly, it was working.
There is evidence, Esme,
of a stitch having been present.
If it was present,
it is no longer doing its job, which
is a shame.
Well, at least this one was the
right way round and not twisted.
Oh, God. The picot's nicely sewn on.
The back is very even and neat.
No pleating at all in there, that
runs in together really nicely.
The panels are well joined. I
think it's sitting nicely.
I think it's a shame. You're so
close to a really good bra there.
Esme and Patrick must now decide...
WHISPERING
..who they think has mastered the
trickiest Pattern Challenge
of the competition so far.
WHISPERED CONFERRING
Patrick, who comes in eighth?
Eighth place, Angeline. You
didn't get it finished.
Seventh place, Josh. You finished
everything,
but it doesn't have a finesse to it.
Jade's sixth,
Rumana's fifth,
Jamie's fourth
and Tracey is third.
In second place...
..Charlotte.
Beautifully sewn,
impeccable detailing everywhere,
beautiful combination of colours.
You know why it's not
in first place?
You've got a tiny little
tuck on the back strap
and that is the only thing we could
choose to separate them.
Thank you. In first place is Joyce.
CLAPPING AND CHEERING
Well done, Joyce. Everything about
it is very nicely sewn. Oh,
thank you so much.
In two and a half hours, you've
made an immaculate bra.
Huge well done to Joyce, well done
to all of you. Off you go,
have a relax. When you come back,
the Alteration Challenge. Well done.
We're so proud of you. Oh, thank
you. Joyce is so happy!
Good job.
Oh, thank you, Charlotte.
A bloody miracle, Jamie.
# Teacher's pet, I wanna be
teacher's pet. #
This morning, I made a decision that
I was really going to read
the pattern and it paid off. Yes!
Ah.
Definitely making more bras.
Having your piece of clothing fall
apart at the judges' hands,
I was just, I was actually
horrified.
I wanted the ground to swallow me
up.
I didn't come last. Not yet, but I
didn't in that challenge.
I'm so cross that I stitched it the
wrong way round.
I'm so cross that I left myself
under so much time pressure.
Yeah, I'm just really cross.
The sewers' next lingerie challenge
involves the element of surprise
and a trip to a charity shop.
After the judges tested you on
very, very tricky lace,
for the Alteration Challenge, they
would love you
to make a piece of lingerie from a
different kind of material.
Patrick...
Today, we're giving you...
..a scarf.
We'd like you to make an item of
lingerie
to fit one of your
mannequins.
You can have three scarves. All are
different,
so you have to think carefully how
they go together.
You can use the haberdashery for
trimmings,
but the judges would like you just
to use the fabric from the scarves.
These two have to depart, goodbye.
You've got 90 minutes. Your
time starts...
..now.
They're all different
sizes, as well.
Why wouldn't anybody want that?
Just me.
Every charity shop up and down the
country
has bundles of these scarves, and
actually,
it's a very inexpensive way
of buying a really beautiful quality
silk.
What'll be interesting is to see
how they use them.
They've already got an edge, which
they won't have to redo. Yep.
We need to see them understanding
the natural drape of this fabric.
And they could be cut on
the bias
and that really lends itself to
lingerie.
So I want to do a camisole. That
doesn't really go.
I don't know about that one,
but I think these two complement
each other.
My idea is something like this.
It's going to be a wee nightie.
Fingers crossed, cos I really need
to pick up my game on this one.
I am going to make a cami top. This
one just has a massive bow on
the front of it. I quite like that.
I'm going to do a babydoll thingy.
Lovely. Covers your bits. Thank you.
I'm going to make a little babydoll
nightie,
that's going to have little
triangle-y bits for the bosoms,
like this, that are going to be
gathered underneath.
I'm making a camisole. I'm utilising
the edge of the scarf
as the top edges of the camisole,
and then this bit will be sewn
to some of the blue.
I'm making some lady boxers. I've
chosen to make a pattern,
because I like to try and get things
right. We've only got a short time,
and you've only got one shot at it.
If it goes wrong, it goes wrong.
Josh. What are you making? Like a
dropped-sleeve jumpsuit,
with just the skirt rather than the
shorts,
that should do up at the
back,
which I understand... Is that
underwear?
Erm, no, I would class it as
lingerie. Nice.
One hour remaining...
..to make lingerie out of old silk
scarves.
I just pinged myself in the face.
Because a lot of this is cut on the
bias, so it's stretchy, I've
given meself a slight problem.
I'm just putting my booby bits on
my mannequin,
just to see if they sort of work.
That's the frill, nearly,
for the bottom.
My idea has changed from being a
nightie to more like a wee
camisole top. This is going to
go round the front.
I just hope that they will determine
this to be lingerie.
I'm hoping that I can get it
finished,
so then maybe I can change
the shape of it
to give it a bit more "feminimity."
Is that all right?
Is that a word? "Feminimity?"
Sewers, you are halfway through.
I'm doing something that twists.
How it twists? Don't know.
Can it be backless? Is that rude?
I'm using the second scarf to make a
very, very simple waistband.
I'm going to sew the elastic into
the silk and stretch it.
Think it actually looks like a
camisole now.
I think I'll do the hemming next
and do the straps last.
Going to put the pins in there.
I am just sewing my straps on.
So, I bound the neck first, and then
I enclosed that edge into this edge.
I'm doing a rolled hem.
OK, so, one extremely narrow hem.
I've used a silk-satiny binding.
Just makes it a little bit
more luxurious.
Even more important than a
luxurious finish...
This is going to be a strap.
..the judges want to see lingerie
that fits the mannequin.
Slightly unnerving.
It's important that it sort of hugs
the boobs and then it's in tight,
so mines is actually a
tie-back,
so it'll be able to
grasp underneath the bosoms.
Just better check it fits her,
cos this is where it goes all
horribly wrong.
Sewers, you've got half an hour
left. Half an hour.
Methinks too tight.
Plan two. Josh.
Got enough time? Looks
complex, what you've created.
I'll certainly finish it. It's
disgusting, but...
No, don't say it's disgusting!
Oh, blimey, does this go on? Oh.
Straps, quick press, then I'm done.
That was close. I need to put the
strap on
and then I'm just
going to press it and that's it.
I just need to do a wee bit of
hand-sewing here,
just for the draping.
There we go.
I'm finished.
Panicking somewhat, beca... How long
have we got, Claudia?
Sewers, you have 11 minutes.
Great.
Is there any shirring elastic
anywhere? Is it in our box?
Shirring elastic? Yeah. No, it's
all over there in a big jar.
Where? That one, over there.
Where was it, Trace? Definitely
it was in a jar.
If it's not that one, try that one
at the back, by the window.
Is my neck too high?
What happens to the sides if
your neck's lower? Lovely.
I'm just looking at that right
boob and thinking,
"That's so falling out."
Yeah.
Shir around the top,
pull it in that way. Right.
It is quite revealing. Show a
little bit of side boob.
Did you say "side boob?"
You've got four minutes.
Four minutes. Can't get mine to fit
properly.
I'm just going to roll them,
and quickly hem them.
I can't remember how I twisted it
round. What do you mean?
It's all twisting. It's supposed
to be like that, maybe.
I'm done, and whatever this
creation is, it is finished.
I'm just going to hand-sew this
little bit in.
Seem to have missed it.
Guys, 30 seconds.
Let's just tuck it in.
OK, that's it.
These WILL fit.
Get your mannequins. Let's bring
them to the front.
Let's jiggle them around.
# Everybody loves a lover. #
Patrick and Esme will have no idea
whose charity shop silk scarf
underwear is whose.
I think they've done pretty well.
I'm reasonably impressed.
This person's put elastic round
here
and they've turned one scarf into
this little skirt.
It's quite cute, how they've done
the back there, with the crossing.
They've thought about the geometrics
on here.
And here, it hasn't
stretched, and that's a danger.
It's been actually very competently
put together in the time. Yeah.
We've got a vest here and I like
the fact that this person has
put this bow on this corner.
That has been really clearly thought
through.
This looks a little stretched.
I'm not quite sure I love the
combination of these two fabrics.
Neither am I.
A lot of twisting, front and back.
The front is more successful
than the back.
I agree. I'm not quite
sure why we need this.
It's almost like they made it,
and then it was too big.
Right.
I think this is a strange selection
of scarves. Is it lingerie?
Is it night attire?
I'm not really sure.
I think, given that this is a very
lightweight silk, the whole
impression is just a bit,
sort of, leaden. Heavy.
This one, by contrast, I think, has
made really good
use of the silk.
It's full of bounce.
They've really thought about this.
We've got these inserted
godets here, that go all the way
round, which is a different scarf.
And they've used the edge of the
scarf in these V-shapes.
And we've got four pieces cut
and seamed and I think,
actually, very successfully seamed.
I think it's really
well thought out.
So, this person has been quite
bold in making a knicker.
I don't know what kind of elastic
they've put in here.
Feels like shirring elastic.
The hem is awful.
It really jumps out.
Well, maybe they didn't
think about the hem on the scarf.
Yes, that would have been the
place to use it.
Right.
I like it.
The combination of the two fabrics
is actually really good.
And they've used the edge of
the scarf on the hem.
For me, it's a little bit too mumsy,
to tell you the truth.
But it has been well thought out.
These seams are all very neatly
handled.
That is extremely even.
This frill on the bottom is a very
even gather,
it's a very even depth.
I'm pretty impressed.
Except that it's mumsy.
Oh. There seems to be a
theme going on here.
That, for me, works better
than the other one.
It does, because of all of this.
Yes. You've got a little
handmade rosette there. They've used
the hem again for the bottom.
We've got a sort of double cut
there. That's interesting.
Again retaining the
original... Edge. ..edge.
Choice of this blue with
this works really well.
It fits the mannequin, actually,
very well. It's good.
Esme and Patrick will now rank the
silk scarf alterations.
In eighth place is this one,
the Paisley one.
Josh. We weren't actually sure
what the hell it was.
Seventh place, it's the halterneck
twisted with the florals.
We just didn't really like the back.
It just felt a little bit clumsy.
Jamie's sixth,
Jade's fifth
and Charlotte is fourth.
In third place, our babydoll
dress with the lace straps.
Well done. Really well balanced.
You've carefully thought it through
and you've ex*cuted it really well.
In second place...
It's the nightie.
It works very, very well, with the
frill at the bottom.
Really nicely made and well thought
out. Thank you.
Which means, our winner is...
..Tracey's negligee.
What a great piece of
work. Thank you.
It's so well thought through, it's
well-ex*cuted, beautifully
colour-balanced. It's fantastic, so
really well done. Thank you.
Well done. Yeah, well done. Are you
happy? Yes, very!
So, a huge well done to all of you.
Today was really tricky, I know.
Go home, you can all
wear your nightwear.
Jamie, I'd like to see a photo of
you in those orange shorts.
And then come back in tomorrow, for
your big challenge.
Night-night.
Congrats, congrats, Tracey! Well,
of course, it was brilliant.
Thank you. Well done.
I never thought for a minute I'd
ever get first. I didn't
think it was something I was good
at and clearly I was.
So I'm completely overwhe...
Completely overwhelmed.
Well done. Amazing, thank you.
You deserve it.
I feel a lot better about coming
third.
A slightly nicer position than what
I was this morning.
That was harsh. I did expect to
come higher in the challenge,
because I didn't do the same as
everybody else.
But, I think I can pull it back
tomorrow.
I knew I would struggle with
lingerie.
I'm definitely in the deep end, as
it were and I'm in the firing line.
There's just one more item of
lingerie to make
before one sewer is awarded Garment
Of The Week
and another has to
leave the Sewing Room.
Who's been doing really well,
are Joyce and Tracey.
Joyce's bra was pretty much
perfect... Yep.
..and her alteration was really
first-rate. And I think...
And we loved Tracey's. It
was clever.
It's clear Josh is
sitting at the bottom.
His Alteration Challenge, well, we
had no idea what the hell it was.
Let's talk about Rumana.
Her bra was nicely made, actually.
It was just that, when we started
fiddling with it, it came apart.
Yeah. Would you say everybody
else is safe?
I wouldn't have said so.
I'm disappointed with Jamie and his
cami-knickers.
They were really
quite poorly sewn
and I think Angeline's bra was a
challenge to forget.
For this final challenge, the
mannequins are gone.
Morning, hon, you all right? Yeah.
The sewers will be fitting their
last item of
lingerie to a real person.
Welcome, sewers, and a massive
welcome to our brilliant models.
For your Made-To-Measure Challenge,
the judges would love you to make
a luxurious and very beautiful robe.
Think silk, piping, not towelling.
So, you have five hours. Enormous
luck. Your time starts now.
Right, I'll measure you first.
This is the one challenge the
sewers have been able
to practise at home.
That's all right there, isn't it?
But now, they have to fit it
to their model...
It's about ten mile too long.
LAUGHS
..and make it with their chosen
luxurious fabric.
I would say, anyone can wear any old
robe. I have done, in the past.
How will you...
What will you be looking at?
Length of sleeve is really
important. Yes. We don't want
the end of the sleeve down here.
We don't want shoulders that sit
here, and likewise,
we don't want shoulders that are too
narrow.
You know, if you've got a
shawl collar,
needs to be hugging the neck
and it needs to be sitting and lying
flat across the chest.
What's the best kind of fabric for
a robe?
The way it hangs is obviously vital.
Something like a crepe de chine or
a silk has great movement
and hangs over the body really
gorgeously.
Even a really beautiful cotton would
look great.
For a really high-quality cotton
lawn,
it's got a really nice sort of
floatiness to it.
Charlotte is making a kimono-style
robe,
with contrasting trim on the
neckband and cuffs.
I'm going to be finishing everything
by hand,
so that's the other thing that's
luxurious about this, is the finish.
So, I've got very,
very fine needles to do that with.
I just like the idea of something a
little bit ethnic,
but also quite fun, so that's why
I'm going for a kimono robe.
Rumana's version of a kimono robe
will have traditional drape
sleeves, and she's mounting fine
lace on top of a crepe back satin.
I'd really love to do well today,
especially after yesterday.
The thing is, even though we've been
able to practise these,
I don't feel like I've done my
Made-To-Measure
to my best of my ability yet.
Took me 40 minutes to cut it
out at home, so, argh.
This is so much fabric. I have
taken a basic robe pattern
and altered it quite a bit. I seen
these puffed sleeves on a robe
and I thought, "That's a good idea,"
so...
I like taking inspiration
from past fashions.
Working with crepe back satin,
Angeline's vintage-style robe
has a full-length flared skirt.
What's happening here, on the yoke?
So, I am attaching the
lace yoke... Oh!
..for the front and the back. So
that's inserted, or laid on?
That's going to be inserted.
There's going to be a weight to
this... There is, yes.
..so it might pull this lace, you
know. It could, but then I
thought, "If I add the twill tape,
then it'll give that wee bit more."
So you're going to have a tape
across the shoulder seam, as well?
You're not just joining two pieces
of lace together?
No, there's going to be
this tape. OK. OK.
Well, I think this is going to be,
well,
I'm hoping, really dramatic and
sexy. Good. Thank you.
# Oh, happy day. #
I'm making a full-length robe,
so it's this one, with a crossover
front.
It's very simple, very classic.
Tracey's making a collarless robe
with gathered sleeves.
She's trimming the neckline and
cuffs
with delicate decorative lace.
I chose this, because it's something
I would wear.
It's my kind of colours
and yesterday in the Alteration
Challenge,
the scarves I chose were this
colour.
And it got me first, so maybe
blue's a lucky colour for me.
Some sewers are taking this final
challenge in
a very different direction.
I am doing a very nice
man's robe. Are you?
He only wears it when he's with
somebody he wants to impress. Ooh!
I think ladies' is
harder than men's.
Why do you think ladies' is harder?
I'd have thought a men's one
was harder. Well, because you've got
darts and...
Yeah, but darts aren't difficult. I
think piping's more difficult
than darts.
Do you? If we're playing Sewing Top
Trumps,
your piping trumps my darts.
Trumps.
Jade is making her own pink piping
to trim the pockets, cuffs
and collar of her
full-length man's robe.
What are you doing there? I am
marking where my pocket goes,
cos I'm going to pattern match my
pocket... You're going to
match the pocket? ..to go onto it.
Ooh! Very good. So they should
match perfectly.
I really like this print.
I think it's a really good choice
for this type of garment.
I'm going for a very traditional
gentleman's housecoat.
Grandad had a robe very similar, so
yeah,
it's sort of part of my childhood,
part of my history, I guess.
Jamie is the only sewer attempting a
quilted collar, cuffs, and
pocket tops for his
silk-lined housecoat.
I have gone for a lightweight silk.
I'm actually going to mount
the silk onto some black lining,
which has got silk in it.
So, why start with a very light,
diaphanous, soft fabric,
and then stick it onto something
heavy?
Sounds like it needs an awful
lot of precision.
And you think you'll get this
finished?
This is going to be finished.
OK.
But there is more than one housecoat
that will need to be finished.
There's a lot of pieces to this
pattern.
Luckily, Jamie has the same pattern,
so if I lose something
I can go and take it from him.
Josh is making his robe in stretch
satin,
with a contrasting crepe back satin
for his collar,
cuffs, and pocket trimming.
That fabric looks really bouncy.
Yeah. It's got a bit of
stretch in it. So why didn't you
just choose something simple,
like a nice, fine cotton?
When I thought of luxury, I
thought of nice silk,
sort of a smoking jacket.
I like the fact that you've used
the floral for a man.
Yeah, I think it matches itself up
quite nicely with the suited man.
Yeah.
Patrick's going to get his done
soon.
Housecoat over the top. Why not?
# Love me in the daytime
# Love me in the night-time. #
Most of the sewers are using a
second fabric,
to create a contrasting detail,
but one of them is making this final
challenge even harder.
I thought, "Everything I make is
pretty plain,"
but I've tried to add something to
it,
to make it a little bit special.
And I think to line this would
just give it an edge.
Joyce's gown will be made from two
contrasting viscose fabrics.
It will have a shawl collar,
belt, and two patch pockets.
This has a very different feel to
it. It's much stiffer.
Yeah, I'm hoping that this
will... Firm that up. Yes. OK.
I would have done the whole
thing in that. In that?
I'm hoping it will work.
OK. OK. Well, fingers crossed.
Once the main body of their gown
has been constructed...
Let me see your arms, that's
all I need to see.
..the sewers will need to begin
working on their collar.
Right, now, this off.
Great, thank you.
This is the wadding that I'm going
to use
to create my quilted collar and the
cuffs and pocket tops.
Right, that's it.
Time to get jiggy.
The collar is a shawl collar, so it
will act as a lining,
but it's folded over from here, so
then the collar is actually
presented
up and around
the back here.
A shawl collar doesn't have any
points, just a nice,
gentle curve. Now, I'm
understitching,
cos then the collar lies nice and
flat and it doesn't roll over.
I've sewn my edging al the way
around the neckline and the
front of the robe and I'm just
pressing it so the seams are towards
the edge. Then I'm going to fold
that over and hand-stitch it down.
This was the key thing for me -
being able to get this to sit
nice and flush on him. At least
it's coming together.
I'm about ten minutes behind my
practice time,
but I'm not even going to think
about that.
As well as a flat and even collar...
If I can get the piping onto this
bit
and then this bit onto
the front of the robe,
I'll be really happy.
Because of the time,
I've decided not to fully quilt my
collar,
I'm just going to pad it.
..the judges will expect
perfectly fitting sleeves.
I haven't done any proper fittings
with my model.
This is like sewing with butterfly
wings.
It'll be OK.
I've got set-in sleeves on mine,
which means you have to set the
sleeve into the armhole.
So, by putting a line of gathering
stitches in,
it means you can
gently fit it into the hole.
This is a laid-on sleeve, rather
than a set-in sleeve.
The shoulder sort of comes down to
there
and then the sleeve
starts about there-ish.
There's no easing at the sleeve
cap.
It's just a question of making sure
the holes are the same size.
My armhole was too big, so I've had
to open up my sleeve a bit.
There's, like, an extra L-shape to
the sleeves, so my sleeves hang.
These are the kind of times when you
think,
"Should I have just gone for a
really simple, basic robe?"
Having abandoned his quilting...
Oh, man, this isn't good.
..now Jamie's double-layered sleeves
aren't lining-up with the armholes.
Going to have to gather my
bloody sleeve cut.
Josh, you got your sleeves in
yet? Yeah. I hate you.
Brilliant.
TRACEY LAUGHS
Sewers, you have one hour
left. That is only one hour.
Got a pucker, but I ain't worried
about it. I've done one.
I've just got these cuffs to put on.
I wasn't planning on doing a
cuff,
but my model's got
quite long arms.
This is really fiddly. That
circumference
has to fit the
armhole's circumference.
Threads everywhere.
I'm doing tiny little stitches. The
finish is sort of the luxury
element to me. That's
what I want to show off
This isn't done as well as I'd like.
It's such a slippy fabric, though.
So that was a bit of a
mistake, wasn't it?
When I cut the pocket out, I was
really careful to try
and pattern match it with the
rest of the fabric.
I'm allowing myself 15
minutes to do pockets.
I think every robe should have a
cheeky pocket.
It gives you something extra, you
can hide your biscuits in there
from your mum when she says you're
not allowed any more.
Sewers, you have ten
minutes! Ten minutes.
Release the model.
Try not to panic.
No point stressing about
it at this point.
Right, let's make a belt. There
won't be any pockets on it, but...
Hem's done, my binding's done, I'm
just going to press it.
Jamie, isn't it a bit late
for cutting out?
If I need to... Yeah, it is.
I'm trying to just turn it
back in the right way.
Why do I always cut it to the wire?
Agh! Pins everywhere.
So they just need ironing
now and they're done.
Come on. Come on, turn it up a bit.
This is beautiful!
I love it when a plan
comes together.
I haven't actually tried
my robe on my model.
Right, let's put this on
you, quickly.
Well done. That's it.
That is not bad.
It's so beautiful.
Come out!
I think this is going to
look nice on you.
You've got 30 seconds. Done!
Just putting the pin in,
just be careful.
OK, that's it, finished. Time.
Flipping heck. I'm absolutely
knackered. Need a pint.
# Breakfast in bed
# And a kiss or three
# You don't have to say you love me
# Breakfast in bed
# And nothing need be said. #
There is a delicacy and a lightness
to it
that is exactly what I
was looking for in this challenge.
Your hand-sewing is absolutely
exquisite
and really, really, really even.
Thank you.
It has a crispness to it. It's a
really, really good choice
of fabric. You know, luxury can just
mean a beautiful cotton,
treated perfectly.
It looks like a very good fit. The
sleeves fall nicely.
The depths of these bands
and attachment of the band around
the neck,
it all just works.
Well done.
# Oh, my Johnny
# With the gentle hands,
I'm waiting.#
Well, I love this. Thank you.
I love your choice of fabrics,
the colours.
I think it's
absolutely knockout.
The length looks absolutely spot-on,
for me.
Your sleeve is nicely set in.
You've used black thread.
I think you should have used
pink thread. Yep.
Cos all this... It would have just
disappeared, completely. Yeah.
The pattern matching on those
pockets is absolutely spot-on.
It looks cool. I'd wear it.
Thank you.
# In the misty moonlight
# By the flickering firelight. #
I love this colour. Were the
sleeves meant to be gathered?
Just a little, at the top. OK.
If you're going to put gathers in,
think about where they're going
to go, cos otherwise it looks like a
mistake. I understand that, yeah.
But, I think the overall impression
is really clear and powerful.
Thank you.
# In the misty moonlight
# By the flickering firelight. #
I was slightly worried about your
choice of fabrics,
but actually, I think this has
worked really well.
The colours do work really well.
You lined this, didn't you?
Yes, it's fully-lined. That
was the luxury bit.
I was worried about the hem.
It does look like
that's dropped a bit, to me.
# Any place is all right,
long as you're there. #
It is very glamorous and it is very
different
to anything anyone else has done. I
love the lace.
Love the idea that you made the
reverse of the fabric here.
The lace seems very well-handled
and the tape has worked
really well.
It's a really, really powerful, well
thought-through
piece of clothing. Very...
Glamorous. ..glamorous.
# Birds do it
# Bees do it
# Even educated fleas do it. #
I think the overall impression is
good.
Just sitting off at the neck.
That's what kimonos do, actually.
Geishas quite often have their
kimonos sitting back
off their necks, cos this is an
erogenous zone in Japan.
Interesting.
Er, now we know.
I think the combination of
fabrics is really nice. Yep.
You've handled it well, as well. If
we look at all of the seams,
you've managed it very well.
It hangs nicely, it looks elegant.
I think it's pretty good.
# I'm old-fashioned, I
love the moonlight
# I love the old-fashioned... #
Something has happened here.
The under-collar is collapsing and
falling out.
It's almost like that layer
is too big.
And I honestly don't feel like the
top-stitching
works well on this satin.
You've barely caught it here.
There's a big piece coming
out there.
You haven't got the pockets on.
No.
If we turn you round, there is
still a pin in the centre back here.
Let's have a look at the cuffs.
This one's deeper at the front
than it is at the back.
We've got gathers here.
Gathers in the sleeve and we've got
gathering in the shoulder seam.
It's that difficult fabric.
Oh, yeah, it was horrendous.
You've got three layers. You had it
backed and lined
and you just haven't done it very
well. No.
# Send me the pillow
that you dream on. #
I like your choice of fabrics.
I really like the idea of
floral for a man.
It's important that the collar sits
nicely
and this collar is sitting nicely on
the neck.
Both sides are exactly the same
size.
You've got a little bit of puckering
in the shoulder here,
but because of the busyness of this
pattern,
you actually don't really see it
and it's nice and smooth.
I think those cuffs are nice and
even.
They're nicely pressed.
Aren't men's top pockets normally on
that side?
Yeah, they are.
And I worked it out, finally,
around two minutes ago.
Overall, I think you've not
done badly, though.
You know, it's a tricky fabric.
And the fabric was difficult,
wasn't it? Yep.
Well done.
While the sewers take a well-earned
break,
Esme and Patrick have a crucial
decision to make.
Angeline and Rumana have done
more than enough... Yes.
..to keep themselves in
the competition.
This morning, you were very worried
about Josh
and you were a bit worried about
Jamie.
Josh gave us this in the alteration,
which neither of us liked at all.
Yes. Absolute dog's dinner.
Jamie gave us a pair of
cami-knickers.
Better... Yes. ..but still
by no means great.
And we've got two gowns, actually
the same pattern. No pockets.
Josh got his pockets on. But a man's
pocket normally is on this side.
Jamie tried to give us every bell
and whistle in the book... Yes.
..and actually, because of it,
he's come unstuck. Yeah.
I'm really surprised, actually,
because he can sew.
I think it's a really tough one.
First up, the lovely bit - the
Garment Of The Week.
Patrick. Our Garment Of The Week
this week is...
Well done, well done, dear.
EXCITED CHATTER
The delicacy of all of that
hand-sewing,
just the beautiful softness
of all of it.
It was a clear winner.
And now, the less nice bit.
I'm really sorry that anybody has to
go.
The judges found it difficult,
but the person who is leaving
the Sewing Bee is...
We're really sorry.
It's Jamie.
GASPS
I told you. Sorry.
I said. Yeah, but even so.
Don't look so worried.
I'm immensely proud of myself.
I've got onto the Sewing Bee
and I've been in this room with some
amazing people
and I've had the opportunity. It's
been brilliant.
Let me give you a hug. Yeah, go on.
Sending Jamie home was a shock. I
thought he'd go all the way through.
Good luck. You've been a
bright star, Jamie.
I think Jamie can be very proud of
what he's done on Sewing Bee.
He took on a big project, in a
really tough fabric
and it just didn't come together.
SCREAMS
I might have just got Garment Of The
Week.
I'm a little bit happy.
I'm so happy to still be in the
competition.
My aim was week four and I've made
it to week four!
It's devastating to see Jamie go,
because he is one of the most
competent,
experienced sewers I've ever, ever
met
and such a genuine bloke.
EXHALES
I've learnt to try new things.
Some of the stuff that I've made, I
would never make at home,
so it's been a real eye-opener, and
I look forward to having a go
and doing some different
things in the future.
PHONE RINGING
WOMAN ON PHONE: Hello.
How are you?
Good, thanks. How are you?
Uh, I made it through again!
WOMAN SCREAMS
You're kidding! I, honestly, I
don't know how I done it.
I do not know how I done it.
# Come fly with me... #
Next time...
I feel like a superhero.
..The Sewing Bee goes
international.
Origami, here. Losing my marbles.
..with a pattern Challenge
from China...
Look at the bottom of it now.
SHE LAUGHS
..Indian Alterations...
I'd love to wear something
very similar to this.
..and stunning Made-to-Measure
West African dresses.
Hello, gathered bottom.
But who will make the next
Garment Of The Week?
Whoop! Whoop!
Oh, come on.
And who will be leaving
the Sewing Room?
Josh.
How are you?
I'm all right, yeah. How are you?
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04x03 - Lingerie Week
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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.