07x09 - Episode 9

[bunniefuu]

MUSIC: The Dam Busters March

Oh, there you are.

It's the semifinal,
and we're going back to the 1940s -

a decade where people hoarded
food in case of shortages,

where the Prime Minister was
a bit of a character,

and our relationship with
Europe was terrible.

Gosh, sounds like a different era,
doesn't it?

Might sound like a lot to go back
80 years,

but I think it'll take less time

than it takes for this cotton reel
to hit the ground.

AEROPLANE ENGINE ROARS

Welcome to The Great British
Sewing Bee.

Last time...

Did you like my dance?
It was lovely!

..it was Music Of The Movies week.

I've never seen
Dirty Dancing before.

I don't think it matters.

Rebecca lost out to Serena

in the pattern challenge
for the third time...

I just can't beat Serena.

..but staged
a glittering comeback...

Wow. ..with her Dreamgirls-inspired
dress...

Ah! Ooh.

It was an absolute knockout.

I got a first!

..but, for Damien...

That's gone a bit rogue.

You're not very good at reading
instructions, are you?

..the dream was over...

Damien.

..as he became the eighth sewer
to leave the sewing room.

Now...

Aah!

..it's a semifinals
that will go down in history...

I haven't come this far
to not make it now.

..with a pair of baggy bottoms...

They've got flies.

Uh-oh. Uh-oh.

..a turbulent transformation...

It's never-ending!

..and a fabulously French
made-to-measure.

I hope they think it's
Christian Dior enough.

Who's going on a victory march?

Oh, look!

She could go for a swim in that.

And who's w*r...
They're too big.

..has finally...

I don't know what's going on.
..come to an end?

That's me going home.

# Yes, it's a good day
for singin' a song

# And it's a good day
for movin' along... #

Ready.
Let's go get it, and let's go do it!

It's the semifinal!

I can't believe I'm here,
to be honest.

It feels like a bit of a dream.

Oh, there's so much space!
I know, God.

I definitely didn't think
I was going to still be here,

but...here I am,
and it feels fantastic.

1940s week.

I'm quite excited about this.
I think it's going to be fun.

Be like w*r stuff.

Stuff from after the w*r.

Not really sure what else
happened in the '40s!

# It's a good day
from morning till night... #

It's 1940, baby!

Come forward.

Welcome.

How do we feel about being
in the semifinal?

Feel a bit sick, really.

Bit sick? Bit sick. Good.

Well, to celebrate,
we're going back to the 1940s.

A time when everything
was different.

Back then, they had books.
Now we have Wi-Fi.

They had Vera Lynn.
Now we have Taylor Swift.

They had lard. Now we have smashed
avocado on toast.

Let's meet two people who were there
the first time round -

it's Patrick and Esme.

Esme, tell us
about the pattern challenge.

Right. Pass them out.

What we've got is
a pair of Oxford bags.

They're a pair of baggy trousers.

So, we've got a zip fly,
we've got pockets,

we've got a waistband and turn-ups.

We want you to choose a fabric

that is appropriate
to the style and to the era.

You have 15 minutes for this
challenge.

Only joking.
Four and a half hours for this one -

and your time starts now.

The sewers need to pick two
fabrics from the haberdashery...

I wanted burgundy.

..one for the trousers
and one for the pocket linings...

Ha, that's cute.

Might go for the dogs for my lining.

..to recreate
a pair of 1940s Oxford bags.

So, I picked this grey one.

It should hold the shape
of the trousers,

which is what I was going for.

I've gone for something that feels
like wool but looks like cotton.

Four and a half hours for a pair
of trousers is, er, quite short.

Especially with a zip.

This wool,
it's got a good weight to it.

I think it's probably quite durable.

Sort of fabrics that they
would've had back then.

By the 1940s, the Oxford bags
were long-established,

and the height of fashion.

From icons like Fred Astaire
and Frank Sinatra,

to any man about the town.

These baggy pants with their high
waist and turn-ups

were '40s favourites.

So, Oxford bags.

Tell me about these trousers.

In the mid-1920s, Oxford students

had taken to wearing their
knickerbockers into lectures,

and the university outlawed it.

In response, the students started
wearing enormously baggy trousers

over the top, and that's where
the Oxford bag came from.

I see, so it's a sort of rebellion.
Yeah. In effect.

A posh rebellion.
A very posh rebellion.

So, how's this made?

We have two pleats at the front,
we have a waistband,

we have pockets in the seam,
turn-ups at the bottom,

and I think it's
particularly difficult

if you've never sewn a fly.

You've got to put
a facing on the front,

the fly guard underneath, and you've
also got to insert the zip.

Well, I didn't go to
Oxford University.

I went to the University of Life.

And Manchester.

Er...

These pieces are quite big.

Having to lay them
across all my table.

Another big one.

There's a lot to do.

The pattern consists
of 16 separate pieces.

To make the trousers,

first the sewers will need
to construct a zip fly...

..then create their back darts
and front pleats,

giving them their iconic baggy look.

Pocket bags are attached to the
seams of the trousers

before they're sewn up.

The hems are turned up and, finally,

the waistband with the hook
and bar is attached.

There's a lot to do
and not a lot of time to do it in.

So, the pressure's on.

Once all the pattern
pieces are cut out...

Pin the crotch seam from the bottom
to the notch and stitch.

..the sewers stitch the two front
leg pieces together

to create a crotch.

I've marked left and right.

So, when I hold it up to myself,
that's the left

and this is the right,
which is right.

I love this colour.

Yeah, so do I.

It's a wool twill with a nap to it.

It's nice. Made trousers before? No.

So, I've never done a fly zip or
anything like that, so... OK.

Putting a fly together
is not intuitive.

Yeah.

- Read the instructions.
- Yeah.

Good luck.
Thank you very much.

Are you making some trousers?

I'm making some trousers.
Not the first time, I imagine.

No, I've done trousers before.

I'm a man. I make trousers.
You're a man. You wear men's things.

Yeah!

So, this is old news to you.

You know what you're doing.

I mean, challenge?

Yeah. Where is the challenge?

But there's no time to relax
in this semifinal,

as the sewers now have to tackle

one of the hardest parts
of the trousers...

OK, I need to make
sense of this in my head.

..the fly.

Do they have flies?

They've got flies.

Uh-oh. Uh-oh.

Have these got...? I don't
actually know. Er... Yes, they do.

You can just go behind the screen
and have a check.

I'll just go and check my trou...
Er...

Oh, so there's
a bit of fabric over the front.

That is quite fiddly.

Three elements are used to make
the perfect fly.

The zip, the fly facing,
and the internal fly guard.

All three elements need to be
attached

for the fly to properly function.

First, the zip is attached to the
right side of the trousers.

The fly facing and other zip
arm are then sewn to the left flap,

hiding the zip from the outside.

Finally, the fly guard is stitched
internally to the right flap,

covering the zip on the inside.

Think it's hard when you've not done
something like this before.

You're not quite sure
what it should look like.

Aah!

With the zip
and front fly facing sewn in...

You're looking like a fly.

..the sewers start
on the internal fly guard.

So, the purpose of a zip guard

is to protect your personal bits
from being caught in the zip.

With so many pieces flying about...

Which bit does the fly guard again?

..the sewers must make sure...

Which bit was the fly guard?

..they attach everything correctly.

There's a lot of different pieces

that are going to be really
easy to confuse -

but, then, it's the semifinals.

So...there's our zip.

Just hope it's right.

We will find out.

I'm happy with the zip.

We've go the facing here
and the zip guard here.

I think it's pretty decent.

Voila. I'm definitely happy
with that.

Now to get on with the rest of it.

Sewers, you've had half your time.

I'm moving onto preparing
the pockets now.

So, this one is my lining.

I quite liked it
cos it's got faces on it

and it's got slight hints of green.
Ooh!

I like that. That's so soft.

Yeah. You might be able to
model my trousers.

Oh, do you think?
With the silky pockets.

I think post-lockdown I might...

..they might need to be
slightly wider.

For perfect pockets,

the sewers must first attach
the facing to the pocket lining.

So, if the pocket opens a bit,

you see the facing rather than
seeing a contrasting fabric.

The bigger the pocket, the better.

You definitely need to be able
to at least fit your phone

and your hands in there.

Then scale up from there.

My ears.

Hello, Farie. Hello, Esme.
Where have you got to?

So, you've got your fly in?
I got my fly in.

Ooh, it does look good.

Um, but it just means everybody else
has put their pockets in,

and I'm still here.

But they might not have
done a good fly.

Just want a finished garment today!

Yeah, get on!

Would you wear trousers like this?

I don't think I would.

Harry Styles wears them.

He is going to be the model today.

Will he come for fitting soon?

You want him
to be presumably trouserless

so that you can get the trousers on?
That's it. Yeah.

Topless would be good.
Topless and trou... Yeah.

So, just in his pants, basically?
Yeah.

You're obsessed with Harry Styles.
I am. I mean, I quite like him -

you need to calm down.

Harry Styles' love of Oxford bags

is just the latest in a long line
of dancing men's passion

for these baggy trousers.

In the late 1920s, venues like the
Savoy Ballroom in Harlem

were playing swinging jazz.

The dance styles that emerged

included things like the Lindy Hop
and the Jitterbug.

So, tight trousers just would not
have stood up

to these seam-ripping moves.

But it was the 1940s
when things really took off.

The swing craze
spread around the world,

really fuelled by movies
which featured dancers

like Leon James, Fred Astaire,
Frankie Manning and Norma Miller.

But as fashions move forward, for a
time, Oxford bags were forgotten...

..until another
dance movement arrived

to shock them out of retirement.

The northern soul scene
emerged out of mod culture

in the late '60s and early '70s,

and saw working-class kids
of the North and the Midlands

really embracing classic tracks
of black American soul and Motown.

Northern soul events would often
last all night,

with thousands of kids meeting
with their friends

to dance off the stresses
and strains of the working week.

In the UK in the early '70s,
they were pretty depressing times.

Power cuts, industrial strikes...

We couldn't wait for the weekend.

Northern soul party-goers gathered
at venues

like Manchester's Twisted Wheel
and Wigan Casino,

all of them wearing
the same distinctive style.

The guys were wearing Oxford bags
and bowling shirts, and a holdall.

In those holdalls were at least
two or three changes of clothes,

because they'd sweat so much.

Just like the '40s,
the dancing was intense.

Northern soul dancing
is off the scale.

They feel every
heartbeat of the song,

they feel the hook line -

and Oxford bags gave that
freedom of expression,

and it was a heck of a spectacle,
I can tell you.

These are Oxford bags...

..and these are Birmingham bags.

One hour remaining, sewers.

I'm off to the canal.

Come on!

An hour left and I still have
my side seams, my hems, waistband.

On the turn-ups now.

If the turn-ups aren't folded
and hemmed correctly...

I'm just folding it
up by the right amount...

..which is about there.

..they will look uneven,
with raw edges still showing.

Just feels a little bit more

like everybody's so determined
to do well.

Because it's the semifinal,
I'm measuring them just in case.

Rebecca...

I just noticed something.

What is this?

Oh, no.

What have I not done?
Put the bit on the back?

Read your instructions.

Ooh!

So, I forgot to put my zip
guard in the back.

30 minutes to go!

So, this is my zip guard.

While Rebecca...

Just messy now, cos I've got
two lines of stitching.

..and Farie are trying
to catch up...

We soldier on.

..Serena and Raph
are at the final hurdle.

What part are you on?

I'm just about to pin
the waistband on.

I never seem to manage to catch
the raw edge

on the inside of waistbands.

The sewers have to fold the raw
edge of their waistband in,

and catch the inside by stitching
on top of their previous seam line.

From the right side, stitch in here
so there's no visible stitching,

so that's called
stitch in the ditch.

Any sewing that wavers
from the ditch

will result in visible stitches
on the trousers.

Ooh...

All caught in.

For the very first time in my life,
I've attached a waistband correctly.

Yes, I'm just going into him now.

I'm just going to see him now. Yeah.

R...

How long were the trousers, Raph?

About half hour.

Yes, Harry says
if they're not done in half an hour,

you'll end up like Niall.

What happened to Niall?

Oh, my God,
I'm amazed he's still walking.

Love you.

Love you, bye.

Watermelon, sugar, yeah, yeah,
yeah, all of that. Bye.

I've got this tiny little bump there
that's kind of annoying me.

Can't really change that now.

I hear Esme's been over.

Yes. I had forgotten to attach
that fly guard to the back there.

But it's sorted now.
It's fixed. Great.

So, is it just the, er...

What's it called? The...top bit?

Yeah, just the waistband to go.

Waistband. Yeah. The waistband.
Yeah, yeah.

Er, why don't they
call it "top bit"?

I don't know.

As Rebecca's finally attaching
her waistband...

I didn't hem the inside of that.

..Farie is still on her turn-ups.

I think the weighing up
is, what do I do?

What do I prioritise?

Is my waistband more
important than my hem?

Five minutes.

No.

Ah, it is what it is.

Think that's the last bit.

Hook and bar.

I've lost the bar.
Of course. Always do.

It has to be really precise because,
when you do it up,

the waistband needs to
match perfectly.

So, it kind of falls like that.

I don't know if it's just how
I've put the hook and bar on.

Are you going to finish? No.

No. It's not happening.

I'm not a miracle worker.

I haven't come this far
to not make it now.

I'm nervous!

Now press like hell.

No crease will escape
these trousers.

One minute to go, sewers.

Let's get those mannequins dressed.

Not quite finished.

Let's do this, Farie.

Needles up. That is your time.

OK, let's just pin this
in place, then.

Bring your mannequins forward

and let's see what the judges
make of your bags.

Little bit of a wedgie.

# I want a zoot suit
with a reet pleat

# And a drape shape
and a stuff cuff

# To look sharp enough
to see my Sunday gal... #

Four pairs of Oxford bags
made in just four and a half hours.

Well, first impressions, your
waistband is pretty neatly attached.

It's not perfectly
square at the front.

It's a real shame, but the fly
guard, that you forgot to put it on.

Yeah. Cos if you look closely,
you can see two lines of stitching.

Oh, yeah.

So, basically you've just
bunged it on. Yeah.

There are some small
imperfections... Yeah.

..but it's a pretty good job.
Thank you.

Well, Raph, I think
these look really good.

I love this heavy cotton twill.

I think the pockets are beautifully
inserted, the pleats look great.

If I'm being ultra-critical,

your sink stitching
isn't perfectly in the seam.

The fly looks well-sewn.

You've caught in the waistband
all the way around.

That is actually quite
difficult to do.

I'd wear them myself. Thank you.

I think these look
absolutely first class.

Prime Oxford bag fabric.

Just a little bit uneven
where you've over-pressed it

in an attempt to keep it
really flat,

and it's just gone
a little bit lumpy.

I saw you measuring the turn-ups.

They look great.

Fly appears to be
correctly assembled.

Trouser falls so gracefully,
I think it's terrific.

Thank you.

Well, Farie, it's pretty good

considering I thought you weren't
even going to get the waistband on.

The fly looks good,
your pockets, very neat.

Oh.

I just spotted something.

It's not stitched down. A pin.

So, you haven't got your hook
and bar on. No.

I think you've done a pretty good
job of making it

look like you've got an almost...

Yeah. Yes.
..finished pair of trousers -

but it's the same old story.

You've got to get to the end.
Yeah.

Patrick and Esme must now decide
which Oxford bags

will be swinging the night away,

and which will be sitting out
the next dance.

In fourth place, it's Farie.

Another pattern challenge
not quite finished.

In third place is Rebecca.

There were a few little things
that weren't quite right.

Yeah. Thank you.

In second place, and this one
was incredibly close...

..Serena.

Just the waistband has just gone
a little bit bubbly,

and it just slightly spoils the look
of an otherwise fantastic garment.

OK. Thank you.

So, in first place is Raph.

APPLAUSE

It's absolutely fantastic.

So, I'm very impressed.

Thank you.

Well done, sewers.

You're a third of the way through,

which I make out to be
spring of 1943.

So, happy Easter.

Go and celebrate,
and we'll meet back here

for the transformation challenge.

# We'll meet again

# Don't know where... #

First, yeah!

Won the pattern challenge again.

Patrick said he would wear them.

Please do. That would be...
That would be phenomenal!

I am disappointed
that I didn't finish it,

but I'm not a speedy sewer.

I am improving,
but is it a little bit too late now?

I don't know.

It's time to freefall into the
next challenge of '40s week.

# Some sunny day... #

Welcome back, sewers.

It's time for the 1940s
transformation challenge.

Totes apprope,
as they didn't say back then.

The '40s were all about making do
with what you had.

Eggs and milk were rationed,

and it was literally impossible to
get your hands on a Nintendo Switch.

Patrick, tell us,
what is the challenge?

Well, the sky is the limit
with this one. Oh!

These are parachutes. Yay.
Oh, Raph! You called it!

Famously, during World w*r II,

thrifty stitchers reused
military fabrics

and turned them into everything
from wedding dresses to underwear.

We want you to make
a garment for a man or a woman.

We want you to use as much
fabric as you can

and, for the first time ever,
you can share.

We will send the judges away now,
so they don't know whose is whose -

and also they're going
up in a Lancaster

to be dropped at 10,000 feet.

Off you go.
Come on. Chocks away, Ginger.

90 minutes for this challenge.

Have fun. Good luck.
Your time starts now.

Oh, lovely.

Oh, my God!

It's enormous!

It's never-ending!

I can't deal with this!

Does it rip?

RIPS

As it's the first time the sewers
have been allowed to share...

Do you want the white bit? Yeah.

I want to do colour, so I'll see
if I can chop it off for you.

..they can sh**t for the stars

with the colour, size,
and shape of their garments.

Farie? Mm? Do you want purple?

I'd love some purple, thank you.

There you go, Raph. That's white.
Thank you.

Don't say I don't do owt for you.

This is going to take forever!

PATRICK: This is a great challenge.

There are some lovely stories
of people reusing old parachutes

to make new clothes, and brides
getting married in dresses

made from the parachutes of the men
that had liberated them -

and, of course, everybody made do
and mended in that period

because there was rationing,

and we didn't have access
to beautiful fabrics.

I mean, this is huge amount
of fabric,

and I do expect them to use a lot.

It's also going to be interesting
to see how they manage the colours.

Do they go all with one colour, do
they choose to use multiple colours?

I hope they use everything
that they've got

to create something with real
volume.

I want them to go for it.

Me too.

So, it's ripped up, made of nylon.

It's very thin, it's very floaty.

I just want the white,
so I'm cutting the purple away.

Might be a bit crazy.

I think I'm going to
go for a wedding dress.

What you up to, Serena?

Hopefully a dress.

Hopefully a dress? Yeah!

Nearly there. Oh! Hi!

What a journey.

I'm thinking of doing lots of like
gathered layers of the blue...

Yeah.
..on top of the dress -

and that's all I've got so far.

This smells like somebody
came down in it

and then stayed in it for 20 years.

FARIE: I've picked
the pink parachute.

I think the combination of pink and
purple works really, really well.

So, I'm not sure exactly
what I'm doing,

but I know it's an evening
gown of some sort.

It'll be epic.

I hope it will.

I need it to be!

So, this is actually just one
parachute

in three different colours.

I'm not really bothered
what colour it is,

but I just wanted some
different colours.

I'm thinking a dress.

I'm going to try
and use the whole parachute.

If it works, I think
it's going to be very worth it.

I'm not adventurous enough,
I don't think,

to do something like parachuting.

It's a bit above me.

Literally, in height, above me.

Have you ever done a parachute jump?

No, but it's definitely something
that I'd like to try.

Is it? Do you like being frightened?
Yeah.

Yeah? I'll try and frighten you.

Hi, Farie.

It's me, the pattern challenge,

and I'm giving you half an hour
less than everyone else.

This is just the base of it,

and then I've got to add lots
and lots and lots of ruffles.

Hopefully this is
going to be enough.

I'm going for a red carpet vibe.

It's going to be a long dress.

Because it's an evening gown,
I want it to be sexy.

It's just drape as I go, really.

A wedding nowadays
is quite a statement,

so I'm trying to make some
flattering curves.

If I take it off the mannequin,

it's not likely that I will line it
up again, so decided to sew by hand.

I'm scared to take it off
and put it on the machine.

It's annoying that you can't
really, like, pick up the machine

and just like... I know, I know.

Wouldn't that be helpful?

So, if you could like run it
through the mach...

..through the machine like that.
I mean...

I still don't think it would work.

You don't think it would work?
I don't think it would work.

That's not...
Not a good idea, folks.

MUSIC: The Dam Busters March

Sewers, you've had half your time!

Great work, everyone.

So, yeah, all of these little
bits will be used to tie the back.

I'm using the ties that
are from the parachute

to gather the skirt around the waist
and create more volume.

I am tying my rope onto
the back of the dress.

I am going to have to take
it off the mannequin at some point.

The dress itself is going to be
untied to get down,

so that I don't have to do
much stitching.

The good thing is,
see that big knot at the front?

If you let it loose,
everything drops.

Now I'm confused.

I knew this would happen
if I took it off, and it has.

I've just got confused
with everything.

30 minutes to go, sewers.

I have a dress.

I just need to add
all of the ruffles to it, basically.

I'm just going to try
and add them on as quickly as I can.

I'm going to make them so it's just
fanning out at the bust,

but I'm not sure how to drape it
so it looks nice.

Just ruined this front section
by having to take it off to sew it.

It's only a little stitch.

It's just annoying
because it's wasting time.

So, I'm just placing
my flowy skirt in position.

OK. I don't have much time left.

Now I need to get some thread.

There's so much of it, isn't there?

Can you imagine trying
to sew a parachute?

It got me frustrated, just how much
fabric I've got on that mannequin.

That would be a great final,
wouldn't it?

Make a parachute and then
we throw Esme out of a plane

and if she survives, you win.

15 minutes, sewers!

I'm starting to panic at the minute.

I need to cut more ruffles.

Then if I need more,
I'll cut more out.

Oh, is that one?

The trail is not big enough.

I might have to add more
trail to the trail.

I just need to stitch as quickly
as I can to make my garment secure.

I feel so stressed!

What's going on? Are you OK?

I've just got lots more
ruffles to add.

Ah. Trying not to sew
over my fingers.

Ooh, God, I can't watch it,
I can't watch it.

I've added a waistband
to complement it.

Just felt really overwhelmed with
actually how much fabric there is.

I'm ready to rip
the parachute in two, to be honest.

Five minutes!

I'm just getting my last ruffle on -

and then I need to get the ties on
so that it can actually do up.

The ties are doing
a lot of the work here.

I hope they'll think
it's got impact.

Patrick and Esme hopefully will
think I've gone big and bold.

I'm not feeling very
confident with this.

I don't know, I just feel like
it's missing a bit of finesse.

Two minutes, sewers.

Come on, come on, come on.

I'm just trying to neaten
the trails.

Onto the mannequin.

Pray it fits.

This is the most horrible
thing in the world.

Needles up!

That is your time.

Bring your mannequins
into the drop zone.

# If I only had wings... #

Oh, wow.

That's cool. Ooh, wow!

Well done, guys.

# All day long I'd be in the sky

# Up on high... #

A selection of second-hand chutes

transformed into four glamorous
gowns in just 90 minutes.

Ooh, I say!

Wow.

Esme and Patrick haven't a clue
whose is whose.

What do we think? Fabulous.

Well, it's an evening dress,

but it's kind of mermaid-ish,
isn't it?

Look at this, Patrick, I like this.

Original attachment.

I really like the way they've made
a feature out of... Yeah.

..the various different cord.

It's a nice nod to its origins.

I love that they've left the badge.
And they've got the badge.

The whole thing has been
conceived in a very smart way.

I'm just not sure that I love the
combination of those two colours.

We have, again, I think,
a full-length evening gown.

We have a separate belt,
bit like a Japanese obi belt.

Mm. It is, actually.

Um, which is very, very smart.

Again, I think very, very nice
use of the detail on the parachute.

Laced up across the back,
again using the ties.

The colours do work.

I know you're not
a fan of earthy tones.

I quite like the green, but it's
that yellow I'm not very keen on.

Right.

We have a wedding dress.

The train is spectacularly huge.

The shape of it
is incredibly dramatic.

It shows great confidence
just to do it all in white.

Yeah, I think it's dramatic.

I love these pleats at the front
and the shape over the bust.

I mean, it is a bit mumsy.

When you say mumsy,
what do you mean?

I mean that bosom shape.

It's a mumsy bo...bosom shape!

OK. I take your word for it.

I love this.

This looks actually quite modern,
don't you think? All these frills.

I mean, I really could see
someone wearing this.

Honestly, I think
this is absolutely phenomenal.

What I like about it is there
are not too many things going on.

I love that we've got
the straps inserted

through the loops at the side here.

The whole shape of it is incredibly
elegant, and I love the colour.

They've had the absolute confidence
to give us one technique

and one colour, effectively.

It's great.

Simple, but has impact.

The judges must now rank which
parachute dress flies the highest.

In fourth place is the orange
and green dress.

Rebecca.

It's a really good shape,
it's a really good fit on the stand,

but I'm not that keen on the colour.

Yeah, that's fine. Thank you.

In third place,
the purple and pink dress.

Farie.
It was a fantastic transformation.

Yeah. Yeah. We love the shape,
really clever detailing.

Well done. Thank you.

In second place is...

..the bride's dress. Raph.

We really like that you kept
the colours the same

and definitely had drama. Thank you.

Which means first place,
the aquamarine ruffled gown,

Serena.

Had huge impact, such a simple
pared-back set of ideas,

but gave us so much drama,
we really liked it.

Well done.

Thank you.

That was, aw, insane.

Ten minutes from the end, I was
convinced I wasn't going to finish.

Yeah, I am
so proud of myself for that.

I'm really happy being second, yeah.

I mean, especially to Serena
and that dress.

It was such a stunner.

I am disappointed, obviously.

I thought I might come at least
a position higher.

I'm just glad that I managed to
finish my trousers this morning

and, you know, that they were OK.

I think plan of attack tomorrow
is finish my garment

and sew it beautifully -

because there's a lot of good
sewers in there,

so I need to be up
to par, as well, tomorrow.

There's just one more
garment to make

before we find out which three
sewers will make it to the final.

So, we have a final next week,
but there's only three places.

Who's looking likely?

At the moment, Raph and Serena.

They both, I think, delivered really
phenomenally good Oxford bags.

I mean, they were so well sewn,

and both delivered fantastic
transformations.

So, they're relatively safe? Yes.

Who's relatively not safe, then?

I think Farie is
sitting at the bottom.

She really struggled with her
timing on the pattern challenge.

Mm. But she's had three
garments of the week.

She can really surprise in this...
Yes. ..final challenge.

Exactly. Yeah.

Rebecca was in third place
on the pattern challenge

and fourth place for the
transformation -

but it was an excellent
transformation.

She's really grown over these weeks.

Last week, Rebecca delivered
a phenomenal made-to-measure.

Why don't you just let them
all go through?

They all, they all sound great.
I'd like to. Yeah, that's it.

Yeah. We'll have four winners.
Great.

That's decided, then. Goodbye.

Bye.

To sew up '40s week,

the models are back in the sewing
room for the very last time.

Hiya.

Hello.

Welcome back, sewers.

Welcome back, models.

It's made-to-measure time.

The 1940s was full of
distinctive fashion pieces -

most of them uniforms,

but the judges don't want you to
make you one of those.

No, they would like you
to make an outfit

inspired by Christian Dior's
New Look.

It was a revolution
when it arrived in 1947,

bringing glamour back to gowns
after the w*r.

This is the last challenge
between you and the final.

You have five and a half hours
for this one.

Do your best. Good luck.

Your time starts now.

There's 37 pieces altogether.

That's the tricky part here.

It's going to be so messy.

The sewers have been allowed to
practise their outfits at home...

So, I'm doing trousers and a jacket.

It all needs to be very fitted,

because I feel like,
if it does, it will look great.

..and have already had an hour
to cut out their chosen fabrics...

Ooh.

Might be a squeeze.

..giving them enough time to create
their own flawless New Look outfits.

Christian Dior was a French
fashion designer.

He just kind of went off-piste

using really expensive
fabrics in a time of rations.

As a Frenchman, I feel
like this should be my blood,

but I don't think it is!

Christian Dior's New Look collection
was launched in 1947.

Featuring rounded shoulders,
a cinched waist, and a full skirt,

it celebrated opulence
and ultra femininity.

After years of uniforms,
rations and shortages,

Dior offered not only a new look,
but a new outlook.

So, I'm guessing, this week

the sewers will have had to
do their own research.

What sort of fit will you
be looking for?

When I think of Dior's New Look,
the silhouette was a triangle,

emphasising the waist.

And there were lots of peplums,
there were lots of very full skirts,

quite a lot of
very high contrast outfits.

How strict are you going to be

to those garments that he made
originally?

We don't want facsimiles... No.

..of 1940s clothes.

They have to bring themselves
and they have to update it.

I think we need some element

that really feels like that iconic
New Look.

This has got nothing to do
with New Look.

Matalan?

George at Asda?

No? OK.

Right.

It's definitely
an exciting day today,

because all our designs
are pretty different.

I'm using black and white,
just classic colours.

Trying to keep it dramatic.

For this garment, I decided to go
with unconventional fabrics

that would have been around,
used by the military -

and I'm using spacer mesh.

It's used for car seats
and trainers, sometimes.

This is the fabric
which I'm using for the blouse.

You'll have to wear, obviously,
something underneath,

unless you want to be
very French and revealing.

Raph's space-age Dior design

includes a voluminous full circle
spacer-mesh underskirt,

a white scuba overskirt,

and black belt -

but his sheer blouse is made
from a material

we're a bit more familiar with.

Is this another parachute
that you've cut up?

Is there someone falling to their
death right now because of you?

Yes, that's right.
This is rip-stop nylon.

Very fine, isn't it? Mm.

It's sort of lovely.
It's like tissue paper. Yeah.

But it's got a real strength to it.
Yeah.

I'm using scuba, which was created
to mimic rubber at the time.

Oh, look, I see! Yeah!

She could go for a swim in that.

Also, this is super warm.

It's super thin,
but it keeps you super warm.

A winter Dior dress?

Blouse, yeah. For swimming in. Yeah!

That's what you've made? That's it.

OK. Sure.

It's what we're all
expecting from you.

Now I need to remember which bit...

So, that's the back
and that's the collar.

The sewers are using
many pattern pieces,

allowing them to shape and contour
their garments precisely.

It's quite confusing, to be honest.

But one sewer will be using more
pieces than anyone else.

So, there's actually going to
be 39 pieces, plus interfacing.

Because there were so many pieces,
I can't do a fitting now.

It's just going to be
a case of making as much as I can,

trying it on, and then seeing
what needs to be altered.

Yeah. It's a lot.

Rebecca's floral ensemble includes
a top that gathers over the bust,

has a fitted lower bodice,

and is finished with
a peplum at the waist -

and as the only sewer using
prints today,

she hopes this will bring a certain
je ne sais quoi to her design.

I've had to bring in some floral.

You just couldn't help
but bring in some floral.

That is your thing, isn't it?
I couldn't help myself.

I mean, definitely is you, isn't it?
Yeah.

So, this is this fabric, is it?
Yeah.

So, it's got a very faint white
polka dot on white. Mm-hm.

When I practised it,
took me about five hours on its own.

Making the hem right
now on my skirt.

It's probably going to go wrong.

The sewers will have to take
care as they stitch

the bottom of their garments...

I think that's pretty good,
actually.

..as any misaligned seams...

The fabric's got a little
bit of stretch to it,

which I didn't expect.

..will ruin the high-end
finish of their outfits.

I'm unstitching these two pieces
that I've just stitched together.

I thought I could stitch it quickly,
but I need to pay more attention.

And someone who's no stranger
to precision...

Yes.

..is hoping their design's
got real va-va-voom today.

I have self-drafted today,

because I've always wanted
to challenge myself.

I'll be using this lovely red

and literally colour blocking it
with, um, the lipstick pink.

Seeing my vision on the body,
that's going to be really exciting.

Farie's ambitious self-drafted
satin dress

includes a high mandarin collar

and a pleated draped sash.

Are you excited
about this challenge?

I am excited,
but I am quite nervous,

because my fabric is not
what I envisioned it to be.

I wanted a very stiff fabric.

However, when it actually
came through...

No. Um, so I'm having to work
with what I've got.

Well, three times you've won
garment of the week -

with made-to-measures.

So, you know,
if anyone can do this, you can.

Definitely.

Farie may have won garment
of the week three times before,

but there's one sewer
who's yet to win it at all.

You've come first in
so many challenges,

and yet the garment of the week
has just slightly...

I know. Not to rub it in. Thank you!

And this is the last chance,
I guess.

Yeah, we will see.
No pressure! No pressure.

Serena's hoping her unique twist
on the French classic

will have what it takes.

Her tailored jacket
with a large, curved collar

and a peplum will be paired
with black cropped trousers.

This is inspired by Dior, obviously,
but any other inspirations?

Highland dancing - because
I used to do Highland dancing...

Oh, yeah? ..and one of the outfits
that we used to have to wear,

was, like, tight in the bodice and
then had like a little peplum bit.

Is it sort of like, um...
Yeah, it's that sort of thing.

..Irish dancing? No, it's not Irish
dancing.

You put your feet out... Put your
feet out... ..and your arms out.

Yeah. And you do all this.
BAGPIPES

Like that? Yeah. Basically that.
Am I...?

SCOTTISH ACCENT: Hello, me laddie.

I'm having a, a wee dance.

Like that? Exactly. You've got it.

I'm sure I've just
offended all of Scotland, there.

I'm interfacing the inner
collar of my dress.

Because my collar's
a stand-up collar,

so you'll have that little
bit of pink popping through.

It's bits like this
that will add drama.

Think I've finished my trousers.

I've put in my invisible zip
down the back,

which I'm really happy with.

OK.

To capture the perfect silhouette,

the outfit should be tight
at the waist

and accentuate the hips
and shoulders.

Cool. Yeah, I like it.

It's looking good in the waist.

I thought I would need to take a lot
in the waist, but I actually don't.

Any mistakes with the measurements

will mean the classic Dior
look will be ruined.

They're too big.

For some reason,
they're two inches too big.

Oh, my God.

So, I've got four ounces of bacon,
eight ounces of sugar -

but there's no Chateauneuf-du-Pape!

You've had half your time, sewers.

Oh, God. Right.

With their first fitting done,
the sewers can now move on

to stitching the pieces
of their top halves together.

I'm trying to do this whole process
really quickly

so that I can hopefully get some
time to go back

and fix those trousers.

But with complex bodices
to construct...

Here we go.

..this stage will be even harder
than the bottoms.

Because it's so sheer, all of the
seams will appear on the outside.

You'll see them, so I need to
make sure I neaten them.

Getting the perfect
French fashion look

requires the fabric
to be expertly handled.

I'm not 100% happy with the seams.

There is a bit of a pucker.

It's just how the fabric is.

It's not thick enough.

Hmm. Slightly stretched, there.

Might have to cut another one.

Oh, damn,
I've done that on the wrong side.

Unpicking again.

I'm not sure, at the minute,
if I'm going to have enough time

to go back and sort out the waist.

I can tell I'm getting stressed,
cos my face is roasting.

One hour to go, sewers.

Oh, my God, is it that time already?

It'll be 1950 soon.

There'll be w*r in Korea.

So, I'm currently
constructing my peplum.

Kind of like a mini skirt,
but it's attached to the jacket.

And then hopefully
it will stick out.

And it basically goes like this.

And then meets at the front
like that.

Farie, how are you getting on?

I think I'm going to be
up against it with the time,

because I've just realised I've got
the drape to attach to my dress -

and it's quite a long drape.

Right, how has it all gone?

I finished my trouser, and I did
a fitting, and they're too big.

So, I don't know what happened.

Have you got time to take the whole
waistband off? Well, hopefully.

What you don't want to do is
take them apart

and make a right old mess of them.
I know.

I'm just going to close
down my thighs, put my sleeve in,

do the pleat at the back...

How's Farie getting on? Well, hm.

I don't think she's going to finish.
Oh, gosh.

Also, that fabric, satin,
it's showing everything.

Er...

Visible seams.

I'm feeling Raph might be regretting
choosing that lightweight nylon.

It's incredibly delicate.

I just don't think it's going
to give him a finish

that's going to live up to his
expectations - or ours, I suspect.

Inexplicably, Serena's
trousers are a bit big.

She sewed them up and they're about
an inch too big around the waist.

Rebecca's - I don't know how
New Look it's going to look.

I mean... Mm. ..it looks
very summery and springlike.

That will come up a bit
and match there.

Exciting!

She's trimmed the edge
of the blouse in the floral,

and I just don't think it works.

It doesn't look very Dior. No.

Right now, I am assembling the
sleeves together

and then I'm going
to stitch them in place.

I always need to take
some in at the back for you.

Just trying to, like, speed up - and
I still need to sew with my sleeves.

I'm going to warn you,
it's not going to be tidy -

but the sleeve is attached.

That's the main thing.

Panicking that I'm not going
to get finished.

If I didn't have my sleeves,
I'd be chilled, I think.

So, I've already sewed one sleeve
in, so that's it there,

and I have this big pleat at the
shoulder seam to create some volume.

Ooh!

GASPS: Oh, my God,
I'm a g*y matador.

Ole!

Stressed.

30 minutes, sewers.

I'm doing buttonholes on the blouse
and put the buttons on.

We will have a zip.

I will have a zip.

Trying to sew them on quickly
so I can get to the trousers.

No, come on!

Stupid needle.

Oh, my God,
this is doing my head in.

I'm very happy that I've got time
to unpick my trousers.

The way I'm going to make it smaller
is by taking in the darts.

All my good work from earlier,
it's so pointless.

That's my sleeve.

That's a - a big bit done.

So, we've got our zip in,

but they've got a double inverted
pleat to do, as well.

I just hope to get
a finished garment!

I'm using horsehair.

It's like a webbing
that you put on a hem,

and it makes it very neat
and quite thick.

The main thing that I need to do
is to just put my buttons on,

and then anything else, really,
is a bonus after that.

Without the buttons,
I haven't got a finished outfit.

Five minutes!

I've scrapped pinning.

I ain't pinning any more.

Er... Sorry, sorry.

Oh, gosh. I messed this up.

We pray that the new size fits.

Oh, forgot about the belt.

OK, I'll do
it as small as possible.

OK, this is going to be tight.

Oh... Wait, wait, wait.

No, it's not going in.

Oh, my... What happened?

I don't know what's going on.

Can you squeeze?

Squeeze.

Nope.

Can you get this off?
Need to put buttons on it.

Two minutes!

The trousers fit now,
which is amazing.

God. Had to ruin the belt.

That one there.

I haven't put
the buttons in the right place.

I need to take a pleat out.

OK.

I hope they think it's
Christian Dior enough.

Needles up.

That is your time.

Done.

Well done, sewers.

I just a-Dior you.

Yay.

Oh, I'm so annoyed about that.

Just should've put the buttons
further across.

That's me going home.

MUSIC: Je t'aime moi non plus
by Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin

Four Christian Dior-inspired outfits

made in just five and a half hours.

Raph, I think
it looks perfectly New Look.

It very much defines the waist,
we have a lovely full skirt,

and you've updated it just by simply
bringing the materials

all the way up into the modern day.

You've got a little
pull in the cap on this sleeve,

but I like the shape of that cap.

I love that it's white and black,
the colour's really strong.

Another thing I really like is
how we've got fullness on the back,

but not on the front.

What it's doing is
emphasising the waist

and that is really
important about the New Look.

Yeah. Well done.

Thank you. Thank you very much. OK.

Well, I think
the colours are very stunning.

I really like the shape
of the collar.

I think that feels very New Look.

The fit across the shoulder is good.

This is your pleat.

I mean, it's unfinished.

Yeah, we had to rip some
of the stitches to get the dress on.

I mean, there were other things you
obviously didn't get time to do,

like this hem...

Yes.

..and the sleeve hem.

I love the colours,

but one thing about this fabric is
it really shows every little pucker.

I think you've been
incredibly ambitious here

and there are some very
nice points to it. Thank you.

I think it looks great, Serena.

I love the sleeves.

They're taking on
that curved shape...

Mm. ..which was very much New Look.

Oh.

Look what you've done.

You've lined the sleeve up with the
bottom of the peplum, haven't you?

Yeah.

You've absolutely hit the nail
precisely on the head with this one.

I think you've handled
the construction

of the jacket so nicely. Mm.

Right, I'm going to look at the
trousers now. OK.

You had a problem, didn't you?

Yeah, so I had to unpick all of that
and make the darts much bigger.

Well, it's worked.

There's one thing that
slightly sticks out,

and I think the button
spacing isn't perfect. I noticed.

But it doesn't
detract from what I think, overall,

is an absolutely fantastic outfit.

Thank you.

Well, Rebecca, we've got
your little print that you love,

and the peplum works really well
and gives that '40s vibe.

As do the sleeve and sleeve head.

One thing, though...

Yeah. I know.

I'm so cross with myself,
cos I was doing the buttons

so last-minute,
I just put them in the wrong place.

Yeah, and because it's
right at the front... Yeah.

..it's so noticeable.

I'm not sure that putting
the contrast on the neck

and the arms, doesn't make it feel
little more home-sewn than Dior.

OK. Mm-hm.

I really like the gathers on the
top of the sleeves...

Mm-hm. ..and I think this band,

I would've moved that whole
waistband down a bit.

Well done.

Thank you very much.

FARIE: I've done my best.

I drafted a whole pattern.

Farie-esque -

not Dior-esque, Farie-esque,

and that's an achievement for me.

That's a big, big achievement.

That was amazing. Yeah.

I'm over the moon
with those comments.

I think everyone's made amazing
things this week.

It will be really, really sad,
whoever goes.

Like... Yeah, it's not nice.

I'm really happy with what I did.

Week by week, it just becomes more
and more real, and...

..but, yeah, it just...
It's insane.

Ooh...

I was just very, very gutted
that it wasn't finished

the way I hoped it would be.

So, who do you think came up
best from the 1940s?

Other than the Americans.

I think we've a couple of standouts.

Raph and Serena.

So, both in contention
for garment of the week?

Definitely. So, Raph delivered
this really impressive

kind of modern take on the New Look.

I just think it had real impact.

It was very graphic.

And then Serena...

I mean, tailoring is difficult.

The shape of it really said
Dior and the New Look.

Her sewing is immaculate.

So, Serena in contention,
who's never won garment of the week.

Yeah. Yeah.

Down the bottom, Farie and Rebecca.
Yeah. Yeah.

So, we came into this morning
with Farie and Rebecca...

Equal. ..in last place,

and I don't think either of them

absolutely nailed
this made to measure.

This was Farie's, which I don't
think hit that Dior New Look brief,

and she had to disassemble it
to get it on her model.

Rebecca finished,
but it wasn't chic enough.

It didn't have any oomph.

It just wasn't to the level that we
normally expect from Rebecca.

So, quite a big decision here.

Well, it's an important decision.

We've got to decide who...
Yes. ..doesn't go into the final.

Yeah. It's going to be a very
difficult decision.

OK, sewers, two things to do.

Let's start with the nice one.

Patrick,
who has won garment of the week?

Our garment of the week
this week is...

..Serena. Yay!

APPLAUSE

This is a nice feeling
I've not had before.

Yeah.

At the eleventh hour, well done.
Yeah!

No, it was absolutely the perfect
embodiment of New Look.

I mean, it was such a great outfit.
Great. Thank you. Well done.

OK, sewers, there are only three
places in the final.

I know I've said this a lot,

but this is genuinely one
of the most impressive years

we've ever had on this show,

so, you should be super proud
of what you've done -

but the person going home
today is...

..Farie.

JOE LAUGHS

I love that!

I applied, I did my best,
and I'm happy.

Sorry.

I always cry.

LAUGHTER
We know this.

We've seen this before.
I know, from week one.

I couldn't have asked for more.

I honestly couldn't.

Sorry.

It's like...

This is like, you know
when people say dreams come true?

This is my dream come true.

It's been everything I've hoped for,
and more.

Farie, she's somebody
who brings something special

to the sewing room -

and she's done so well.

She's won three
garments of the week,

and they've all been fabulous.

I'm going to really miss her.

The Sewing Bee has boosted
my confidence

and encouraged me to making more
things

and sharing my gift with
everybody else -

and I just wish Raph, Rebecca,
and Serena all the best,

and they're going to make
fantastic things.

WOMAN ON PHONE: Hello?

Hi, it's me.

Are you all right?

Yeah, I'm all right.

I was just, um, wondering

if you're still OK to
be my model for the final?

No, don't, don't!
Oh, my God, Rebecca!

Oh, my God!

I'm in the final!

Er, I don't know what to say.

I'm here. Yeah. Made it.

I'm in the final!

And I got garment of the week!

I know!

She's crying.

She's not making any noise,
but she's happy.

Next time...

Somebody has to win...

My hands are shaking.

I hate this.

This is evil.

Aah...!

If I do it,
I need to go all the way.

..and that person...

I'm nearly there, nearly there,
keep going, Rebecca, keep going.

..is...