Hi, there.
I hope you've brought your passports
because this week,
we're going travelling.
We're going to a place
that has square watermelons
and the most punctual trains
in the world.
A country where sumo wrestlers
have a competition
to make babies cry.
It's where fortune cookies...
PATRICK: Japan!
Yeah, it's Japan.
Konnichiwa,
and welcome to
The Great British Sewing Bee.
Last time...
..it was '30s Week, and Annie's
Hollywood gown stole the show.
You've absolutely nailed it.
After a perilous pattern...
I hate the ballgowns!
..Brogan was left hanging
by a thread.
Oh, Esme!
But it was Cristian's
fabric faux pas...
In the 1930s,
they didn't have Lycra.
..that saw him become
the eighth sewer...
Cristian. Are you sure?!
..to leave the sewing room.
We'd love to keep you!
We'd love to keep you.
Now... Wow!
..we're jetting to Japan
for the semifinal...
I think it looks really origami.
..as the sewers wrestle
with sumo-sized pattern pieces...
I'm using the big table.
..try to stay zen
in the Transformation...
This couldn't be more not my thing.
..and take on a mindboggling
Made-To-Measure.
If there had been a Teletubby
who was like a sexy lady...
Who'll be speeding like
a b*llet train to the final?
I can do this!
And who'll be bidding sayonara
to the Sewing Bee?
Oh, no!
Would it not be better
just to measure your model?
I'm saying nothing.
That coat looks really
nice and warm. It's suede.
I can't believe it's
the semifinals and I'm here,
that's so weird, so I don't
think it will sink in until, like,
afterwards, probably.
We're all buzzing,
all buzzing, raring to go.
I just want to show
the judges that they made
the right decision keeping me here.
Guys! So quiet. I know.
I'm really looking forward
to this Japan Week.
There's this Japanese phrase
which is like "Ganbare,"
which means "Do your best."
Like, "Hang in there."
So, ganbarimasu!
Everyone settled in?
Yes, we're ready!
Hello, sewers, come forward.
How are you all feeling about being
in the semifinal?
Excited! It's exciting.
It is very exciting.
This week we're going to be
travelling across the globe
to a place of vibrant colour,
avant-garde clothes
and deep spirituality.
No, it's not Leicester,
it's Japan!
Esme, tell us about
the Pattern Challenge.
Right, here we go.
Oh, God, what can this be?
One for you, one for you.
Thank you. One for you.
Ahh! Oh! Nice!
It's a garment inspired
by a Japanese kimono.
I teamed up with a friend of mine,
called Wakako,
who's a Japanese designer,
and we came up with this pattern.
We have filled the haberdashery
with lots of Japanese prints,
whether you choose
to use them is entirely up to you.
You have five hours for this
challenge and your time starts now.
Eee!
To create kimono-inspired dresses
that are both smart and impactful...
That's lovely, those two together.
Do you think?
Sorry. Oh!
..the sewers choice of contrasting
but complementary fabrics
will be crucial.
That's nice. I like that.
I think I'm going to have that
as the main and then that
as the contrast.
I've gone for a blue and beige,
which you might say isn't very me,
but I want to show
the judges that I can do something
a little bit different
for Japanese week.
You say, "kim-OH-no,"
I say, "KIM-onno,"
cos I'm not very good
at pronouncing things.
Why have you chosen this challenge?
The kimono has been influential
all over the world.
Wakako is a friend of mine,
she's a Japanese designer,
so we came up with this
version together,
and there are all sorts
of traditional things about it.
A rectangular sleeve,
the collar stands away
at the back from the neck.
Normally you have an obi belt,
but this belt has a bow,
because as you know... Ah!
..I love a bow.
Now, what we would probably expect
is that the collar
and the belt are in one fabric
and the body is another.
They could choose
to do it differently.
Because the lining
is the same length as the top,
if they don't get it
absolutely accurate,
that will pull the hem up
at the front.
The way that the sleeve
is attached to the body
is very different from on
a standard European garment.
If they get that wrong,
they could be in all sorts
of trouble.
But everything needs
to be beautifully pressed,
every seam needs
to be well handled.
Well, it all sounds very tricky
to me.
I guess that's why they call
it a "kim, oh, no"!
Right, Man Yee, breathe. Breathe.
Tackling Esme and Wakako's design...
Wow!
Can't believe how long these are!
..means getting to grips with some
of the largest pattern pieces
ever seen in the Sewing Bee.
I'm using the big table.
The pattern pieces are so long,
I don't have enough space
on the table.
I've never seen anything like it.
I'm just trying
to get my head around what's what,
and then I will start cutting.
Long pattern pieces are
a feature of traditional kimonos,
and like them, the main body
of this dress is formed
from just two pieces sewn together
down the centre back seam.
Next, panels are added to create
a wrap front,
the collar band is attached,
and the sleeves are joined
at the shoulder.
Then to the lining,
a belt and ties are attached,
and it's sewn to the outer layer,
leaving a small hole
for bagging out the entire garment.
The hole is hand-stitched shut,
the dress pressed,
and the belt tied
in an Esme-pleasing bow.
Right, OK, let's do this logically.
So that's the main body piece.
Cut one pair.
Good morning. Good morning.
So this is the main body fabric?
Yeah, a little dragonfly pattern.
What's the lining going to be?
I was going to do the lining
in the same fabric as the dress.
I don't really want the lining to
stand out too much, so... Right.
Um, there's not going to be enough
for this, is there?
I'll just... That's all the fabric
that's left on that roll.
Oh!
Not going to have enough
for the lining.
So we're going to do
a contrast lining.
BROGAN LAUGHS
Right, there we go! Change of plan.
Right, well,
we'll let you get on with it.
While Brogan
is upping the contrast...
No stress, just do contrast lining.
..Debra...
Oh, my God. That is so many pieces.
I am running out of pins.
..is dialling hers down.
I'll stick to just the tie belt in
the contrast colour of the lining.
So no contrast on the collar? No.
And are you doing
a contrast lining? No.
So that's all in this fabric? Yes.
Have you got enough of this fabric?
Yeah, there's tonnes of it.
I did check, yeah. Very wise.
I'm just cutting these pieces. Yes.
OK, I just have to make sure I have
cut all the pieces I needed.
I'm cut out and I'm about to start.
SEWING MACHINE WHIRS
Um, is it...? The sewing machine
broken? What's it doing?
My bobbin.
Oh, that's a bobbin, is it? Yeah.
THEY LAUGH
I've heard the word a lot.
This is the main body.
I'm struggling to visualise
how this is going to be it.
That's the back. That's the back.
OK. Er, "Prepare the collar,
the collar has a second layer."
There's two different collar pieces.
And we've to sew these two together
at the top,
and then this
is going to make, like,
a double-sided collar, basically.
It doesn't sit flat on your neck,
it kind of does stand up
a little bit.
I'm just putting the collar
on to the body.
"Pin collar to the back neck
of main body,
"stitch then press
seam allowance towards..."
Yeah, stick the collar on.
Why don't they just say,
"Stick the collar on"?
Trim the collar.
Esme and her friend
have designed it,
so Esme'll know exactly
where to look for the mistakes.
I know you're there
and I'm thinking,
"I hope I'm doing this right."
I'm saying nothing.
Esme and Wakako's dress is the
latest in a long line of garments
taking inspiration from the kimono,
which means "a thing to wear".
Although widely worn in Japan
since the 16th century,
the kimono hadn't been seen
by many foreigners
until the mid-1800s,
when diplomatic and trade relations
were established with the West.
So, for the first time,
large quantities
of Japanese goods begin
to be exported to Europe,
including items like kimonos.
Japan has been a country
that had, er, very little contact
with the West
for two centuries,
so that created mystery.
The Japanese way of thinking looked
quite modern to the Western eyes.
But the exchange went both ways.
The Japanese kimono producers
immediately understand
the importance of synthetic dyes
for enhancing the varieties
of colourful patterns and prints.
By the turn of
the 20th century in Europe,
the impact of the loose-fitting
kimono was clear to see.
Women's fashion was breaking away
from the corsetry of the past.
The simple shapes
and cut pieces of the kimono
had a big influence on designers.
The French designer Paul Poiret
created garments cut
with straight lines
and using rectangles in the
construction, just like a kimono.
In the decades since, the influence
of the kimono has continued -
from the straight-cut
flapper dresses of the 1920s,
to 21st-century red carpet couture.
All of them inspired
by "a thing to wear".
# Ta-da! #
And that's how you make a sign
that says, "You're halfway through!"
SHE GASPS
Keep calm and carry on sewing.
Now I'm assembling the sleeve.
Right, sleeve. It's here.
If they're to achieve
the dramatic rectangular sleeves
Patrick and Esme are expecting...
I think it's traditional
of a kimono
to have really big,
almost like grown-on sleeves.
..the sewers will
need to get to grips
with an unfamiliar arm construction.
"Place the sleeve onto the main
body, armhole edges together."
OK, I can do this.
I can do this, yes.
No. Yeah, I can do this.
Attach...
..like this.
I'm starting to see more shape
as we're putting things together,
which is good.
As with a traditional kimono,
the sleeve is sewn to the body
just around the top of the armhole.
It's open underneath the arm,
which I wasn't expecting.
I kind of thought I'd read
the instructions wrong.
A little air vent
in case you get really hot, maybe.
Ooh! It's fab, innit? I like that.
Cos you could tickle someone
really easily.
Debra's just looked... Yes, I...
"I'm trying to do
serious work here, Pascoe!"
Oh, hello tiny tree,
what's your secret?
Oh, OK, I'll tell them.
You've got an hour left!
Oh, my God, an hour!
OK, don't panic, don't panic.
You've done the sleeve now.
That's OK, Man Yee.
What I really like is the side gaps.
Yeah. Cos sometimes... Ventilation.
..you just want more legroom,
don't you, to do things?
As you're pregnant as well.
I'd rather not wear any clothes at
all. This is just the right amount.
Just mooch around in that.
OK.
With the outside
of the dress complete...
Next bit.
..the sewers can move on
to the inside.
This is my contrast fabric.
Some of us have got
different colour lining -
I haven't, mine's the same.
To make her lining stand out,
Annie's taking
a different approach.
So I've gone for two fabrics -
dark red and then the beige,
so I'm hoping that
they'll like that.
For the belt, we're going to
create a tube, I think.
And then we've got to
turn it through...
Oh, my God,
look at the size of this belt!
My hand's stuck!
This is quite hard, isn't it?
Ah! No, I've got it.
I'm trying to create an incredibly
successful anime series
about a bobbin.
You've got 30 minutes left!
OMG!
"Oh, no, only 30 minutes?"
I literally have so much to do.
Once the belt is attached...
I think the belt
goes through the splits
we've left at the side
of the side seams.
..the lining can be sewn
to the outside of the dress.
I'm pinning the lining
to the bodice right now
and it's a bit confusing.
LAUGHING: I can't make head or tail
of this thing!
Oh, no!
By this point, this garment is huge,
so you've got a lot of weight.
And that's not all
Debra's wrestling with.
Cos my lining is
the same colour as my outer,
it does confuse it a little.
Everyone's suddenly become unstuck
with the lining.
Man Yee, does yours line up
to the edge of your lining?
No, mine's kind of... Have you
got an extra bit on the end?
I think so, yeah. OK.
Both Brogan and Man Yee seem to have
got the lining too short inside,
so you're getting that being
pulled up from the inside. Yeah.
OK, I really hope that's right.
I've sewn it, but I have no idea
if this is right or wrong.
We are about to go to one of
the trickiest parts -
we've got to turn it through.
So you're bagging it out.
Bagging out is always mind-boggling.
You're turning something inside out,
but also,
it's big pieces of fabric,
so that makes it more complicated.
Right.
You've got five minutes left,
everyone! Oh, God!
I feel like
I've done something wrong.
Where are you supposed to
leave the gap to pull it through?
It's at the centre back.
I didn't leave a hole.
BROGAN INHALES SHARPLY
I'm trying to unpick a hole
so that I can actually
get this through.
If I don't pull this through
and it works,
I'm going to have a breakdown.
What on Earth is this?!
I'm having a fight with it.
You've had enough of it?
Are you screwing it up
and throwing it in the bin?
What's the right
and wrong side of this thing?
Well, that's the big question,
Debra!
So stressful.
I think I've... Have I done it? Yay!
OK, so I've got this. Cool.
And then leisurely hand-stitch
the end.
Oh, my God, my hand is shaking.
It's not great hand-sewing at all.
I'm just going to press it.
One minute, everybody!
Almost there.
No way I'm going to press it.
It is finished. I don't know
how that's happened, though.
I've got a pleat there.
That's not supposed to be there.
Unfortunately, I've misunderstood
something inside.
It's so frustrating.
SHE SIGHS
Get them on the mannequins.
I need... I'm trying!
How do you wrap it?
Remember, it's left over right.
Left over...
It's like "leftover rice" -
that's how I remember it.
Oh, how annoying.
I've fallen at the last hurdle,
unfortunately.
So this will be crushed
kimono chic.
Sewers, that is your time.
WHISPERING: Oh, my gosh.
Now, East meets West,
let's find out whose is the best.
Bring your mannequins forward.
Have I got it the right way round?
MUSIC: Sukiyaki
by Kyu Sakamoto
Four kimono-inspired dresses
made in just five hours.
Right, Brogan.
Well, it's a shame
you haven't managed to press it.
Something strange going on here -
it looks like
the lining's too short.
Can you see how
it's going up at the front?
Brogan, I really like
the combination
of this plain-woven cloth
with the print.
The shape of your sleeve is very
nice, you've got a good corner.
Let's look at the hem.
We've got a hole.
We asked you to hand-sew it.
I ran out of time.
But I think, on the whole,
it is...it is not a bad attempt.
MUSIC RESUMES
I like the print that you've chosen
for the main body fabric.
You chose not to put
a contrast on the collar,
and I do think
it's a little bit of a shame.
I think it looks stronger
with that contrast.
Oh!
I really don't like those "oh"s -
I know they're never a good sign.
ESME LAUGHS
Yeah, it's never, "Oh..." No.
"..this is great."
This sleeve, it's...very strange.
I think you've sewn this sleeve
too far down.
That's quite a big error,
because what it's doing
is it's dragging all of this side
and it's pulling all of this tight.
I think it would have been easier
for you to see your mistakes
if you'd had a contrast lining on.
I think it's a real shame
that you've made this blunder.
Most of the rest of it, I'd say,
is pretty well handled.
MUSIC: Sayonara Tokyo
by Kyu Sakamoto
Very nice combination of colours,
very neatly bagged out,
very nicely pressed.
Your collar is sitting quite proud,
and I think maybe
the lining is tight inside
and it's pulling it on the inside.
I'm going to look at the hem.
You have hand-sewn it. Yeah.
But, on the back,
the lining's too short
so it's puckering up. Oh.
MUSIC: Hitoribocchi No Futari
by Kyu Sakamoto
I really like your choice of fabric
and I like the contrast -
it has impact.
Let's look at the hem.
You have sewn it up.
I think it looks absolutely
beautifully sewn.
It looks crisp and precise.
The shape of your sleeves
is absolutely beautiful.
Ooh!
Wow!
It's a good "ooh". Yeah!
THEY LAUGH
There is one!
It's the right kind of "ooh".
Look what she's done.
Yeah, she's split the lining.
I think it looks great.
I can't commend it highly enough.
Patrick and Esme will now rank
the kimono-inspired dresses
from worst to best.
In fourth place is Debra.
How you attached the lining
to the sleeve was a mess.
THEY LAUGH
Thanks.
In third place, it's Brogan.
You didn't quite get it finished,
you didn't have time to press it.
In second place is...
..Man Yee.
The lining was too short.
Which means, in first place,
it's Annie.
Yay!
Annie, yours really was
in a different league today,
so incredibly well done.
Thank you.
Let's go. Yay! Come on.
Honestly, sewing that,
I definitely would not have thought
I'd have come first,
cos I had no idea what was going on!
I'm just looking forward
to getting to the Transformation
and try and blank out
what happened earlier!
I could spend days trying to
figure out what went wrong there
but, you know, I'm just going to
put it behind me and move on.
Japan Week hasn't exactly been
a holiday so far
but, um, I've got my fingers
and toes crossed
that the Transformation
goes a bit better for me.
MUSIC: Zou Bisou Bisou
by Gillian Hills
Hello, again, sewers.
It's time now for
the Transformation.
This is the one where you take
old, forgotten ingredients
from the back of the cupboard
and make a fresh, steaming bowl
of noodle soup.
Patrick, what are they transforming
this week?
Well, we think you're all going to
have a ripping good time...
..with some worn denim.
We would like you to repair
and beautify these worn items
using a very traditional
Japanese technique called sashiko.
Something like this.
So sashiko is
a decorative mending technique
that's been employed in Japan
for thousands of years.
We want you to be inspired
by this technique.
You can take one item from the rail.
We're looking for something
beautiful and inspiring.
Now, Patrick and Esme won't be
with us for this challenge -
they're off to give thanks
to the good karma
that had them incarnated
as Sewing Bee judges in this life.
Off you go, guys.
You have 90 minutes for this
challenge, and your time starts now.
Oh, we're going.
Here we go.
Can we do jackets?
Along with the denim...
I'll take that one, I think.
..the semifinalists
have been given patches,
stencils and embroidery thread.
I'm going to go rainbow colour.
Let's go.
I've never done sashiko before.
To hand-sew in this time
is actually quite difficult.
When the judges said that we were
going to be doing sashiko,
I was really thinking,
"I hope they tell us what that is,
because I have no idea."
Sashiko means "little stab".
In a way, it's simple
because it's a tacking stitch.
It's a technique quite like darning,
where you will place a patch
and run running stitches through it
and you will bond
the two fabrics together
to create, effectively,
a new fabric.
It looks beautiful
and really meant and special.
We're asking them
to celebrate the wear
and beautify it and turn it
into something new and wearable.
They've only got an hour and a half,
so it won't all be hand-done. No.
It can't be. No. There isn't time.
I think the ones, for me,
that will be most successful
will be the ones that embrace
some sort of hand-stitching
through those mends.
So I've gone for a simple skirt.
I feel like this skirt
gives me enough room
to kind of go in and just
fix things, fix the holes.
I'm going to go for a rainbow
between two clouds,
and the clouds are the part
that has been mended as well.
I've got a whole jacket,
what I can imagine
having patchwork on.
I'm just cutting out a shape, as I'm
going to make my holes into stars.
I've got this denim skirt
that has quite a lot of holes in it.
I am making my damage bigger,
so I'm making the hole
into the shape of a star.
My garment is a denim pinafore,
so I've started by just doing
a little bit of binding.
I thought, "Do you know what?
I'll stick some birds on."
I do like birds.
Although my cat, Olive,
likes them too.
Clock always ticking
Will they complete the challenge?
Will pressure get them?
You're halfway through!
So I've chosen
a lighter shade of denim
to go, er, for the clouds
because I wanted a bit of contrast.
You've gone for rainbow,
lightning, suns.
Er, are you copying my shoes?
Someone's been studying... Keep it
there! ..someone, haven't they?
I'm cutting a star
and putting the patchwork behind it
and then sewing down.
I'll see how I do,
I don't know if I will be able
to do this, but hopefully I will.
It's just throwing convention on
its head and having a go, isn't it?
So I've got a hole at the top here.
I'm going to have a go at trying
to get the bird peeking out of it.
So I've put on some dark denim
as the base of my star
and then I want to make my stars
look like sh**ting stars.
Have any sewers ever had a tag
like a graffiti artist?
Just a little "Bro" in
the corner of things
and people are like,
"Oh, yeah, you got Bro'd!"
THEY LAUGH
Almost needles up
Big final push is needed
I believe in them.
You've got half an hour left.
Oh!
We've got half an hour?!
Bloomin' 'eck.
I'm just putting
some fabric on to the collar
that matches back to the patches.
Bloody hell.
How do you thread one of these?
I've never used needles
that big before.
My rainbow's coming along just fine.
Normally I like doing
hand-stitching.
You can see there's
a bit of embroidery behind me.
I actually did it whilst
watching a Harry Potter marathon
between Christmas and New Year's.
I'm now just doing some embroidery
of some little stars
around about here,
just to, er, add some details.
No, this couldn't be more
not my thing if it tried.
Hey, I'm the angry one
in the corner.
Yeah, what are you grinching about
over here?
Rarr, rarr, rarr, rarr, rarr...
What is it? You hate fixing things?
Don't hit me with the thread!
No, I wasn't,
I was lightly encouraging you.
15 minutes!
I'm trying to get it
into a lightning shape.
Finding it hard
to get any ideas at the moment.
I decided to do
the worst birds in the world.
I've gone and added some pearls now
cos I thought they looked
a bit celestial,
so they kind of go with the theme.
We're getting very abstract today!
Five minutes, everybody!
Oh, my gosh!
DEBRA: I'm really not enjoying this.
SHE LAUGHS
I'm just adding some
more embroidery stitches on.
It's just a star down
the back centre.
I am basically doing the sunbeams
but I haven't actually looked round
to see what everyone's doing yet,
so I don't know whether
what I'm doing is right.
Where's the needle?
Where is the needle?
Ah! It's there!
One minute left!
Oh, my God!
It's not perfection,
but I went with my idea
and I'm fairly happy.
Needles up, sewers -
that is your time.
Bring your mannequins forward
and muddle them up.
Oh, it looks so cute, Man Yee!
I feel like I should've done more.
It is what it is.
It's not my forte at all.
Pop them there, in line with that.
There you go.
Yay!
MUSIC: Hip Teens Don't Wear
Blue Jeans
by The Frank Popp Ensemble
What was once a pile
of tatty old denim
has been revitalised with sashiko
in just 90 minutes.
And Esme and Patrick haven't
a clue whose garment is whose.
Welcome back, judges.
What are your first impressions?
They look great.
Yeah, new life has been breathed
into our ragged jeans.
You've been having fun.
Right, the theme is stars.
We've got the embroidery
in little stars,
these have been machined on.
This one hasn't been machined on,
but I do wish
they'd gone over the edges
so it looked more like
a proper mend.
I very much like the colours
in this Dutch wax print,
and I like this turquoise fabric
that is just peeking through.
I think it needed more sashiko.
I agree. Yeah.
MUSIC: Little Bird
by Annie Lennox
We have a denim pinafore dress.
Mostly appliqued-on patches.
Now, if I look at the holes,
they've put a patch behind
and they've just
very quickly zigzagged
one very simple running stitch going
around the outside of the hole.
They could've done more work.
Feels to me they haven't
concentrated on the mending. Yes.
Which is what it's about. Yes.
MUSIC: Gonna Make You A Star
by David Essex
Right, so we've got a denim skirt.
We've got stars, pearls...
I think this is the trail of
a sh**ting star. Yes, you're right.
And these are other stars
in the night sky. Yeah.
I also like that they've changed
the way they've created the stars.
Yeah. So this one is sewn on top,
and this one is patched underneath.
There's not quite so much of
the sashiko going on
but it has transformed a tired,
old, worn-out... Yeah, definitely.
..denim piece into something
much more fun and wearable.
Absolutely. Yeah.
MUSIC: High In The Sky
by Amen Corner
Well, I love this.
They have put denim behind the holes
and then they've embroidered
over the top.
All of the colours are beautiful -
we've got shades of blue and white
and then we've got
this fabulous hand-sewn rainbow
going between the two clouds.
It does reflect sashiko, doesn't it?
How they've done
these big tacking stitches.
Got a flash of lightning.
We've got the rainbow.
And then we've got
what looks like a rising sun,
which obviously is a nod to Japan.
I think it's fantastic.
This person has really
grasped the idea of sashiko.
The judges must now rank
the sashiko from last to first.
In fourth place is
the pinafore dress.
That's Debra. Debra, it didn't feel
like it had enough sashiko...
Yeah. ..in it.
In third place is
the sh**ting stars.
That's Brogan.
It doesn't look very sashiko.
In second place is
the denim jacket.
That's Annie.
Annie, I think the overall look
of it is actually terrific.
It just needed those darns
to go right through
and completely enclose those mends.
In first place, the denim skirt.
That's Man Yee.
APPLAUSE
It looks the most sashiko
and I loved that you made these
things that represent the sky.
Thank you. Our first day in Japan
has come to an end.
I hope that you all feel zen
and peaceful.
Go home, have a beautiful rest
and we'll see you tomorrow
for Made-to-Measure.
It's great that they're appreciating
what I've done
because it was a lot
of hand-stitching.
My fingers are, like,
really sore now.
I'm pleasantly surprised with
the results.
It'd be crazy to be in
the actual final but we'll see.
I feel bruised after today.
Gosh, it couldn't have gone worse,
to be honest.
It's been a tricky one
but I didn't expect anything less
for the semifinal,
so bring on tomorrow.
The sewers have one last opportunity
to earn their place in
the Sewing Bee final.
Thank you.
Cheers, everyone. Yay!
THEY LAUGH
How do you think it's going so far?
Well, we've had some
interesting results.
Annie nailed the Pattern Challenge,
and it really was fantastically
well done.
All of the other three
had quite big flaws.
Debra's sleeve was a standout mess.
And both Brogan and Man Yee really
struggled with the lining.
But Man Yee's Transformation
was beautiful.
Where does that put us, going
into the last challenge of the
semifinal?
Well, it definitely puts Annie
and Man Yee ahead of the others.
Yes. Debra and Brogan,
I think, are both down the bottom.
Debra has won
Garment Of The Week three times.
Brogan is technically, I think,
the most competent sewer
that we have,
so I think they both have
the opportunity
to do something amazing
in the Made-to-Measure.
I agree with Patrick.
It's nice when that happens.
THEY LAUGH
For their penultimate
Made-to-Measure... Good luck.
..the sewers will
once again be tasked
with creating perfectly-fitted
garments for our models.
Welcome back, sewers,
and hello again to our models.
As it's Japan Week,
the judges would like you to use
the clever art of origami
to fold and manipulate fabric
and sculpt it into an outfit,
and, just a reminder of the stakes,
this is your last chance to make it
into the Sewing Bee final.
You have five and a half hours
for this challenge
and your time starts now.
Let's get going.
I'll do a bit of measurements.
The sewers have already had
an hour to cut out their fabrics...
Waistband.
..to leave enough time to create
their complex origami outfits.
I think I might need to make it
a little bit smaller,
which is better, because it's easier
to make it smaller than bigger.
I'm happy. Happy?
OK, I'm going to sew this up
and then I will get you back, yeah.
I did have, like, a book on origami
when I was younger,
which I liked doing, but I could
only make very simple things.
You know, like stars.
My first thought when I heard that
we were going to be making
origami dresses was, "What?!"
I started researching it
and it's, gosh,
it's such a beautiful art.
Origami means "folding paper"
in Japanese,
but it's techniques have been
applied to fabric
by Japanese designers
like Issey Miyake
and the fashion house
Comme des Garcons
to create bold garments
with striking forms.
What we want from this challenge
is for them to create
the appearance of folded paper
around the body,
so we want to see
interesting silhouettes.
It needs to look wearable, but
origami has to be the thing
that...that leaps out.
When you think about it being 3D,
it's really,
really important what fabric
you choose.
Right. So what fabrics
should they choose?
So something that folds
very crisply,
something maybe like
a cotton drill.
You could use taffeta,
that has body.
It's a complex geometrical challenge
that's worthy of the semifinal.
Well, it certainly sounds
very difficult to me.
Let's hope that nobody crumbles
under pressure.
I meant folds!
Nobody FOLDS under pressure!
A little bit nervous,
but who wouldn't be?
It's just so, so close now,
isn't it?
And it all probably
rests on this dress.
I'm really excited
about making this one.
I've, like, made the pattern myself,
it's a design I really like
so I'm hoping it'll...
..I'm hoping it'll look really nice.
Hi, Annie. Hello.
Tell us about the design
for your origami dress.
So the design is inspired
by my little bunny.
He's very cute, isn't he?
Have you folded him yourself?
Yeah, I did it when I was little,
so it was something that
I just wanted to do again.
It's very abstract. OK.
So we won't recognise it as
a bunny, it's just inspired?
No, it's just inspired by. Yeah.
I think you've chosen quite
a good fabric.
Um, this taffeta, just
because it can pleat really nicely.
It's really nice
to get those folds.
Annie's strapless taffeta dress will
feature three angular panels
based on the folds
of her origami rabbit.
To keep them standing proud,
she'll reinforce her bodice
with boning
and insert rigid interfacing into
the ears of her abstract bunny.
Have you ever had a rabbit?
I have. Yeah.
Yeah. It had a sad ending.
I think that is always the way
with rabbits.
You never hear, like,
"Yeah, now he's at university,
"having a great life."
What was the rabbit's name?
She was called Bugsy.
Well, this one goes out to Bugsy.
Yeah, a shoutout to Bugsy.
Yeah, a shoutout to Bugsy,
all the Bugsys out there.
Right, so this was joined to this.
I've forgot how I folded it now.
Man Yee is also drawing on an animal
from her childhood for inspiration.
As a kid, I did make a lot
of origami cranes
because there's this legend where if
you make 1,000 cranes,
and you have to think about your
wish whilst you're making
the cranes, your wish will come
true. So, yeah, I'm going to have,
like, a big origami crane on the
front here.
Can we ask you what your wish was?
You can and, honestly,
I do not remember!
I wish I could remember!
As well as the giant crane adorning
the front of her cotton shift dress,
Man Yee will use the origami skills
of her youth
to create pleated trims
for the shoulders and hem
and a self-drafted
disappearing collar.
It's basically a whole piece that
goes all the way to the back
and it creates a collar.
OK. And a zip at the back?
I've got a zip with me,
but it might just be, like,
a keyhole opening with, like,
a hook and eye.
OK, when are you going to decide
on that?
When I fit it onto the model.
OK. There is an extraordinary
amount of folding...
Folding going on.
It's an origami dress after all!
Yeah, it is the origami
dress, yeah. It's true.
I'm happy with the zip,
that went in.
I'm going to construct the base
of the dress.
I'm trying to create this
disappearing collar
from the single piece of fabric
just like how,
you know,
when you're doing origami,
you usually use one piece of paper
and just fold
whatever shape you want.
While most of the sewers are trying
to fashion sharp folds
and geometric planes...
Pinch that and fold it.
..Brogan is taking
a different angle on origami.
Wow. Have you been up all night
with a cookie-cutter?
Yes. There's a lot of circles.
And what are you going to do
with those circles?
The inspiration for the dress was
the origami lotus flower.
It's completely made up of folds,
but more to give the curves
of the flower.
Brogan's hoping to capture
the curvy essence of
the origami lotus
with spherical cuffs,
a collar of 3D flowers,
an undulating peplum,
and matching shoulder ruffles,
and her unconventional approach
to origami extends to her textile.
I'm sewing with neoprene today.
It's actually the material that they
make wet suits from,
so it might not be the expected
fabric for an origami dress
but I really wanted to sort of show
this lotus flower and try
and mimic it in the...in
the shape of the dress.
Yeah. Obviously, with this fabric,
you won't be able to put
a crease in it. No. So you have
to create the illusion of a fold
by folding and sewing it in place.
Yes.
We'll let you get on.
Thank you.
They didn't say much, which suggests
to me that they don't like it.
I knew I was taking a bit
of a risk with this one.
I will try not to freak out.
So that's that side.
Debra's fabric choice may be more
down-to-earth.
It's a lovely cotton drill,
it is quite easy to fold and press.
But her design ambitions
are sky-high.
My inspiration is Mount Fuji
with the cherry blossom.
The dress is quite sculptured,
the back is sleeve
and back in one piece,
so it's a really unusual shape.
There's so much folding that it
takes you a minute just to look
at this massive pattern piece and
just trying to work out
how it all comes together.
Debra's sculptural sleeves will be
the centrepiece
of her cotton drill tribute
to Japan's tallest mountain,
but she's also adorning its lower
slopes with origami flowers.
Over 100 of them.
If you can pull it off... Yeah.
..it sounds like it could be
incredibly, uh...
Impactful.
Impactful, yeah.
It's got to be better than
yesterday, that's all I can say.
Well, you know, it doesn't... Yeah.
Hello.
OK, dressing gown off already.
With origami garments, fittings are
even more crucial than usual.
Oh, it feels lovely. Does it?
Without a perfect fit,
the sewers risk their folds
and pleats sitting
in the wrong place...
Your body is really slim
compared to the pattern.
..and the geometric shapes they're
labouring to create will fall flat.
It's a fine line between making it
too big and too tight,
cos it's got to be
sculptural as well.
I'm basically looking at
the neckline,
I want it to be sitting out.
But no, that's great,
I think it sits right.
The fit's looking really,
really nice, actually,
so I'm starting to get that attached
with the peplum onto the dress.
It was a little bit big on
the side so I've taken it in.
Have you decided whether you need
a zip in it or not?
No. You haven't decided?
I'm going to...I'm going to sew it
up. I'm going to sew up
the back seam all the way to the,
like, to where I would have
the keyhole and then see if I can
fit it over her.
Would it not be better just
to measure your model?
Well, yeah, well...
I mean,
this is...the Made-to-Measure.
# It's the semifinal
# And the Made-to-Measure
# I'm sorry to say,
is halfway through. #
Has anyone looked up...
No. ..since they've started?
So, I've put on the peplum
and the skirt onto the bodice.
Ah.
With the fit of their garments
in hand...
Right, Man Yee, focus.
So I've got, like,
the crane wings here.
..the sewers can move on
to ensuring they pack
the required origami oomph.
There's different thicknesses
of interfacing
and I've just put in the thicker
interfacing into the top
for the pieces that need
to stick up.
For Debra, this means tackling her
precision-engineered sleeves.
It does take a bit of concentrating
when you're sewing it.
It's just not familiar, this kind
of folding technique.
You need to fold it,
sew, keep looking at it -
do the folds fold in
the right place?
And that's how I've approached it.
I'm now making the pleats
to go onto the sleeve.
Lots of folding,
is it quite time-consuming?
This takes way more time
than I expected.
I've been thinking a lot about what
I'd wish for
if I made 1,000 cranes.
Uh-huh. What would you wish for?
I would wish, and this is going
to sound really arrogant,
that I would win the Sewing Bee.
I know it's a long shot,
but just when the judges are like,
"Oh, here's the results," they go,
"It's Sara."
And I haven't even made anything.
Oh, no. Scared that this'd happen.
Started sewing some of the...some
of the bodice to the thing.
The fabric is that thick, you can't
tell what you're sewing sometimes.
I'm just still stitching together
my origami pieces.
I've got three large pattern pieces
that fold in to make the shape.
Put it on, like, over you.
This is the front
and centre of the dress,
so it's really important just
to get the placement right.
Should it go a bit further up?
Or should it go
a little bit lower?
Oh, but I feel like it's
too low now.
Hate these zips, for some reason.
Amazing.
Oh, yes,
we want those a little bit shorter.
I think I, uh, overestimated
your lovely long arms.
# One hour left,
leave no stone unturned
# Why's there a stone there?
# You've got one hour left. #
An hour left, OK.
Time goes really quickly now,
I need to hurry up.
I'm glad to be sewing on
the colour now,
that white was a bit blinding
after a bit.
I've started assembling flowers
by making tubes,
then I sew them to the skirt,
then I hand-sew them together
to make this kind of effect.
So I'm trying to work out whether
I could get away
with putting, like,
a keyhole opening
or whether I should actually
just go for a zip-up.
Man Yee still hasn't decided
whether she's going to do
a zip in the back or not.
Well, she should've done
that before.
I'm just putting this boning in
the lining
to keep it upright.
This bit does take a bit longer.
How's Annie getting on?
I mean,
the whole idea with the rabbit...
And sticking up, I mean, of course
it'll look different on the body.
Yeah.
I'm on the final tube,
so if I just keep chugging on,
I should just make it.
Debra's got a lot
of hand-sewing to do.
That goes on here
and you start pinching them
with a couple of threads later.
So I'm just in the process
of sewing on
the circles on my sleeve,
so it's quite time-consuming cos you
have to make sure
they're all lined up.
Brogan's dress,
the neoprene that she's using is
quite...quite sculptural.
But does it look like origami?
Ooh, it's so undulate-y, isn't it?
Yeah, it's very wavy.
I feel like if there had been
a Teletubby who was like
a sexy lady...
THEY LAUGH
You've got half an hour
left, everybody.
Last push.
OK, right, Man Yee, let's hurry up.
I'm making the pleats for
the bottom hem now.
I'm just about to sew the lining.
I'm sewing my flowers on my dress.
I don't know if I'm going to do it.
Just going to go as fast as I can.
I am hand-sewing my flowers that are
going to go round the neckline,
I then need to hand-sew them
onto the dress.
I've got a lot of hand-sewing
to do now.
I'm joining them up
to make them into the flowers.
So you've got to do all of these?
Yeah.
Ten minutes, everybody!
God, I'm sweating here, trying
to get this done.
I'm on the last step. I need to
hand-sew little bits at the front.
God, I'm so nervous.
I've still got the hem to put on.
I'm just going to sew it on here...
I'll get it done, don't worry. I'll
get it done, you'll have a dress.
Now I'm hand-stitching my flowers
along the neckline.
It's very detailed.
Just finishing touches, is it?
Uh, sure!
You sounded like a
little unsure pony!
I'm going to finish. I can do this!
Come on, Man Yee.
Hands are shaking.
I'm getting there.
Got one more row after this one.
I'm hand-sewing the hook on. I don't
need to put an invisible zipper,
I can just do it like a
hook and eye in the top.
My hand is now shaking, though,
I can't do anything.
OK, you've got a minute left,
everyone,
time to get those models dressed.
That's fine, that's fine,
I'm not panicking. I'm so panicking!
Just trying to make sure it's
as pressed as I can get it.
You can't really press this fabric,
so I don't even have
to give it a final press.
Right, shall we get you in it?
Right, hold on to my shoulder.
Hook and eye's fine.
Hook and eye's fine.
See, it hangs all right, doesn't it?
They're going to say it's
not origami enough.
Oh, my God,
my hand is shaking so much!
Is my head... Oh, sorry.
..poking out the right hole?
So... Needles up, sewers,
that is your time.
Ahh! Breathe. Relief.
SQUEAKILY: We did it!
MUSIC: Kore ga Watashi
no Ikiru Michi
by Puffy AmiYumi
Four origami-inspired outfits
made in just five and a half hours.
I think it looks really origami.
All these pieces folded,
this is sticking up.
I like how it's sitting away
from the body.
You made a very smart choice
in using a very stiff canvas inside.
Doing it all in one colour
and one fabric was very, very smart
because we see every pleat,
we see every shape.
We very clearly see the, kind of,
legacy of the rabbit's ears
and the rabbit's legs.
I know it comes from a bunny,
but it looks to me like quite
a sophisticated dress.
I think it looks great. Thank you.
UPBEAT JAPANESE POP MUSIC
You've taken the idea of the origami
and you've applied it
very literally.
These are beautifully pleated,
they're really lovely elements.
I mean, the crane is very
beautifully folded, it's very nice,
but I think it feels like quite
a simple dress
with some origami embellishment,
rather than the origami
making the dress.
I really like how you've made
this collar out of
a flat piece of fabric
and you've turned it into 3D,
which I think is really clever.
I think it's confusing,
all these patterns.
There's too many colours, so it
doesn't really tell us it's a crane.
It's pretty messy at the back.
I'm afraid that fastening is untidy.
I mean, it's held in place
with, what, three threads?
And I think the bottom hem
looks pretty uneven as well.
I mean, because you've given
yourself so much work
to do in creating these
pleated embellishments,
you haven't had time to
give the dress itself
the level of finish that it needs.
# It's cherry pink
and apple blossom white
# When your true lover
comes your way
# It's cherry pink
and apple blossom white... #
There's a big tradition of
minimalism in Japanese aesthetics,
you've captured that here.
You've created a very
striking silhouette,
using just a few panels
and a few pleats.
I love the sleeves, how you've
folded them and made them 3D.
You also chose a very good fabric
because it is holding
everything in place.
You start from your inspiration,
Mount Fuji and the blossom,
and you've turned it into a dress
and it looks very nicely sewn.
The way you blend from
the cherry blossom
into the sky is
really beautifully done.
There's lots of very delicate work.
I think it's been handled extremely
well, I think it's really stunning.
Thank you.
UPBEAT JAPANESE POP MUSIC
Brogan, I think the first impression
is it's very striking.
You've created some
really interesting shapes.
The whole thing feels very modern,
but there's a definite Brogan
femininity to all the form.
I think the colours go really
well together,
but these sleeves don't really go
with that, for me,
because they look
completely different.
I love that you've left all
of these edges raw,
there is a paper-like quality
to all of that.
I do think you have sewn it
really well and it fits nicely,
but I think of origami
as sharp edges.
I'm slightly in two minds about
whether it feels origami enough,
but there's no doubt in my mind
that it's got huge impact.
Well, go, kick your shoes off,
grab a sake and when you come back,
the judges will reveal who
has won Garment Of The Week,
which three sewers will be making it
through to the final
and, sadly, which sewer
we'll be saying goodbye to.
My Made-to-Measure was
quite abstract
and I wasn't sure, like,
if they were expecting, like,
a bunny on a dress kind of thing!
But no, I was really
happy with the comments.
Japan Week, it's safe to say, has
been up and down for me,
so I absolutely felt that this
was my make-or-break dress.
I still don't know whether it's
enough to get me through
to the final.
Other sewers went
a bit more geometric,
but I'm glad I went with
the inspiration I did,
and, yeah, I was pleased with the
end result.
Yeah, I've...I've got a strong
feeling that I'll be going home
at this rate, but...honestly, I've
enjoyed every part of it so far.
Sorry, can I have a moment?
Well, we may have travelled halfway
across the world,
but there's no jet lag here,
just energy and creativity.
So, what do you make
of our four semifinalists?
Well, I'm not sure we've had
four sewers
who feel quite so closely matched.
I think they've all reached an
exceptional level in this semifinal.
Annie has delivered an extraordinary
origami-inspired dress. Yes.
There is a thread that runs
from that bunny origami
to that finished garment... Yeah.
..that, for me, feels really clear.
Yeah. And I think I feel
the same way about Debra's,
which I think was also
incredibly successful.
She has really great vision
and I love that it
references Mount Fuji and... Yeah.
..the blossom.
I mean, it's so Japanese.
Yeah, and the execution
is exceptional.
So has Debra done enough to stay?
She's an absolute contender
for Garment Of The Week.
I don't think I can send her home.
Yes, I agree with that.
Yeah, so does that mean that Man Yee
and Brogan could be in trouble?
I love Brogan's colours,
it had impact on the catwalk,
fitted really well but,
for me, it isn't origami.
Man Yee's feels like embellishment
on quite a basic-shaped tunic dress.
Yet she's done a fantastic job on
her Transformation and I think,
actually, they were fairly close in
the Pattern Challenge.
How are you going to decide?
I know, it's really difficult.
You know, a place at the
final is at stake.
This is a very, very serious
decision to have to make.
Yeah. And I don't remember it being
this close ever before. No.
Respect is a huge part
of Japanese culture and society,
and one of you has earned an extra
little bit of respect
from the judges. Patrick, please
will you reveal
who has won Garment Of The Week?
Our Garment Of The Week
this week is...
It's Annie.
APPLAUSE
Aw, thank you! Thank you!
Annie, it was the perfect embodiment
of everything we wanted from this
origami challenge.
You took this beautiful idea
and you developed it into this
incredible garment,
so very, very well done.
Thanks so much. Very well done.
I hate this bit.
The judges have said it's never,
ever been this difficult
before, it's such a tough,
tough decision, but
the person going home is...
..no-one.
Oh, my God! Oh, my God!
Nobody. You're all in the final!
Oh, my God! Oh, my God, you've...!
THEY SOB
Not supposed to cry!
What?! I can't believe it. Oh, my
God! This is the best day ever!
There was literally nothing to
choose between Man Yee and Brogan.
The only conclusion we could come to
was that they all deserved
to be in the final,
and I think we're going to have
a wonderful final because of it.
Yay! Yay!
APPLAUSE
I was expecting her to say,
"Man Yee, Man Yee, Man Yee,"
and when she said, "No-one",
I was like, "That's not Man Yee!"
I'm literally so happy
and so relieved because I thought
I was going home, 100%,
so, yeah, I'm so happy!
Happy tears!
Hello?
Love, I've made it to the final!
I BLEEP knew it!
SHE LAUGHS
I BLEEP knew it!
That was a fantastic
Made-to-Measure, a great week.
Congratulations. So,
Garment Of The Week
and got into the final,
and we all got into the final, so
it's even like a triple celebration!
It's going to be amazing.
Debra, I want a hug.
THEY LAUGH
Oh, you're having a hug, you, Esme!
This has never, ever, ever
happened before on the Sewing Bee.
Oh, I'm really looking forward
to the final.
To think, what are they
going to come up with next?
Next time...
THEY CHEER AND APPLAUD
Hello to all four finalists!
The competition has been tough...
Jesus.
SHE EXHALES
Why am I always panicking?
..but I can now reveal...
Ooh!
This is giving me a heart attack!
..the winner of
The Great British Sewing Bee is...
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08x09 - Episode 9
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Amateur sewers take on challenges as they compete to be named Britain's best home sewer.
Amateur sewers take on challenges as they compete to be named Britain's best home sewer.