In this week's Great British Sewing
Bee, there will be cutting,
there will be stitching,
there might even be gluing -
which strictly isn't sewing,
but there's
a place in the quarterfinal
up for grabs,
so they can pretty much do
whatever they like.
Last time... Come here, Fred.
..the sewers made children's
clothes...
I don't like kids' clothes.
..David's dungarees won him
his first-ever challenge...
That's a good, solid sew, which is
exactly what we were looking for.
For the second time,
the judges awarded Lynda...
c*ck - you and me? Why not?
Why wouldn't we?
..with garment of the week...
..and sent Cerina home.
So upset!
This week, the six remaining
sewers... Phew!
..face the most difficult
fabrics yet.
That's going to be a brute.
They must tackle nylon...
Easing this is not very easy.
..handle leather for
the very first time... Ow!
..and in a new twist...
I'm not going to go right
underneath!
..make velvet trousers...
(WOLF WHISTLE)
..for themselves.
Control yourself, Heather.
I slept awful last night.
I dunno, maybe the nerves are
getting the better of me nowadays
cos we're getting so far in
and a chance of the final's not
such a distant hope.
It's difficult to try and put
yourself somewhere in the group
because everybody has strengths
and weaknesses and every week
there's a surprise,
so you just don't really know quite
where you are with it.
We're over halfway through
the Sewing Bee.
Now we need to find out whether they
can handle the really tricky stuff.
They need to impress us
with their skills using more
challenging types of fabric.
Everyone is still in with
a chance of winning.
Hopefully it'll be me!
Good morning, everybody. Are you
ready for some more challenges?
Oh, yes. You say yes -
you might say no in a minute.
This week the judges want to see how
you cope with very tricky fabrics.
Challenge one is nylon.
Oh, no!
No? Have any of you worked
with nylon before? No!
Patrick, what have they got to do?
This week's pattern is for an anorak
with rib on the cuff and waistband.
We want the anorak to be
shower-proof - with no pin holes
in the wrong places.
You have three hours.
This one's tricky.
Your time starts...now.
That's a bit hard - an anorak?
I hate anoraks -
I hope I don't hate them
at the end of the challenge,
actually.
Maybe I should love them.
Then I'll do it well!
I love anoraks - absolutely love
'em.
Most of the sewers haven't sewn
with nylon before,
so figuring out how to handle
it will be the first challenge.
I can't iron this, can I? I don't
think you can iron any of them.
It's nylon. It'll just melt.
This is entirely new to me.
It'll be fascinating
to see how it turns out.
That's serious nervous
laughter, like "Ugh!"
I never wear nylon.
It's a bit sweaty.
It's not something I would want
to associate with, myself.
Is nylon one of the trickiest
materials to use?
It slips and slides,
It moves about.
They have to think about how they
handle it.
We want it to be waterproof
so they've got to be careful
how they pin it,
otherwise they'll end up with holes.
I'm pinning in my seam allowance
so they don't poke holes
into the main fabric, cos it's
supposed to be waterproof.
I know that - from reading
the pattern - the seams are going
to be covered.
Each sewer has their own method
of avoiding pinpricks in their
jackets.
I put my jar on top
to hold the pattern down.
May said, "I don't want any holes in
it that shouldn't be in it."
I think she
might have been referring to pins.
Look at you!
You clever rabbit.
You're taping the pattern.
I used to cut out fabric and I
used to use sellotape the whole
way round.
Did you? To stabilise the fabric.
They used to make the Army
waterproofs out of this when I was
in the TA.
That's why you've gone full combat.
Yeah!
So that's the front.
The b*mber-jacket style anorak is
fastened with an open-ended zip.
The pattern is made up of two front
and one back section,
a collar, two sleeves,
ribbing and waterproof tape.
Once they've cut out their pieces,
the next challenge is
working out how
they all slot together.
"Pin sleeve to front of sleeve."
Oh!
The front and back sections
of the anorak are joined together
diagonally across the shoulder,
creating raglan sleeves.
If you're not used to putting
something like this in -
is it incredibly hard?
Most sleeves would be
a set-in sleeve.
A shoulder is constructed
and then a sleeve is set in.
This - there's no shoulder
insertion,
so it's actually a very
straightforward sew.
Story goes that Lord Raglan,
Wellington's aide-de-camp,
was injured in the battle of
Waterloo, had his arm chopped off,
and his tailor developed this sleeve
to make it easier for him to pull
his jacket on and off with one arm.
Feels nice.
Well, I'm just trying to work out
exactly what's going on here.
So "Sleeve seam wrong sides
together, stitch into place."
The pattern demands that the raglan
sleeve seams are exposed on the
outside of the garment - something
none of the sewers are used to.
We're to sew wrong sides together,
which is opposite to normal.
You normally stitch right
sides together.
So when I sew these
you won't have the
seam on the inside.
The seam will be on the outside
which is why you use the tape
to cover up the seams.
Pull sides together.
Once confident the sleeves' seams
are in the right position,
sewing can begin.
So we're just
sort of going for it, really.
As if the pattern itself
wasn't tricky enough,
this week the sewers are using
an unfamiliar machine
with a walking foot, designed to
grip slippery fabric.
How do you get it going?
What? How do you make it stitch?
Um, you need to
put your foot down.
No, as in...your needle, down.
Right. You should be able to go now.
Ooh!
I'm a little virgin
as it comes to a little walking foot.
It's very difficult, cos normally
you'd only have one
set of teeth guiding
your fabric, whereas with this,
you've got two.
Just working with a new
machine, it's a little bit slower
but hopefully we can trot on a bit.
Having raced ahead of the others,
Lynda is now unpicking.
I've sewn the right sides together
instead of the wrong sides together.
This is typical me, this is!
Not thinking, just steaming ahead.
Sewers, you have two hours left.
"Place the tape onto the seam
with the shiny side down,
"overlapping both sides of the seam
equally."
To ensure the anorak is waterproof,
the shoulder seams are sealed
with waterproof tape.
"Place the strip of tissue paper
over the tape
"and using the point of the iron,
run it along the seam tape slowly
to start the bonding process."
The temperature of the iron
needs to be just right.
I'm worried about melting it,
this fabric, because it's nylon.
Too cool - and the tape won't stick.
That's the first thing they're going
to do, start picking at these
heat-sealed seams.
The point of this tape
is it's not just
there for the next 30 minutes.
It needs to be on there for the
whole life of this jacket, so it
needs to be really well applied.
This is scary, a bit.
Is anyone else doing it yet?
I'm just doing a little mock-up.
The iron's at what temperature?
I don't know. It doesn't say.
OK.
Are you allowed to say? No.
That seems to be
melting a little bit,
so I might put it on
a little bit warmer.
I also would maybe think about
whether you want the steam on
or not.
I've gone off the centre
a little bit.
The judges will spot that
at 20 paces.
I need to make sure that they're
really well stuck, cos I know
they're going to be picking at it.
Some of your sealing is just
coming away there.
A little reseal of that.
I found I had to hold the iron
on it for a while.
Like, look at that. I'm going to
have to do that again.
I haven't done a very good job
of that.
I'm not at all happy with it.
But that's MY problem.
Waterproof fabric may be
tricky to sew with,
but imagine a time
when it didn't exist.
It wasn't until the 19th century
when a Scottish chemist named
Mackintosh made an important
discovery that wet-weather gear
went into production.
And not surprisingly,
a lucrative business was born.
In Georgian Britain, when it
rained, most men donned a thick,
lined woollen greatcoat, but this
wardrobe staple would soon be
replaced by something rather
better at the job.
In 1823, Charles Mackintosh
patented a waterproofing process
that he'd discovered
when he mixed Indian rubber and the
waste materials that came from -
of all things - street gas lighting.
What he was trying to do was create
something for his father,
who owned a dye works
so he was using the waste
products from the local gas factory.
He wanted some ammonia,
to create a dye.
Instead, he found out that with
another waste product, which is
naphtha,
he could melt India rubber.
And then he thought,
"If I can melt it, I can spread it."
So what he did was then
he started trying to perfect it.
There's the cotton on top
and then in between that, he put
a layer of rubber, then cotton again.
So it's like this sandwich
and you squash it all
together with a mangle.
'The rubberised fabric
went into production
'and was soon in demand
from the armed forces,
'the new police force
and even Arctic explorers.'
What did this discovery
do for the ordinary men
and women of Georgian Britain?
It didn't really work that well.
Mackintosh found this
amazing invention
but for those of us who tried to
wear it, it was a bit of a disaster.
You'd go out in the Mackintosh coat,
it would smell
and also it's really inconvenient
because if it got cold,
it got really stiff, and if it got
hot, it got really, really sticky.
Mackintosh had to
improve his product -
so he went into business with
another inventor, Thomas Hancock,
and together they set out to perfect
waterproof clothing.
Hancock's family owned
a coach company.
Seeing a gap in the market
for clothing that would protect
coach drivers
and passengers from the rain,
he'd also started experimenting
with Indian rubber.
Hancock helped in developing a robust
solution that was actually
better than the one that Mackintosh
had previously developed.
It was more spreadable,
had a higher rubber content,
which made the fabric more waterproof
and more impervious to the great
British weather,
so it was a totally waterproof fabric
but more flexible, odourless
and it was more amenable to the heat
and to the cold and wintertime to.
In 1824, Hancock and Mackintosh
began producing coats with this new
improved waterproof fabric.
They had a brand-new business
and Hancock fulfilled his ambition.
What he set out to
do in the first place was
the protection of the coach drivers.
Working with Charles Mackintosh made
that a possibility,
and both combined,
made something really fantastic.
Waterproof raincoats are still being
produced in factories in
Scotland today, using the techniques
pioneered by Mackintosh and Hancock.
This iconic piece of clothing has
stood the test of time,
paving the way for waterproof
garments just like the anoraks
made in our Sewing Bee.
The sewers are halfway through.
90 minutes to go.
So I'm now at this stage,
so I need to stitch my armholes.
Once I've done my sleeve seam,
I will have the remnants of a coat
by the end of this stitch but
I need to move on to the ribbing,
which I'm not looking forward to.
Attaching the ribbed waistband and
cuffs evenly... Nice and stretchy.
..into the stiff nylon requires
preparation and precision.
God, that's really stretchy.
That's going to be a brute.
So this is a bit tricky
because you've got stretchy ribbing
which is very, very movey, and then
this is very, very structured.
I've marked my centre
back with the back piece
and I'm matching them up,
so I'm pinning them together.
I'm then going to stretch this
to the width of the fabric
underneath.
Once again we've arrived
at a tricky and crucial moment.
What are you doing?
I'm... He's putting his cuff in.
OK. What he said!
Is it difficult? It's a pain
in the bum. It's fiddly. Why?
That starts off that size, the cuff
that it's going into is that size,
you've got to get that into that.
This doesn't look right.
Is this right? This is right.
Oh, well done!
'If the ribbing isn't stretched
evenly onto the nylon,
'the seams will pucker.'
This is going to be
a little bit tricky.
Oh, gosh, this is kind of off...
Oh, gosh.
I really, really want to
do this...get this right.
Sewers, you have one hour left.
One hour.
I think I need to get my skates on.
Pin collars...
Heather has moved on
to the jacket collar.
Because it's on a curve,
it's a little bit tricky
to ease this fabric in.
If the collar slips
against neck-hole as they sew...
Easing this is not very easy!
..it could pucker around the seam.
SHE SIGHS
My collar doesn't fit.
I've tried all ways
to get it to fit,
so I'm going to cut a bigger one.
I've got one little catch there.
That's been caused, because the
fabric doesn't stretch that much,
it's a little bit difficult to get
the curve equal all the way through.
If that's the only thing
that's wrong, I shall be lucky.
How have you found putting
this collar on? Awful.
I'm undoing it again.
It looked a bit shabby.
You don't have much time left.
I know.
I'm going to do it, though. All
right, I'll leave you to do it.
I hope nobody's going to try
this out in the rain!
Everyone, you have
half an hour left.
Are you serious?
They're all being a bit slow
this morning.
They ought to be putting
their zips in now.
And they should be getting on to
that all-important topstitching.
I'm just trying to topstitch
my zip at the moment.
The final component of the anorak
is the waterproof zip,
which should be neatly topstitched
along the front opening...
So I'm going all the way up the zip,
all the way around the top of
the collar, to come back down.
..to give the anoraks a sharp
finish.
I've just got to topstitch
my collar now.
MACHINE JAMS
Uh, are you serious?
Sewers, you have five minutes left.
Five minutes to put your anoraks
on your mannequins.
Ahh, come on.
I think I've knackered it.
I can't find my foot.
I was doing so well!
When you keep messing up, you've
got to work at the speed of light.
A-ha-ha!
I found it on the floor.
Go!
I've got topstitching left to do,
and I don't think I'll have time
to do it.
Sewers, you have 60 seconds left.
What?! That is one minute.
I've had it.
Oh, that's terrible.
HE SIGHS
I've finished my coat!
OK, that's time.
Why did they put it so far away?!
No topstitching. No, I haven't
got any topstitching, either.
Come on, Army boy.
This is my dream come true,
David.
Six anoraks in just three hours,
but whose will impress
Patrick and May?
Jenni, please bring Mr Yellow Arms.
Topstitching,
it's not absolutely straight.
It's not perfect,
but it's doing its job.
Good cuffs, no pleats or puckers.
Phew!
Difficult to bond two completely
different fabrics with one tape,
because obviously you can't
apply more heat to one side
than the other.
The fact that you've got that very
well bonded is great credit to you.
Thank you.
Your topstitching is all on.
Needs to be a little bit
closer to the edge.
To your credit, it's very even.
It's just a little bit too far away.
And, in the main,
your tape is secure.
I can see a tiny couple of places
where it's just trying to come off
the edge, but, on the whole, it's on.
No topstitching.
I mean, it's plainly clear
to everyone now, I hope,
why we've asked you to topstitch.
You can't press it into shape,
you have to stitch it into shape.
We've got some puckering where you've
joined the collar to the jacket,
which is a shame. But...
Oh, no, spoke too soon.
Tape just coming away
in a couple of...
Well, it's certainly
coming away there.
Unfortunately, it's clear to
everyone you've run out of time
and we haven't got
a finished garment.
The collar's not attached,
and we can see right here
where the clock stopped!
And from the back... I know.
..it's squint. I know.
Sorry.
The first thing to notice is you
haven't got to the topstitching,
and it's meant that the collar
looks bumpy,
and this front edge along the zip,
bumpy. I know, I ran out of time.
It just leaves it all looking
a little bit puffy and bulgy.
But, looking at your sleeve,
we have no pleats or puckers.
It looks really good,
and all this topstitching,
we can see the difference
in how secure all of the edges are.
Really even, and well ex*cuted.
The seam tape...
really well secured.
This is a jacket I would be
very happy to wear myself.
I think this is really very good.
SHE GASPS
THEY LAUGH
Pick yourself up off the floor!
'So what do Patrick
and May really think?'
Number six is Lynda today. Not
one of your most comfortable sews.
In fifth place, Heather. Didn't
get round to the topstitching,
and slightly uneven
in a couple of places.
'Chinelo is fourth,
and David is third.'
Second is Jenni. Really marginal
whether it was second or first.
Which means, in first place, Tamara!
APPLAUSE
Finally!
That is a really
professional-looking
piece of sewing.
Hard to find any fault in it
All of you go and have a cup of tea,
and, when you come back,
we'll give you the next challenge
which is really quite terrifying.
My mum told me, "Keep your cool,
stay calm, read the pattern,"
and that's exactly what I did.
Pipped to the post!
I was so gutted.
'But, that said, dead proud
of myself. Second position,
that's awesome.'
I don't like coming last at all,
obviously,
and it's making me worry
about the next challenge.
Nylon jackets,
incredibly challenging.
Now, our judges want our sewers
to transform,
to alter a high-street garment,
using totally different fabric,
but one that's just
as difficult to handle.
Patrick, what would you like them
to have a fiddle with?
This week...we'd like to give you
this high-street top,
and we'd like you to alter it
with yet another challenging fabric.
Leather.
Do whatever you like
with the leather.
You can use haberdashery.
Change that top
into something really exciting.
You have an hour and a half.
Your time starts now.
You two, off you go.
Go, go. Bye-bye.
Got to be purple. That's nice,
I like that combination. OK.
Smells good.
I've gone for this
black suede leather.
The whole monochrome thing
is in, isn't it?
I love a bit of leather! Yes,
I can see me getting into leather.
I've never worked with leather but,
I tell you what, it's lovely.
It cuts really easily.
It's a skin and I presume
you get one chance to pierce it,
and that's it.
So, for me, I think it's about
watching what I do with my needle.
This challenge is interesting
because, for the first time,
we're giving them a material
that is not a traditional textile.
It's different in the way
that it's handled,
it cuts in a different way, you
have to sew it in a different way.
A lot of the leather is so fine
that you can sculpture it,
you can change the shape of it,
but we don't want something
just thrown at it.
"Oh, yes, I've applied
a little shape here."
We want something that looks good
with that garment.
The button-back top is made
from a heavy double-knit jersey,
an ideal backing for the leather,
as it's of a similar weight
and stretch.
This challenge is right up my street,
I love doing things like this.
I am just making a little frill to go
right around the front of my top.
So far, so good!
Tell me exactly what you're doing,
and for why.
I've switched so the back
is now the front.
I think I'm going to apply this
around the neck.
What I think I'm going to do is...
Oh, my God! Are you using that?
Sorry to swear... Yes.
I'm going to cut shapes out of this,
and have this underneath
so this shows through.
What are you doing now?!
There's no warning with you, Tamara,
you're just cutting into it!
I'm actually going to do
a backless leather top.
So it will be very...demure
at the front
but the wow factor will be in the
back, cos I know Patrick likes that.
Cut off the neck to make it
into a sweetheart neckline.
I've cut out the side panel, and
I've made it out of leather instead.
I'm going to do almost
a sort of bustier front.
Well, at least this is what I've
sort of got in my mind, because...
I'm not doing a very good job
of freehand with it here.
I'm going to make a wrap front
with a plunging neckline.
Leather marks easily when pinned,
so Patrick and May
have given the sewers a sticky tape
to position it onto
the supporting fabric.
Instead of using your pins,
you chuck it on here.
You "chuck it on"?
Oh... Oh!
I don't know what you've just done!
HE LAUGHS
I don't know what you've just done!
Claudia, go away!
OK, focus on this bit for a minute.
Let's do it together. Unfurl it.
I think...
I'm no expert, but I think
maybe you cut tiny bits.
I'll leave you.
Good luck with the tape.
Maybe just put it on the machine.
It's an idea. Yeah!
'One hour remaining.'
I was worried about leather,
but now, having had a look at it,
it shouldn't be that difficult.
Whoa! There she blows!
To help the sewers
stitch through the leather,
all the machines have been
fitted with needles
with a blade-like point designed
to pierce through tough fabrics.
I can't believe how lovely
this is to sew.
I would love a top out of leather.
I might make myself one. Who knows?
I'm appliqueing this patch
of leather onto our top
with a relatively wide zigzag,
just to get a nice firm edge
to my leather, because the leather's
stretchy and the garment's stretchy.
I think this is called reverse
applique,
but it's where you cut away
fabric to show a fabric underneath.
I haven't done this since
I was probably about...12 years old,
and I certainly haven't
ever done it with leather.
Oh! A bit of leather applique.
I'm just going to cut out
this piece now.
That whole section? So you're
keeping the sort of yoke,
if you like, but somebody will
wear it and they'll be bare?
This is a "date night" top.
Oh, it's a "date night" top.
I like "date night" tops.
I know! You can't get enough of it.
Oh, I can't!
I could do this all day.
I've cut the back to make it tight
and I've cut the top off it
so I'm just sewing it on now,
to the sides.
Neither of my daughters
would wear this
but would have when I was young.
I have names, by the way,
for all my clothes,
like my egg top because it's bright
yellow and I wore it one day
down to my daughter's
and I had white trousers on.
She opened the door and I said,
"I feel like an egg."
I hope this is going to be
my success story top.
Look at you! This is bold!
Can I just show the cameras?
That's the front. I'm a normal human
being, just wearing a white top.
Thanks very much.
Ow! Ow!
I've got a lilac leather back
with...
Shut up! Shut up!
It's a Rouleaux loop.
Everyone, you have 30 minutes.
What's going on?
It's not even holding it together.
It's just a big mess.
It's very small.
I need to find a way to hide it and
stop it from coming up.
Actually, maybe if I did it
right on the edge,
that would hold it in place.
What about that thing,
the overlord... The overlocker?
The overlord!
Honestly! No? No, no overlord!
No overlord, OK.
I wanted the focus to be
on the shoulders and neckline,
so I'm just embellishing
that as I go.
It's constantly evolving.
That technique...
I don't have a name
but it did release some tension.
You don't have the hem level,
so you can hack away at it
and make big splodgy holes.
It probably looks awful.
Yeah, it does look awful,
but I like it.
Everyone's doing a lot more drastic
than I have, I think.
I'm making a corsage.
Lynda's making a corsage.
I've seen my granddaughter's got one
on her hair band or something
and I'm trying to recreate it
but I'm not sure how it goes.
Getting the needle through the
leather is really, really difficult.
It's very, very thick.
I don't know how I can
join it all together.
Maybe if I do one at a time.
That sorts that out.
I think I might have
chipped a tooth.
Everyone, you have ten minutes left.
That is ten minutes.
I'm just deciding what to do
with the neck edge, at the moment.
I think I might tuck it in
and tack it in underneath.
Toying at whether to make
a kind of necklace which sits on,
with leather bits falling off it.
Little buttons at the back,
just to take it in.
I'm just going put two buttons
at the bottom as well.
They said radically change
and alter your top.
I think they'll hate it.
Ooh! Mind that!
Green is for leaves,
to go with my flower.
Don't do this at home!
End up at the dentist.
Did you just use tape
or did you use the machine?
I did use the machine,
although you can see half the tape.
Oh, David!
It's sticky tape. Just roll it over
and no-one will notice.
Are those leather leaves? Yes.
Come on! Come on!
Trim, trim, trim, trim.
Guys, your time's up!
Your tops have to be on your
mannequins.
Bring them forward.
We'll jumble them around.
# Oops! My heart went oops
# The moment that we met
# My heart went oops
# I never will forget
Patrick and May have no idea
whose alteration is whose.
Well, there's certainly been
an awful lot of work gone on
in the hour and a half
since we left the room.
And I'm surprised at the range
of things that have been done.
There's a lot of different
techniques here.
Without that, I'd say it was
a much better-looking garment.
I don't understand why
we've got grosgrain and lace
and floral buttons.
We've obviously had a bit of trouble
with the seaming down here.
A nice idea. The a combination
of the two leathers isn't bad
but it seems to me a little bit
confused in its execution.
I just feel this looks
a little bit messy.
That's a clever bit of cutting to
make that sit and flute like that.
Yeah. And the lace is quite
nicely and neatly attached
all the way round.
I think I'd have liked to have seen
all of this just cut out
and disappeared
and end up with a nice V-neck.
Some really nice panelling here.
Actually, a nice use of the fact
that leather can be left
as a raw edge.
A very nice, smooth line
both over the bust
and down through this line.
And also, a good use of some leather
circles which have been
sewn together to make
this lovely flower.
To give the sewers a clear
indication of their success
with handling leather,
Patrick and May put the mannequins
in order of preference.
OK. So, then, can we invite the
creator of blue Hiawatha, please?
David!
Be confident in what you've created
and look at it and think,
"Is that a nice piece of clothing?"
If it is, don't think,
"I've got five minutes left.
I need to do more."
Please could the owner
of number five come up?
It's Heather!
The little bit of suede you put
in the front was nicely ex*cuted
and then the rest of it
just went a bit mad.
It did. It went completely mad.
'Tamara is fourth
and Jenni is third.'
So here are your top two.
And there they both are.
Could the creator of number two
come and get her?
ALL: Ah!
Well done on a great garment.
I like the way in which you
cut the curve on the suede.
It works very, very well.
Thank you. And the winner is Lynda!
Well done.
Surprise.
You've done a fantastic job here.
It shows just what you can do
with the right material in the right
place. It's just a really
well-ex*cuted sew.
You did brilliantly.
Nylon and leather.
You all deserve awards.
Go home. Have some doughnuts.
We'll see you tomorrow for a big
challenge with a tricky fabric.
You know, I never do very well
in these challenges,
so to come first
was absolutely brilliant.
Second again. I need to climb up
soon but I was very happy.
Today I came fifth and fifth.
Tomorrow I'm going to really panic,
pray, and hopefully
sew really well.
One more challenge and one more day,
at the end of which Patrick
and May must decide who will be
going forward to the quarterfinal.
How did they do yesterday?
Tamara finally resisted the urge
to go off-pattern
and ended up sewing a really
fantastically
professional-looking garment.
Lynda had a totally mismatched day.
She lost the anorak challenge
and then she came top.
Lynda went from zero to hero
in just those two challenges.
What yesterday showed us is that
it's very difficult to pick
a frontrunner, and it's very
difficult to pick
who might be in trouble.
Nobody is secure.
It hinges on how well they do
with this challenge.
After you, Lynda, darling.
As usual, the sewers have had
a chance to practise this challenge
at home, but for the first
time in the sewing room,
they'll be making a made-to-measure
garment for themselves.
So to ensure the perfect fit,
they'll be pairing up.
Good morning, everybody.
ALL: Morning.
So this week is all about
tricky fabrics.
Today the judges would like to see
how you cope with velvet.
They'd like you to make a pair
of velvet trousers.
They suggest you all choose a
fit buddy and you help each other
with measuring, etc.
You have six and a half hours,
to make a pair...
Can't wait to see yours, David!
..of velvet trousers.
Your time starts now!
Velvet trousers.
Who wears velvet trousers?
I haven't made velvet trousers.
I've made other things in velvet
and I love it
but it's a beast to sew.
Velvet is most commonly made
from cotton, woven together
in two layers. This is then
sliced apart, revealing a tightly
packed cut thread, or pile,
which sits proud
on the surface of the fabric.
I just always call it
a hairy fabric.
The pile can be brushed
in either direction.
This is called the nap.
The sewers need to pin their
patterns on to the velvet,
so that the nap brushes in
the same direction, or the trousers
will end up looking patchy.
If you brush it one way,
it looks dark. If you brush it
the other way it's all shiny...ish.
I'm going to choose
to go down the fabric,
simply because I love
that wonderful sheen.
Heather's making a classic pair
of slim-fitting trousers,
out of a firm cotton velvet, which
will be half lined on the inside.
I'm afraid I'm abusing the judges'
furniture. I hope they don't mind.
I'll be off this before
they get in here anyway, I hope.
I have never worked
with velvet before,
so I'm a little bit nervous about
the challenge
but I love velvet.
I would k*ll for a velvet suit, so
I'm looking forward to making them.
But it's going to be a tricky one!
Jenni is making high-waisted
trousers, with a zip fly,
tapered at the ankle with turn-ups
out of a fluid
synthetic silk velvet.
Your velvet, to me...
I'm just going to be honest
with you. It feels really "floopy".
Are you all right with that?
Erm...yeah. Because it's a tapered
trouser, I'm not too worried
about the "floopiness".
Are you worried about time?
I have practised with velvet at home
and I didn't complete in time.
Oh, my God. I'm getting out
of your way. Bye, snazzy girl.
I've actually got boots on today
because my legs are very fat at the
top and really thin at the bottom.
So I've worn the boots to try
and even out the shape of my legs.
I don't know whether that's cheating
or just being crafty.
I don't know.
Lynda's making a classic
straight-legged trouser
with a zip fly and side pockets.
Once, I've used velvet in the past.
I think it was 30 something
years ago.
And I made a lovely velvet dress
with a white collar,
for my daughter, Sarah. And that's
the only time I've ever used velvet.
Where's my tape measure?
I'm making a gentleman's pair
of trousers from this pattern.
Very Saturday Night Fever.
David's chino-style trousers will
have a front fly and side pockets.
Hello. You all right, mate?
How are you doing?
I'm all right. Who's your fit buddy?
I'm going to go with Tamara.
Love it. And also, you'll be used
to buddying up.
# Nee-naw, nee-naw. #
"Come on. I've got your back!"
It's all about the buddy system.
That's what we're doing now.
Get down! I'm not getting down.
I've got business to do.
Fine! I'm just in my own
little police velvet world.
Wouldn't it be marvellous
if we just gave everyone
a velvet uniform to wear?
Why wouldn't you?
It would stop crime overnight.
People would be too busy laughing.
I've cut my trousers
and I'm now tacking them together
before I make them up.
Sewing velvet cannot be rushed.
To prevent the seams from puckering,
the two leg pieces should be
secured together
before going under the machine.
Velvet has the tendency to creep.
Because the piles are sitting next
to each other, they can move,
so really careful handling.
Where could people really go wrong?
Any surface stitching could look
awful. Also, seams, if they move,
you could have one piece of fabric
puckering on another piece
of fabric. Bulk!
Velvet is bulky, so there are all
sorts of things to think about.
The rule of thumb is, if you think
you've got enough pins in,
double it. Because it's a bit
of a walking fabric.
What I want to do is get it
right first time
and not have to chase this.
Here we go.
I'm going to sew this together.
Just sewn on like that.
There's your pocket, then.
I have practised this challenge.
I made it in an awful velvet.
I think it was furniture velvet,
actually.
And it was just awful.
Chinelo's skinny-legged trousers
are topped with an asymmetric
peplum ruffle, which is lined
in a contrast fabric.
Have you worked with velvet before?
A hundred million thousand times.
A hundred million thousand?
That's a lot.
It's one of my favourite fabrics.
Why do you love it so much?
Cos it's difficult to sew with.
I just think it looks luxurious.
I feel like I could drape myself
somewhere when I wear velvet.
I love you, Chinelo-chops.
On a piano or something...
A piano! We need a piano
for judging.
..whilst my husband plays it,
oiled up.
We've just turned a corner
but don't think that that image
isn't staying with me.
I'm just doing my side seams
so I can do my first fitting.
Tamara's Capris pants are made from
a lightweight cotton velvet.
She's lining the inside
of the waistband
and a back pocket
with a contrast print.
Are you still riding high on anorak?
Of course not!
That doesn't mean anything.
You're only as good
as your last garment.
Gosh! You suddenly became May.
You, happily, have got police boy,
on crutches, to be your fit buddy.
Aren't I lucky? Is he useful?
We're going to have
our first fitting very shortly.
Great. I'll get my trousers off.
Go on, Dave, get them off.
WOLF WHISTLES
Control yourself, Heather!
(Jen, I'm just going to go in.) OK.
To achieve a good fit,
the sewers have paired up.
Jenni is Heather's fit buddy.
I should have had
the Bridget Joneses on.
I wasn't going to say that.
How important is it
to have a fit buddy?
It's virtually impossible to do
a good fit on yourself.
What are you aiming for?
The back of the calf, here?
Just above the ankle, actually.
As soon as you bend down to tack
a hem,
you know, the trousers ride up.
As soon as you turn round to
look at the back,
you're twisting the whole trouser
out of shape and out of balance.
You're trying to put something
around
all sorts of curves
in three dimensions.
It's almost impossible
to get a really good fit
without standing
straight up and down
while the clothes
are being fitted on you.
Chinelo is my buddy.
When I was slim,
I was not the same shape as
Chinelo but we've both got big bums.
Not big! Round. Round bums. Yes. Yes.
So I think we'll be good
to fit on each other.
Just be careful with the pins.
Yes, I will.
What I'm doing, David, is making
sure that your centre seam... Yeah.
..is in the centre of your darts.
You're fantastic.
I'm not going to go right underneath.
What do you mean? Why not?
If you don't mind! There's
friends and there's friends.
Feels like it could go in.
Yeah, it can, a little bit.
Ooh, careful.
My tights are interfering
with the velvet.
Yeah. So I've taken my...
..knickers off.
I've taken my tights off. OK.
But you will see my bottom.
If you take that in there, look...
You'll have to go from the top
seam, obviously. Yeah. Yeah. OK.
That's where it needs to sit...
OK. Brilliant. Thank you, darling.
Hopefully we're nearly there.
Hopefully.
Sewers, you're halfway through.
This zip is going to
be in the front of my trousers
so when my trousers are zipped up,
it just looks like a seam.
While Chinelo's inserting
a straightforward invisible zip...
It has to be perfect
cos if it's not, it'll look silly.
..Jenni is attempting a more
complex fly fastening.
This piece here is
the under-flap of the fly.
When you undo your zip,
you can see this flap here -
that's basically
what I'm doing now.
There's quite a lot of
layers on there.
I think there's about four layers
of fabric.
And it's just struggling
a little bit.
No, I don't like you.
A fly.
That's the best one I've ever done.
There's Patrick, looming over there.
All I heard was, "It's the best
one I've ever done."
He's going to wonder
how bad the other two were.
I've got a wrinkle in my zip,
which is a shame.
When I did it at home it was perfect.
Typical, isn't it?
He's bound to see it.
He'll spot that at 20 paces.
Morning. Now, what're you doing?
Nothing, Patrick.
I'm not happy with my zip. No.
I can see that. Don't look yet.
Got a little bit of a wrinkle.
A pucker. Yeah.
Difficult unpicking velvet.
I know. I'm going to see what
I can do without unpicking it. OK.
I'll leave you to get on with it.
I'll have a try with this zip. Good.
Everyone's seen my
wrinkled zip, so I'm trying to iron
it out, press it out.
Steam it out? Anything it out.
I'm doing my waistband
at the moment.
On the pattern, there's
a V at the very front,
but the back is quite plain.
So I've made my own
pattern piece. I'm going to put
a V in the back as well.
I'm making sure that my V point lies
in line with the centre back seam.
This is the interfacing
for the waistband.
It's stiffening.
It gives it some body.
So I put it in the centre here.
And when that folds over,
that gives a nice waistband.
Hello, green velvet lady. Hi.
Let me have a look.
Ooh, that's nice.
Um, I've done the fly and I've done
my pockets.
Waistband needs to look really
stiff and very crisp.
And that fabric hasn't got
an awful lot of structure
compared with some of the other
velvets. I know.
Velvet's a difficult fabric anyway.
This one is particularly slippy.
I'm going to sew in this sturdy
interfacing with my waistband.
I'd be tempted to double this up
because this is a very soft fabric.
I know you're worried about time,
so we'll leave you. Thank you.
14 plus 14 is...
Chinelo is the only sewer adding an
extra layer on top of her trousers.
I like peplums
because of the shape they give.
They make your waist
look smaller and hips look bigger
and I like that kind of shape.
I've just cut out the length
of my peplum.
Then, I'll move this up four inches
on this central line.
It makes it longer at the back.
See? When it's held up like that...
Heather is the only sewer adding an
extra layer underneath her trousers.
I'm going to half-line my trousers
because
when you get warm, velvet tends
to stick to you a little bit.
I've just literally made
a copy of my trousers
and these will just
slip onto the insides.
They look like giant bloomers,
don't they?
What's the matter?
Can you put it right?
Not without re-doing my waistband.
(The thing is, it should be...)
That's fine. It's supposed to be
like that.
(Thanks, darling.)
I've done the double interfacing,
so I've got a nice, stiff waistband.
But I was
so concerned about the velvet
and the lining that I've put
my waistbands on the wrong way round.
Sewers, you have half an hour left.
Seems roughly
about right. Do you want to look?
That's cool. Yeah? Thank you very
much. No worries.
Because velvet bruises easily,
the hems should be delicately
hand-sewn.
I love hand-sewing. Lovely.
My favourite thing to do.
But David plans a short cut.
Tell me what hems you're going to do
on these.
I'm going to try to do
a blind hem with the machine.
The mere fact that you have to
fold the velvet
as you put it under
the machine, you are creasing your
velvet, so that is really crucial.
On Savile Row we'd normally
sew this by hand.
Quite tempted to do it by hand.
Sewers, you've got ten minutes.
Ten minutes left.
I'm very, very quickly trying
to hand-sew my hem.
I don't mind-hand sewing. It's
good when you've got time, not great
when you haven't.
I'm hemming my trousers,
I've only got five minutes.
So to say it's rushed
is an understatement.
Right.
Just got to put my bar and hook
on now
but I want to press my
waistband at least.
I'm just sewing in my hook and eye
but finding this whole process
quite upsetting.
There's nothing worse than
putting all your effort
into a waistband that's wrong.
One minute. One!
I think they're good enough
for a dinner party.
Lovely.
Right. That's it. That's it.
Time's up.
Chinelo, I need to see you. Oh, yes.
What I haven't told you is we're all
going to a velvet trouser
party back at mine. Well done.
Look at you.
Honest opinion? I hate them.
They're terribly finished
and the waistband's not right.
But at least I'm not
walking around in my pants.
JOLLY '20s MUSIC
The sewers will now model
their own trousers
for Patrick and May to judge.
First up, the goddess that is Lynda.
I would say those are a really
good-fitting pair of trousers.
Thank you. They feel lovely. Yeah.
Nice, flat waistband.
Also we cannot see
where you stitched your hems.
Invisible.
Can we look at the fly as well?
Can we have a look?
One little pucker.
That's what I was worried about.
But it's a very neatly sewn and
well-fitted pair of trousers.
They fit you really well.
They really are a good fit.
Some really lovely top stitching
around your waist.
The execution of that peplum
is really, really good.
It's been nicely handled.
But you haven't concealed
the hook and bar.
Somehow it's pulling open a bit
but...
I think overall it's a pretty
good pair of trousers.
Yeah. Well done. Well done.
Thank you very much.
I think your darts are slightly
uneven.
This one is just slightly
deeper than that one but they're
very cleanly pressed.
And I measured them as well.
It must be about two stitches.
Really well inserted zip. Putting
a zip in on a fabric like this
is tricky, isn't it?
Everything you've done, you've done
well. Well done. Well done.
Thank you very much, Heather. Thank
you. Jenni, please come forward.
I have to say, Jenni, that this was
probably one of the most difficult
velvets to work with in the room.
It just bounced all over
the place, didn't it? Yes.
Now, what happened
with the waistband?
In my attempt to ensure
I had a stiff waistband,
as per Patrick's requirement,
I lost it for a moment and put it
on the wrong way round.
Yes, your shaping should be slightly
different.
I think the fly isn't quite right,
it's not concealing all of that
zip as it should be. No.
What's going on at the bottom?
It's double.
It just looks a little bit lumpy.
They're not sitting cleanly
round the bottom.
OK.
I think they're a very, very good
fit.
They don't appear to be dragging,
hanging nicely.
I'm a bit concerned that we're
seeing
a little bit of that facing
coming through.
That just needs controlling
somehow. If you're going to put
a contrast inside,
you have to make absolutely sure
that it's all on the inside.
This pocket looks smashing.
Can I turn you sideways? We have
got a tiny bit of movement here
but a minor detail.
Overall, it's a very good pair of
trousers.
I think they're a good-fitting
pair of trousers. Thank you.
Your darts are pressed out well
and you've done a good job
with the pockets.
But on this side we've got some
walking. The back part
of the seam is flat and the front
bit, there's some fullness in there,
where it's moved as you've sewn it.
The fly's well ex*cuted.
Maybe just needed a prick
stitch along the edge just to keep
that velvet closed
but it is covering the zip which is
the important thing. Overall, a
perfectly wearable pair of trousers.
Thank you.
Thank you for your brilliant
trousers and indeed your modelling.
Go and have a relax.
The judges will deliberate.
And when you come back in,
they will announce who will be
leaving the sewing room.
Velvet trousers. I was so excited
but I just completely underestimated
what I was letting myself in for.
It was a tough, tough day.
Yesterday wasn't a great day for me.
I just don't know
whether I've done enough to stay.
Let's talk about who's going.
I think there are probably
a couple of contenders.
OK. Sadly, Jenni's trousers
really were a bit of a mess.
The waistband - we've got a huge
mistake here -
the fly wasn't terrific.
These turn ups are not
very good at all.
Jenni didn't cope with
that challenge very well.
Heather came fifth in the first
two challenges.
Well, her trousers were really good.
But not the most complicated
construction - no pockets.
They were
the simplest pair of trousers.
This wasn't very well finished,
wasn't one of our best anoraks.
She could be in trouble.
I think, for sure, Heather needs
further consideration.
Good luck, guys.
Before the bad news, the good news.
And the judges can reveal their
garment of the week. Patrick.
This week we chose...
this garment. ALL: Yey!
So congratulations, Tamara,
brilliant, professional
piece of sewing.
And Patrick would quite like to
buy it from you.
Now the hideous bit.
The person who's leaving
the Sewing Bee is...
I'm really sorry. It's Jenni.
I told you.
Oh, sorry. No, it's good.
It's the right decision.
You're our most inexperienced sewer
but you have done some
brilliant sewing.
Given the very limited amount of
time that Jenni has been sewing,
she has really impressed both May
and I.
It's sad to be losing her to the
competition
but, at the end of the day,
we're looking for the best sewer
and this week that wasn't Jenni.
It's getting harder to say goodbye
to people each week now,
especially Jenni. It's going to be
really hard not having
her in the room and her energy.
Cos she's my Jenni baby. Yeah.
Sewing, for me, gives you
everything you can ever imagine.
You think of something in your head
and you're able to recreate
that in a garment that you can wear.
Anybody can pick up a needle
and thread and make something,
and that's just phenomenal.
I love you guys.
I didn't think I'd be in this long
but to be
though now to the quarterfinal
is brilliant.
Wow!
At the next Sewing Bee...
I'd better get a shift on.
..the quarterfinalists
face a mysterious pattern.
It's almost like it's in Morse code.
They transform an entire man's suit.
That's a big bloke, isn't it?
And take on the heftiest
made-to-measure challenge so far.
It's so bulky!
A classic coat.
I have got a lot to do.
RIPPING
Oh, lordy!
Applications for the next series of
Sewing Bee will be closing soon,
so if you or someone you know
would like to apply,
You'll also find ideas there
for sewing projects
inspired by the series.
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02x05 - Episode 5
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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.