02x07 - Episode 7

[bunniefuu]

It's the semifinal
of the Great British Sewing Bee.

Over the past six weeks

our sewers have had to create some
extraordinarily difficult items,

from nylon anoraks
to taffeta dresses.

Well, this week they're about to
face the biggest hurdle of all,

because they have to make some
amazing garments with no pattern -

serious.

Last week the quarterfinal saw
the Sewing Bee go back in time.

I shall never use
a 1930s pattern again.

Heather's blouse won her the pattern
challenge for the third time.

This collar is beautifully flat.
The shirring is neat.

Well done.

Chinelo proved she could make do
and mend like no other...

It's pretty ingenious, actually.

APPLAUSE

..and Lynda's 1940s coat was awarded
garment of the week.

Oh, my God!

But it was David who missed
out on a place in the semifinal...

Oh! Sorry!

..and whose departure brought
everyone to tears.

I'm really sad that David's gone.
He's been my hero.

This week, a place in the final
is at stake...

This is the scary part!

You could cut the air with a knife.

So who will fall at the last hurdle?

I feel sick!

That's really exactly what
I didn't want to do.

Three challenges remain before
The Great British Sewing Bee Final,

and just three of the home sewers
will make it through.

I'm absolutely delighted to
be in the semifinal!

I can't actually believe I'm here.

Learning support assistant Lynda

has won garment of the week
three times,

but has been inconsistent
across the challenges.

It's squint. I know. Sorry.

Lynda's work varies. We need her to
produce one of her best weeks

to get her place in the final.

Now I've got to this stage,

there's that little, little
butterfly-in-my-tummy feeling

of being on the edge
of something massive.

Yoga teacher Tamara creates
ambitious garments

and has constantly surprised
the judges with her originality.

It's just amazing!

I think she needs to strike a good
balance between her natural

exuberance and giving herself
enough time to finish everything

to the standard
that we're looking for.

Now I'm here in the semifinal
I can see the finishing line

and I think I want to make
a big dash for it.

Dressage trainer Heather is the most
traditional sewer of the group.

You have got a beautiful
handpicked sewn-in zip.

Heather is technically
very, very good.

However, sometimes she's playing
safe,

and I think if she plays it too
safe, she could be in danger.

The final is just so close,

and there is no room for error -
every stitch is going to count.

Media graduate Chinelo is
the youngest in the Sewing Bee

and the only sewer not to have won
the pattern challenge -

although she excels at the others.

I think it's incredibly impactful.

The fitting is exceptional.

Chinelo does have that natural
flair for balance and fit.

This week we've taken away
the patterns,

and this might just play to
Chinelo's strengths.

Congratulations on making it
through to the semifinal.

So, you know that
the first challenge

is when we give you a pattern.

So, Patrick, what have you
got for them today?

Well, we've tested you on pretty
much every pattern under the sun,

so this week we'd like you
to make a dress,

but we're not going to give you
a pattern at all.

Right. Oh, my goodness!

We're going to have to make one
ourselves! No, no!

Heather wants to weep already.

We're giving you a mannequin,

three metres of fabric
and some pins.

And what we would like you to do
is cut it, pleat it, gather it,

shape it, drape it,

and we would love you to make us
a dress using all those techniques.

You do have three hours.

Your time starts...

now. Go.

Oh, gosh.

Does it drape?

I think it's going to be fun,
this challenge -

I've not done anything
like this before.

I like this, it's pretty.

Yes, I'm going to go for this one.

I'm looking for a drapey fabric.

But I don't want it too flimsy,
cos I don't like floppy fabric.

I'm really excited about
this challenge, actually.

It's a chance to really be quite
creative...

and I love that.

There's not three metres on this.

Oh, there is. Just three metres.

I'm looking for drapey fabric,
and I think I've got it.

It feels all nice and soft, and...

Hopefully it's going to be
kind to me.

I have done this,

but generally I've had a lot more
time to play with it.

It's a lovely bit of cloth,
as my mother would say.

Let's see if I can get it right
this time, eh, kids?

Course you will.

The only thing I've seen is
when I've been in fabric shops

and they've got the material
pinned onto the mannequins,

and I've always thought,
"Wow, that's fabulous!

"But I don't think
I could ever do it."

And here I am.

Patrick and May, why have you chosen
a no-pattern week?

Any good sewer needs to be able to
create garments from scratch,

and for that they need to be able to
either draft a pattern

or drape a garment.

I mean, it can be the case that
people don't feel confident

to make things without a pattern,
but there are other ways.

I'm going be making a halter neck
sort of dress

that's going to drape from
the bust right down.

This is going to go around
the neck, like so.

This is the first time
I'm doing this,

so I'm just going to be going off
on a whim here.

Chinelo and Lynda have both
started by immediately draping

and roughly pinning
the fabric on the mannequin.

What you doing?

Right, making the skirt,

then is going to be draped
over the shoulders.

But somehow I've got to figure...
I want to make it into a top

with some sort of fancy something,
and make it up as I go along.

Heather and Tamara have taken
a more methodical approach.

My plan is to make a little
sketch first.

Then I'll know what shapes I want
on the mannequin,

and then I'll cut it out.

Well, I'm just sketching through
a few little ideas.

So, I'm just going to play and see
how I feel about the fabric

and then we'll crack on.

Tamara, Tamara - can I tell you what
I love about you?

First thing you did was draw.

Yes. Have you worked without a
pattern before?

Occasionally, yeah.

Would you describe this
as a tea dress?

Yes, very much a day dress,
tea dress. OK, gorgeous.

A picnic dress.
Picnic! Who doesn't love a picnic?

OK, where do you begin?

So you did... I love the fact you
started with a belt.

What I'm going to do is cut my pieces
out and tuck them into that,

so it helps me get it all together.

OK, gorgeous.

Morning. Good morning. How are you?
All right.

So, you've got fabric draped
on the bias. I have.

It helps drape, doesn't it? Yeah.

Because you've got this
cross-way grain. Yeah.

Are you going to do anything
more with all of this excess here?

I'm going to cut this off, so it's
going to be bias draped body,

and then I'm going to make a skirt
part... On the straight, or...?

I'm going to make it on the
straight. OK.

I think it looks great.
It's a good start.

Thanks. Yeah.

I'm actually pinning
to the mannequin at this stage.

Once I've finished I'll go round
and baste stitch the whole thing.

Then I'll take it off and sew it.

With designs decided upon,

the next challenge is securing
the shapes in place...

I won't be needing that!

Ooh!

The pins are on the floor.

..with pins

What are you...?!

Whoops!

Argh!

I'm getting down.

Hurry up, Claudia, I need those
pins.

All right!

Hello, Chinelo. Hello.

You've not cut this
piece of fabric at all.

I have, I have cut out the top
half of it that I need,

this is not what the top half
of the dress is going to look like.

Ah, OK. You're just pinning this
out of the way for now.

I'm just holding this up
because I want that tulip shape.

What an interesting shape.

OK. OK. Thank you!

But as designs begin to form,

it's not long before ideas
start to change.

I'm trying to fit the top
onto the mannequin.

I'm actually thinking this
might look nice as an Empire line.

See, this is how things are with me.
This is what I like to do.

I like to fiddle about
and change things.

It's lovely, I love it.

(How do I do this, how do I do this,
how do I do this?)

OK...

I'm doing a more fitted
bustier at the top,

because I think it'll show a bit
more technique.

Have you changed your plan?

I did change my plan!

Me too.

Yeah? What did you go with instead?

I've gone with something
completely different.

Hello, Tamara.
What stage are you at now?

You've draped...? I've draped it,
so I'm going to stitch in my tucks.

I'm going to hem this neckline here.

What are you going to do...?

Oh, you've got tucks on the
shoulders, as well. Yeah.

So I've got tucking there and some
tucking at the waist,

and then for the skirt I'm going to
attach a separate piece. OK.

One hour gone.

Right, let's have a go
tacking that in place.

I'm just basting my pleats in.

Stabilising it, so when I take it
off the mannequin, they stay.

Loose temporary basting stitches

keep the pleats and tucks
in place...

I just don't want it to go,
"Swoosh!"

..to ensure the fabric retains its
shape once taken off the mannequin

Oh! I've gone all the way round.

This is the scary part!

It's not totally falling apart.

So, I'm just detaching the pins.

Really want to make sure
my pleats are in line.

Sometimes you just have to
close your eyes

and get it under the sewing machine.

Draping fabric is the most ancient
way of making clothes there is -

just look at the Greeks and Romans.

But draping fabric on a mannequin,
that was made popular in the 1930s

by a Parisian couturier
who created a brand-new look

that was going to be copied
by generations to come.

The availability of supple
fabrics like chiffon and satin,

following the end of World w*r I,

enabled fashion designer
Madeleine Vionnet

to pioneer a new way
of designing clothes,

and she began to hone her art.

What Madeleine Vionnet did
was work directly on a stand,

and the original stands were quarter
scale, so she worked in miniature.

So she didn't sketch designs,
as most designers would do,

she worked directly with fabric
and with the human body.

Born in 1876, Madeleine Vionnet

started work as a seamstress
aged 12,

and after working for eminent
fashion houses,

she founded her own Parisian salon

referred to as
the "Temple of Fashion".

One of Madeleine Vionnet's
great innovations

was the use of the bias cut.

So in traditional fabrics you
have a warp and a weft -

by cutting across the fabric
at a 45 degree angle

you create the bias, which gives
you stretch and elasticity

that allowed her to create dresses
that moved with the body

and celebrated the form.

After World w*r I
women's fashion was at a crossroad.

For some women,
having tasted independence

doing their bit for the w*r effort,

they wanted to wear something
more liberated.

Well, it took Madame Vionnet's
determination and visionary approach

to make that happen.

Before she came along

it was normal for a woman to wear
layers and layers of clothing.

A heavily restricted corset,
a bust enhancer, a bodice -

layers to create an artificial shape.

Vionnet combined her
interest in ancient Greek art

and her background
in lingerie making,

to create exquisite dresses

that flowed over the contours
of a woman's natural body

It was completely perfect timing
for Madeleine Vionnet to come along

and be a woman who was creating
clothes for other women

who wanted to wear
less restricted clothing

that allowed them a physical freedom
to go with the political freedom

they were demanding.

Considered one of the greatest
couturiers of the 20th century,

Vionnet's designs saw her become
a true trendsetter

for 1930s fashion.

She remains an inspiration to many
home sewers

who choose to make beautiful clothes
without using a pattern.

Sewers, you have one hour to go.

HEATHER: You are kidding.
One hour.

That is just the most depressing
thing I have heard today.

This is my first armhole pleat
that I'm stitching in.

People are so focused on what
they are doing.

You could cut the air with a knife.

At the moment I've got two pieces -
my skirt and bodice.

Once this is joined up, then I'll
have a bit of fun with draping.

I HOPE it'll be fun.

Not much time.
Definitely panicking about the time.

At this stage of the competition

having an unfinished garment
is not even an option.

Cos third place, even,
isn't that fantastic now!

I think the atmosphere
is very concentrated.

Everybody's just trying so hard to
get this challenge done in the time.

So, yeah. Hard concentration.

Oh, God...

That's really exactly
what I didn't want to do.

Seam ripper.

I've just caught the front
and the back here.

Right, let's do it again.

I'm a bit of a perfectionist,

and if it's not entirely right
I'm not happy with it.

Tamara, what are you doing now?

I'm just adding a bottom
part of the skirt.

Once I've added that,
I'm going to zip up the back.

OK. What happened to your waistband?
I scrapped that.

There wasn't time.

I'm literally just learning
on the job, so...

Well, that's kind of the point
with this exercise -

is that you slightly do it
on the job.

Some of you have planned
more than others.

Well, I did plan, and then
I actually scrapped my plan,

because I felt it wouldn't
work as well as this. Right. Yeah.

I wanted to get as much
drapey-drape as possible.

All right.
We'll get out of your way.

That is lovely. That is a picnic
dress, Patrick -

you'd look good in it.

Sewers, you have 30 minutes left.

Now the top and bottom sections of
the dresses are joined together...

That'll have to do.

..the finishing touches can be made.

I'm just putting all my fabric
to the side...

and I'm making a massive
dirty great big pleat.

I'm playing.

This is the fun bit.

You probably think I'm going to
pleat this -

this is pleated so I'm thinking...
whether to pleat...

Decisions! I'm thinking.
I don't know what to do.

What are you doing here?

Playing. All I would say to you
is don't do too much.

It can be a really simple dress.
Really?

It doesn't need to be
yards of drapery. Oh, right!

Because what I really would like
is a big bow,

but I thought that wouldn't
be enough.

You don't need to... Fabulous.
..give us three metres of fabric...

Brilliant. ..on that dress.
That's great, then. That's great.

Thank you!

I love him.

Sewers, you have ten minutes.
Ten minutes. Oh, my God.

It's a bit long all the way round.

Almost. Almost done.

I have no idea whether
I've got enough time here.

I just don't know. Just don't know.

I'm just sewing the band down
on the front,

and then it's just tidying up and
sewing the bow on.

Quickly... Eight minutes. Argh!

I'm just putting in a little
bar at the back.

This wasn't planned,
but like many things,

you don't know how something's
going to turn out

until you actually do them.

It's exciting, isn't it? Oh, yes!

I mean, this is the true Magical
Mystery Sewing Tour, isn't it?

I don't know where my bow
is going to go yet.

Looks quite nice there.

Just about to do a rolled hem.
No, there's no time!

No, there is.

Three minutes.

I shall be really disappointed
if this doesn't work.

OK, we're done.
We're done, finished.

You have to step away.
Step away, Heather.

Let us grab the mannequins,
take them next door to the judges.

# It's a great feeling

# To suddenly find
the clouds are silver-lined

# When the sun breaks through... #

Four dresses made in just three
hours without a pattern.

Chinelo, you come up first, please.

# As long as I've got
someone to embrace

# As far as I'm concerned... #

I'm not sure the skirt works for me.

It isn't really a tulip.
It's just hanging a little bit.

I actually love the shape,
I love this tulip shape.

Thanks, May.
Not completely symmetrical.

But I think that it's ALMOST worked.

I think the bodice -
it's not terrifically evenly sewn.

It's a bit lumpy-bumpy.

The skirt looks very well balanced,
it flows well.

And I think the bow
works very nicely.

And also your bodice is
really well fitting,

it's very well ex*cuted.

I think it is a very good
demonstration

of how you can build something
on the mannequin.

You've used tucks for shaping
at the waist,

and we've got some
tucks under the armholes.

You've got some going one way
and some going the other,

so you actually lose the effect.

I just feel sometimes they are
fighting each other.

It feels a little bit overtucked,

I think in some instances,
a dart would have cleaned it up

and actually given the draped
sections a bit more impact.

You instantly see how much
better the front is sitting

because it's on the bias, isn't it?

And I love this draped neckline,
I think that works really well.

You've got all of these really
nice pleats in the back,

which give it a good shape.

This pleat here,
I'm not entirely convinced by.

I think if you'd stuck to your
smaller pleats all the way round,

you would have had a bit more
control,

whereas because your pleat is so
deep, it's got caught in, inside.

Patrick and May will now reveal

who has been the least
and the most successful

at draping a dress on the stand.

Fourth place is Tamara.

In third place, Chinelo.

In second place is Heather.

We liked the use of you bias cut
on the bodice

and the drape of the neckline.

Which means, in first place, Lynda!

APPLAUSE

We felt that you had just ex*cuted
the brief excellently

and finished it to a really
high standard.

Thank you very much.

# Clap your hands... #

I am very, very happy.

It's a great start to the semifinal.
I'm so pleased I can't tell you.

Coming last is always a bit rubbish,

but even more so when you're in
the semifinals.

I do feel a bit vulnerable,

so everything I do after this has to
really impress both of the judges.

That was a bit like a leg wax,
I have to say.

Very painful,
and I'm just glad it was over!

So, it was quite a good result.

OK, it's time
for our second challenge.

As usual, our judges want our
sewers to totally transform

a high-street garment.

This week it's a classic alteration,

but the judges want perfection.

We would like you to add
a pair of sleeves to this dress.

We are looking for symmetry,
we're looking for a good finish.

Now there are three measurements
you need.

The depth of the armhole.

You need the circumference
of the armhole,

and your mannequins have arms,

so you need to
measure around the arm as well.

OK?

So-so?

All right.

Quite quiet. Enormous luck.

You have an hour and 45 minutes.
Your time starts now.

When this challenge was announced,
I thought, "Yes!"

But then I thought, "Actually, no."

Because you just don't know what
they're looking for.

I know that they're looking
for perfection -

this is the semifinals, after all.

What are you doing, Tamara?

What am I doing?

No idea.

I've made sleeves before,
but not to put on a dress.

Not to be done in a dress
that's sleeveless.

I've never done this before,

but I know what a sleeve
looks like when it's flat -

it looks this shape.

This is actually probably
one of the most difficult challenges

we've done, cos we're looking
here for precision.

In order to do this challenge
correctly,

they're going to have to
cut a pattern. Yes.

From scratch, and that's not
an easy thing to do.

It's an interesting shape.

They need to understand how to
draw that shape,

so that it fits snugly round
the underarm

but then you've got some fullness to
ease it over the top of the shoulder.

I am just working out the size.

It might take a couple of attempts,
but I'll get there.

By taking the circumference
and depth of the armhole,

the sewers can draft a pattern
to create a sleeve

which is both a good fit
and symmetrical.

May I ask you, what kind of sleeve
are you going to make?

I'm going to have a little
gathered top into a little puff.

Oh, lovely!

So, I'd like to make
a little gathered puff sleeve,

so I need to make the top of my
sleeve a bit wider

so I have enough room
to gather at the top.

And I also want to gather around
this part of the arm.

So, I'm just working out what the
circumference of the actual arm is,

and then I'm going to allow a few
more inches for my gathering.

This is going to be sort of tucked

to create fullness just around
the head of the sleeve.

I'm always doing crazy little
things with sleeves,

like all this,
and funny little things.

I hardly ever do just like
a standard set-in sleeve.

Lynda is the only one attempting
sleeves with no gathers.

That's the sleeve that will set in
to the armhole.

And that's the bit that's difficult,
I would think, to get right.

Her sleeves will have to sit smooth
and flat against the shoulder seam,

so it's crucial
she takes accurate measurements

What kind of sleeve are you doing?

I'm thinking, down and then either
into a cuff, if I've got time,

or it'll be a band and a loop
and button.

Did you draw a pattern?

Yes, ish.

Let me have a look at it.

I think it might be too big
up there.

The thing is, the problem for me is,
I'm not a measurer.

I do everything by looking.

I know, but today
you have to measure.

Well, I have. Ish.

Oh...

Just going to look at some fabric.

Once they've drafted their pattern,

the sewers should choose
an appropriate fabric.

I need quite a stiff fabric for the
look I'm going for with my sleeve.

I need quite a bit of structure.

Terrible, isn't it?
Trying to choose.

Trying not to offend Patrick.

Trying to think of something
that he's going to look at

and not be, like, "Eurgh!"

Decisions, decisions.

Perhaps I ought to just leave
that alone,

cos I'd probably have to do some
little French seams on that.

I think I might do that...

I'm not sure Patrick
will approve of this.

Do I approve of it?

I kind of approve of it.

It's got enough crunchiness
to gather,

and enough body to hold the shape.

I hope.

Not sure, not sure, not sure.

It's got a very obvious pattern...

..so I've got to match that up.

Let's go for it.

Can't be dithering all day.

It's a stripy fabric,

so I am going to use those stripes
to their advantage,

by having them going horizontally
on the sleeve.

Satisfied she's cut out two
identical sleeves,

Chinelo moves onto fitting them
into the armhole.

I'm pinning the tucks along the top
of the head of the sleeve,

so I'm just trying to make sure they
are perfectly symmetrical.

Only God knows how many sleeves
I've made in my lifetime!

Some very unsuccessful ones.

So, I'm just going to adjust
my gathers.

That way you can just feel
round the sleeve

and make sure your gathers
are relatively even.

I think because it's tailored

I'm going to do a little pleat
at the top.

To achieve her straight sleeves,

Lynda needs to make sure
any gathering disappears.

I've got a couple of gathers
I don't want, there,

so I'm going to have to try
and ease those out.

I'm not happy with those.

Because they're neither
here nor there.

If you're going to have gathers,

they should be proper gathers,
or no gathers.

I'm going to try to get those
to no gathers.

It's really awkward, this is.

Hello. Hello, love. How are you?

I'll tell you when I've finished.

You've got to finish.
I've got to finish.

I don't want to be alarming,
but somebody is leaving tomorrow.

Thanks(!)

Just saying.

Sewers, you have 30 minutes left.

Really?!

How do you all feel about that?

Panic stricken.

Ooh!

Nearly sewed my finger as well.

If I was doing it at home,
I'd be tacking it and fussing about,

but in here it's just like, "Brrrm!"

It's the time that's the problem.

It's not doing the task,
it's the time.

That's not too bad.

Tamara, how are you doing?

Panicking slightly.

What left have you got to do?
I'm doing some cuffs

and I might have to reset in
my little tuck as well,

cos it's not perfect.

Made cuffs lots of time.

But not in a time like this.

It's like, beat the clock!

Sewers you have ten minutes.

I genuinely can't be confident
until Patrick's had his go.

Honestly!

I just need to hear what
he has to say first,

and then I'll smile or cry.

I'm not happy with that, really.

Come on, darling.

It's not looking great.

No, not pleased.

They're not going to be happy.

15 seconds.

Ugh!

Heather, I love you,
but it's always you.

I know, of course it's always me...
And you walked away.

Don't touch it! I-I-I...
OK, good, that's it!

I'm closing it. We're done!
That's it. Good girl, Heather.

The first time in Sewing Bee
history...

Give me five!
..I haven't had to shout at you.

Well done, everybody.

Please bring your mannequins
up to the front

and jumble them around. Come on.

# I wish I was back
in my baby's arms... #

Four dresses transformed
with sleeves -

but which best demonstrate
precision and symmetry?

Interesting.

Go and have a good old nosey.

It's a shame...

It just seems to be pulling it out
of... Exactly. ..shape a bit.

This one's really lovely and this
one's pulling out of shape.

Cuffs are neatly done.

We've got quite an uneven one
here, though.

Buttonhole the wrong way. Yes.

Buttonholes need to run round the
cuff and not up and down the side.

For me, the left sleeve
looks a little longer.

Quarter of an inch.

However, both of these rows of
pattern on both of the sleeves

are hanging absolutely vertically.

Both of these shoulder lines
are very smooth.

Yeah. No distortion at all
to the front. No distortion.

Just one little pleat in the
shoulder, but very evenly done.

And some really nice top
stitching around the cuffs.

And a very neat little opening.

But it's tipping... The pitch of the
sleeve is slightly forward.

It's tipping forward, yes. Yep.

A very different choice of fabric,
but I like it.

And the balance on the patterns -

look at the pattern on the back.
Yeah.

This pink stripe running right down
the centre of that sleeve

perfectly vertically,
tucked into that pleat at the top.

I've got exactly the
same on this side.

We've got a very smooth back armhole.

Very, very well ex*cuted

Patrick and May reorder
the dresses

to decide whose sleeves
are the best.

There's things that are bothering me.

We're going to have to pick
that out.

If we're nitpicking, this one curves
a bit more forward. Move them around.

OK.

So, that's your order.

Yes.

In fourth place, come forward -
who created this?

That's life.

Thank you. Thanks, Lynda.

Please could the creator of the
dress in third place come forward?

A lot of processes in there.

Thank you.

Please could the master who created
the dress in second place

come and get her?

Really very professional-level
execution.

Thanks very much, thank you.

And that means in first place
it's Chinelo!

APPLAUSE

It's a really well-thought through,
well-ex*cuted alteration.

Very well done. Are you happy?
I am very happy.

Especially after challenge one,
when he was so mean...

Thank you, Patrick(!)
..about your tulip skirt.

She finds you very scary,
you have to be nicer.

Well done, Chinelo! Well done.

Obviously tomorrow's still
very, very important,

but I'll definitely be able to
sleep better tonight

knowing that I have come first
in this challenge.

I'm feeling a little bit deflated,
but the only way is up.

I am nearly, nearly there, I need to
just get my head down tomorrow,

because I want that ticket
to finals, please.

I'm really disappointed to come
last, and I think I'm in trouble.

# Good morning
Good morning

# We've talked
the whole night through

# Good morning... #
Day two, and our sewers' last chance

to secure themselves
a place in next week's final.

Lynda gave us a fantastic
draped dress,

and then let herself down
with the sleeves.

Lynda yo-yos.

Sometimes she's at the top,
sometimes she's at the bottom.

Heather's done well.
She's technically competent,

she just needs to make sure
she pushes herself enough.

And you loved Chinelo's sleeves -
but you didn't like her drapery.

I wasn't a big fan of it,
personally. May liked it.

I mean, I think Tamara is
somewhere in the middle.

This last challenge is an
incredibly complicated challenge,

and I think who goes home
will entirely hinge on

who does well in this challenge
we've got here before us.

As usual, the sewers will produce
a made-to-measure garment

but instead of fitting it
for a model,

they'll be making it
to fit themselves.

For the final challenge,

the judges would love to see you

recreate a favourite item
of clothing.

It can be something
you've bought in a shop,

it could be something
that you have made before,

they just want to see
how you replicate it.

You've got six and a half hours.

Your time starts now.

The sewers have had a chance to
practise this challenge at home.

They've brought in their own fabric
but as it's "no-pattern week",

they only have their favourite
garment to make a copy from.

Where's my pin dog?

SHE SIGHS

And the garments they've
brought in couldn't be more diverse.

This is the dress I'm making.

I call it my Mary Poppins dress

because these silhouettes
remind me of Mary Poppins.

Lynda's wrap-style dress has long
sleeves and a pleated skirt.

She's going to replicate it
in a firm stretch fabric.

I'm a nursery nurse
so I'm Mary Poppins

and my great-great aunt
was a nanny.

And you can see
from the fashion there,

she is very Mary Poppins-ish.

This is auntie Alwin
in the roaring '20s.

She was actually a nanny as well

and I can see where
I get my skinny legs from now.

It's one of my old
favourite dresses.

My husband and I hosted
a Valentine's event in our church,

and this is what I wore to
the very first one that we did.

Chinelo's strapless party dress
has a boned bodice

and is decorated with
42 strips of gathered organza.

She'll reproduce it with flat strips

which she plans to gradiate
in a different colour.

So, I'm going to be using
a cotton lining... OK.

..and I've got all these
strips of organza to sew on to this.

These are all sewn on in individual
pieces? Individual pieces, yes.

You're absolutely crazy.
CHINELO LAUGHS

But it looks amazing.

TAMARA: So, what I'm copying is...

the first yoga outfit
I treated myself to

when I officially became
a yoga teacher.

Tamara's yoga outfit
is made up 22 sections

and her copy will feature different
types of contrasting stretch fabric.

I've sketched out the panels
in my vest and my leggings

and I've alphabetised them.

It's like a jigsaw puzzle

Why didn't you just
choose something easy?

I don't play it safe, Claudia.
No, I know. Crazy, but OK.

It's a silk satin dress.

Just a plain little shift dress.

It's a dress that I wore
for an exhibition

when I was painting in Sweden

so it does have some
nice memories for me.

Heather's simple shift dress
has darts at the front and back.

She'll remake it in a cream satin.

It's been a tiny little bit tight
and I will make sure

there's a little bit of room
for manoeuvre in this one.

Why have you asked them
to do this challenge?

I think it's demonstrating
a really useful set of skills -

demonstrating how to take
a pattern from something

but also lots of people
have an item in the wardrobe

that they absolutely love,
but it can be getting old,

and how wonderful to be able
to recreate that garment?

But this is the semifinal.
Isn't this just copying?

I mean, how difficult is it?

It's substantially difficult.

It's not just tracing the
outline of a piece of fabric,

it's inserting the darts,

it's inserting whatever tucks
and pleats are in there,

it's understanding how
the geometry all works.

There are several methods
to ensure an accurate copy

and each sewer is taking
a different approach.

Tamara is making a pattern from
a cheap micro fibre cloth.

So, I want something
that's going to stretch a little

and be a little bit more like fabric
so I'm going to place this on top of

my pieces and then
I'm going to feel for the seam

and draw round those shapes.

I've measured the waist
and then the hem of the skirt

so I've basically got to transfer
the measurements onto the paper.

I've got this bit of fabric, which
is a bit of old curtaining stuff

and I thought the best way to do it

is to make those darts
in a piece of fabric first

and then lay that back down
and then draw around my model

so when I open it up,

I've got the true shape.

A piece of what would've
originally been the pattern

so you can see how
different the shape is...

of the bust darts once it's let out.

I've used the original
to draw that on the fabric.

For the skirt,
because it's got pleats in it,

what I do is measure those and
I've allowed that for the fabrics.

That's my pattern.

As you can see,
it's not conventional.

It's my way.

Once they're satisfied
with their patterns,

cutting out the new fabric
can begin.

I'll cut out the skirt using
the pattern I've just made

and I'll put my markings on it

where the organza strips
are going to go onto it.

A many-pieced outfit.
Is that this one here? Yes.

How have you dealt with things like

the differential stretch
in the fabric?

I'm making sure that when I place
the pieces on the fabric,

they're going to be stretching
in the right way.

You've got quite a complex shape
here, haven't you? Mm-hm.

Just think about how you want
the pieces to go together -

the right way up in the right order.
Yes, I do.

Right, crack on. Yes, you've got
quite a lot of work to do.

Thanks. I'm looking forward
to seeing it. Thank you.

Well, everybody else is doing
incredibly complicated stuff.

Obviously, now, I'm worrying
that this is going to be too simple

but this is it.

LYNDA SIGHS

OK.

I don't have enough fabric.

I just cut it and I thought

there's not enough hanging
over the table.

I feel sick.

My daughters are going to k*ll me.

Would it help if you were able
to get some more fabric from
the haberdashery?

It would really, really help.
I'm going to cry.

Let's not waste any more time. No.
Thank you.

Go and have a look
in the haberdashery.

Find yourself some fabric.
Thank you so much.

I'm looking for stretch fabric.

I'm just so happy to have anything.

I could cry now with relief.

I think Lynda's all right.
Initial panic over.

The only thing that
slightly concerns me,

she's got quite a mobile fabric.

Yes, the original garment
was in stretch.

However, this stretch is
slightly different.

It's a softer fabric so..

Heather's is the simplest garment
in the room.

The execution and the finish
needs to be perfect

and the fit needs to be perfect
as well.

Chinelo has given herself
an awful lot to do.

She's got a lot to cut out,

she's had a lot of
pattern pieces to do

she's got an awful lot of sewing
to put this garment together.

They're really chalk and cheese,
those two.

Tamara's is quite
a complicated pattern.

There are a lot of pieces that
actually look quite similar.

She's got to be very careful
about how she marks them

so she knows which one is which
and it's all in stretch.

I think she's given herself
a lot to do.

I'm now piecing together
my vest top.

My pattern pieces will fit better
if I attach the side pieces first

and then I'll attach them
to the middle piece.

I'm just making doubly sure that
all the lines run into each other.

Three hours remain to
finish constructing their
favourite garment.

I've got to sew the strips of
organza on and once I've done that,

I can start constructing my dress.

I have made the same shape of dress
in two hours at home.

I'm giving myself an hour
to sew those strips on.

TAMARA: I have my overlocker
for the interior seams

and it's just a matter of making sure

everything is in line
with each other.

Now, I'm going to do my pleats

and we know what Patrick's
like with a tape measure

so I'm using my tape measure
to measure them carefully

before I put them
under the machine.

I'm actually scared now of this.

The whole fabric thing
has put me right off.

Really unsettled me altogether.

I'm endeavouring
to put in an invisible zip.

I'm going for absolute accuracy
and perfect fit.

If it isn't,
I'm going to be ripped to shreds

because my dress is so simple.

While Heather reaches
the final stages of her dress,

Chinelo plans more.

Looks like this is frill corner.

This is definitely frill corner
at the moment.

What I'd done was
I'd sewn on the first row,

and I went to put
the second row on there.

But I didn't quite like
the way the overlay was,

so I'm adding another row
to the centre.

Have you got the time?
Em... I reckon I do.

It's cos we need to see
your construction of your dress.

Yeah. Don't worry.

May's worried about time.

Yeah, it's a lot of sewing to do
but I'll do it.

I'm just doing the back seam here...

and the last bit just beyond the zip
is always a difficult bit.

So, how many more little bits
have you got to put together now?

I have one there, one there,
one there, one there.

So you're over-locking as you go?

Yep, so it's nice and neat

and then depending on
how much time I've got left,

I would like to topstitch
with a zigzag. Yes.

LYNDA: I'm not enjoying this at all.

This fabric is nothing like
the fabric I wanted to use,

it's far more stretchy.

It's the semifinal.

They're going to be looking
for perfection and this isn't it.

How much do you want
to make the final?

Oh, I would love to make the final,
it would be so exciting.

Sad to leave at this stage,
I think, for all of you.

Yeah, it would. Exactly.

I'm going to have a word and say...
All of us can stay.

Do you know what I mean?

Let's bring back Dave.
Let's phone Jenni.

Let's get Julie in. Let's get them
all back. Nobody should leave.

One hour left.

I'm just seeing how the arms fit.

They could do with taking
a little bit away.

I'm just looking at that bit there.

I just still want that in,
just a fraction.

And I want that in there,
just there, see?

I want to check that it fits
before I put the facings on.

OK. That's quite hoo-hoo.

I don't think it'll be too low.

You're going to put it on, are you?

But I'm bigger than you, Claudia.

What statement are you
making with this dress?

It's not like that on me, honestly.

I'm nearly finished with my skirt.

I've just got three
of the lines to go

but I really just want
to do my bodice now.

I haven't got much time to finish.
Time is always a concern.

Sewers, you have 45 minutes.

45 minutes.

You look intently focused
on what you're doing.

I am. How are you getting along?

I had to change my plan
a little bit,

where I was going to put the organza
on the bodice, topped bodice,

I'm going to do that so it's only
just going to be on the skirt now.

Just a plain top
but you've got it all round...?

I've got it on the skirt, yeah.

OK, so not a massive change.
No, not a massive change but

just making sure
I have a finished garment.

TAMARA: I have overlocked the
seam of my leggings

and now I'm going to finish it off
by stitching over the top.

It is very quiet in there, isn't it?

I mean it's been very quiet all day.

I think, finally, they've realised

that this is the serious end
of the competition

and they've got half an hour left
to see themselves into the final.

I'm not happy with the crossover,

so I'm undoing it and redoing it.

It's really difficult with the
fabric to keep everything straight.

It's not sitting right
in the front.

Where you see the most,
it's sort of puckered there.

Sewers, you have ten minutes left.

Terrific.

SHE CHUCKLES

What did I do with my needle?

This isn't rolling my hem.

LYNDA: The seam still isn't perfect,
I must go over that bit again.

SHE SIGHS

It's just a total nightmare today.

Oh, I can't believe
I've just done that.

That was perfect
and I've just slipped.

I don't want to panic everyone
but we've got to get dressed.

I hope I've sorted it.

Heather? Mm-hm?

Let's go. OK.

Tamara, get yoga'd up.
Let's do downward dog.

It's still not right.

That's lovely

OK, that's it. Time is up.

You are in your favourite clothes.

Please come and stand by
your stations.

In just six and a half hours,

the semifinalists
have made a brand-new copy

of an old garment.

HEATHER: I don't think I have done
enough to impress the judges, no.

I think it's too simple.

It's a mess.
It's not a semifinal garment.

My daughters will be gutted.

There is nothing I can do,
just hope really.

Really, really hope I've done
enough to stay in for the final

but you just don't know.

'So what will May and Patrick
make of their reproductions,

'before deciding which three
will be entering the final?'

Chinelo, please come forward
with both your original and the new.

I think it's nicely balanced.

The darts all look like they're
sitting in the right place.

A little uneven in
some of the sewing

but I think the way that you've
graded it through the skirt

is really elegant
and I think works extremely well.

I think the way in which you have
attached layers is very good

because you had to do it very evenly
and it's worked very well.

Comparing it with the original,

I think I prefer this one.

Oh, thank you. It's really lovely.

Yeah, I think what
you've done is update it

and actually make it
a little more refined

and a much more stunning piece
of clothing. Very well done.

Thank you.

I have to say for me,

I find the fit
a tiny bit disappointing

because it's quite tight
round your hips

and, across the back,
we've got quite a bit of wrinkling.

I know you took some in,
and perhaps too much on the hips,

so it's not sliding down your body.

It just looks too long in
the back bodice for me.

Overall, I think there's
a lovely shape to it.

Needs a fraction
off on the shoulder.

Yeah, we've got a bit where
it's not sitting there.

But if we look at
what you started with,

it's very, very clear that you've
done an extremely accurate job

of translating that into
a new pattern.

Thank you.

You had a nightmare of a day,
didn't you?

I did, I did indeed.

Can you just drop your hands for me?

Do I have to? Yes, you do.

The waistline is going for
a bit of a walk.

Let's talk about the pleats.

I measured them.

Yeah, I was going to say,

the pleats look terrific,
very even and very well spaced.

So, I think it's clear you've
put a lot of effort into those

and you've managed those
very well.

And you've matched your pattern
on your seams. That's right.

However, sadly,

they're tilting forward

so I think this is an issue
with the balance of front and back.

Well, I think this outfit of
yours works incredibly well.

A multi-panelled garment.

Yeah, not just multipanels

but multipanels in multiple
different fabrics

with entirely different
properties of stretch and weight.

This is a complicated pattern.

I mean this should be sitting
right on the hip and it is.

This seam on the legging is designed
to sit just underneath the kneecap

and it does that.

You know, your shoulder seam is
bang on the centre of your shoulder.

And I do like some of the
techniques you have used.

You have used this three-step
zigzag, this top-stitching.

Your leggings are a really good fit.

Really good.

Girls, a huge well done.
That was incredibly hard.

It's time for you to have a break.

When you come back in the room,
the judges will reveal

who WON'T be coming back
for the final.

I'm not ready to leave.

I'm not ready to call my husband
and say I'm coming home.

I just don't want to go yet.

'I had no idea
I'd get as far as this,'

but to have that chance
of going to the final

is just the best thing ever.

I really, really hope that
I have done enough to get through -

I really, really do.

I really, really want
to be in the final.

I think it's horrible
to leave in week one.

I think it's probably worse
to leave in the semifinal

because you've got so close.
What's going on in your head?

They've all varied
from challenge to challenge.

So we have to consider
all sorts of things.

You weren't mad for Heather's fit.
I wasn't at all.

I didn't think the back of Heather's
dress fitted at all well.

I felt it was the simplest garment -
it should have been the most perfect.

Let's talk about Lynda's.

We all noticed immediately
that Lynda made a big

mistake in the construction
of this dress.

Lynda can be terribly inconsistent.

Cos she won the first challenge -
you two went nuts for that.

Yes, that was very good.
The first two challenges,

Tamara didn't do very well, and yet
she's made a brilliant yoga outfit.

Well, I will leave you two, cos you
haven't made a decision either way.

We just need to have a final chat.
OK.

First of all, enormous well done.
Let's do the good bit first.

This week, garment of the week is...

SHE SQUEALS

Tremendous pattern-cutting skills,

and excellent execution
on a really tricky fabric.

Huge well done. Garment of the week
in the semifinal.

Now, here's the hideous bit.
Somebody has to go.

So, the person leaving
the Sewing Bee is...

It's Lynda.

Sorry. I thought it was me.

Oh, I'm sorry. Thank you so much.

Thank you. Oh, it's worth going!

'I do feel more confident now.'

My son-in-law actually said to me,

when I said I was coming
on the programme,

"Are you any good, then, at sewing?"
I said, "I don't know, to be honest,

"we're about to find out."

It's been a pleasure.

And I've loved it - it's been
an experience of a lifetime.

Even when times got tough I stuck it
out - I'm proud of myself for that.

You're perfect.

'I'm really, really sad
that Lynda's gone.'

She's been absolutely the life
and soul of our little group.

'She has had us all in stitches
all the time.'

Yeah, of course
we're going to miss her.

'I got garment of the week -
really, really chuffed.'

I seriously worked my socks off
to get that perfect.

'I managed to pull it out the bag
last minute.'

If can do it now,
I can do it next week.

'Winning is definitely in reach now,
so I really, really, really need'

to go home and practise -
practise my little heart out,

'just come back fighting for that
Great British Sewing Bee title,

cos I want to win!

Mwah-ha-ha!

At the final Sewing Bee...

I've given myself a lot of work
to do, but it's the final -

what else to do?

..there can only be one winner,
and the judges demand couture.

What we're testing this week
is the finishing skills

that take a well-assembled garment

and turn it into a beautiful piece
of sewing.

But will the pressure prove too much
for some?

I just want this to be over now,
to be honest.

And who will hold their nerve

to be crowned Britain's best
amateur sewer?

I'm going hell for leather.

I can't not finish this one.

Halleluiah!

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