03x01 - Episode 1

[bunniefuu]

We are back - the machines have been
threaded, the mannequins
are standing by.

Hello, madam.

And in just six weeks,
all of this fabulous fabric

will be transformed into
over 100 stunning garments

by Britain's best amateur sewers,

before one of them wins
the Great British Sewing Bee.

Britain now boasts tens of thousands
of brilliant home sewers.

Finding the nation's best
is getting harder than ever.

Wow!

I can't believe I'm here.

It's an amazing opportunity.
I'm well chuffed.

Adrenaline is flowing.

To be fair, I just can't wait
to start sewing.

Now, ten passionate amateurs
from across Britain

are about to take part in

the most demanding sewing bee yet.

Ready to go.

What I really love about sewing
is the construction -

working out how something
goes together.

This year, they'll have to perfect

the everyday clothes
we all wear all the time.

I like creating my own wardrobe

cos I know nobody else is going to
be wearing the same as me.

So, will this year's sewers
be able to master

the basic techniques?

Have they got an eye
for fit and structure?

And can they tackle the delicate
fabrics we all love to wear?

I know I'm the youngest person
in the competition.

I just want to learn
from everyone else.

Each week, they'll be asked
to make three garments.

I've never sewn
against the clock before.

That will be a bit of pressure.

I sew for relaxation.

I'm beginning to wonder
why I'm here.

Everything they sew will be judged

by Savile Row's Patrick Grant

and the WI's May Martin.

MAN: Whilst my five-year-old
daughter is a harsh critic,

I've never had my garments
professionally judged.

MAY: I'd like to see
an exceptional sewer -

somebody with wonderful
creative skills,

but also understands fabric,
understands techniques.

PATRICK: We can't expect them all to
be absolutely expert in everything,

but we want somebody
who can bring it all together

in one exceptional garment.

So, who will cut...

Ahh!

..stitch...
Ooh!

..and fit their way...

You want to be able to, "Hoo-hoo!"

..to be crowned the winner of
the Great British Sewing Bee?

MAN: Please, please, please...

This is like origami.

Does anything faze me?

Um...not really.

We're back by the river
in London's East End,

the historic heart
of Britain's rag trade.

Over the next two days,
our ten home sewers

will have to make
three items of clothing,

after which one of them will be
awarded Garment of the Week

and one of them will be asked
to leave the Sewing Bee.

Welcome to the sewing room.

Thank you so much for being here.
An enormous welcome.

Because it's the first week,
the judges would like to see

how you get on with one of
the simplest fabrics - cotton.

For your first challenge,
you are going to follow a pattern

that the judges have chosen for you.

May, what have you got?
We'd like you to make
some women's cotton trousers.

THEY EXCLAIM

CLAUDIA: Are we all right with that?
OK, good.

You've got the whole haberdashery
to choose from,

and there are lots of cottons there.

Enormous luck. You've got
three hours. We will all help you.

When I say "help",
we'll bother you a lot.

THEY LAUGH

Your time starts now.

CLAUDIA: At each Sewing Bee,

the first challenge will test the
sewer's ability to follow a pattern.

Is there a measuring tape anywhere?

And they're free to choose
any cotton

from the sewing room's haberdashery.

I've just chosen this cos I think
it's the most beautiful colour.

This quite a nice tana lawn cotton,
which is much finer.

I wanted something that's going to
press really quite nicely.

This is quite fine, but I think
it'll hold a crease nicely
down the front of the trousers.

I've gone for
a medium-weight fabric,

so it should hold
the trousers quite well.

I've made trousers before,
but without a pattern.

Last year, for my daughter.
They were all right.

Neela is a marketing manager

and lives with her husband
and two daughters in Surrey.

Shall we make Daddy a matching tie?
Yeah.

I've been sewing
since I was about eight years old.

I've always wanted to make
big, fancy frocks,

especially when I saw Princess Diana
arrive at her wedding.

I'm really proud that my daughters
have picked up this life skill,

because my mother taught me to sew.

This is divine.
We've never seen one of these.

My little girl made that.

Did she?! Yeah, she's 11!

And my eight-year-old made
the Cleopatra. Did she?! Yeah.

Can I just say I fantasise
about this eye make-up.

That's how I want to look. That
would suit you. Yeah, just loads.

Well, the easy option
is a plain one.

A small... They're all pretty...

This is a big one and I'm going to
have to match everything up.

Lorna is a retired air hostess

who lives in Kent
with her husband, Richard.

She's been sewing for over 50 years.

I'm six foot tall.

When I was younger and you couldn't
buy extra-long clothes,

if you wanted to wear the top
fashions at the time,
you had to make it.

Am I allowed to tear?

Ooh! Sorry.

The bold print on Lorna's cotton

may make it harder for her to follow
the pattern that May and Patrick
have set.

This is complicated,
three-dimensional sewing.

We've got a big, curved seam
around through the crotch,

we've got a long, straight seam.

We've got lots of things
that can twist out of shape.

We're looking at
the core sewing skills.

Particularly, we're looking at
things like...

We've got an invisible zip, so this
should just be a line in the seam.

And we also want to see
a nice, flat waistband here,

and a nice press
down the trouser leg.

So, it's got to be really very
sharp. Thank you very much.

Go and put those on, Patrick.

I'm going to go and see
how they're all doing. Right.

Having chosen their cotton...

Ah! This was cathartic!

..the sewers need to move on
to pinning the pattern.

SHE LAUGHS
I'm going to use up
a lot of fabric here.

The pattern requires
four pieces of fabric -

two for the front
and two for the back.

Darts will be sewn into
the back pieces to create shape

and an invisible zip will be sewn
into the side-seam.

The seams on the outside leg,
crotch and inside leg

will be sewn together,

the waist topped with bias binding,

and the finished trousers
should be hemmed and pressed.

I may have to take short-cuts.

Um, I'm just not sure
about this time thing.

Annie lives in Jedburgh in Scotland.

She runs a dairy farm
and cheese-making business

with her husband, Jim.

Sewing is not a part of
my farm life.

I took it up at school because
clothes were fairly expensive.

But I've just...I loved it
from there on in.

I hate baking but I love sewing.

Oh, this is my piggy pincushion!

I love piggy pincushion!

You can't say "piggy pincushion
too often.

A bit of a tongue-twister,
shall we say.

And certainly don't say it after
you've had a drink, anyway.

Careful pinning is a stage

that one sewer has rashly
decided to forgo.

I've got massive, great big hands,

which are kind of useless
for putting delicate pins in.

So, I use stone weights.

It weighs it down without me having
to worry about pinning it all
perfectly.

Matt is an IT consultant

who lives in Berkshire
with his wife and two children.

He's this year's
least experienced sewer.

I started sewing properly
only in the last couple of years.

I first started by making a curtain
for behind the front door

and then it was
a couple of cushions,

and it just kind of grew from there.

Can I have a dress like that?
Like Mummy's one?

WOMAN: You want a skirt like mine?

MATT: I've never made
trousers before.

So, yeah, pretty nervy about that.
It'll be interesting, hey?

Accurate cutting is essential.

Without it, seams will be uneven

and the trousers' shape
will be out of balance.

Hello. Hello, Alex. How are you?
I'm very well, thank you.

Now that I'm sewing,
I'm so much better.

I noticed these little shards here,
which already tell us something

about how neat you think
you want to be.

I mean, just shaving off
two millimetres there.

It does matter - the preparation
side of things is quite important.

Choice of fabric?
Um, I wanted...

You've played it safe
and gone for something plain.

I don't like making stuff
I wouldn't like wearing.
You'd never see me...

Florals are out. Oh, yeah.

Alex is from Romania.

She moved to London four years ago
and is a corporate strategist.

She made a plaster cast of her
torso, which she turned into
a mannequin

to ensure that everything
she makes fits exactly.

I am a total perfectionist.

I do things over and over again,

until they get
as good as they can be.

So, I will make a dress in different
fabrics, you know, three times.

It's not that complex. You have to
remember the order of things.

Once all of the pattern pieces
have been cut out,

construction can begin.

I promised myself I'm going to
always start with a fully wound
bobbin.

Oh, you're watching me
do technical stuff now.

I'm just doing a quick test to make
sure I've got my settings right,

and then I'm going to do darts.

I'm transferring the pattern
markings, the darts,

to the material.

Darts are marked on the pattern
as a triangle.

This section of fabric
is then folded in on itself

and is secured with
a line of stitching.

This is brilliant, actually. It's
so different from my normal life.

Neil is a lieutenant-colonel

in the Royal Electrical
and Mechanical Engineers.

He's served his country
since he was 18,

but he's been sewing
since he was 12.

NEIL: And I've taken
my sewing machine

to Bosnia, Kosovo, Northern Ireland,

repairing combats
that have been torn,

making curtains
for people's accommodation

and just those little bits of luxury
that people want.

Gosh, you've almost finished.

I think we'll have to
cut the time down.

Maybe give you a half-hour.
A bit of speed-sewing going on here?

Is this the way you always sew?
My life is fairly frantic.

There's no messing around.
It's "Get it done."

There's always
a deadline somewhere.

I finished my bridesmaid dresses
the morning of the wedding

and I've quite often literally
finished a ball gown for my wife

half an hour later,
as we've gone out.

The taxi's ringing
the doorbell. Right.

Or not finished it,
as the case may be.

This is nice, isn't it?
It's all right.

Too busy to match. Yeah.

I'm not sure I would personally
wear it, but, um...

..I'm sure it'll look fine...
SHE LAUGHS

I'm sure somebody would.
Yes, indeed.

# Hold your hand out

# You naughty boy... #

One hour down, two hours to go.

"Insert an invisible zip into the
left-hand side of the trousers."

Ah...

A nine-inch invisible zip
should be inserted

between the front and back pieces
of fabric.

That's one front.

And that's one back.

I hope it's nine inches.
I should know, shouldn't I?

Right, the absolute key
is you've got to make sure that

that is open as you machine.

Well, it says, "Attach the
invisible-zip foot to the machine."

So, what is
"the invisible-zip foot"?

I think it's that one.

Yes. It is.

A special machine foot

ensures that the zip's teeth
are held in place...

OK. Here we go.

..and that the line of stitching
runs as close to them as possible.

Sneaky, sneaky.

Unless they sew the zip
at the right point into the seam...

Please, please, please...

..when closed,
the zip won't lie flat...

What's that lump? That's,
uh...that's meant to be there.

..or be invisible.

It's fine, though. It works.

NEIL: Happy with the zip,
so I've got bags of time

to get it absolutely spot-on.

This is my zip.

Oh! I almost didn't see it.

SHE LAUGHS

Deborah lives in Manchester
with her husband, Terence.

Last year, she made
her own wedding dress

and even hand-embroidered
the invitations.

I've been sewing
since I was really young,

so my earliest memories are
my sister made a lion
and I made a tiger.

But mine was really...
cos I was only about four,

mine was really misshapen and didn't
have enough padding in the eye

and one eye kind of went up, like
this, and one went down, like that.

But my sister's was really perfect
and I was really jealous.

If you were at home,
how long would it take you
to make a pair of cotton trousers?

Well, the ones I made recently
took me about...

How long did they take?
About two days. Right.

So... Right. Crack on.

How are you getting on?
I think I WAS doing OK.

But then I realised I'd stitched my
zip a bit close to the side seam.

The zip that you've used,
it isn't an invisible zip.

It's an ordinary one.

Yeah, you're all loosened up again.

Paul is a physiotherapist and lives
in Cheshire with his partner, Neil.

Inspired by his mother,

he's been selling his own clothes
since he was 20.

Lately, I've been making
mainly dresses.

I've got a friend who does
female impersonation.

Breathe in there.

You can come up with something
that is so unusual

that people will either look at it
and say, "Oh, I like that"

or they'll look at it and say,
"What have you done there?"

Um...

Right, OK, so I need to unpick
all that, then.

Well, look at your time. You've got
to give yourself time, if you take
that out, to put another in.

And you've got to make the trousers,
haven't you? Yeah.

90 minutes remaining
in the first challenge.

If the sewers are happy with the way
their zip has been put in...

Oh, shivers!

I love you. I don't know
what I did but I loved it.

..they should move on
to their seams.

"Pin seam together below
zip opening." Just doing that.

"Tuck end of zip out of the way

"and sew continuously
to the bottom of the trousers."

On the reverse of the fabric,

both outer-leg seams
need to be secured

with a neat, straight stitch.

Easy. What can possibly
go wrong, right?

Unless they follow the curve
of the fabric smoothly,

the seam will appear uneven
on the right side.

The fabric I've chosen, though,
it's a bit light.

Um, so it's a bit more kind of...
it has more movement to it.

At just 20 years old,
Ryan from Swindon

is the Sewing Bee's youngest member,

but he's still clocked up
13 years' experience.

When I was about seven,
I used to go round my nan's house

and she used to make clothes
for small bears out of her jeans.

So, she used to cut them up and make
them into, like, little dungarees

and little jackets and outfits
and waistcoats.

So, I used to watch her do it
and she used to hand-sew it all,

which is quite impressive.

I think, with trousers, the thing is
just to check you've got

the right sides of the trousers when
you're sewing the legs together,

otherwise you're going to have
the inside on the outside

and that wouldn't look good.

ALEX: What the hell?!

I've messed up really badly.

Like, this is not...
I'm not going to finish.

Basically, I've put the back
of the trousers together

instead of putting a back on front,

and I am not happy.

I've just put it...
two-side trousers.

Oh, no.

Whilst Lorna and Alex...
This is so ridiculous.

I can't believe...
This is such a silly mistake.

..have joined the wrong sections
of the fabric together...

..Paul has finally succeeded in
inserting his invisible zip.

I've sewn the wrong side
of the fabric to go...

So, we're going to have one side
inside and one side outside.

Ohh... Zips can be
a nightmare at times.

Sewers, you have one hour.
SHE BLOWS

LORNA: Panic...!

Most of the sewers... ANNIE: Done.

..have completed
both of their side seams.

NEELA: That's worked.

The way I look at it, they don't
see that - just smash it out.

I love it. Let's smash it out.
I think these look divine.

Thank you very much. I'll be buying
those from you at the end.

Would you wear them? Yes!
I can see you in pink.

Of course. Shocking pink?
Daisy trousers?

My favourite.
HE CHUCKLES

Rather than smash out
her side seams,

one sewer's decided to spend
a little more time on them.

I've done a French seam and, so,
I've sewn them on the right side

and then ironed them
and turned them through.

So, I'm just doing the inside seam

so it'll hide all of
the raw edges neatly.

Good morning, everybody.

Good morning, Miss Gledhill.

Well, I just wanted to...

Amanda has two children

and is the deputy head teacher
of a primary school

in her home town of Darlington.

I'm very methodical
when I start sewing,

so I definitely always
follow the pattern

unless I know there's going to be
a better way to do it.

It just says,
"Stitch the outside leg seam."

That's all it says,
so it's open to interpretation.

That's a French seam, so it's
just really neat on the inside.

I hope I'm going to get
a few extra brownie points.

The...making silly mistakes
really demoralises you.

All my accuracy that I am so proud
of and I am so keen on

is just going out the window.

I'm just hoping that I will be able
to catch up on the time I've lost.

You've got your zip in now,
haven't you? I have. Well done.

I'm going to go
hell for leather now.

I am now going right round...

And I don't know whether
to call it the crotch or not,

but it's the crotch that I'm doing.

You start right in the middle bit.
Sort of that bit there.

Join that together.
HE LAUGHS

Follow the curves.

Sewers, you have 30 minutes left.

SHE SIGHS

30. Come on!

I am shaking so much.

After this, there's the waistband
and the hem to do.

Mmm! Right. Rehydration.

What I'm doing now is finishing
the waist with the bias tape.

HE READS QUIETLY.

NEIL: That's the rough edge,
so I've put the bias on there.

I then fold the bias over,
like that

and then put a nice top stitch.

RYAN: It's quite fiddly.

I'm going at my own pace,

so then I know it's the best
I can do in the time.

Using a red thread just to give it a
little bit of definition on the top,

otherwise I think it'll
just all be just blue trousers.

ALEX: I feel like I'm not doing as
good a job as I could, really.

But...I'd rather have some trousers
than no trousers at all.

You have 15 minutes left.
Oh, my God! 15!

HE HUMS TUNE

I'm not letting the machine win.
SHE SIGHS
LORNA: I'm being assertive here.

It's asked for
an inch and a quarter of hem,

so I'm making sure
that that's what gets given.

I'm sewing up the hems by hand.

NEIL: To get a nice crease
down the front,

I've matched the side seams
and then I've ironed it flat.

I think pressing
is really important.

It's not too bad.

Nowadays, I question whether
trousers need pressed at all,

but I'd better not say that loudly,
when the army people are in town.

Have you sewn this? No. Oh, my God!
Run like the wind!

Four minutes now! Four minutes!

I'm just pressing,
doing the last press.

Sewers you should be thinking about

putting your trousers
on your mannequin.

Come on, girl. Get your legs in.

Why are you sitting down? Stand up.

Let's go. Let's go.

This has got quite a large bottom.

I think they look all right,
actually. I'd wear them.

I think they could be neater,

but in the time, I think it's...
I've done the best job I can.

Whoo-hoo! I'm done!

You have two minutes! Two minutes
to spare! Wow! That's amazing.

It looks so messy. It's just showing
some threads from when I unpicked,
and I don't like it.

Matt, don't make me come over there
and hit you.

Ironing on the mannequin.

I can't see anything
dangerous about this. No.

It's absolutely fine.

OK, boys and girls, that's it!
Step away from your trousers.

Give yourself a round of applause.
You did it.

Very, very well done.

Get your mannequins,
with your trousers,

and take them in there,
to the two dragons...

I mean, judges.
THEY LAUGH

# Don't
# Doo-ooh

# Be nice to me... #

Ten pairs of cotton trousers
from scratch in just three hours.

But what will May and Patrick think
of everyone's first efforts

in this year's Sewing Bee?

Neela, bring up spotty green human.

PATRICK: Let's start with the zip.

MAY: Really neat.

And the waistline's really nice.
It sits lovely, doesn't it?

You haven't overstretched it,
and you've got some lovely
top-stitching as well.

Maybe just the crease on that leg is
just running slightly off centre.

Do you agree?

Minuscule-ly. Yep.

I would say that's the centre
of the kneecap, there, so...

You're probably right. You're about
a centimetre off, maybe,
at the kneecap.

SHE LAUGHS

Unfortunately... It's not quite
invisible, is it? Yeah.

Is that a little bit of a lump,
just at the bottom there?

Your top-stitching is wobbling.

Try and line your machine foot up
perhaps on the edge of the fabric.

It's pretty invisible. Pretty much
right at the very top too.

MAY: A tiny bit of bagging
at the side here. Yep.

A little bit of a pressing issue
around the bottom of that dart.

You've just creased it up slightly.

It's very flat. It's nice and even
across the top.

Got a little tiny kink at the
bottom.

We've got a contrast bias binding
in the top,

which is a brave move,
and it's peeping a bit,

and it should go completely
to the inside.

You shouldn't actually see it.

PATRICK: Let's give this a go.

That works really nicely.
Very clean. No snags.

A tiny bit of a gap and a tiny step
at the top of the zip.

We've got a little bit of bagging,
just a tiny bit,

at the top of the waistband.

I was really worried about you
because you did French seams,

and at one stage, I was thinking,
"You're never going to finish them."

Start with the zip.

Quite a bit of a gap up the top.
Yes.

Nearly an inch there, from the top.

I think the pressing's gone
just off a little bit here.

A couple of extra creases
in the back there.

What we really needed to see
was one very sharp crease.

I think it was probably time.

You've done a French seam
down this side here,

which we didn't ask you for,

and you haven't
had enough time, really,

to very, very carefully
do that final press.

Well, the first thing I notice -

that these hug the shape of the body
really well.

The fit's great.
No bagging at all there.

Let's have a look at the zip. Let's
have a look at the zip. Very neat.

Finishes nicely at the top. Mm-hm.

Brilliantly flat creases.

I tell you what -
that's very neat too.

You've lined up everything
neatly and squarely, inside and out.

There's a really nice precision
to it all.

With plain fabric, obviously you can
see absolutely everything, can't
you?

Unfortunately, you know where
you've gone wrong here.

This step at the top is absolutely
kind of glaring.

PATRICK: A little bit of a gap
at the top, but the hems are neat

and the legs are level.

The crease on your left leg has just
gone for a bit of a wander there.

Well, they're a fun pair of
trousers, aren't they? Sort of
Hawaiian.

May's already picturing herself with
a pina colada on a lounge somewhere.

You've got a huge,
very, very bold pattern,

and what you've managed,
whether you meant it or not,

is you've got those diagonals
of that big rosette

just running straight lines
diagonally across the trouser,

which is really well done.

MAY: And you beat the zip in the
end. And it works well.

A couple of just little stray
threads just in your side seam.

Just a tiny bit of bagging. Minute.

Overall, nicely pressed.
Mm. I think so, yes. Good.

Well done. Well done.

Patrick and May will now reveal
whose trousers have impressed

and whose sewing needs to improve.

Sadly, number ten is Alex,

because of the big step
in the top of your zip.

Ninth, Paul. The zip and just
the bagginess of the waistband.

Eighth position was Ryan. A couple
of things that could do with
refining.

CLAUDIA: Amanda is seventh,
Matt is sixth,

Deborah is fifth
and Annie is fourth.

In third place...

..Neela.

Congratulations.
A well-ex*cuted pair of trousers.

Second is...

..Lorna. Well done.

And, of course, that means
our winner is Neil.

Congratulations.

ALL APPLAUD

Pretty near faultless. Thank you.

So, all of you - huge "well done".

Go relax, have a cup of tea,
have some biscuits.

And when you come back in,
I'll give you the second challenge.

Well done. Thank you. Cheers.

# Ba, ba-da, ba-dum... #

LORNA: Excellent! Excellent!

# Teacher's pet

# I wanna be teacher's pet... #

Absolutely chuffed to come first
place on the first challenge.

Got that out of the way,
under my belt.

The thing is no-one would wear them.

That gopping colour.
HE LAUGHS

LORNA: I'm very pleased to be
second. It's a beautiful print.

And I'd love to see that on a young
lady, with a nice matching T-shirt,

strolling along,
drinking a pina colada or a mojito.

NEELA: I should have taken
a little bit more care in pressing.

I don't like ironing anyway.
SHE LAUGHS

I was so surprised by the judging.

I really didn't think
I would end up fourth.

The first pair of trousers
I've ever made,

so, yeah, I'm really pretty
chuffed with that middle ranking.

You don't want me to say
what I really think, do you?

Now it gets tricky.

The judges aren't giving our sewers
any pattern or instructions.

It's time for some guerrilla sewing.

This is the alteration challenge.

The judges have chosen
an item of clothing

that you will totally transform.

This week, we've given you
an item of clothing

that's a staple
in many people's wardrobes.

It is a classic denim shirt.

You do have a lot to work with.

You've got a yoke, you've got
a collar, you've got a row of
snap fasteners, a cuff -

plenty to be going on with.

Plus, the whole haberdashery.

You can use fabric,
you can use rivets,

sequins, beads, braids,
anything you like.

You have 90 minutes.

These two are leaving.
They won't know who's done what.

Your time starts now. Good luck.

The alteration challenge will reveal
who can come up with a good idea

and understand
how to actually make it

under immense time pressure.

LORNA: Come here, my man.

I've never done anything
like this before,

so this was the one I was, like,
a little bit worried about.

LORNA: Vrrrm!
ALEX: I've never actually
worked with denim before.

My first thoughts
were to remove the collar,

remove the sleeves.

So, I've just drawn
a very quick picture.

Get that working as a skirt.

I've literally just chopped the top
of the shirt off on the sleeves

to try and get a rough idea
of a skirt shape.

I'm thinking maybe a skirt
and then creating pleats.

I've just literally
made this pattern up

from roughly, in my head,
of what a skirt pattern looks like.

I need to cut out four of these.

I haven't got quite enough denim,

so I'm going to have to use that
to finish this pattern off.

Lorna, what are you going to do?
Well, I'm going to make
a child's skirt.

When the children were small,
out of my husband's shirt,

I would make shirts for my sons.

So, this is going to be
a gorgeous skirt. It is.

DEBORAH: I'm just pinning
the shape of the skirt.

The denim is right down the front,

and there'll be a bustle
at the back, made from the shirt.

Let's call it the Madonna skirt.
CLAUDIA GASPS

Back to the '80s -
pink tulle and denim.

The flat part and the pink part
come together in a ruffle,

which is the one thing I love most -
love, love most in life.

OK. Ruffles. I'll remember.

And then, this is the closing bit,
using the existing... Yes!

Are you going to have enough time?
Yeah, I'm running.

OK, run. Super-running.
Run like the wind.

30 minutes gone,
one hour remaining.

Is anyone NOT making a denim skirt?

MAN LAUGHS

I heard that most people
are doing skirts,

so this is going to be
a little bit different.

I'm going to go for a halter neck
using the upper band. That way,
I can get it to fasten at the back.

I am changing my thoughts.

Just to make it a bit different,
I'm thinking maybe some kind of
neckline.

Amanda is also attempting
to make a dress,

but on a smaller scale.

Look at you. What do you think?

I'm... It's going to look something
like that. I think it's so cute!

It's going to have
nice fabric gathers, if I get time.

Patch pocket! Patch pocket.
Do it! Patch pocket. Do it, do it.

With the top.
The top could be the fabric.

Course it could! Well done.

I'm going to put a different colour
on one of the pockets.

I've done them at different angles,
just to be different.

I've used this kind of tulle a lot.
Usually, it's quite hard to manage.

And, obviously, because I'm trying
to do this really quickly,

I'm sewing through two or three
layers at the same time,
which is not ideal.

I feel like I'm going to have
an attack of claustrophobia.

I just think of myself dying
in layers and layers of pink tulle.

That's not how
I want to be remembered.

I'm trying to set in some sleeves.

This way, I'm really
showing off techniques,

rather than actually
making a different garment.

Oops! Suzie's away!
Come back, Suzie.

Has this got something to do
with dairy? No, it's a pig.

Does dairy not come from pigs?
Don't answer that.

Good luck. Good luck.
SHE LAUGHS

Sewers, you have 25 minutes left.

What? Seriously?

AMANDA: See, at home, I'm trying
to be as neat as I can.

So, this is a bit of
a backward step.

Just do it as quick as I can
and as rushed as I can.

Does anything faze me? Um...

Not really.

Oh, my Lord!

MATT: I'm just going to try
and make a ruffle.

In theory, this is going to kind of
go round the bottom of the skirt,

so just to finish off
that bottom edge, round there.

I'm not going to model for you.
That's going to get weird.

LORNA: I decided
that this child's skirt

needed elastic in the back of
the waistband.

It's quite bog standard, really, so
I thought I'd put a nice belt on it.

I wanted to add the sleeves in
as a yoke, but I'm not going to
have time,

so I'm just going to use
normal bias binding.

I am about to finish off
the neckline with a bias finish.

That should be enough.

Put that pocket on the front.
That's a new addition.

Sewers, you have ten minutes!
Ten minutes! Is that by Greenwich
Mean Time?

A little bit of top-stitching around
the waistband and then I'm done.

ALEX: My bias binding
is not going in right.

It moved...

# ..out of place #
SHE SINGS

I'm just doing this little tie
fasten, then I'm going to press them

and I'm going to fasten them
onto the top of the dress.

I've just put a bow in.
Something a little bit different.

Not sure how many
more minutes we've got.

Seven minutes! LORNA: Oh, no!
Panic, panic.

Aah! Ooh!

OK. All I need to do is hem
and then I'll be done.

There's no time to worry
about anything else.

SHE SHOUTS
Six and a half! Oh, sh*t.

SHE PANTS

ALEX: My top-stitching
is going crazy.

One more pocket to put on.

ANNIE: Patrick likes
his darts pressed out.

It's enough to show that I could
do an alteration in 90 minutes

for it not to be indecent.

CLAUDIA: Come on! On the mannequin!
One more, one more! No! No, no, no!

It's the worst top-stitching
in the history of mankind.

You have one minute!

Breathe in, love. Come on!

I keep finding little threads
everywhere.

Hmm. That's good. I think
that might look really cool.

I think I'm there.

That's time.

Oh!

Hmm.

Bring your mannequins forward,
we'll jumble them around
and then we'll invite the judges in.

# I can't tell a waltz
from a tango... #

May and Patrick will have no idea
whose alteration is whose.

MAY: Gosh! PATRICK: Pretty
impressive. They're good!

PATRICK: It's nice draping skills.
MAY: Yeah.

It's got a nice shape.
It fits the mannequin well.

I think it's a clever use
of that band.

I think that's a very successful
transformation. Absolutely.
Good use of the fabric.

This, of all of them, I think
looks most like its original.

I don't think it's such a nice
shape. It feels a little bit
top-heavy.

Maybe the sleeve just
wanted to be a bit smaller.

It does look a bit boxy, doesn't it?

I tell you what - that's really
very nicely shaped, isn't it?

Yeah, it's fab! I like this little
pleated bottom edge there.

I think that's a very clever
and well-done alteration. Yeah.

It's all been gathered.

I just think it needed to be cut
away. There's too much in there.

A bit on the clumsy side. Yeah.
This is bulky.

If that had just been lost... Yeah.
We'd have something
much more wearable.

Those insertions, to me...
I know. I know.

..ought to have been symmetrical.
They're not symmetrical. No.

They're neither hither nor thither.

No, cos we've got one
at the side seam here

and we've got one part-way
through the back here, haven't we?

We asked for radical
transformations. Absolutely!

We've certainly got it here,
haven't we?

But you know what? I think it works
really well. It does. It does.

It fits really nicely. It's very,
very flat all the way round.

A really fun alteration.

Really quite a straightforward
pencil skirt.

Bit of binding round the top.

And then... A bustle. ..a bustle.

It works. It does.
It works, doesn't it?

I like this. Yeah, it's great.
I like this a lot.

There's all sorts of
great technique in there.

An elasticated back, so we've made
a casing in the back here.

I think it's a good use of some
of... It's a really clever use...

..some of the bits and pieces
from the shirt.

The fit isn't quite as neat
as either of those two.

A bit lumpy down the sides. Yeah.

I'm not mad on
that colour combination

and I think these big statement
buttons, with these little poppers,

don't quite work for me.

It's quite dominant, isn't it?
Yes. Yep.

There's a lot of good work
going on in there.

There's a lot of pleating. Yeah.

Completely radical transformation.

And, also, look at the symmetry
of these seam lines here and here.

Yep. And the way this has been cut
and set on.

I think it works really nicely.
There's a very nice balance to it.
A success, for me, that one.

CLAUDIA: Time for May and Patrick

to reveal the most successful
alteration,

starting with the bad news.

In tenth place,

this one.

CLAUDIA: Annie. PATRICK: Annie.

In terms of level of transformation,

this was the least wild.

Number nine.

CLAUDIA: Neela.

We had lots of skirts and elements
of it were quite clumsy.

Neil is eighth, Ryan is seventh,

Deborah is sixth, Matt is fifth,
and Paul is fourth.

This one is third.
CLAUDIA: Come on, Amanda.

A really lovely transformation.
Well done. Thank you.

In second place...

..it's this one.

And if I was to hazard a guess,

I would say it was Lorna.

CLAUDIA: Ah! You'd be right!

Fantastic!
SHE MOUTHS WORDS

I think it's a very ingenious use of
all the various different bits.

Very well done.

So, then, first is...Alex!

Come on.
ALL APPLAUD

Well done, Alex.
Thank you very much.

We were so impressed with
the wacky style,

the cutting of your panels
for the skirt.

And it's a great transformation.
Well done, Alex.

ALL APPLAUD

The first day in the Sewing Bee
is finished.

You go home, you relax, you can
cuddle up in bed,

together if you want.

We'll see you back tomorrow
for a really big challenge.

ALEX: I think my smile
really says it all.

Quite the yo-yo of a day for me.

Great recovery. Thank you.
Brilliant. Well done.

AMANDA: So, I've gone from third
bottom to third top. So, I think
That's quite a bonus for today.

I am a little bit gutted.
I think I'm slightly in trouble.

ANNIE: Where's my coat?
Oh, there it is.

I was not surprised to come last.

My creative skills are not good

and I knew that that was going to be
a problem area for me.

CLAUDIA: Just one challenge remains
before, for the first time,

one sewer is awarded Garment
of the Week and one person
leaves the Sewing Bee.

ALL LAUGH

Let's talk about Lorna.

PATRICK: I really liked
her alteration.

I thought it was a really inventive
use of the various different
elements.

And again, an extremely well-sewn
pair of trousers. I think she's
a very good sewer.

MAY: Neil won the first challenge,
but then he came eighth.

PATRICK: His trousers were
excellent.

There was a really nice precision
to the way he sewed.

However, he didn't balance
the alteration that he did.

Right now, is there anyone
you're worried about?

I think I'm a little bit worried
about Ryan.

A combination of nerves
and technical skills.

I think Annie was really overwhelmed

and she managed to get through
the trousers challenge.

However, Annie looked at the shirt
and wasn't really quite sure
what to do with it.

And Paul needs to show us that
he's really a competent sewer too.

Pleased to meet you.
Pleased to meet you.

For the final challenge,
the mannequins are gone.

Neela.

The sewers will be making a garment
to fit a real person.

You look a bit nervous.

Today is your first ever
made-to-measure challenge.

The judges would love you
to make a summer dress.

There are only two rules - it has to
be made out of a patterned fabric

and it has to fit
your model perfectly.

You have five and a half hours.

Your time starts now.

Everyone has had a chance
to select their pattern, cotton,

and practise for this challenge
at home.

Oh, yes! Oh!

But this will be the first time
they'll be able to fit it
to their model.

Give me your muscles. There you go.

Made-to-measure challenge.
What will you be looking for?

They will have to fit to a model

and, for some of them,
this might be new.

MAY: Therefore, you start with
the measurements, look at
your pattern and adjust.

We're looking for pattern matching.
Also the position
of the pattern as well.

Not just matching the pattern,
but where they locate them
on the garment is really important.

CLAUDIA: Should one go central?

It depends on how it flows
across the body.

So, if you've got several pieces,
you need to make sure

that the pattern moves
across the front of a garment.

And you've got to visualise
that pattern on that garment. Mm.

Is five and a half hours long enough

to make a perfectly fitted
patterned dress?

Yeah, it should be enough time.

OK. You two have got really harsh.
I'm just saying.

Obviously matching the dots up.

There's a seam that goes
right down the middle,

and if I don't get those dots
perfectly lined up,

Patrick will crucify me.

CLAUDIA: Neil's making
a princess seam dress

that has sculpted arm holes

and curved cut-out sections
at the waist.

Can you show me a picture?
So, we're going for this one here.

With that cut out?
Who would wear that?

Rihanna. My wife would wear that.
Are you making a dress for Rihanna?

Would your wife wear that?
Yeah, she would. Where's your wife?

Is that what she wore?!
You're so romantic.

Well, then, make this for her
quick-shape, sharpish.

Other army, rah, aye-aye.

DEBORAH: I'm using three different
pieces from three different patterns

just to try and get
as close to my vision

of what I want it
to look like as possible.

CLAUDIA: Deborah's blending patterns
to make a fitted bodice

with a full gathered skirt.

MAY: So, you're doing
some centring here? Yes.

I've chosen another wild fabric.
Great pattern. Yes.

I do like this pattern, though.
Thank you very much.

Actually, the colours
are really lovely.

This is quite an obvious element.
Line, yeah.

I'm trying to make that line go
right down the middle of my dress.

OK.

Right. OK.
SHE SIGHS

It's a very, very random pattern.

I found a repetition,
so I am lining my pattern piece

against that particular repetition.

CLAUDIA: Alex's '60s dress
is empire line

with set-in sleeves
and an invisible zip.

You might end up doing
a beautiful garment,

but if it doesn't pattern-match, May
will find horrible fault with it.

You've chosen, I think, quite
a difficult pattern for yourself.

It is, actually. Because these
circles have got to join up,
haven't they? Oh, my God!

I know. I am a bit stressed
about that.

Neela's princess-seamed dress

has a full pleated skirt

and will be finished
with a sash around the waist.

That's not upside down, is it?
If I had my pattern pieces...

There is no upside down.

These are weird discs
with caterpillars attached.

Do it whatever way you want.
SHE LAUGHS

I'll tell May I said that.
She'll approve.

Did you choose your pattern
or your fabric first?

Fabric first, always.

It sort of jumped out at me.

Lorna's using a bold poppy print

for a summer dress with a fitted
princess-seamed bodice,

gathered circular skirt

and three-quarter length sleeves.

So, how are you going to deal with
your pattern?

Oh, the pattern,
it's growing upwards. Good.

So, I'm travelling
in that direction.

I'm going to try
and get it centralised.

Quite a fussy design,
but very pretty.

It's absolutely gorgeous.
It is lovely, isn't it?

CLAUDIA: And it wasn't just Lorna
who poppies appealed to.

We both walked in the room

and, I looked over and saw...

"That looks like the same fabric as
mine but it's got black background."

CLAUDIA: Paul's poppy fabric
will be remade into

a classic summer dress,

with capped sleeves, a scooped
neckline and bound edges.

There's a big print.

I'd like that in the centre
of the dress, so...

It's just trying to get
a bit of a match there.

But with a pattern like this,

I think it's OK being fairly random,

cos it's just going to be
a riot of colour.

Which bit are you most nervous
about - pattern matching or fit?

Fit. Right. Definitely. OK.

Because I chose a pattern
that it's very difficult to match.

OK. Go, go!

Annie, Matt, Amanda and Ryan have
all chosen less pronounced patterns.

RYAN: The skirt takes me,
like, half an hour to cut out.

But whilst they may have avoided the
need to pattern-match precisely...

..if they make a mistake
with their fit or finish,

it'll be even easier to spot.

MATT: I've picked a nice
distributed pattern material

just to give it
a really nice vintage feel, yeah.

Matt's sleeveless dress
is fitted at the waist

and has a classic A-line skirt.

It's my wife's favourite dress.

If this doesn't go right,
I'll definitely be kicking myself.
I'll be pretty furious.

ALEX: I will end up
hating these cherries

more than anything on this earth.

Alex and Neela
are already kicking themselves.

Aaah!

I've already wasted
quite a lot of time on this.

NEELA: I've decided to stop
pattern-matching like a maniac.

ALEX: Give up
on the pattern-matching.

I would have liked to
because it's beautiful,

but I've got to end up with a dress.

One hour down, four to go,
in the final challenge.

LORNA: I'm tacking the front
and the two side panels.

I know it takes time, but on these
curved seams, you've got to tack.

Most of the sewers have begun
construction with the bodice...

HE MUTTERS
..the area of any dress
where the fit is most noticeable.

What I've had to do is mark
with chalk at the point of the V

because I want
a nice, crisp V shape.

Ryan's sleeveless V-neck bodice

will be attached to

a gathered full circular skirt.

I'm not worried that I haven't done
a proper fitting yet.

I think once I'm working on
this bodice,

this'll be my main kind of focus.

This is my first fitting,
so I'm just trying to make sure

that the bodice fits perfectly.

Loosely constructed, the darts,
pleats and seams in the bodice

can be adjusted
to improve the fit on the model.

MATT: Make sure that the darts point
to the right areas of the body

and it's sitting nicely
around the stomach.

ALEX: I'm slightly behind.

No. You want to be able to
"Hoo-hoo!"

We'll just come in
a little bit tighter.
We'll just go nice and slowly.

LORNA: This is your
hollow back here.

But we must make the most of that.
And we don't want bagging here.

I'm just going to pin it
so that it fits her perfectly.

Lovely. OK.

Tch! Great! Right.

I'm trying to make this so that it
fits beautifully across there,

so I'm happy with
that fit across there,

cos that was
what I was worried about.

This little bit here is perhaps
a little bit too tight,

so I might just alter the dart.

Amanda's bodice is grown

on kimono sleeves,

which she will attach to

a panelled A-line skirt.

PATRICK: How are you getting along?
I'm just worried about
the fitting today.

Is that because you don't do a lot
of fitting normally? Yeah.

I just have a mannequin
that fits my body shape.

OK. And I just make things
for myself, so it's quite...

How very selfish of you.
I am a selfish sewer.

Selfish sewer. This is it.
I'm proud to be a selfish sewer.

Your karma is coming back
to bite you.

I have never fitted anybody
in my life before.

I have no idea how I'm fitting it.

CLAUDIA: Annie is attempting
to fit a classic tea dress

with draped sleeves,
gathered bustline and a full skirt.

I've got enough
from the shoulders to the bust

so that she's got a good lie
in the bodice.

OK. Right, we've decided. It's going
to be fine. It's going to be fine.

Sewers you have two hours left.

Two hours.

It's not...not OK.

Oh, this is so ugly.

I'm about a millimetre out
in matching my spots.

And, unfortunately,
that stands out quite a lot.

So, I'm redoing that.

At the moment, I'm sewing
all the skirt panel pieces.

There's two pieces to the back panel

and there's three pieces
to the front,

because there's like
an inverted pleat at the front,

which has got a separate panel
in the centre of that.

So, it just creates more fullness
at the front of the skirt.

CLAUDIA: To create fullness
in their skirts,

some of the sewers have opted for
a technique known as gathering...

This is like origami.

..where a longer length of material
is pulled along threads

into soft folds, which will fit
the narrower waistband.

So, I've taken the gathering in to
fit the waistline that I have done.

I've tucked in a little bit more
at the front because it was a little
bit gappy there.

No-one's given themselves
more gathering to do than Ryan.

His skirt requires
two metres of fabric.

All that fabric is now
pulled into the waistband

and then I'll attach this
to the bodice,

matching the seams
on the skirt and the bodice.

If they've finished
all the basic components

of their summer dresses...

Well done.
HE CHUCKLES

Paul, you're such a dark horse.
Mister "Oh, I can't do it!"

..the sewers can move on to
adding any finishing touches.

Right, honey, let's do this.

Oh, I'm beginning
to get stressed now.

I'm quite happy with that.
It looks lovely at the back.

It's going to flow. A little seam.

And let's just bring in
those side seams a little bit,

to make it just
a little bit more flush.

I'm actually putting the sleeves in.

You've got to ease them in,
so I've eased it round

between all my tailor tacks,

because you don't want any little
tucks or puckers in the sleeve.

Oh, the atmosphere in here
is a little bit tense.

In case you were wondering.

RYAN: At the moment, I'm making some
bias binding out of my fabric

to go inside the arm holes,

so there's a nice, clean finish
on the outside of the arm.

NEIL: Just finishing up the edging
around the arm.

To make sure I get
a nice, parallel top-stitch,

I just stick a bit of tape on there

and then you just follow the edge
of the red tape.

Sewers, I have good news
and bad news.

Good news? I actually don't
have good news.

You have 15 minutes left!

Phhhh!

Feeling very stressed.
I need to hem my dress.

I have to say, if I was at home,

I'd probably be, like,
pinning it and doing it neatly.

But I think the time element's
making me go a little bit speedier.

Ryan, look at you!

Having a sit-down.

I feel like I should have
brought you a pina colada.

I'm just so worried
about not finishing.

Ooh!

Five minutes left.

Ahh!

LORNA: I'm so...shaking so much.

I'm just giving the whole dress
a really good press now.

I know that's what they're going to
be looking for is just a really nice
finish. I am going to finish.

Two minutes!

The ugliest darts in the world.

Aah!

Please be enough. Hsst!

Let me see you.

Uh...couple of threads.

Let's hope this fits.

All right.

Let's just hope it's all right.
There's so many loose cottons.

Right, go for it. Lovely. Right.

OK, that's it! Finished!

OTHERS LAUGH

SHE BREATHES DEEPLY

Huge "well done" to all of you.

Well done!

# I like New York in June

# How about you? #

CLAUDIA: Ten made-to-measure
patterned summer dresses

in just five and a half hours.

# How about you?

# I love a fireside

# When a storm is due... #

I think we've got to start
with these spots, haven't we?

We do. They are amazing.

Your centre-front seam, we've got
half a spot on each side of the
seam.

Yep. All the way down that
back seam, perfectly balanced.

If we're going to talk about
pattern matching, that's pretty
much a master class.

I think the fit on the back
is absolutely exceptional.

I mean, it's really hugging.

I was a little worried about these
cut-outs. But, again, those have
been handled well.

I mean, the edges
are very, very nice.

Amazing invisible zip.
That's really lovely.

Hangs perfectly in balance.
And it's a really good shape.

I think you can be
extremely proud of that.

There's so much
excellent work in that.

MAY: Looking at the fit
for the bust area...

It's too high. It needs to sit
underneath the bust, and it doesn't.

Could have done with
being a bit longer here.

I think the waistline has just gone
for a little bit of a wobble here.

But also, we've got a little bit
more gather here than we have on
that side.

Just a little uneven with the
distribution of that fullness
on there.

And it's not straight - if you look
at the dress sideways, it drops at
the... It is... ..drops at the back.

MAY: Well, the first thing I notice,
actually, is this pattern

running dead down the middle
of the front

and, also, right down
the middle of the back.

And they're matching either side
of the seam. Yeah.

It's really fitted around the bust.

This is sitting so flat,
so perfectly.

It goes a little...just a little bit
off at the top of the zip,

but this was three different
patterns put together.

I think you've managed that
extremely well.

MAY: Just a slight...

Possibly, it could have...
minutely snugger across the back.

The sleeves aren't bad.
There's a little bit of a pucker
at the top of this one.

But otherwise, I think they're
very evenly put in.

To get it fitting so well,

and looking so crisp
in all the kind of important areas

I think is a good piece of work.

PATRICK: I think it sits very well
through the waist.

I think the skirt hangs
very beautifully.

I'm not...I'm not quite sure
about your zip, Matt.

If you're choosing a concealed zip,

you shouldn't be able
to see it at all.

The back link is slightly long,

so it's sort of buckling
above the waist.

Across the zip at the back, I think
that was where we needed to see

some sense of pattern matching.

But it's off.

Fit-wise, these straight lines would
be a real giveaway if they were off,

and, actually, you've managed that
extremely well.

PATRICK: I think this is a corker.

I think the pattern works
beautifully.

And you've thought about
how you've used the pattern as well,

because obviously,
you've got a row of poppies

running down the front of the
bodice, which looks very good.

The neckline sits beautifully.
It does. It's really sitting
beautifully flat round your neck.

If we can just twirl you round...
It's very evenly sewn.

Look at that seam. You've matched
your seam round the waist. Well
done.

I think the sleeves
are a great length.

A terrific success, and you should
be very proud of it.

Thank you.

This seam needs to be sitting just
a little further below the bust.

And, also, the problem
with this pattern -

it's very, very, very pronounced -

it's a real shame that
that centre-front seam

looks really messy.

You've got all sorts going on there,

where what you want is just
one smooth flow of pattern.

And your eye is just pulled
straight into that seam.

I think you set yourself an awful
lot to do on this challenge. Mm.

MAY: It fits really well
around the bust.

Perhaps a tiny bit of surplus
in the back.

I guess it isn't supposed to be
a very fitted dress.

You've actually got a really
beautifully inserted invisible zip.
Can I just turn you sideways?

And, also, the seam's matching
right across the zip.

So, well done. Well done.

It just looks like
it fits comfortably.

I'm sure it's
very comfortable to wear.

It moves very nicely,
it's well-balanced.

I don't think there's much more
we can say. It's a very good job.

The first thing I notice is actually
your bodice is a tiny bit too long.

You see, just a little bit of...
There's a little bit of excess
in there.

Your centre line there
is perfectly centred

and I think the fit
and the shape of that neckline

is really absolutely perfect.

You've gathered an awful lot of
material in here

and it's pretty evenly done.

I think there's just
one or two spots

where it's just kicking out
a little bit.

The skirt just falls nicely.

It has lovely movement and lovely
balance. And I notice you've got...

Is it a very narrow binding
around the arm holes? Yeah.

That is beautiful, and it's
very, very even. Well done.

Yeah, I think there's
a lot of good stuff in this.

A huge "well done" to all of you.

You can now leave
and have cake and tea.

The judges are going to have
a very difficult decision to make.

When you come back, they will
announce their Garment of the Week

and the first person who will be
leaving the sewing room.

RYAN: If I was going home today,
I would be gutted.

But, to be honest, I feel like
my last dress, I was really proud of

and I was really happy with,

so if I was leaving,
I'd leave on a good note.

ANNIE: It didn't go
particularly well.

My dress didn't exactly turn out
the way I hoped it would turn out.

Oh, I think
I'm borderline tonight, yes.

ALEX: I definitely think I'm the one
who's going to be sent home.

And, obviously, my favourite pattern
plus my favourite fabric

did not equal love.

Who do you think
should leave the Sewing Bee?

We're looking at two people.

We're looking at... Annie.

And Alex. And Alex.

Annie's were middle of the pack.

Alex, I think there was
just one, big glaring error.

Cos it had a big step
at the top of it.

The alteration challenge.
The alteration challenge.

Two extremes here.
Alex's - bold, full of imagination.

This one was too much like
the original shirt it came from.

Not very interesting.

And then, when you compare what
they did in the final challenge...

PATRICK: Extremely tough.

The pattern on that
doesn't match at all.

The pattern on this is busy enough
that you can lose it. Yep.

But it didn't fit at all well.

Judging on these three garments,

I think there's one of these
two sewers who is a fractionally
better sewer.

And that's the person I think
that we should keep. Right.

Well, you two think about it a bit
more and then we'll invite them in.
OK.

Let's do the lovely bit first.

Are you ready to find out
Garment of the Week?

CONTESTANTS: Yes. OK. All right.

Patrick, please reveal...

This week's
Garment of the Week is...

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Incredible fit
and wonderful spot-matching.

Two of the things
that we were looking for.

Thank you.

Now the less nice bit -
who's going to leave.

And I promise you,
I'm not saying this.

The judges found it incredibly hard.

The first person
leaving the Sewing Bee is...

It's Annie.

Never mind. We'll still
name a calf after you.

CLAUDIA: Hip, hip... OTHERS: Hooray!

Thanks.

The other people who are still here
are really fantastic people.

They are very good sewers.

So, I think it's excellent
that they're going on

and I am going home.

We had to make a decision on
who we felt was the better sewer,

on the sewing that they've done
over the last two days.

And, unfortunately,
Annie was competent,

but it just lacks a little flair.

MAY: The standard is really high
this series

and you have to decide whether or
not something stands out enough

to hold them in the competition.

So, sadly, we had to send her home.

RYAN: Really gutted
to see Annie go home.

She's such a presence
in the sewing room

and she's going to be really missed.

NEIL: My wife will be very happy

as the dress that won
Garment of the Week

was actually made with her in mind.

So, uh, she'll be wearing that
in the near future.

Um, my children, they're still
mortified by this whole thing.

I genuinely was very surprised
that she didn't say my name.

On the other hand, really glad
to live to sew another day.

ANNIE: I'm taking away a great time.

I think it's really obvious
who's going to win this right now.

CLAUDIA: On the next Sewing Bee...

It's so small! It's so cute.

..the sewers take on
children's tailoring...

Stitch, stitch, and then...whooh!
Like delivering a baby, really.

..creating a child's waistcoat...

Ahh... I'm going to have to
re-cut those.

Do you think that this challenge
was too hard for week two? No.

Amanda, shall we give up and group?
Don't you dare give up.

..making small-scale alterations.

They wanted it transformed,

and that's exactly what
they're going to get.

Will they make child's play of
their wildest made-to-measure yet?

We're attached to the back
by safety pins.

I don't think that was in the plan.

Who will create
the best garment of the week?

And who will be asked to leave
the Sewing Bee?

It's like a zoo in here. OK, cool.

Oh! Oh, dear.