06x06 - Episode 6

[bunniefuu]

Hi. I've been left out
for the council

as it's Reduce, Re-use,
Recycle Week.

All the fabrics in our haberdashery
have been replaced with old clothes

and our sewers will have to make
fabulous creations

with things that were destined
for the bin.

That should be in food waste!

Welcome to the Great British
Sewing Bee.

Last time... Whip your pants off.

I've never said that to
a lady before.

..it was sleepwear and lingerie.

Ta-da!

Therese's exquisite Made-to-measure
clinched her Garment Of The Week.

I'm gobsmacked.

Oh, God.

Although Matt and Nicole
had a nightmare...

It's baggy under the bum.

..it was Ali who became
the fifth sewer to leave.

It's all right. It's fine.

This week... Yes, yes, yes!

..old clothes are resurrected...

Now, that is the London look.

..in a recycling fest of fabric...

I'm cutting into my baby's
little cardigan.

It's like Mary Poppins' bag in here.

..as the sewers try to salvage
a place... Ah! ..in the next round.

A bit of mad sewing's going to
go on now.

Get in there!

But who'll unravel?

There's something terribly wrong
there.

And who can keep it together?

I think it's one of best things
I've seen on Sewing Bee.

Week six - Reduce, Re-use, Recycle.

I think that's in the right order.

So, my skirt is made out of my
son-in-law's jeans.

Oh, God. You're going to focus
on my legs now.

I hate my legs.

This week's going to be a bit
of a strange one anyway

cos it's all a bit of an unknown.

Who knows what they're going to
throw at us.

# Going to hold a jumble sale... #

Oh, I've just noticed that all
the fabric's gone.

It's all garments.

Oh, crikey.

Good morning, energy crew.

Come forward.

This week it is
Reduce, Re-use, Recycle.

As you can see, the haberdashery is
a little different today.

Don't worry, we've not been robbed.

Esme patrols the perimeter at night
with an Alsatian and a Taser.

No, everything has been replaced
with second-hand items.

And to tell us about
the Pattern Challenge, Esme.

Here we go.

Some for you, and some for you.
Oh!

This week, we've got a man's
b*mber jacket.

It's got rib on the neck,
cuffs and bottom,

it's got an open-ended zip
on the front, and patch pockets.

Now, we'd like you to make
your b*mber jacket

from up to four second-hand pieces
from the haberdashery.

The only thing you will need that's
new will be zips, rib and thread.

You have four and a half hours
for this challenge,

and your time starts now.

So, a men's b*mber jacket out of
women's garments.

Interesting.

CLARE SIGHS
Crickey.

Could you take her trousers off?
Yes, yes.

This one's going to be a bit of an
eyesore.

I've got her trousers off.

It's OK, I don't need them now.

I've changed my mind. Sorry.

Apologise to this woman. Yes.

She's lost an arm and a head.

Now, guys, like everyone
in show business,

I wear my clothes once,
take them off and burn them.

But why are you so into
sustainability?

We have enough clothing
on the planet right now

to clothe the next six generations
of the human race.

So, we have to find ways
of using what we've got.

And this is, I think, a brilliant
way of turning something

that's old and unloved into
something new and exciting.

Here, we've got a plain blue body,
contrast pockets,

a different contrast on the sleeve
and a dark blue rib.

If it was me doing it, I would
absolutely make sure

I picked fabrics
that I knew I could sew together.

They're allowed to use up to
four body fabrics.

How they combine all of that
on the garment...

I mean, it could be
an absolute disaster

or it could be mind-blowingly great.

And, you never know, there might be
a motif they could use.

It's cool, that dragon, isn't it?

What about mine?

Well, yours is obviously
much cooler.

Obviously.

What about that, eh?

I'm trying to think of ways of
deciding

whether I can incorporate that.

I've chosen this kind of
dashiki number.

It can be a real feast for the eyes,
isn't it, this one?

SHE LAUGHS

These are my four garments.

We're going full-on
repulse-o-beautiful.

Good morning, Mark.
Hello, Esme.

Hello, Patrick. Morning.

So, show us what you've got.

I've got this kind of
green dress here,

then I've got a blue dress,

and then another one that's got blue
elements in it.

I tried to get a colour palette

so it's not just a random expl*si*n
in a charity shop.

Despite it being a random expl*si*n
in a charity shop.

So, I've got one front,
one back in the spotty,

one front, one back in the plain.
Cool.

And the sleeves in this weird
tie-dye chromosome fabric.

Oh, that's fun, isn't it?

Can you make me a matching one
so we can wear them together?

I just feel like we'd make a really
good high school g*ng, you and I.

Oh, with a big, like, our initials
on the pocket? Yeah. Yeah.

Take people's pocket money. Yeah.

Have you made a b*mber jacket
before? I have done. I have done.

Oh. I've made a couple.

I mean, that's a picture there.

That's one I made. Oh, right.

Earlier.

Well, that's sort of embracing
a similar vibe, isn't it?

Oh, yeah. It's very my style.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Tell us what your plan is.

What fabrics are you using,
and where?

These are going to be
my front pieces.

OK. A sort of synthetic crepe,
isn't it?

These pieces are going to be
my back pieces.

So that's a jersey? Yeah.

OK.

Have you thought about how applying
a stretch rib

to a stretch body fabric
is going to work?

Yeah. I've made life difficult
for myself.

OK. I'm well aware.

All right. Okey doke.

It'll certainly be a feast,
won't it?

The jacket is made from
14 fabric pieces

cut from their recycled garments.

Pockets are sewn to the front panels
along with the zipper tabs.

Next, an open-ended zip is inserted

and back panels are joined
to the front

before sleeves are attached and
finished with elasticated cuffs.

Finally, the ribbed collar is added,

then a waistband, to complete their
recycled b*mber jacket.

It's quite a big jacket.

God, these pieces are huge.

But cutting man-sized pattern pieces
from second-hand ladieswear...

That's annoying.

It's not quite going to be enough
fabric to make this.

..is far from straightforward.

I'm going to have to piece the front
pieces because I can't get

whole front pieces out of any one
garment that I've chosen.

So, I think what I'm actually
going to do is give myself

almost, like, a front yoke.

I can bring in the sleeve.
NICOLE GASPS

I could bring in a little panel.

But Matt has found
a simpler solution.

So, you've left the seam in, just so
you've got enough fabric?

Yeah, and it also has
a zip somewhere.

So you've left that in there?
Oh, right. I've left that in there.

I quite like that idea. So do I.

I mean, you've left seams,
left zips.

Yeah, I like that idea, too.
Yeah.

Good.

I was wondering how you're getting
on with your b*mber jacket.

I'm fine. These are going to be
my pockets.

They're really cool. Snazzy.

They are snazzy. Yeah.

What was that, originally? Kimono.

A kimono?

I'm excited to now be
actually sewing.

I'm taking a great deal of care,
making sure the pocket

is absolutely straight.

I mean, that's looking all right.

Pocket on.

I've done my pockets
and now I'm on the zipper tab.

The zipper tab is just the bit
that goes at the bottom

of the front of the b*mber jacket.

So, when you look at
a b*mber jacket,

it'll often rib at the bottom,

but it'll have a piece of fabric
there, which attaches the zip.

Inserting the zipper is next.

This is the first pattern to call
for an open-ended zip.

I've not put one of these zips in
before.

I've done, like, concealed zips.

To make sure it ends up
the right way around...

"On the right side of the fabric,

"place the zipper with it
on the fold line."

..the zip should be pinned
so the teeth point inwards...

I'm trying to get it on the correct
side of the garment.

..with a zip pull
on the right-hand side.

I think I'm doing it correctly.

I'm conscious that, because it
comes apart,

the risk is that the top and bottom
don't line up.

It's got to be straight.

You've got to get it right.

Oh, hang on.

No.

No, I've done that wrong.

That'd be on the inside, so I need
to move it to the right side.

I hate zips.
MATT SIGHS

Can I put poppers in?

Once it's pinned correctly,
the zip must be sewn in place,

half a centimetre from the teeth.

The important thing here is just to
make sure that it's lining up

with the edge of the fold.

Oh, I've definitely gone
with a horrible man-made fabric

which is difficult to deal with.

That's more like it.

Looks like a zip.

I have a zip that works.

SHE MAKES FASTENING SOUND

Oh, that's not quite level.

No, it isn't, is it?

Let's see if I can fix it.
If I've got time.

I'm not sure that you can without
taking the whole thing out.

You haven't got time for that.
So embrace it.

Sewers, you have an hour and a half
remaining.

So, you see, I've recycled
this strappy little number

as a gorgeous phone case.

Hello!

This is going to be the sleeves.

That's the sleeve in.

It's gone in reasonably smoothly.

"Sew the cuffs onto the sleeve ends.

"You will need to stretch
the ribbed cuff slightly

"to fit the sleeve end."
LIZ SIGHS

Now we have a cuff.

Magic.

So, collar next.

I've never done
a collar like this before.

The instructions are saying pin and
stitch the ribbed collar in place,

matching up the notches.

And then, obviously,
that bit goes to the end.

To achieve a flat and even collar...

So that should go there.

LIZ SIGHS
This is so confusing.

..the sewers must sandwich
elasticated ribbing

between the neckline and facings...

This is fiddly.

..stretching it with equal tension

or it won't meet
the zip at the front.

Because it's in a really
contrasting colour,

it's going to be really obvious
if it's all wonky.

Fail to control these multiple
layers of material

and all their precision pinning
will be undone.

This is an incredible amount of bulk
to get through this machine.

It's very easy with these things of
just getting it out of alignment.

It's just not looking right.

Collar looks OK.

Look at that collar in there,
with the zip and everything!

The collar is not quite perfectly
to the centre, but not bad.

There's something
terribly wrong there.

Something's gone really wrong here.

NICOLE SIGHS

I've stretched the collar
in slightly the wrong place.

I've stretched it more at the back
than at the front.

It's not going to sit right.

That's not good, is it?

That's meant to stretch
all the way across.

What, that's meant to meet there?
Yeah.

Maybe give up? No surrender!

Looking like a b*mber jacket now.

Whilst the sewers are showing
what can be done with a bunch

of old clothes, it was their
Victorian ancestors

who were the true masters
of the art -

quite literally
turning rags to riches.

The rag fair in East London
was an epicentre

of the trade of used clothes.

Piles of clothing, scrums of people
trying to get the best bargain.

We even have an idea of what it
might have smelt like,

because one contemporary writer
talked about it being

"distasteful to
the uninitiated nostril."

Clothes made their way from
the wealthy down to the poor,

until all that remained
were tatty rags.

The recycling didn't stop there.

As it wasn't yet possible
to make paper from wood pulp,

for centuries fabric was used.

And, in the 1850s, rags became
especially desirable.

There was a lot of people who were
learning to read and write,

and there was consequently a great
demand for reading material.

So, this was a unique moment
in history

when rags became
a quite valuable commodity.

The boom in literacy
fuelled an entire trade,

with rag-and-bone men and scavengers
selling their wares to dealers.

Rags, when they arrived
at paper mills,

they're absolutely filthy
and full of vermin,

and they needed to be boiled
for a long, long time.

And, eventually, they would then be
bleached and pressed into paper.

Some scraps made the ultimate rags
to riches transformation,

becoming crisp banknotes.

By the 1870s, though,
the value of rags began to fall

as paper mills turned to more
efficient wood pulp technology.

But when it comes to making the most
out of the fabric we throw away,

we should look no further
than those thrifty Victorians.

Ten minutes, sewers!

SHE EXHALES

I'm just starting to attach
my waistband.

I should be pinning this,
and I haven't got time.

We've only got ten minutes.

I'm just sort of eyeballing it.

I'm just sort of stretching
the whole thing.

I don't know what I'm doing.

It's not going to be pretty,

but I'm going to be finished.

I'm running out of time.
THERESE LAUGHS

One minute, sewers!

Jackets on mannequins, please!

This is not good. This is not good.

Ow!

There's something
terribly wrong there.

Oh, well.

I could be
the catwalk model this time.

Needles up! That is your time,
sewers!

Bring your mannequins forward

and we'll create some
kind of crazy street g*ng.

Seven recycled b*mber jackets made
in just four and a half hours.

# Love me again

# Hold me close to your heart

# Love me again
as you did at the start... #

When I saw all of these pieces
on the board,

I was prepared to really
not like this at all.

But I actually love it.

It's really clashy
all over the place,

but, somehow, it hangs together.

It's really beautifully sewn.

I think it looks great.

The way you've put this zip in
is fabulous.

I mean, there's two different
fabrics,

you've got it sitting absolutely
plumb centre,

your rib is very beautifully in
at the neck.

I mean, I think it's a huge success.

I love the overall impression of it.

It's a journey around the world
in a single garment.

What were these originally?
Remind us.

The sleeves were from a trouser
and the dashiki was a dashiki.

Yes, and this?
And the pockets were a jacket.

It's pretty well matched.

It's not exactly matched,
but it's not bad.

Now, there is one thing,
though, isn't there?

The collar isn't fitting properly.

Me and the collar had
a bit of a row.

It's a big shame.

Another terrific choice of fabrics.

This was a kimono
and this was a dress?

It was a dress.

So, we've got this beautiful,
embroidered dragon...

Which is quite traditional
for certain b*mber jackets.

..and I really like the way
you've echoed that

with the pockets at the front.

The collar's sitting pretty well.

You've got a bit of a gather
around the back neck.

I did it too fast.

This seam doesn't match
with that seam,

and because you're putting dark
to light it really notices.

Your facing is neat,
the zip works well,

the bottom of the zip lines
up perfectly.

I really love how
you've used the elements

of your original clothes.

I'm going to see if this undoes.

No, I sewed it shut.

You could have had an inner pocket!
A scratching flap.

I really love that you've used
existing parts of the garment.

We've even got a little dart.

It's showing a really clever and
well-thought through

use of the maximum amount of fabric.

Why throw this bit away just because
it's got a zip on it?

Embrace it and put it in.

So, congratulations on being bold
enough to do that.

I think you've stretched...

Do you see, this is stretched
so it's got a little bit

of a wobble.

There's a little bit of slack
in the collar.

It doesn't quite come down
to the point at the front,

which is a shame.

I love the combination of the
different patterns that you've got.

You've brought all of these
disparate elements together

with this very bold, red detailing.

The top stitching's very, very neat.

The collar's beautifully sewn.

It's actually rather chic, isn't it?

Would you wear this?

Maybe after I'd had a gin or two.

Was it very hard to sew,
this fabric?

It was difficult to get the more
technical bits right.

It hasn't gone together very well,
has it?

The collar doesn't go to the end
of the front.

Mm-hm.

If we just ignore it from there,

we've got this great, fun,
blousy, light b*mber.

But this just kills it stone dead,
unfortunately.

Esme and Patrick will now rank
the b*mber jackets

from last to first.

So, in seventh place is...

..Peter.

We really like your fabrics,

but you really messed up
around the neck.

In sixth place...

..it's Nicole.

Great choice of fabrics.
Lots of good stuff.

But the collar has let you down.

In fifth place is Matt.

Fourth is Therese.

And Liz is third.

In second place...

..it's Clare.

Fabulous sewing, a beautiful
choice of fabrics.

Very well done.

So, in first place, Mark.

It's really, really well-made,

a great choice of fabric,
and really nicely sewn.

Thank you. Well done.

Go and take a break.

There's some tea next door.

Also, 16 tonnes of
glass and plastic

we need sorting into separate bins.

And we'll be back for the
Transformation Challenge.

But well done. Well done!

Thank you.

VOICEOVER: I've never made a b*mber
jacket before,

but I might make another one.

My husband would like one.

He'd like that one,
I think, actually.

A few weeks ago, I might have
come more in the middle.

Now there's only seven of us.

Those kind of mistakes are really
the difference between

being at the top and being
at the bottom.

What is it with me and
these Pattern Challenges?

It does put a bit of pressure on me
with the Transformation Challenge,

but that's my favourite one.

Having already transformed
second-hand clothes,

this week's Transformation Challenge
comes with a twist.

Now, you might be wondering,
"What's all this about?"

Well, I can tell you
that this bag is full

of the judge's dirty laundry.

Filthy dogs.

I mean...

Sorry.

Patrick, tell us, what is
the Transformation Challenge?

We'd like you to transform...

..these laundry bags into
a garment for a man or a woman.

We're looking for something
with impact and drama.

These bags keep their shape,
so we're looking

for some exciting silhouettes.

You can choose any three bags and
anything from the haberdashery,

but no other fabrics.

OK, we're going to send
the judges away now.

One, so they don't know
whose is whose.

And, two, so they can put this dirty
mess through the twin tub.

Off you go.

You have 90 minutes
for this challenge,

and your time starts now.

Oh, God.

They're all the same colour.

Oh! More of the same!

I suppose I'll put these
in the wash, then?

Two blues and a horrible beige.

I think we all thought there would
be clothes in there,

or offcuts.

Of course, there wasn't, was there?

It was just bags.

Oh, my goodness me.
How gross are these?

Any red wine on this, it'll be fine.

Just wipe it clean.

I might have to make some clothes
out of this myself.

So, increasingly, people are using
a bag for life,

and bags for life are typically
woven, recycled plastic.

I mean, it's a very iconic pattern.
Yes. Funnily enough.

And you know various designers
have been inspired by these bags.

I remember the Celine collection,
it was a huge moment in fashion.

Yes, it was. But they recreated
the look of it in other fabrics.

But we're asking our sewers
to use the actual fabric

to make something new and exciting.

I mean, what's great
about this fabric -

it holds its shape incredibly well.

More than any other textiles
that we've ever given them.

And how they use that shape to
create an interesting silhouette

is what's going to define this
challenge for me.

All I'm doing is deconstructing them
at the moment

to see what I can make out of them.

It's like paper folding, isn't it?

It holds its structure.

You can make it stay and do things.

Oh, God, these are horrible.

I'm going to go for some kind of
crazy, mental puffball skirt.

Try and make some big panels
that sort of puff out.

But, as we all know,
this challenge is not my...bag.

So, I'm going to make,
like, a rain mack.

Make a couple of sleeves.

Just utilise like all three bags.

See as I go along.

So, I'm going to be making a coat
for a man.

I think I'm going to try and do
a wedding dress.

I don't know how this is going to
sew together.

I'm going female.

I'm going to go a dress.

What I want to do is take the seams
across that way.

So, when they're put straight,
it'll ruffle all that up.

All I'm doing is draping.

I'm going to find the centre point
first

so I can build it from the centre.

And, then, once you get
a shape you like,

you hand-stitch the bits into place.

Sewers, you have one hour left!

So, what's going to happen,
when it sits here...

..keep that line straight... Yeah?

..you get all this lovely ruching.

And then... Oh, I see. I see.

..I'm planning on using my other
two to create, like,

a red layer, then a grey layer,
possibly another red,

then another grey.

I have got trapezoids
for the top part of my skirt.

I want them to stick out
in a tutuey way.

I'm trying to go for kind of
a puffball, tulip skirt.

Oh, I see. So, this is the kind of
thing that Esme was saying

about them holding their shape? Yes.

It will give a good silhouette. Yes.

Oh, so it's like a ball? Yeah.

Like a puffy ball.

Literally like a puffball.

I'm attaching the first sleeve
right now.

Oh, my God. This is actually the
most horrific material to sew with.

This fabric just goes everywhere.

The machine doesn't grip onto it.

That is so well-fitted at the front.
Yeah, short dress at the front,

long at the back. Maybe a train?

It could be a wedding dress.

Whose wedding is it?
Somebody really trashy.

Somebody trashy! Yeah.

It's looking quite good so far.

So, this will be the front.

And, so, the lines, the grain,
stays in the same direction.

But, then, when it's on the body,

you've got some really nice

sort of movement to it.

Sewers, you have half an hour left!

I'm trying to think what else to do
to it

to kind of make it more interesting.

It's like a big, ruffley bow to add
a bit of interest and structure.

What I'm going to do now
is just add a layer of the red

sort of in here.

I've just put in
a standard skirt zip.

So, this is my train at the back.

Oh, where should I start?

It's going all along the train,
and back up again.

I don't know what I'm doing.

I got some ribbon. I thought I'd do
a sort of obi-style belt.

I haven't really got time to do
button holes.

So, I thought I'd just go with
a nice, simple belt instead.

Those straps work so well.

I'm going to use the zips... Oh!

..as... That's fun.

It should fit.

I've been measuring it
as I go along.

It does fit my mannequin.

It's just getting it back on
will be interesting.

LIZ GASPS

ba*ls!

Ten minutes, sewers!

So, I need to lace it up
at the back.

I'm going to use
the original handles.

Pointy bum.

Actually, it doesn't need boning.

It's very cruel that my zip
just came sh**ting off the top

at the very last minute.

We'll go for a slightly more
decorative zip.

Lovely wedding dress, isn't it?

I mean, who would not want
a train like that?

I'm just putting a couple of patch
pockets on the front.

Yes, these are quickly going on

and then I'm going to put it on
the mannequin, belt it.

Really cool.

Pop that down there. It's like
a poaching pocket, I suppose.

I like it. It's sort of evolved,
really.

I'm just having a nose around.

Hasn't won it.

Five minutes, sewers. Last touches.

Well, I was going to keep sewing
until the time runs out.

I'm hoping to put pocket flaps on
here to finish it off.

Hopefully, she'll get to the church
on time.

I think she's nearly done.

She's got a bit of an open back.

HE LAUGHS

It's giving the desired whoosh,

which is what I was looking for.

My zip is on.

It's just like a little tail,
isn't it?

Last bit is to slip it over
her head

without losing the shape too much.

And then sew, sew, sew!

One minute, sewers!

I think it's basically done.

I feel like I'm done.

I don't want to mess about with it
any more.

We'll see. We'll see if it fits now.

I'm really liking that.

And it is a garment.

Needles up!
That is your time, sewers!

Bring your bag ladies and gentlemen,
forward, please.

# Plastic man
Plastic man...

Laundry bags repurposed
into seven, stylish garments

in just 90 minutes.

And Patrick and Esme
have no idea whose is whose.

# Plastic man... #
JOE WHISTLES

Ooh, wow!

Look at those!

Some pretty amazing-looking stuff
here. There is!

I really like this.

It's got a fabulous shape to it.

Just a kind of wild riot
from the waist down.

We've got great structural pleating
that's giving it its bell shape.

A couple of big buttons
on the front.

I love these straps,
which are the zips.

It's cool, isn't it? Yeah.

It's brilliantly inventive
to split them and then...

Yeah, no, I agree. ..attach them at
different points on the back.

It's exactly what we were hoping
for, wasn't it?

Use the structural quality
of the fabric

to create a really dramatic shape.

Well, this is very brave and bold
to attempt to make a full jacket.

Yeah. But, actually, they've managed
it pretty well.

I really like the belt. So do I.

I think it works really well.

They've put pockets on.

Attached pockets on both sides.
Yeah.

They've really thought about
the placement

of the different colours of bag.

I think it's great.

Right, so we've got
a man's trench here.

We've only used one coloured bag.

We've got a pocket at the back.

That's for popping
your pheasants in.

What we're not getting is other
interesting, sculptural shapes,

which we've got in some
of the other ones.

Yes, it isn't a sculptural shape.

There's a lot of work gone in
to making the shape.

They've put several darts
into the front.

Yeah, we've got a side dart.

I mean, it's pretty dramatic,
isn't it?

We've got binding here.

We've got a train.

I don't love the red trim
on the train.

The feather is a bit incongruous.

I agree, it doesn't quite go
with the bag.

I think this is absolutely fabulous.

It's really imaginative.

And, look, they've pleated the bag
to get this drapey feel.

And we've got this on the side.

I think it looks brilliant.

I think it's fantastic-looking.

They've given us blue, red and grey
in three very distinct sections.

It's such a dramatic shape.

I mean, it's very organic looking,
isn't it?

Yeah. It's phenomenal, I think.

I think this is another
very smart transformation -

very sculptural, again,
a very bell-shaped skirt.

I love the waistband and zip.

I think it's a very elegant shape.

It may not be as dramatic and grand
as some of the others

but I think it's very successful.

This is really making use of
the nature of the fabric.

It's incredibly neat.

My only criticism, and I feel
weird saying this,

it's TOO neat.

It is made from
recycled plastic bags

and there needs to be something
a bit more dynamic about it.

Patrick and Esme will now
rank the garments

from last to first.

In seventh place...

..is the dress with the train.

Matt. Matt, it's a great
transformation.

It just didn't use all of those
sculptural, 3D properties

of the fabric.

In sixth place is

the trench.

Mark.

Mark, this was ambitious to cut
a whole coat out of this.

Somehow or other, it doesn't feel
quite as imaginative

as some of the others.

Clare is fifth.

Nicole, fourth.

And Liz, third.

In second place...

..is...

..this one with the buttons.
Therese.

I just think it's so imaginative
how you've used the zips.

I just think that's brilliant.

Which means, in first place,
it's Peter.

I think you could spend all day
and not come up with something

as great as that.

It just encapsulates everything that
we wanted from this challenge -

it's sculptural, it's fun.
Yeah, it looks great.

Thank you.

HE SIGHS

HE LAUGHS

After this morning,
that's just awesome.

HE BREATHES OUT

My friend asked me to make a wedding
dress for them.

But, yeah, maybe not out of
laundry bags. Definitely not.

It was definitely a welcome boost,
not coming last.

Or second to last, as I did
in the Pattern Challenge.

But, at the same time, you know,
I can't assume I'm safe.

So, I've got to really just bring my
game tomorrow

and just do my very, very,
very best.

One final challenge remains,

one last chance for the sewers
to clinch Garment Of The Week

and save their place
in the Sewing Bee.

So, how are they getting on?

I recycled that question
from last week.

Well, obviously, now we're down to
seven sewers

there's not so much to...

TOGETHER: ..choose between them.

We had a couple of really
exceptional b*mber jackets.

Mark's beautifully sewn, odd, but
somehow great choice of fabrics.

And Clare's was also
exceptionally well sewn.

Very chic, very well
thought through.

Who's at risk of leaving today?

There are three people that
are sitting, for me, at the bottom.

Nicole's Pattern Challenge
wasn't terrific.

The collar wasn't right,
and it stood out.

Peter made an absolute mess
of the Pattern Challenge.

But his Transformation was great.

But Matt's Transformation
we put in last place.

His was the least imaginative.

So, what do they need to do
in the Made-to-measure?

It's not like any Made-to-measure
we've given them before,

and it could be a real game changer.

Hi!

You look amazing. Oh, thank you.

I love the hat. You look stunning
in your dressing gown.

Thank you. Welcome back, sewers.

Welcome back, models.

It is time for the Made-to-measure,

and the judges would like you
to make a winter dress,

but made with recycled knitwear.

You can use jumpers, cardigans,

that hand-knitted G-string you got
for Christmas, whatever -

we don't mind.

You have five hours
for this challenge.

Good luck. Your time starts now.

Right. This is going to be fun.

I'm just going to get
all my jumpers out.

The sewers have all brought bundles
of knitwear from home,

which must now be cut up
and combined

to make one stunning and unique
winter dress.

So many jumpers.

They're all from charity shops
around Brighton.

So, I've been scouring
for the past few weeks.

This jumper originally
came down to here

and was a big slouchy jumper,

and I put it in the washing machine

and ended up with a miniature.

A winter dress, that's exciting.
Why have you chosen this?

Well, most of us have lots and lots
of knit-work kicking around

in our wardrobes at home.

And, you know, sometimes you'll have
an elbow hole that's too big to dart

and you don't want to throw away
a load of really useful,

beautiful knitted fabric.

You need to find a way of giving
this a second life.

The kind of salvaging process
is crucial to making sure

that this garment looks chic and
elegant.

We don't just want what looks like
a pile of old jumpers

thrown on a stand.

We've never given them a challenge
using knitted garments,

so this is a first.

I want to be really surprised
by what they do.

I want to see something
that I would not expect.

Well, maybe, finally,
whatever they make

will melt your cold, dead hearts.

Although they could practise
at home,

recycling old garments means
most of the sewers

are making their designs
for the first time.

The competition feels like anyone's
game now.

Any one of us could make
one false move and go home.

Yes. This, I'm...

Yeah, this is a tough one, I feel.

Having come last in
the Transformation Challenge,

Matt's going all out to save himself
with an elaborate design.

This is my mum's jumper.

She doesn't mind me cutting it up.

I'm haven't got a pattern
or anything.

I'm going by the sketch
that my partner, Greg, done.

She's maybe a Russian
James Bond criminal,

kind of going to the casino.

Got my mother's jumper on.

Matt will tailor
his mum's old jumper

into a figure-hugging body,

add a sparkly colour and cuffs

and create a multi-panelled skirt

made from a dozen assorted knits.

You've got a huge array of colours,
and textures, and weights.

How many of these
are you going to use?

Hopefully, all of them.

I don't suppose you've ever done
anything like this?

Nothing like this before.

I hope it works. Yeah, I do, too.

Hello, I've just come to try
a few things on. Don't mind me.

JOE LAUGHS

Now, that is the London look.

Oh, it could work.

It's possibly a touch short. Yeah?

I'm just cutting squares
out of all my jumpers.

Jumpers are tricky to deal with.

Because as soon as you start
cutting into them

they start stretching and fraying.

Yeah, I think this is going to fall
apart, this one.

Yeah, I might not use this one.

The sewers face the added challenge
of salvaging enough fabric

to fit their designs.

Because you're working
with recycled material,

most likely it is going to
come in small bits.

You haven't really got a lot of room
for error with the cutting out.

But, for one sewer, the cuts
are proving especially agonising.

Well, I'm cutting into my baby's
little knitted cardigan.

Oh, it feels so horrible
to be cutting this stuff.

Aw!

Oh, God, this is painful.

Liz's youngest daughter's cardie
will help to form

the dress' central chevron.

But, to get enough fabric
to create it,

she's having to cut a series
of interlocking panels.

Basically, you'll have, like,
this diagonal effect at the front.

And, because that's only one
front-centre panel,

two of these are joined
at the centre seam.

And it will make like
chevrons, basically,

going down the front.

Mark is also using a pattern.

He's made his own
based on a prototype.

MARK: This is one I made at home.

So, I just kept putting jumpers
on the mannequin,

pinning it, taking it off, sewing
it, putting it back on again

until I ended up with a dress.
Right.

I thought, "It's not actually
that bad, actually."

Great. "It's not actually that bad"

is exactly what we're
looking for on Sewing Bee.

Mark is using three charity shop
knits for his asymmetric dress

and adding a cowl neck made from his
favourite childhood jumper.

I had this when I was about eight
or nine, I think.

And it's one of those "you only wear
for special occasions"

kind of jumpers.

I am quite attached to it,
even though...

You know, it's one of those things
you have in the house,

but I'm never going to wear it.

I've grown since then.

HE CHUCKLES

While Mark has been
raiding his wardrobe...

It's like Mary Poppins' bag in here.

Yeah.

..Peter has been buying up
Brighton's charity shops.

And there's another bag. Hang on.

Are you going to use all these?

I haven't quite decided yet.

Ooh! That's pretty fancy, isn't it?

That is going to be lined
with the green one,

that's going to make the hood.

We're going to go with a bit of
a Wicked Witch theme.

So, I'm essentially going
at this like a five-hour

Transformation Challenge.

For his witchy winder dress,

Peter is envisaging a cape-like body
with Victorian bouffant sleeves

and a layered skirt,

the details of which he'll figure
out as he goes along.

Cos I'm just trying to work out
how much more I need

for the drape on this

and I don't think I'm going
to need much more.

Cos that's going to have a button
hole in it

that's going to attach here,

and, then, I can actually
fit that to the back...

..and I only need a bit
to cover up what's left.

But Peter isn't
the only one draping.

This is going to go around this way.

Buoyed up by her performance
in the Transformation Challenge,

Therese is also freestyling.

So, the V is going to go
under the collar there.

So, it's just a matter of moving
those seams round.

So, it's roughly... And, as you can
see, as you pull it around,

it shapes around the bust area.

Therese is turning a jumper
at 90 degrees

so the shoulder seam becomes
a central seam over the bust.

She's planning radical sleeves
out of the jumper's original

front and back.

So, this is like a batwing sleeve?

I'm not sure that's going
to suit the model.

It might be too much, you know?

I think...

So, you haven't got
an absolute plan...

No. ..but you've got a vague idea?

I have, yeah.

I mean, I think it's got the bones
of something really interesting.

It's whether I can pull it off?

It's whether you can turn a good
idea into a beautiful garment.

Garment, yes.

Most of the sewers are starting
with the tops of their dresses.

You've got to be quite careful
with knitwear

not to pull it around
too much as you're sewing.

All of the knitwear reacts
differently

cos it's quite stretchy.

And I'm just handling this
very, very gently,

not pushing it or stretching it
in directions

I don't want it to go.

If they don't secure their seams,

they could unravel.

It's difficult with the wool.

As soon as you start - in my case -
cutting diagonals across it,

it starts going whoop.

To make doubly sure...

This needs to be treated
with some care.

..they must first stitch...

So, I've zigzagged
very close to the edge

cos I don't know whether this wool
is going to unravel or not.

..then overlock.

It's a little bit wavy.

So, I'm just going to try and adjust
it to see if I can get it to lay

that little bit flatter.

And without tidy seams...

I don't like the sound of that.

..their dresses won't have
the clean, crisp finish

the judges expect.

It'll neaten it up a little bit on
the inside.

That's the theory, dearie.

S'up, Clare?

Morning. What's going down?

I'm making a puffin-inspired dress.
Sure.

I just love the colours of
the puffin's beak.

I was like, "Yes, of course
that makes sense,

"to make a dress out of puffins."

Clare's using a pattern
from the 1920s

featuring a bold, zigzag design
which she'll attempt to pull off

in puffin beak colours.

The impact of this skirt
will only really work

if I get the zigzags correct.

It's either going to work well
or look horrendous.

Nowhere in between, I don't think.

Clare's zigzags may be tricky,
but Nicole's whole design

is one, big, geometric puzzle.

So, it's got nine pieces
making up the front,

and then nine again on the back.

The cutting out of all these panels
is going to take me a while,

but I really need to spend
time on this

because that's going to make
my sewing job easier.

Nicole's arranging her puzzle
of stripy bird design

blue and bright yellow knitwear
into a cocoon-style dress,

and she's adding stretch
ribbing to her cuffs.

Have you practised this?

I haven't. Oh, OK.

So, I'm kind of going in
a little bit blind,

which I'm a little bit
nervous about.

I mean, it's ambitious, but I think,
if you get this right,

it could look amazing. Tres chic.

Yeah. Yeah, it could.

With multiple panels to stitch,

Liz and Nicole are a way off
a first fitting,

but for the others with less
complicated top halves...

There we go. The start of a dress.

..it's a chance to ensure
their designs

are heading in the right direction.
That's good.

That's kind of the fit
I was looking for.

That fits better. Yeah.

That's hanging quite nicely.

And, then, once I've got that
structure put together,

I can just start adding stuff.

That's where it's going to get fun.

That's it.

Let's just move it round.

No, you've got it
around the wrong way.

I've...

I've sewn it back the wrong way.

I've sewn it back in a V shape but,
actually, it works better.

Oh, good.

A happy mistake. Yes.

So I'm just getting to the sewing
now. All cut out, finally.

Let's go with the walking foot,
I think, on this one.

Just to make sure that, working with
all these different type of fabrics,

that they're going to feed through
the machine nice and evenly.

I've just got to crack on now.

Yeah, it looks all right.

Not too bad. Not too shabby.

I went back to putting the jumper
back where it should've been

because I didn't like
that heavy seam on the bust,

and, actually, with
the shoulder seams back

where they should've been,
it fitted better.

Well, I mean, it fits better
cos it's basically now

back to a normal jumper. Yeah.

So, it's gone from being
this dramatic, sculptural,

amazing, bat-sleeved,
wild thing...

..to being a jumper again.

I chickened out.

Yeah, you really did, didn't you?
Yes. Yeah, yeah.

Well, I mean, it's definitely
less dramatic.

Sewers, you have an hour and a half
remaining.

Get it off. I'm going to open up
those seams again.

All right. Come on.

Yep, let's do this.

A bit of mad sewing's
going to go on now.

It's boring. Boring, boring, boring.

We're going to go back to what
we were doing before.

This is actually
my kind of challenge.

PETER GASPS
Yes!

Yes, yes, yes.

While Peter's grand design
is taking shape,

Nicole's focusing
on the finer details.

I'm just unpicking the machine
stitches that I did.

It's just extended that stripe
ever so slightly.

It's 1mm, but, at this
stage of the game,

I think 1mm makes all the
difference.

I just want to get it right.

I'm going to put more panels
in here.

I'm trying to think
what colour to go with next.

Maybe that one?

How are you getting on?

I am putting all my pointy skirt
segments into the yoke.

Hopefully, I want them all to end up
as nice pointy, pointy points.

Very tricky bit of sewing
you're doing there.

Yes. I'd better leave you alone,
actually.

I know you're going to be looking at
it with your magnifying glass.

Certainly.

Can you see the piano, Liz?

Oh, fabulous!

Little piano.
Oh, that is absolutely fab!

I love it.
I don't know if I like it.

I don't know if the panels
are too big.

Matt isn't the only one
having doubts.

I was thinking about
Esme saying batwing,

but the balance of the dress
won't be right.

Because it'll just look like
two rectangles.

So, I want to slim
this sleeve right down.

Therese keeps flip-flopping back
from one idea to the other.

I wish she'd left those big sleeves.

I mean, I think it had impact.

I was going to close these
sleeves up,

but, actually, I quite like that
they're kind of open.

Yeah, I'm liking that.

It's funny, because Peter is one of
those that's kind of

making it up as he goes along. Yes.

Therese is doing the same thing.

I mean, the result
might be fantastic,

but it's just meandering around.

Matt had a plan.

He knew what he was going to make,
but he's improvising

with the pieces.

I think I need another
panel in there.

I think his looks interesting,
actually.

I do, too.

It's like a tent.

I might just shave a tiny fraction
off that length, actually.

Nicole and Clare and Liz are all
following a very precise plan.

The finishing appears to be
far, far more polished

than those that are
just going for it.

Why do I get myself
in this position?

I just fiddle around too long.

30 minutes remaining, sewers!

Oh, God.

How you've done that
out of jumpers...

Mine looks like jumpers.
NICOLE LAUGHS

That looks like a dress.

I will need you to take it off
again because I'll need to

put this on the neckline.

Cool, cool, cool. Let's get that
off. Quick, quick, quick, quick.

It's getting very heavy
and very big.

All I've got to do
is wrestle the machine

into giving me a buttonhole.

Is this the last thing to do?
Er, nearly. Yeah.

I'm just closing the side seams. OK.

I've got to put the cuff
on the sleeve.

I need to hem it.

So, not the last thing to do?

I'm quite good at... Speed hem?

..speed hemming.

Get in there!

Doing this at speed is not ideal.

I'm wondering if it needs to be
brought in a bit at the waist?

I don't know how long
we've got left.

Two minutes, sewers! Get those
models dressed, please.

It's going on.

Yeah, all good.

Trendier.

Oh, very, very quickly,
what can I do?

Cos that shoulder really doesn't
want to stay where it should.

I'm just going to cut...

Sorry.

Needles up! That is your time!

Dear God.

Just like every time I walk past
my neighbour's driveway,

it's time to judge your recycling!

# I love the winter weather... #

Seven winter dresses made from
recycled knitwear

in just five hours.

# When it's nice and cold
I can hold my baby closer to me

# And collect the kisses
that are due me... #

I think it's incredibly impactful.

I think it's a real celebration of
all of these jumpers' pasts.

I love all of the different colours
and textures,

and I think, because there are so
many, that's why it works so well.

We've got, you know, the front of
what looks like a bit of hoodie.

You've got sequins.

You've got animal here.

You could have turned this one and
put the tassels on the bottom,

but I love that you didn't.

The character of this dress
is the uneven hem.

It's reflecting these angles.

Quite difficult to sew these
bits with the V.

You've done really well.

You have great ideas.

It's magical.

And it also, actually, sort of
almost has a kind of

Snow Queeny vibe about it.

But it also feels like real clothing
and it's very, very well done.

# You must never do a tango
with an Eskimo

# No, no, no

# Oh, dear, no... #
I really think it's very strong.

It's very graphic.

The fact that you've given us
sheer matte black

with these slices of very bold
colour is really impactful.

You decided to do something
very, very difficult

with these jumpers.

You have to have absolutely
beautiful,

precise sewing.

And, on the top, every single one
is very good, actually.

But, in the troughs,
there's a couple of little lumps.

But the fit is great and I could
absolutely see you wearing it.

I would wear it. Yeah.
Unlike my b*mber jacket.

# Never do a tango with an Eskimo

# No, no, no. #

Colours work really,
really well together,

and I really liked that you'd used
the sleeve for the body

and the front and back
for the sleeves.

And I'm really disappointed
that you turned them

into a really normal sleeve.

I thought it looked great
when it came from here.

I think there's a lot of
really nice bits,

but, because you didn't have a clear
plan at the beginning,

you've gone backwards and forwards.

I mean, it started as one thing.

It turned into something else.

It turned back into
what it started with originally.

It's not bad, but, four hours ago,
I saw something

I was looking forward
to seeing more.

# Snow may fall

# But I don't mind at all...

I really like the choice of fabrics.

This lilac, we can see little
touches of it in there.

And I love the feature of the piano.

I think it's really neatly seamed.

You've managed to get the seams...

I mean, a little bit of a wobble
here, but, you know,

I don't mind.

I think it's great. Well done.

Thank you.

# I know that I'll be winter warm. #

It's really flattering.

And this is your daughter's
school uniform?

Yeah. Brilliant.

I love that you put this on.

You've got a V here which echoes
the Vs on the garment.

It's very elegant.

It's very well-balanced.

These chevrons down the front
are beautifully lined up

and very sharp, and that's difficult
to do in any fabric.

But, in bits of old jumper
that you've cut up,

I think it's fantastically
well done.

I rather like that it feels
slightly armorial.

I mean, this does feel like
chainmail.

This feels like studded leather.

But the danger with doing
something like that

is it can look like costume.

And I think that's
what it's crept into.

And we wanted clothing.

We've seen so many fantastic
transformations from you

where you've played with it
on the stand.

And, in those challenges,
the finish is unimportant.

It's about the shape.

But, here, the finish is important,
and I think it's let you down.

What happened with the sleeves?

It actually just looked better

as a sort of slightly capey
kind of thing.

OK, we've got quite a lot
of capes going on.

Turn around.

Here we have another cape.

I wouldn't call it a hood.

You had a really bold vision
for this.

And, as we've gone through,
you've strayed and you've strayed.

I just don't think the execution
has lived up to the original idea.

# When old man winter comes to town

# Good folk come running
from miles around... #

I think the whole thing is very chic
and the yellow really jumps out.

There's so much good
execution in this -

beautiful seaming
all the way throughout,

the way you've positioned
these panelled stripes,

the birds that are echoed
at the back.

The yellow yoke and the yellow
sleeves are knockout.

I mean, it looks so easy to wear.

The shape of it, overall,
is fabulous.

It really feels like you.

I mean, I don't know how much more
praise I can bear

to heap on it.

I think it's one the best things
I've seen Sewing Bee.

Wow, thank you.

Oh, my God.

What just happened?

If they were saying things that were
untrue or that I disagreed with,

I'd be annoyed.

But the fact it's meant to fit
the model and it kind of didn't...

It could be bye-bye time.

I think the writing's on the wall.

I went one way, and then I changed
it and went the other way.

I made a mess of it.

So, who's up for
Garment Of The Week?

Well, for me, it's Matt.

It's creative, it fits well,
it looks absolutely gorgeous.

How about you, Patrick?

Well, I love Nicole's.

The quality of the finish
in this is so precise.

I love Matt's, but this just
feels more refined.

Well, to me, this looks
a bit more high street,

whereas that looks something
quite special.

So, Mummy and Daddy don't agree. No.

You're going to have to
arm wrestle again.

So, who's at risk of leaving today?

There were two Made-to-measures
which were disappointing for me.

The first was Peter's.

It feels a bit like theatre costume
and we wanted beautiful clothes.

And the second was Therese's.

She undid lots of good work
and ended up with something

that feels kind of watered down.

She sort of k*lled it,
unfortunately.

Is it clear who's going home?

Well, it is to me. And me.

Well done, sewers.

We've made it through
Reduce, Re-use, Recycle Week.

It's time to find out who has
won Garment Of The Week.

Well, this week we have
two Garments Of The Week.

OK, who are they?

Yes!

Told you.

Nicole and Matt.

Nicole, it was such
a beautiful piece of sewing,

it was so perfectly conceived,
and so perfectly ex*cuted,

and such a clever use
of these fabrics.

I can't applaud it highly enough.

And, Matt, I just think your
garment is really exciting,

really original, really imaginative.

I thought it was
absolutely fabulous.

APPLAUSE

Now, the bit that
we never like to do.

Somebody has to go home.

And, today, that person is...

..Peter.

Oh, no! Oh, my goodness.

This has been probably one of
the best things I've ever done

in my life. This is what
I want to do.

I want to make clothes.

Anything less
isn't acceptable any more.

So, that's what I'm going
to go and do.

Or try to, at least.

Peter, we're very sad to see you go.

Peter has brought so much
brilliant imagination

and so much flair
to the sewing room.

It's very sad to let him go.

It's been a pleasure.

Patrick and I rowed.

So, we have two
Garments Of The Week.

It was just nice to be able to
deliver something today

that I stood there
and felt 100% proud of.

My partner, Greg, he's like,

"Yeah, of course you got
Garment of the Week.

"You should believe
in yourself more."

And I should believe in myself more.

Yeah. Sorry.

Next time... Go, go gadget machine.

..we're going back to the 1980s...

That's very Madonna.

..as the sewers take on a powerful
Pattern Challenge...

I mean, look at the size of
these shoulder pads.

That's, like, next level, isn't it?

..a traffic-stopping
Transformation...

If you got run over wearing this,
you'd be very unlucky.

..and a c*ck dress
Made-to-measure.

Visually, it's absolutely stunning.

Who will dance their way
to the quarterfinals?

I own 51% of this company.

And who'll be leaving
the party early?

It's not going to work.

I don't know what to do.

I really don't know what to do.