07x01 - Episode 1

[bunniefuu]

Oh, hi! It's me, Joe Lycett,
on board my superyacht,

the Saucy Simon, on my way to
our brand-new sewing room

right here on the Thames.

Oh, look, there's Mummy and Daddy.

O-h*!

Where on Earth's he got to?

Hello!

Oh! What a journey.

I've been having fun
with all the boys, though,

by which I mean flotation devices
to aid marine navigation.

You're late.
No, YOU'RE great.

Welcome to
The Great British Sewing Bee.

One new venue...

Oh, it's amazing.

I'm here.

It is real. I'm feeling very nervous
at the moment.

..12 new home sewers...

Wow!

Of course I'm in it to win it.

You've got to be in it to win it,
haven't you?

..all armed with a passion
to make beautiful clothes.

I love my body the way it is,

so I make close to fit it
the way it is.

I want to come out with some
innovative stuff, so let's see.

Each week, they'll face three
challenges to test their precision,

creativity, and ability to fit
a model...

Yeah!

That's pretty cool, actually.
It's really cool!

..all to be judged
by Savile Row's Patrick Grant...

Since the pandemic began, we've seen
sewers making everything from scrubs

for health workers to masks
for friends, family and neighbours.

It gave a sense of community, and
that community I think is reflected

here in the sewing room.

..and Central Saint Martins
School of Fashion's Esme Young.

Certain sewers have talent.

It's like it's just come together
like magic,

and they're rare, those people.

Slightly more nervous of Esme?

No, a whole lot more nervous
of Esme.

Who will win Garment Of The Week...

I'm dreading time.
Time is my nemesis.

..and who...

Deep breaths.
I'm trying. I'm trying.

..will fall at the first hurdle?

It's a little odd! I know.

What are you all doing?!

# Somewhere, beyond the sea... #

The Sewing Bee's moved
to London's Trinity Buoy Wharf,

famed for its historic lighthouse,
and to save this year's contest,

our sewers have left
their friends and family behind

to live nearby
in a Covid-safe bubble.

Hello!

Come forward.

Welcome, everyone.

How are we all?

Yeah, excited.

I'm guessing a mixture of excited
and terrified,

which is how everyone feels when
they first see Patrick and Esme.

Welcome to the new gaff.

We are on the Thames, underneath
London's last surviving lighthouse.

And personally,
I'm hoping some of my outfits

distract passing sailors.

We are all in what they're calling
a close contact cohort,

so hopefully the only risk to
any of us is poorly-matched pattern.

For the next ten weeks,
it is all hands to the pump,

only that pump is full
of hand sanitiser.

Germs give up hope
with a spray of Joe Soap.

LAUGHTER

So this first week,
it's wardrobe staples week.

The first challenge is
the Pattern Challenge,

and to tell us more, Esme.

Right. I've got the patterns here.

Thank you.

So what you've got is a shell top,

and at the back,
it does up with a button.

You can choose any fabric
you like,

but we will be looking for
a flawless finish,

so choose appropriately.

You have three hours
for this challenge.

Good luck. Your time starts now.

EXCITED SQUEALS

I think I literally have to
just go for something,

otherwise I'll spend too long
thinking about it.

I'm really enjoying
the space in here,

and the haberdashery's amazing,

and, yeah,
it's just really, really cool.

It's like, am I dreaming?

The shell top is a sleeveless,
collarless blouse,

a favourite in the swinging '60s,
perfect to dress both up and down.

I don't know who it would suit.
Someone nice and young,

like one of my fellow sewers.

Me. Yeah, definitely me.

It's definitely something
that I would wear.

I've done it before, so fingers
crossed I should be OK.

The shell top - looks simple
but full of problems, is that right?

I think the shell top is
a great place to start,

but it has got
a lot of tricky elements.

Yes, we've got darts round the bust.

Why you have a dart is because
you're turning something 2D into 3D.

And we've asked for a facing.

The facing is a piece of fabric
that sits on the inside

so that we don't have any raw edge.

And we've also asked them
to construct a small tab

for the button and, again,
that might just be something

they're unfamiliar with doing.

Well, this looks like it
could be shell on Earth.

Do you get it? Shell on...

It's going to be a long series,
isn't it?

I'm just cutting it out.
Plenty of time.

Yeah. No panic.

Cut finger. Got to wait for plaster.

With the medic already
in hot demand...

I've just cut my finger slightly
on my blade. There we go, darling.

Drama, week one.

..the sewers must cut out
seven pieces for the shell top,

darts are inserted, and the back
is attached at the shoulders.

Facing is applied to the inside
to support the neckline.

The side seams are then stitched up,

and a button and double turned hem
finish the garment.

Good morning, Farie.

Good morning, Patrick.

Love your necklace.

Matchy matchy!

Yes. No favouritism, now, though.

Need to get those brownie points.

Is this the sort of thing
that you would sew normally?

I've made a shell top before,
and I remember not finishing it,

so it's somewhere in my stash.

Why don't you finish it?

Life gets in the way.

Don't splash me!

Farie lives in Dunstable
with her husband

and daughters, Sophie and Ellie.

Working in fashion was
her childhood dream.

Initially, I wanted to go
and study fashion.

However, growing up
in an African household,

that was not an option,

so I studied accounting instead,
and I applied to the Bee

just to kind of see,
if I had gone that route,

where would it have led me to?

I really love these colours.
They're great.

I've got a painting
from my home country in Zimbabwe,

and the colours just kind of...
No, it really works, doesn't it?

..transfers, I don't know how,
but that's just how I picked it.

We look forward to seeing it.

Hopefully you'll love it.

"Hopefully"?

You will love it! You will love it.

Farie isn't the only sewer to choose
a fabric close to their heart.

There are lots of ladies on it,
aren't there?

And I think it's about girl power
for me.

You know, who could believe it?

A little fat lass from Yorkshire
sat here amongst all this!

It's unbelievable, isn't it?
Unbelievable.

Alexa, play Space Oddity.

Cathryn lives in East Yorkshire
and was a dinner lady for 31 years.

# This is Ground Control
to Major Tom... #

Now retired,
she spends her free time sewing,

listening to David Bowie, hanging
out with her cat Ziggy Stardust,

and writing her bucket list.

Glastonbury is on my bucket list,
and it's actually right at the top.

And you used to be a dinner lady,
didn't you? I did.

Do you think I would have been
a naughty boy? I hope so.

THEY LAUGH

Well, you've got the measure of me.

At the moment, I've finished cutting
out all of my pieces and fabric,

so now I need to make bust darts.

It's just to give shape so that
it doesn't hang like a sack.

Hanging like a sack is certainly
not what Patrick and Esme are after.

This is my first stitch!
It's exciting, isn't it?

If the shell top's to fit,
the darts must be straight and even.

It's not a race, it's not a race.

Slow and steady wins the race.

But one sewer seems to have
a need for speed.

You can't be dithering about.

It needs to be faster
than a Ferrari.

Now I'm at the fastest setting,
I need it to go faster.

Oh!

Oh, no.

HE LAUGHS

It's got stuck in the machine.

Hello, ladies. I'm Damien,
I'm 39, and I'm from Bolton!

Nope, sorry, wrong show.

Lancashire lad Damien loves
all things beer, bikes, and bands.

He sews to make dresses
for his girlfriend.

As soon as I told my friends
that I'd started sewing,

there was an initial bit of
Mickey-taking, but they accept it,

and it's like, yeah, they think
I'm all right at it now.

Come on!

There you are. That's it now.

Two darts, in.

I'm not sure about the neatness.

Fake it till you make it, yeah?

Hello, Adeena.
Hello, Esme, how are you?

Good morning. Have you made
anything like this before?

No, I haven't made anything
like this.

But the way I'm seeing it,
it's a top.

Well, it is a top. Well, it is
a top. You're seeing it correctly.

You know what? You definitely are.
Thank you!

You know, it's nice we're able to
kind of get this, like...

Instant rapport.

Adeena is
a student engagement officer

at the University College
Birmingham.

She was inspired to sew
by her mother,

who made her and her sisters
traditional Pakistani clothes.

You obviously like florals.

I looked at my mum's photo,

and I said, "Mummy G,
what would you do?"

Oh, right. And she told you?

Yes, she did. It's cotton...

It's very fine.
It's nice.

Feels incredibly summery,
which seems appropriate.

There you go! Fantastic.

But light summery fabrics
aren't for everyone.

It's quite thick, this material,
isn't it?

Yeah, it's like
a cold summer night vibe.

Summer night shell top.
England summer night.

Frenchman Raph plays lead trumpet
for London's g*y Symphony Orchestra.

In his day job,
he's a textile artist.

I age costumes.

I do this mainly on feature films.

Did I hear that
you threw blood at Brad Pitt?

Yeah. Was that part of a film
or just for fun?

No, it's part of a film, yes.
Smoke everywhere,

and I'm in a corner hiding
with a big bucket of blood.

A whole bucket of blood?
Sprinkle it. So fun. Yeah.

But you don't sew
when you're working,

it's more working with the textiles?

I've discovered sewing
more or less during lockdown.

Oh, so this is a new thing?

It is, entirely.

Sewers, you've had half your time.

When they're happy
with their bodice...

Done.

..the sewers can attach the facing.

So these are the facings.

So, it's the same fabric,

it's a bit like a lining that
only covers part of the garment

that gives it a nicely finished neck
and nicely finished arms.

I'm guessing that you will
bag it out.

Bagging out is the technique
of sewing right sides together.

Facing is applied
to support the inside.

Sewn inside out, the garment is
then pulled the right way round,

leaving all the raw edges
trapped inside

for a neat finish on the neckline
and armholes.

This is like a jigsaw puzzle.
Literally.

The sewers won't know
if they've sewn it correctly

until they've turned it through.

I wouldn't want to sew it
the wrong way round.

That would be my worst nightmare.

I'm getting confused with
these right sides of the fabric

and wrong sides.

Winging it all the way.

You've sewn it inside out? Yeah.

And then turn it. You sort of hold
your breath and hope for the best.

OK. Is that about to happen?
It looks like it's working.

It's a very narrow channel.

Back through the front.

Yes. So fingers crossed...

..and voila.

That was magic!

But not all sewers are
finding it quite so magical.

Oh, it's stuck on that top bit.

It is really quite unbearable.

I'm not confident.
That's why I don't sound confident,

cos I'm not confident.

Even being away from home for me
is a learning curve.

Hello, my name's Rebecca.

I'm 23 years old, and I live in
Scunthorpe with my mum and my dad.

Hi. Hi.

You can't just come in and say hi!

Rebecca is a trained teacher

who enjoys working
at her local supermarket,

and she's a keen supporter
of Scunthorpe United Football Club.

It's coming.

Yes, that's right.

That's it through.
Quite happy with that, actually.

That's come out quite nice.

You know what?
Bagging out went pretty good.

Yeah?

I'd best not get too confident.

Bagging out may be complete...

Oh, no. No, no, no, no.
Where am I?

Is that the right side?

..but Julie fears she's mixed up
her left and right back panels.

Wrong side! What have I done?

Panic stations.

Oh, that's it. That's it.

Yeah.

Ooh! I thought I'd done it wrong
then.

Julie lives in Rotherham.

When not in lockdown, she attends
a burlesque class every Wednesday.

For the show that we did last year,
I made some head dresses

with the feathers on and lights.

All the girls, they loved them,
and they did stay on quite good,

as long as we didn't put our heads
forward because of the battery pack.

Could you teach me? Yeah.
Pop the boa on, then.

Oh, my God.
I feel a million dollars.

You will do!

So step, touch. Step, touch.

Step, and then we're going to do
a little wiggle. Oh!

Bring your arms up.
Oh, yes. Hello, boys!

You've got 30 minutes remaining,
sewers.

OK, thanks, Joe.

It's starting to look a bit like
a top, isn't it?

But the top won't stay on
without a fastening.

I'm a bit stuck on this
little buttonhole thing.

Oh!

Those who have worked out
the instructions

will know they must make
a buttonhole...

Gosh, a VERY small space.

..in a tiny two-centimetre tab.

My buttonhole's so tight.

I'm having a problem
with my machine.

I just realised something.

Adeena, though, has bigger problems.

I've basically sewn my buttonhole
to my button panel.

That opening is closed.

It wouldn't actually fit through
anyone's head.

If it doesn't actually open,
you can't fasten it.

I don't know if I've got this
the right way.

I'll not get it done in time.

Julie, you OK? No.

The buttonhole, rectangle.

Let's have a look at yours.

It just goes like that.

Oh. Sorted.

I know where I am now.

Thank you. That's OK.

I'm very nervous as well.

Serena is a medical student
living in Edinburgh.

At 21, she's the youngest sewer
in the competition.

How are you feeling?

I'm very nervous.

I'm trying not to, like, shake,

but now that I've started doing it,
I think I've got into the groove...

Got into the zone.
..a little bit. Exactly.

Well, we'll let you get on with it.
We want you to get it finished.

I'll not be finished,
I can tell now.

Julie may be worried
about reaching the finish line,

but Damien seems to have
plenty of time.

I don't think I could have done it
any better, actually, if I'm honest.

I'm on good course.

You know what? I don't want to
finish and be sat round.

I don't know whether to just sort of
hang back a bit

and just make it a little bit,
you know, when he says,

"You've got ten minutes,"
then kick in.

How much time do we actually have?

Where's Joe when you need to
know the time?

Ten minutes to go, sewers.

OK.

Slow and steady is not going to
win every race.

I am unpicking
all my lovely hard work.

I've had a malfunction
with the buttonhole.

I'll not finish.

Done.

Five minutes to go, sewers.

Can this sewing machine
not go any faster?

It's coming together.

Last-minute rush.

Farie!

It's not a good time, Joe.
It's not a good time.

Oh, no, what's happened?
I'm still stitching my hem.

Needles up, that is your time.

This is when we sell these shells
on the sewing room floor.

Oh! Chill.

Wow, I really like your seam.
That looks really neat.

Everyone's done it different.

Oh! I do have one concern, though.

I've been looking at the rest of
the guys' tops

and mine's different.

I've put top stitching on mine.

Hopefully the judges won't see that,
but, you know, we'll see.

# Kiss me, honey, honey, kiss me

# Thrill me, honey, honey,
thrill me... #

12 shell tops and 12 sewers
ready for the first judging

of this year's Sewing Bee.

Well, the sewers have come out
of their shells.

Time for you two to pour salt
on them. What do you think?

Well, I think they all look great.

Fantastic.

I love these hand-painted
polka dots.

You know, it's very understated,
and it's very classy.

I like the button.

The button's a bit like
a giant one of these dots.

Your bust dart is good.

That armhole facing -
very neatly sewn.

You were feeling nervous.

I still am.
I mean, you've no reason to be.

This is really fantastic, immaculate
sewing. It's great. Thank you.

I like your choice of fabric,

but the blobs,
they're going off here.

You've got a central panel
running right down the middle.

You've thought about the placement
of the print really carefully.

Well done.

It's nice and bright.

The facing -

it's very neat, actually.

All in all, great. Thank you.

With a light fabric like this,
we would see any imperfections,

and I don't know that there are any.

Armhole facing -
none of that is coming through.

Hem - perfectly level stitching.

Extremely good. Thank you.

You've had two goes at making
the buttonhole. Yeah. A mess.

It's not the tidiest.
Let's have a look around.

MANNEQUIN SQUEAKS

Oops. Pardon you, Esme. Ha-ha.

Let's have a look at your hem.

Obviously you've got raw edges.

So you did it in a hurry? Yes.

We haven't got a sharp corner there.
It's wobbly.

I had the panels closed,
so I had to go back in. Ah. Oh.

Because this tab is quite small,

we haven't really got
a proper buttonhole.

Your back opening is
longer on one side.

And what would happen
when you wear it?

It would do that. Right, yeah.

Obviously with a clear pattern
like this,

we are going to see
halves of pattern.

If it was going to be perfect,
it would have been matched.

I call this racking.

You've pushed the bottom along,

so it's not even.

I love the bees.

I think it's obviously trying to
curry favour with the judges.

I mean, you look very nervous. Yeah.

I think I know why, because
there's a "but" coming. Yeah.

This back opening,
you've got raw edge

and then you've topstitched it.

Hang on. Look, it's coming apart.

You didn't do the facing correctly.
I know.

I was aware afterwards
when I saw everybody else's.

So you obviously didn't read
the instructions.

I read the instructions,
but I didn't take them in.

The judges will now rank
the shell tops

from last to first place.

12th place, and I don't think
you'll be entirely surprised,

it's Damien.
We've got raw seams inside.

11th place is Julie.

We had a raw edge. Yeah.

Adeena's tenth, Cathryn ninth,
Faire is eighth,

Lawratu seventh,
Adam sixth, Andrew fifth,

Raph fourth, and Jean is third.

In second place,

and there was almost nothing
in this,

but it's Rebecca.

Thank you. Fantastic sewing.

So I wonder who's in first place.

Honestly, Serena,
it was so beautifully sewn.

Well done.

Well done. ch*nk.

I'm buzzing. It's really exciting,

especially because
I was so nervous before.

I was dead confident, "Brilliant,
I've loads of time left,"

and then it was like, "Oh."

The button set me back.

However, I did enjoy
doing the challenge,

and that's what it's all about.

The Sewing Bee isn't about
to get any easier.

For the second challenge each week,

the sewers must show off
their creative flair.

It's time for the first
Transformation Challenge.

We are looking for transformations

that are done to a T.

Now, we need you to transform
this wardrobe staple

into something much more exciting.

You can choose up to three T-shirts
to make a single item of clothing

for any age, any gender,
so use your imagination.

Patrick and Esme will leave us now -

one, so they don't know
whose is whose,

and two, because they're going to
go water-skiing on the Thames.

Off you go.
Have you got your wet suit?

You have 90 minutes for this
challenge, and your time starts now.

# We're gonna hold a jumble sale

# A jumble sale of second-hand... #

It's a good choice. I like this.

My favourite is this one,
so let's try this one on.

I might not use this one,
I might wear this.

Raph, do you think I look strong?

Don't ask me what I'm doing
because I haven't got a clue.

It's quite a scary thought this,
actually.

# Gonna hold a jumble sale... #

I think this is a great challenge.

We've given them a huge assortment.

There are graphics,
there are stripes, there are spots,

but it's how they combine those
and make it look like

one cohesive garment
that's important to me.

What I don't want them to do is
take loads of it

because we told them they can use it
and make an absolute mess.

And then the arm falls off!

I'm going to make
a leopard print dress.

Going to model it on a child,

just because then I've got
more fabric to go a bit crazy with.

I'm making an extra pink romper.
Unicorns, rainbows, flamingos.

My daughters, they'll love it.

The top, something like this,
then do some straps.

I want to make quite a drapey dress.

I've gone a bit mad and got
some stuff from the haberdashery,

but I'm like, maybe a little bit
of '20s pink tassel might work.

It might not.

Adam lives with his mum in
Leicester,

and is in a support bubble
with his sister and nephew Logan.

WHISTLE BLOWS

But in normal times, he's at sea
working as an entertainment director

on a cruise ship.

My nephew calls me ABBA,
because he can't say Adam,

and he knows me as
the Dancing Queen.

So when did you first realise
you like cruising?

HE LAUGHS

I've been cruising
for about seven years.

I don't know what this is.

I do. It's a fabulous dress.
Hopefully it will be.

Look at it.
She's ready for the cruise.

Blues, lilacs. I wanted to pick out
what was in the floral, really.

I can see magic happening here.

While Adam's after a good colour
combo, Damien's opted for a clash.

I want a skirt, but I don't think
I went for coordination,

or anything, I just grabbed
three T-shirts,

so I'm going to have to make
the best out of these.

I'm not feeling it.

These are absolutely hideous.

It's a cat dress,

so different, I think.

Cats and tie dye.

Now that would look good.

Jean works as an art psychotherapist
and lives in Carrickfergus,

Northern Ireland, with her cat Yoda.

She likes to make outfits
so they both match.

That's a cat. Yoda. Yoda? Yes.

And Yoda has lots of dickie bows
made for him.

And this is Yoda
with his cat suit on.

Oh, look! That is crackers,
it's brilliant. Yoda.

Have I taken something?

"Now or never."

Sewers, you have one hour remaining.

I'm going to go with never.

OK, Adeena, stay calm.

Come on, you.

This is my dress.

I'm going to gather it to the top

and obviously add some jazzy bits.

Most of the sewers have opted to use
trimmings from the haberdashery...

This is a little girl's skirt.

If it's sparkly enough,

I'm sure any little girl
would quite like to wear it.

..but Andrew's found a novel way
to jazz up his creation.

The T-shirt actually has the
"C'est la life" writing on the back,

so I'd like to incorporate that,

but I might do something
completely wacky and cut it out

and put it somewhere else
on the dress.

Hello.

Maths teacher Andrew lives in Hull
with his rabbit Aiden

and partner Paul, a priest.

When he's not sewing,
he's making stained glass windows.

I've cut out "C'est la life"
from the back of the T-shirt,

and now I'm just seeing if I can
make anything out of these letters.

Oh, brilliant.
Could be an instruction.

"Sit, feel..."

Maybe just "feel." "Feel."
"Feel it."

But Julie seems to be having trouble
feeling it.

It's just some kind of a top
with trim on.

Put anoth... Hmm, I don't know.

I don't know if it's a bit too much.

No, maybe not.

It's all...

That's harem trousers.

But just do not like those colours.

Why did you choose them, then?

That was the only options
that were there!

My shorts - not the most flattering!

OK, Lawratu, is this a challenge
that you enjoy or is it...?

No. No! You're very clear on that.

But I'm trying to push myself.

Lawratu lives in Surrey with
daughter Susie and husband Miles.

She makes clothes out of necessity.

Shop-bought stuff tends to
not fit me in the right way.

I mean, sewing is a big thing for me
around body positivity,

because I make things to fit me.

I put together some sort of
romper-type thing. Brilliant!

These colours work
really brilliantly.

It's a new you, I feel.
It's a new you.

A bit of clashing going on.

The idea behind this is that
all this bling is going to

distract the judges.
It's like, wow, striking.

I can imagine Patrick saying,
"I really like it."

Yeah?

15 minutes to go, sewers.

Oh, my goodness!

I've now filled in
where I cut letters

with a sort of sparkly heart.

Nightmare.
It's stuck in the machine.

What a bodge.

It looks pretty.
That's what I'm going with.

It's going to go on the dummy
and then it will attach at the back.

Mine's too basic, but I don't know
what else I can do.

You're hand stitching this
with five minutes ago?

That is dedication to the bling.

Yeah, it's not going to happen. Oh,
I need to get the needle threaded.

Oh, my God.

Is it OK that we just have
a whole camera team

just staring at you?
Yeah, that's fine, stare away.

OK, Adeena, you can do this.

Pink tassel!
Let's throw caution to the wind.

I might add a bit of colour,
but I've ran out of thread. Oh!

One minute, sewers. Let's get
those garments on mannequins.

I don't think I'll have time.

It's a cat frock! Look at that!

Oh! Nervous wreck.

It's all falling to bits.

Needles up. That is your time.

Well done, everyone.

Just realised I've got
the wrong colour in the middle.

That's going to look like
something else.

Serena, the crotch.

OK, bring your T-shirt
transformations forward.

Oops! Sorry!

# Oh, I like canoodling

# Once we start canoodling

# I could canoodle all night... #

12 T-shirt transformations
in just 90 minutes.

Let's welcome the judges back. Ooh!

Patrick and Esme have no idea
whose is whose.

Fantastic. Wow.

This is a woman's dress.

A very interesting woman
would wear this.

We've got almost a handkerchief.

Yeah, I think there's some very
clever understanding of anatomy

and pattern in this garment. Yeah.

I do like the colour combination.

I just don't like that.

That ribbon absolutely
does not need it.

It's tres chic without it.

It is really quite chic, isn't it?
Yeah.

Oh, this is a little top.

It has an '80s Miami Vice-y
kind of feel. Oh.

The whole thing works really well
together.

A playsuit! This is quite '80s.

Got elastic here.

It's really well thought out.

It's a fun dress. Trim to pick up
the colour of the T-shirt.

I think it's really successful.

A skirt.

It's great the ribbon is here
and here,

and little girls love a bag.

Dungarees.

They have plaited the straps.
I know.

Again, very '80s. Graphic.
Fantastic.

It has a kind of Sex Pistols
album cover vibe with "Feel it."

It's bold. I like the way
they've cut the letters out.

It's obviously someone with
a graphic sensibility.

Let's look at the back.

Oh, I say!

A heart!
This person's rather gone to town.

It's great.

It's halter neck c*m tabard
c*m rosette.

I'm not really sure what it is.

It looks a bit like an apron,
actually.

It's shorts.

Graphic of Miami '80s
doesn't feel quite right for me

with a fairly kind of quaint floral.

Again, I don't love
the colour combination.

The trim on the bottom, it seems
a bit like an afterthought.

I saw a hole there.

Quite a big hole, actually. Yes.

I guess it's a harem pant.

You've got the... I mean...

Pink triangle at the front!

I mean, I'm slightly dubious
about the placement

of this big pink triangle.

HE LAUGHS

Oh!

We've got the...
HE LAUGHS

It goes round to the back.

It does, yes. It's all nice.

Lord, help us.

Meow!

Roses and pussies.

The placement-
it's a little bit odd.

I know.

THEY LAUGH

That's terrific!

Who chose to put the pussies
on the front?

I don't know what to say.

What are you all doing?!

Patrick and Esme must now rank the
garments from last to first place.

In 12th place is the long skirt.

Damien. The combination
of colours we didn't like.

Yeah.

In 11th place is the halter top.

Julie.

Julie. We just were a bit confused
about what it was supposed to be.

Serena's tenth, Jean ninth,

Adeena is eighth, Raph seventh,

Lawratu sixth, Cathryn fifth,

Rebecca fourth, and Farie is third.

In second place is...

..the handkerchief dress. Adam.

It was brilliant,

but what the...was that
bit of ribbon?

It was a last-minute panic
and I should never have done it.

Which of course means
that our winner is

our punky animal dress - Andrew.

APPLAUSE

Did it say "Feel it"?

Well, it was a bit of odd
sort of Franglais.

It said, "C'est la life."

No, I love it.

I've gone and won.
I can't believe it.

It sort of inspired itself.
Bit of fun.

Oh, that last minute rosette -
why did I do it? Why?!

I was all over the place,
don't know what I was thinking!

Oh, that was horrible.

And now I've come bottom twice.

If I don't come first tomorrow,
or within the top three,

I think that's it, I'm going home.

# When I'm walking out

# All the fellas shout

# Look at little cutie,
look at little cutie, oh... #

Each week for the final challenge,
the mannequins are replaced

and the sewers must make
for a real life model.

Linda, you've got me.
Sorry about that.

They've all been able to practise
their designs at home.

"Bonjour"? Si... "Bon dia".
"Bon dia," yeah.

I'm so glad I'm actually sewing
for a human being,

and I've never done that before,
apart from myself.

Welcome back, sewers. And because
it's Made To Measure day,

it's time to welcome our models.
Hello, models.

Sewers, you'll be partly working
with mannequins that are padded

to your model's exact proportions,

and because it is
wardrobe staples week,

the judges would like you to make
a woman's buffet dress.

I'm guessing it has chicken
drumsticks sewn into the hem.

You have five hours
for this challenge.

Good luck. Your time starts now.

Right, let's get sewing.

I want to measure the length.

It's great.

The loose-fitting buffet dress
became a monster hit

on the high street in 2019

and has since sold in its hundreds
of thousands.

So a buffet dress -
it's been very popular

with those who have been having
some extra treats and things

because we've been isolated.

Oh, yeah, big fan of the buffet.

And I love these style of dresses
as well.

Today, today's important.

If I don't get this right,
I'm going home.

I need to redeem myself.

I don't want to go out
in the first week, put it that way.

The woman's buffet dress,
I've never heard of,

but apparently it's very popular
right now,

like hand sanitiser and Dua Lipa.

What is it, though?

It's a full dress.

It doesn't have a defined waist,

so it's quite forgiving
round the middle.

So you can eat as much as you like.

It sounds absolutely brilliant.

These dresses will have gathers,

and so when you move as well,
it's flowing about.

It might look like an easy fit,

but it's deceptively difficult,
actually,

because there is
a lot of fabric to handle

and there will be a lot of gathers.

This year the pandemic meant

many sewers could not fabric shop
in person.

Instead, they had to order online.

I've chosen this fabric.

It's cactuses, actually.

When I found it,
I thought to myself,

"I like that. That's for me."

Cathryn's cactus buffet dress
will be enhanced with ruffles

and a matching waist tie.

Obviously my fabric choices are
not everybody's cup of tea

but, weirdly, it spoke to me.

Adam has also plumped for a print.

My fabric's got a busy
paisley pattern on it.

As a whole, it's got a bit of
a '70s feel to it with the paisley.

His '70s dress features
split sleeves,

made in chiffon light enough
to wear on a summer cruise.

It's a bit see-through, though,
isn't it? I know.

Is that what it's like
on the cruises?

My idea is that it could go over,
like, a swimming costume,

or a nude slip. A nude slip. OK.

I've done a couple of those
in my time.

All right. See you, then. Get off!

While Adam's off on holiday,

Rebecca's inspiration is
closer to home.

I would make this dress normally
for my mum.

My mum is like my best friend
in the world.

She's just the most caring,
lovely person ever.

Her mum's buffet dress
will be made with a floral print

with a generous ruffled hem.

Because I do make dresses
for my mum, I'm feeling good.

When it comes to dressmaking...

Morning, Raph. Good morning.

..Raph doesn't quite have
Rebecca's experience.

Have you made many dresses before?

Never.
OK, so what do you normally sew?

I usually sew for myself,
so menswear.

OK, right.

His first-ever dress will be made
from four different types

of broderie anglaise,
which he himself hand-dyed.

It's broderie anglaise.

I've decided on that because
it's a French word, I'm French.

It's quite big, the holes in it.
Are you lining it with anything?

I am lining the top part

so it doesn't reveal too much
of the model.

That's great. Bon chance. Merci.

Julie is also using
broderie anglaise,

but she's only just realised
the dress may require a lining.

I had ordered on the internet.

I've just looked today, and the
holes are a little bit more open

than I thought they would be, so
I'm having to now line the bodice,

otherwise it's see-through.

She's making a lining despite having
not practised it before today.

If she pulls it off,
the dress will be demure,

a far cry from her
risque burlesque outfits.

You didn't tell me
you went to prison.

Cell Block Tango.

That's it. That's it!

Yeah? I could be in
the Cell Block Tango. You could!

So how are you getting on with it?

I've got some lining, so
a little bit more work for me to do,

but we'll see. We'll see.
We shall see.

Sewers, you've had one hour.
How does that feel?

Stressful.

You've got loads of time.

We'll see about that.

I'm going to do my utmost,
my absolute best.

Let's try and get this bodice
together.

The sewers set to work on the
intricate, time-consuming bodices.

Right, lining. Fingers crossed.

And while Julie's making life harder
with her lining,

others are going even further
with decorative trims.

I found some crochet cottons,

and I've made a little bit
of ornament for the neckline.

Andrew's crochet-trimmed buffet
dress also features a handmade tie.

Great. I had to look up
how to make this in a book I had

about tassel-making. Right.

So, Esme, if you want any tassels
making later, I'm your man.

I'll put an order in. Thank you.

I am taking this time
to add in these loops.

What I've tried to do is
bring my South Asian background.

Set against an indigo panel,
Adeena is attaching 36 ornate loops.

Loop, loop, loop.

It's actually taking
such a long time

to kind of give them a neat finish.

But delicate needlework
isn't for everyone.

Smash it down.

Damien! The amount of hammering
going on. What's happening?

I've just put some eyelets in.

They're going at the front. They're
at the front? Yeah. Oh, I see.

I thought I'd better really do
a nice job today.

Tough day yesterday.
It was very tough, yeah.

In a bid to stay in the competition,

Damien's aiming for
an eyelet-adorned dress

swanky enough
for Royal Ascot Ladies Day.

You describe this dress as lots of
women drinking loads of Pimm's.

Yes, that's it, having a great time.

Sounds like classic Bolton to me.

Farie is also going for glamour.

My bodice, as well as the sleeve,
is quite chic.

A three-tiered skirt will complement
her chic fitted bodice.

The fit is really important,

so I'm just going to see
how it's going.

OK.

Patrick and Esme are expecting
perfectly-fitted bodices...

Oh, my God.

..but any adjustments now
will mean less time to work

on the rest of the dress.

It's fine. I think I've managed to
put some of these on,

which is where I wanted them.

Ooh! Bit snug on the bust.

Have a look at the back.

Oh. I need to pull it in, so let's
see how working under pressure goes.

That's going to be tricky.

Farie isn't the only sewer
concerned about time.

My thread's run out. I didn't think
lining would have took this long.

I'm starting to get worried.

Sewers, you've had half your time.

PANICKED MUTTERING

I'm unpicking.

While Julie and Farie
battle with their bodices...

So, yeah, just need to
add the skirt on now.

..the rest of the sewers
move onto their skirts.

If they are to achieve the required
volume of the buffet dress,

they must gather ruffles
from metre upon metre of material.

I've already sewn
lines of large stitches

to pull the fabric
and start to put the gathers in.

I want loose ruffles.

There'll be room for a banquet,
never mind a buffet.

Jean's roomy buffet dress
features bell sleeves

and a billowing ruffled skirt.

These ruffles take time.

I can't stop. Technically,
I've got my work cut out.

Lawratu also has her work cut out.

There's going to be pockets,

so I need to focus on creating
a bottom part of my garment.

She's adding two deep invisible
pockets to the seams of her skirt.

You're putting pockets in? Yes.

Have you sewn that one?
Yeah, I made this dress.

The pockets there. Wowser.

Did you wear that
because you knew Patrick was coming?

No, I didn't.
I'm more scared of you, Esme.

Why?! You're absolutely right to be.

For Serena, today is all about
being LESS scared.

I'm not fully confident yet,
but we'll see how it goes.

The dress is inspired by a woman
who's got a lot of confidence.

A fitted bodice and bishop sleeves
channel the style

of her favourite fashion idol.

This dress is inspired by Villanelle
from k*lling Eve, is that right?

Yeah, it was like a shot
of her walking down a street,

and I used those sleeves.

I love her wardrobe, and I could
just imagine she wears...

Oh, really?
..this dress, this design.

How many murders have you done,
Serena?

I couldn't tell you that,

because then I think
I'd be kicked off the show.

Sewers, you have one hour remaining.

Oh!

The skirt's gathered, so now I'm
going to put this onto my bodice.

I've got to assemble.

I can't afford
not to have this assembled.

But not all the sewers
are ready to assemble just yet.

Had a little struggle
to get the bodice done.

Still got all the ruffles to do yet.

Julie's skirt is
nowhere to be seen...

..and she's not alone.

I'm only just starting
to gather my first tier now.

I feel as if I'm a bit behind...

..in relation to what everybody else
has done.

There's a lot to do.

You all right?

I think I bit more than
I could chew.

Deep breaths.

I'm trying, I'm trying.

Just do what you can, and breathe,
and you will be fine.

30 minutes to go, sewers.

It's nearly a dress.

Four different patterns
to bring character.

It seems positive
but, you know, it could all turn.

This is the first tier.

And then another layer.

This is the belt.

What a magic thing that is, innit?

Nearly there!

I'm not going to do
all my three tiers.

It might be a minidress.

I'm unpicking cos I'd sewn it wrong.

Not even started gathering yet.

I'm putting this twine through here,

which is the final stage
of my dress.

What happens if I don't
get it finished?

Can't just put a bodice on, can I?

I have to keep on going.
I can't stop.

Could have done with eight hours
for this blummin' dress,

not five.

Five minutes, sewers.
Let's get those models dressed.

I'm just going to get you to
try this one. Thank you, sweetie.

Oh, broken something.

Oh!

The model's in, and I've still got
another tier to put on.

OK.

Let's see, let's see, let's see.

Not good.

Beautiful. Yeah? Fantastic.

You know, I needed that
after yesterday.

Julie, what's wrong?

I've not had time to finish it.

Yeah, but just put on what you have.
I can't. It's not even a dress.

This is not what I envisaged.

Don't worry. Don't worry. Breathe.

You can come and cry to me tonight.
We're in next rooms from each other.

You can come and cry to me tonight.

With a bowl of chicken nuggets.
With a bowl of chicken nuggets.

I've got 50 chicken nuggets
to get through.

Oh, my God. Can I come? Yes!

And I'll work the dress,
I'll work it, OK?

LAUGHTER

Just put on what we've got,
and then at least we can try.

Julie, don't worry.

OK? Yeah.

It's OK. Don't cry, please. I can't
hug you, you don't cry. Oh, dear.

Come on, get on, you.

OK, come on.

I'm not going to strangle you,
I promise.

Work these safety pins.

Oh! The rush!

SHE SIGHS

Oh, dear.

Needles up. That is your time.

Well done, everyone.

IN FRENCH:

Oh, Merci.

I've only done a top.

Mate, this is a dress.

This is a dress. Well done.

# I eat antipasta twice just because
she is so nice, Angelina

# Angelina,
the waitress at the pizzeria... #

12 buffet dresses made to measure
in just five hours.

# Angelina,
the waitress at the pizzeria

# Ti vol-glio be-ne
Ti vol-glio be-ne

# Angelina, I adore you

# E vol-glio be-ne
E vol-glio be-ne

# Angelina, I live for you

# E un pas-sio-ne
E un pas-sio-ne

# You have set my heart on fire... #

The placement of
the different broderie anglaise

across the garment has been
so cleverly managed.

You've got four different fabrics,

but because you've used them
in sections,

it almost feels like there are more.

You have thought this through
so brilliantly.

I love how you've considered
matching this line

with this broderie anglaise.

The amber beads
really go with the dress,

and also I like the shape very much.

It's sexy! Merci.

This detail feels slightly
South Asian.

All of these loops -

how long did it take you
to just do this here?

About an hour and a half.

It's an extraordinary amount
of work. Well done.

We've got crochet that matches,

but I really feel, if you'd had the
dart going all the way to the bust,

it would have been more flattering.

Yep.

I love your fabric. Turn round.

And you bagged out the ties.
Very impressed by that.

The gathering is incredibly neat
on this bottom skirt here.

This sleeve just makes it look
incredibly chic.

It's an absolute knockout.

Well done. Thank you.

# You make my heart go to
tick-a tick-a tock

# Tick-a tick-a tock

# Tick-a tick-a tock

# We squeeze and then
my knees begin to knock

# Until we meet again... #

I think this fabric really,
really, really suits your model.

One thing, though, here I go.

I would have liked this bell sleeve
to be a bit more bell-y. Ah.

But I think it looks great.
Well done.

Wow. Thank you very much.

# You make my heart go
tick-a tick-a tock

# Tick-a tick-a tock

# Tick-a tick-a tock

# We squeeze, and then
my knees begin to knock

# Until we meet again. #

It's got all that movement and grace
that we wanted from this dress.

It nails the brief.

I love the fact you put pockets in.

As you know, I love a pocket,
as do you.

Yes. Ladies always must have
pockets.

# The tide is high
but I'm holding on

# I'm gonna be your number one

# I'm not the kind of girl
who gives up just like that

# Oh, no... #

It's really very elegant indeed.

I understand this might be
a beach buffet,

and given that it is sheer,

we will see everything
that is happening inside,

so I love the fact that you've given
us seams. So beautifully done.

But I wish this joined here.

That's sexier. Mm-hm.

Because it's like you hide things
and then people discover them.

Anyway...
LAUGHTER

..all in all, well done.

The fit is pretty good.

It is a great choice of fabric.

The overall impression is
really light, really bouncy.

You can be very pleased.

Your cactus fabric has worked
very well,

but I would have liked some
top stitching on the belt.

I made that in two minutes, Esme.

Oh, did you?! Yes, absolutely.

# Something tells me something's
gonna happen to you

# The smile on my face is the smile
you were wearing a moment or two

# So get it together,
you see it's gonna be all right

# Something tells me something's
gonna happen tonight... #

Well, I think this dress
really, really suits your model.

I think it looks great on her,
and it fits really well.

I very much like the tie -

it gives the dress
a really nice shape.

It's a very good dress.

Well done.

Damien, happy with that?
Yep, very happy.

Good. Well done, mate.
Cheers. Thanks.

I'd better not cry. I won't.

I know. Julie.

I know. This is a top, not a dress.

I know. Let me turn you around.

This is very difficult to sew
into a point,

but you've done it extremely nicely.

There's so much good stuff in it.

It's just heartbreaking
that you couldn't get it finished.

I know. Ran out of time completely.

Work it, girlfriend!

She worked it. She did!

What a shame
you haven't finished it.

Had a bit of a wobbly as well,

so we're quite lucky
we've got the second tier.

Confession time.

Emperor's New Clothes.

Should there have been another layer
on the bottom of this?

Yes, there should have. OK.

I'm taking it that this raw edge is
not the finish you were going for?

Not quite the look
we were trying to get.

OK. What fastening
was going to go in here?

An invisible zipper.

Again, what you've done
looks fantastic.

It's a big shame that you haven't
got it finished.

Yep.

I have a lot more to give,
a lot more to show.

Gosh, the sort of plans that
I've got for the next challenge,

you know, it would be a shame to go.

I would be gutted.

It's all down to the judges,
at the end of the day.

It's out of my hands now,
I'm afraid.

We shall see.

OK, sewers,
we have two final things to do,

one thing that I love
and one thing that I hate.

Let's start with the thing
that I love,

which is to find out who has won
Garment Of The Week.

Patrick.

Our Garment Of The Week this week,

and it was quite a tough one
to choose, is...

It's Raph!

You really thought about
the placement,

and we love the amber beads.

It just was great. Yeah.
Well done, Raph. Congratulations.

Thank you.

So now the bit that I hate -
somebody's got to go home.

The standard is so good this year.

The person going should leave
with their head held high.

The person sadly going home
this week is...

It's Julie.

I knew it, I knew it.

I knew it! It's OK.

I knew in my heart of hearts
it would be me.

You're clearly very good at sewing,
you just didn't get to show us much.

Just not fast enough.
Just not fast enough. Yeah.

It was a top, it wasn't finished,

and she didn't do well yesterday
either.

I am disappointed,
but it's been a real adventure,

something that I would never
have dreamed of happening at my age,

62.

Right, can you remember it?

One, click, two, and then shimmy.
Shimmy. Shimmy!

The standard is so high,
and we have such flair already,

such exquisite skill.

I'm really looking forward to seeing
what they do for us.

It feels really awesome getting
recognition from Patrick and Esme.

I didn't think
that would happen ever.

I feel pretty relieved
at this moment in time.

I dodged a massive b*llet there.

I live to fight another week.

Next time, it's summer week.

She's in Ibiza.
She's there for a good time!

The heat rises
with beach bar attire...

We're going to go a wee bit plunge.

..paperbag shorts... Ooh!

..and button-down dresses.

You've got a dilemma here.

Who will bask in the sun?

I'm now winging it.

Serena, have you got past
heart attacks in the course yet?

..and who will have a meltdown?

What's up with you, you daft bat?

Thanks. Happy tears, I hope.