Hello! Or, as they say in Germany,
"Hallo," as it's International Week
for our nine remaining sewers
and I'm just swotting up
on my languages.
For example, this in Bulgarian
is "naprustnyk"
and in Greece, this would be
a jar of "matia".
Oh, and me in Turkish,
I'm "cinsel el bombasi".
It means sexual hand grenade.
Welcome to The Great British
Sewing Bee.
Last time...
Lads, lads, lads!
..gents' classics...
I didn't realise that sewing
involved hard labour.
..brought out fight in Farie...
We're going to have flaps!
..whose workwear was
top of the pile.
Thank you, guys.
Adeena came close to losing
the thread...
Oh, flipping... No, no, no.
..but it was Lawratu who
failed to keep hold of her hat...
It looks like there's
a bit of a hole there.
..becoming the third person to
leave the sewing room.
One bad week can just throw you.
Now... Bonjour!
..we're going global...
Would you ever have an affair
with a Russian? Not this week.
..with a fiddly French pattern...
And I'm panicking!
..a transformation that goes
all sarong...
Where do we put our arms?
..and a Mexican Made To Measure.
There's going to be so much colour.
Who'll sail into the next round?
It's not a dress,
it's a piece of art.
And who'll miss the boat?
If this was the ship,
it would be the Titanic
and what I need is the Carpathia.
MUSIC: Mas Que Nada
by Sergio Mendes
I'm really, really excited
about International Week.
I'm international!
Kind of.
I have never made anything
international, really.
It's all down to that classic
gentleman's wardrobe,
so it will be a bit of
an adventure for me.
I don't know what International Week
is really going to bring, to be
fair, Rebecca. No, I don't either.
I've repaired a can-can skirt once.
If that counts.
Let's get kitted up.
International Week,
let's get cracking.
I want to hear Patrick today, say,
"Wow, Damien, I couldn't
have done it better myself."
Bonjour! Bonjour. Bonjour.
Come forward.
How are we all? Good. Thank you.
Or should I say, "Do you have
anything to declare?"
As it's International Week.
To tell us about the pattern
challenge, Esme.
Here you go.
Pass them round.
What we've got is a Breton top.
Three-quarter-length sleeves,
a button shoulder placket
and a boat neck.
The Breton top originated in France,
where it's said the 21-stripe
design represented Napoleon's
victories over the British.
In the haberdashery you'll find
an array of different colours.
You can choose whatever you like,
but the stripes have to be
perfectly aligned.
The judges also thought about
getting you to make a French hat,
but they realised it would
be beret, beret difficult.
Raph, if you could pass on my
apologies to the people of France,
that would be great. Will do.
You have three hours
for this challenge.
Good luck, your time starts now.
Oh, Adeena! Smash and grab.
It is a smash and grab.
Traditionally the Breton top
is white with thin blue stripes.
Oh, yeah.
But for this challenge, the sewers
are free to choose their own
colours from an assortment
of striped stretch-cotton jersey.
I think the typical thing is to go
with a navy stripe
and go all nautical on it,
but I've seen this,
I was like, "Oh, it's
multicoloured!" So I quite like it.
I think I've got quite a nice
traditional-looking one -
off white and a dark navy.
It's just screaming France
at me, really.
Originating in Brittany, the
striped knit has been official
uniform for the French Navy
since 1858.
It made its way from the high seas
to the high street thanks to
designer Coco Chanel, who
popularised this now iconic garment.
This is sort of like mummy staples.
Just a Breton top, pair of jeans,
pumps and you're off to go.
So, the Breton top.
Popular with sailors.
Aren't we all?
Now, I'm not a sewer,
but it looks easy to me.
Well, it appears easy,
but there are a few things that
could really trip them up.
Firstly, we want them
to make sure that they match
the stripes down the side seams.
We've also asked them
to put a piece of non-stretch
binding around the inside
of the neckline.
It is really difficult
to get it flat.
And this here placket.
They really have to follow
the instructions,
so the stripe
goes across the shoulder.
We've asked for three buttons
and three buttonholes,
evenly spaced down
the middle of the placket.
So it's not that easy, is it?
It's not easy in the slightest.
I'm taking a little bit longer than
I normally would to cut out,
but I think that's important.
I'm using this blue line as
a reference
to pattern match the pieces.
Pattern matching I'm a bit
nervous about,
because jersey can be
an annoying fabric.
Because of the stretch, it's easy
to get it out of place.
I don't think being from
the south of Brittany
is an advantage here, no.
It's not like we learn
it at school.
The Breton top starts
life as eight pattern pieces.
First, the front and back are joined
at the right shoulder.
A placket with three buttonholes is
created around the opening
on the left shoulder.
Non-stretch cotton tape is
pinned to the raw edge of the neck,
sewn along the bottom
and turned inside.
The neckline is pressed flat
and top stitched down.
Next, sleeves are attached
and the side seams stitched up.
The remaining raw edges are hemmed
and three buttons
sewn to the placket.
Good morning. Hello.
So, you've chosen
quite wide stripes. Yes.
For obvious reasons.
Cos you've got fewer to match.
Yes. Yes.
Hopefully I will execute it well.
Well, it just needs delicate
handling. It does.
Slow and steady.
Well, not too slow. Yes.
You know me too well.
Yeah, on which note, we'll leave you
to it. Thank you.
"With right sides together,
pin the right shoulder seam,"
so it's that one.
I'm not the biggest fan of sewing
stretch things.
Maybe I'll be inspired.
I doubt it, though.
Hello, Raph. Hi, Joe. Ca va? Oui.
Comment t'appelles tu?
Je m'appelle Raphael.
Je m'appelle...Joe. Joe. Joe.
Au revoir.
So I just sewed the shoulder seam,
so I think it's time to
start on the button placket.
I think this is going to be
a difficult challenge, you know.
Look, the pattern pieces are tiny.
Not only is the placket small, it's
fiddly to engineer -
especially when there are
stripes to consider.
"With your shoulder placket pieces,
make sure they are accurately
"cut out with the stripes going
horizontal across the shoulder."
I'm going to cut my shoulder
placket piece
so that the white stripe
is straight down the middle.
I'm just placing the stripes
horizontal.
I'm pretty confident that
they're right.
I think it would be nice
to pattern match
the placket to the main stripe.
So I'm doing it on an angle to try
and line up the stripes.
And Raph's not the only one
going off-piste.
I'm just trying to pattern match
it at the moment.
I went against the instructions.
I just went a bit rogue.
I'm not too sure what's
happening with my stripe.
Hopefully I can just cut out my last
pattern pieces and then I'll be off.
Once they've cut out four placket
strips, they need to be paired
and sewn together.
One pair is sewn along its short
edge, the other its long edge.
Both are then closed at the
curved end and turned inside out.
The strip stitched along the short
edge is then sewn to
the front of the left shoulder.
The other, the back - exactly 1.5
centimetres from the neckline.
Three evenly spaced buttonholes
are then added to the front placket.
So, I'm just sewing the plackets.
They have a short edge
and a long edge.
I think one will go over the other.
One will have buttonholes on it,
one will have buttons on it.
Ah! The stripes needed to be
horizontal, not vertically done.
I need to start again.
So now I'm trying to attach these
plackets onto the shoulders.
That's the neck edge.
It's got to be that way, surely.
Attach the pieces the wrong way
round, or get their position
just a millimetre out...
1.5 from neck.
..and their placket won't
sit flush with their neckline.
That is not 1.5.
That's about one, I'm sure.
I just need to move
the placket slightly.
You know what? No.
I haven't got time to do that.
Oh, dear me!
I've done this
incredibly wrong, I think.
I've sewn the placket on
the wrong way, I know I have.
These bits should be this side.
Let's just get some
buttonholes on it.
Right, buttonhole. Tssh! Go.
It's quite a small, little piece
you need to put them all on.
I'm going to do another one here,
another one here.
How am I going to get
three of them on there?
Raph, can you fit three on?
I dunno.
I can only fit two on.
Only two buttons are going
on this placket.
I'm going to go two.
Hey, these challenges are sent to
try us, and this is very trying.
Sewers, c'est la moitie du temps.
It's your half-time.
Oh.
Did I get that right, Raph?
Yeah.
Ah, merci.
I'm just putting the plackets in,
so I know I'm behind.
Next is the neck edge finishing.
I'm just trying to be really,
really careful,
because the tape doesn't stretch,
and the top stretches.
Stretch the jersey even
a fraction...
This is fiddly stuff.
..and they'll end up with
lumps or twists.
Right, OK. This is turned
to the inside
and stitched down so you
don't see it.
God, it's terrible.
It's not the best.
It's a little bit skewiffy.
How do you think they're
getting on, monsieur mannequin?
What do you mean, "Boff"?
Sewers, you have one hour remaining!
So, currently,
I am attaching my sleeves.
I am just on the neckline.
I'm not handling my fabric
too well at the minute,
because I'm just in such a rush.
Farie might still be wrestling
with her neckline...
Definitely, we're not
having a tidy top.
..but everyone else is ready to
earn some stripes.
This is the big pattern-matching bit
now, down the side seams.
If it works,
it'll be very satisfying.
You've still got to be
dead careful as you sew,
because the fabric can still -
cos it's stretchy - move.
I haven't done a good
job of matching.
When they get so far,
it goes out of sync.
Oh, Gordon Bennett!
The jersey's moved a bit there.
If this was the ship,
it would be the Titanic
and what I need is the Carpathia.
Last 30 minutes, sewers.
I'm just putting my sleeves on,
which is way behind.
A miracle needs to happen
round about now.
I'm overlocking the side seams.
Oh! I've had a little bit
of a boo-boo.
I was rushing on the overlocker
and got it snagged.
Oh, no! I have.
That's so easy done, isn't it,
on an overlocker?
He says - like he knows.
Now I've got to hem it.
That's on the sleeves
and on the bottom.
This is a cover stitcher.
It produces a stretchy hem.
15 minutes to go, sewers!
I have no time.
I want to say I will finish it
but, hmm.
Right. Hem the sleeve.
Where's the other sleeve?
Now I'm going to do the buttons.
Hopefully they'll see a
22nd victory over Britain.
These are my buttons.
They kind of match the pink
stripe of the fabric.
Five minutes, sewers! Oh, Joe.
Let's Breton with it.
We're a bit pressed for time.
If, at least, I attempt to do a hem,
that would be something.
Un, deux, trois.
That's finished.
You've finished early?
Yeah. Something's going on.
Something is going on. Something
is going on. I don't trust it.
I'm just sewing on a fake button.
See if it fools them.
One minute to go, sewers!
Oh, I'm panicking!
I'm just opening my buttonholes.
This is where my hands start to
shake. They asked for three buttons,
they've got three buttons.
Final press, just to give it that
streamlined look.
I think I'm pretty happy even
with two buttons.
Not happy.
Mine's not got no buttons.
Too late.
I'd wear it.
Except I think we've actually
made it for a female mannequin.
Where's me mannequin?
Needles up. That is your time.
Oh, just get it on.
I've pretty much messed it up.
Look at that neckline.
Tres bien, sewers.
Bring your mannequins forward.
MUSIC: La Mer
by Charles Trenet
Nine Breton tops
made in just three hours,
but what will the judges
think of them?
Andrew. You're up.
I like this quite traditional
nautical colour scheme.
And you've handled this placket
really beautifully. Yeah.
You have lined the stripes up pretty
accurately, but the binding,
it just isn't flat.
It's such a shame.
You've matched the stripes
pretty well.
But the binding... Yeah.
..it's not sitting flat
and you've lined the placket up
with the stripes.
We asked you to put
the line on the horizontal.
But with the exception of the
stripe, actually, you've sewn
this placket very well.
First thing I notice is you've
got a little hole. Yes.
Oh, and you've got a bigger hole.
Was it your overlocker?
It was my overlocker, yes.
Yeah. It's my Sunday top now.
You've constructed the placket the
right way, so well done on that.
Let's have a look at your
stripe matching.
Pretty good down that side.
Not so good on that side.
No. The fabric stretched. Yes.
I do like your choice of fabric.
And those stripes are matching up.
Right. Let's look at your placket.
It's not exactly lining up.
You've got a slight bit of the
placket going over the front neck.
And your buttons aren't
quite evenly spaced.
As a Frenchman,
are you proud?
I'm a bit disappointed. Are you?
OK. Especially the neck.
Yes. The binding is not good
cos it isn't laying flat. Hmm.
And you've done your placket
on a bit of an angle.
Yeah, I tried to pattern match
but, yeah, it didn't work.
But it's sewn neatly. Very neatly.
I think you've done
a fantastic job on this.
And a nice thin stripe makes it nice
and difficult to do.
The binding is pretty good
but it doesn't lay absolutely flat.
I think maybe if you'd
pressed it a bit better,
we wouldn't have noticed.
That placket is beautifully neat.
You've managed to get
the buttonholes sitting perfectly
spaced and right in the middle.
It's absolute precision on that.
You have sewn
the neckline nicely.
Your stripe alignment is
pretty much spot on.
But you've put your placket
on the wrong side. Yeah. Mm-hm.
And you've only given us two buttons
and buttonholes... Yeah.
..when we asked for three.
That is a big blunder.
I do like the colour choice.
I think it's very jolly.
But your stripes aren't
brilliantly lined up.
And you've got a little
tuck in the front.
Also, I think you've got the
placket... I did. ..back to front.
Well, I'm quite confused about
these buttonholes.
So you've got two buttonholes,
two buttons on the back and you've
sewn one button on the front.
I couldn't fit the three
buttonholes on.
You should've spaced them out
a bit better. Hm.
You struggled with this, didn't you?
Right. I'm going to start with
the most obviously bad bit... Yes.
..and that's the neckline.
It's pulled all out of shape.
You haven't got the tape
folded to the inside.
Let's have a look at how you
matched the stripes.
Now, that,
you have done pretty well.
Let's have a look at the placket.
You've not finished it,
so you haven't got the buttons on.
Back to bad old Farie
and the not-finishing days,
I'm afraid. Oh, I know!
Patrick and Esme will now rank
the Breton tops
from, "Ooh, la-la!"
To, "Sacre bleu!"
In ninth place...Farie.
Nowhere near finished and very, very
untidy around the neck, I'm afraid.
In eighth place is Adam.
You only did two buttonholes
and the placket was back to front.
Rebecca is seventh, Cathryn sixth,
Adeena fifth,
Raph fourth and Damien third.
Right. In second place...
..Andrew.
It was very nicely sewn,
except for the binding.
Which means, in first place,
it's Serena.
APPLAUSE
Very impressive sewing,
very neat throughout.
Thank you.
Well done, everyone. In honour of
the French, you should now go
and have some
"un the dans une tasse",
which means "tea in a mug"
and we'll come back for the
transformation challenge.
Well done, Serena.
I'm very proud of myself.
I would actually make that pattern
again, I really like it.
Now you can make me one.
That was a disaster.
Oh, my goodness.
Placket, I didn't crack it,
so let's leave the plackets
and hope they don't pop up
in another challenge.
After a short hop across
the Channel, our globetrotters
are now heading East.
It's time for the transformation
challenge, sewers.
To tell us about this challenge,
Patrick.
Well, this week,
we hope you will sew right...
..with a sarong.
You can choose up to two sarongs
and we want you to turn them
into a garment for any age,
any gender.
So we're really wanting you
to use your imagination.
We'll send the judges away now,
so they don't know whose is whose
and also, they've got their
vocab lesson.
They're learning, "That's good
sewing," in 23 different languages.
Auf Wiedersehen.
You have 90 minutes.
Your time starts now.
MUSIC: On The Beach
by Cliff Richard
Oh, it matches my top,
I'm having that. Right.
Pinky. Pinky.
Sarongs remind me of sun, sea, sand.
Derived from the Malay word meaning
"to cover", sarongs were
worn by men and women across
Southeast Asia for centuries,
long before they became the go-to
garment for bashful beach-goers.
I don't think I'm a sarong sort of a
person. Maybe a thick wool blanket.
Sometimes I wear them as a scarf
cos they don't fit round me.
You can tie them in so many
different ways, you know.
In fact, on the cruise ships, we
used to do a sarong-tying class.
You're not really selling
cruises to me.
So, we have asked them to make a new
garment out of unwanted sarongs.
They're great
because lots of pattern,
lots of trim, but they've got
very few features to play with.
If you think about them,
they're rectangles of cloth
and they're see-through,
so that's another consideration.
The way that they combine
those patterns and colours
is really crucial to
the overall look of the garment
and the way that they apply trim,
it has to feel like it's
adding to the garment and not just
a kind of afterthought.
I really want them to make something
completely different to a sarong.
A perfect transformation.
I really need to nail this one.
But right now,
I haven't thought of anything.
A sarong's just like a blank page
because it is so shapeless.
So that's the challenge, making
it into some sort of shape.
This is what I've got so far.
It's not exactly anything.
I'm just having a look where
I'll want things to fall.
It's actually like a kaftan,
I would say, that I'm going for.
This is like a dress for the beach,
so it's going to go like that,
I think. I've gone brown.
These really go well.
Uh, Rebecca, you can't
use your own top.
Oh, sorry, it's a sarong. No, don't
worry, I've not got undressed.
What you making?
A skirt and a top.
I wasn't very happy with how
I did this morning,
so I am having
a bit of a panic to myself.
You've just got to get
yourself into that flow state.
Yeah, I know I have.
I'm not in it yet.
I'm going for an
off-the-shoulder dress.
I literally threw the sarong
at the mannequin
and thought, "Right.
Let's go with some pleats."
I'm going to make a shirt
with a simple collar.
It is an ambitious garment. 90
minutes is going to be a tough call.
Oh, yeah!
Hey, Cathryn, how are you?
I'm all right, thank you.
And what you up to? I'm making a
pair of trousers out of a sarong.
A pair of trousers out of a sarong?
Yeah. A couple of sarongs.
You've gone mad, woman!
I know, I was, uh...
SHE LAUGHS
Something funny?
Are these the trousers?
Can I see the trousers? Yeah.
Oh, look!
They're big trousers, aren't they?
Yeah.
Who are they trousers for?
Peter Crouch?
Cathryn might be going large,
but others are down-sizing.
I'm going to do overall,
like, playsuit for a child.
I'm taking inspiration
from this romper suit,
trying to make them a bit shorter.
I'm thinking of a wrap top for
a girl, although it could end up
being a dress, but my fabrics
don't work well together.
You're halfway through, sewers.
I'm just trying to add
some big sleevey bits.
I've not done very much.
I wanted to place these so that
they're echoing each other.
And I've got these pleats going up
along the bust line.
So I'm pressing in some pleats
because the back was a bit too big.
I'm going to have a channel
that'll go here
and then a string either side
and when you pull the string,
you'll get the shape that
I'm looking for, basically.
I'm creating a elasticated belt cos
it's quite a loose-fit playsuit.
So now I'm putting this contrast
sarong to make the back part.
The second sarong's just going to
be like decoration.
I just like my animal print.
What's inspired this garment?
A lack of fabric.
I picked the smallest
of sarongs and then, this!
What is this?!
It just doesn't go with anything.
So you're not using this one, then?
No, I don't think I should.
I might just stick with
the one sarong.
30 minutes remaining, sewers!
I think getting in and out
of the garment is pretty important,
so I'm sewing on a press stud.
I've put in a blue zip, so you
can see the blue at the back.
I've got my buttonholes
and buttons on.
Some speed buttoning going on there.
I've added some ties so I'll be able
to put it on somebody.
So, this draws in the waist
a little.
It's an easy thing that you can
get in and out of, as well.
Ah! My dress has had enough.
I'm making it into a dress now,
because I made it far too long.
It's now a sarong dress.
15 minutes to go, sewers!
I'm putting this contrast sarong
just to tie the back into the front.
It's got those nice little
pompoms on, as well.
I might see if I can add a little
frill or something.
Synchronicity -
that's what I'm going for.
This is the collar. This is the bit
I definitely want to get on.
What have you put there?
Like, massive wings. Oh.
And then, this is where you can put
your arms out. Put your arms out.
I think. I don't really know.
If I get some arm holes in,
I think I've cracked it.
Five minutes to go!
This is a sprint, but a shirt
without a collar
isn't a shirt, is it?
Not too sure what's happening here.
It's almost like it's a dress
but it's too short.
There's just not enough fabric.
So there's the armholes.
Not bad.
Oh, for flip...
I forgot to make armholes.
How many minutes have we got left?
One minute, sewers! No, no.
I hope Patrick doesn't look at
my collar points too closely.
Let's take her over for a steam.
Quite chuffed, really, with it.
Because mine is quite sheer,
I'm worried I've created
a beach wrap from a beach wrap.
It sort of evolved
as the task went on.
I've just got to tie the bows
nicely now.
Damn it! My armholes
are at the waist.
Well, I won't be able to do
anything with that now.
Needles up! That is your time.
Get it sar-on' your mannequins.
Doesn't work, does it?
Come on, baby.
MUSIC: Turn On The Sunshine
by Connie Francis
Used sarongs transformed into nine
new garments in just 90 minutes.
OK, sewers, time to bring
the judges back.
Mutter und Vater.
And the judges haven't a clue
whose is whose.
Ooh. Quite the variety.
Yeah. Amazing variety.
I think it's terrific.
It's a completely radical
transformation.
They've had a little bit of
a problem with the collar,
but I'm kind of impressed.
It looks a little short in the body.
Your belly button might just
pop out the bottom.
Well, maybe that's the idea.
We have a
child's...top?
I think it's a very short dress.
I love this pleat at the back.
It really works well.
But it's made from just one sarong.
So we have a dress with
a cape top to it.
They have a zipper... Ooh! ..that's
been inserted through the back.
Colour combination works quite well.
I like that we've got
a solid brown top.
I'd have preferred
if this had been turquoise.
I'm not that keen on brown.
I think it's clever how they've
turned it into a playsuit. Yeah.
And I do like the drape on the back.
There's a waistband, so it...
It's really well anchored here,
but if this person had had enough
fabric, it would've been great
if they'd made the ties out of a
section of that colour... Yeah.
..a section of that colour,
a section of that colour
as they'd gone down.
Yeah, I agree. Yeah.
We have a top
and a skirt made from animal print.
I think it's very wearable.
I think it fits the model very well.
I particularly like this trim piece.
It feels imaginative.
I think the whole thing has been
really nicely thought through.
This definitely looks like something
you'd wear on the beach.
You've got a big split. Well,
they've draped it between the legs.
Yeah. And so when you walked
on the beach,
you'd be showing off your legs.
I think in a funny sort of way
it looks a bit like a sarong.
I don't feel it's much of
a transformation.
I really like it.
The colours work fantastically
well together. Yeah.
I really like all the work that
they've put into the front
to create all of this shape.
There's some poppers.
So they've definitely thought
about how you get into it.
We've got a pompom trim
on the edge of this sarong. Hm.
I quite like that they've
actually just embraced it
across the front
and down the side.
I could definitely see
this at a party.
It's very drapey and very floaty.
I mean, it's more of a beach robe,
really, isn't it?
Where do we put our arms? Here?
They have made a sleeve
out of this green piece,
but it's completely the wrong place.
You might make quite an entrance
on the beach in that.
But, actually, you couldn't wear it.
Looks like a kaftan.
They've put sections of this
print... They've folded it, yeah.
..across and panelled it
in very interesting ways.
We've got this channel here.
I think this is great.
I just think it's a really smart
little way of creating shape in it.
But we have another problem
that we've had before.
No armholes. No armholes.
Do you think it's meant to be
worn like that?
The judges must now rank
the garments from worst to best.
In ninth place
the pink and black roses negligee.
Serena.
It would be very difficult to put
your arms through those sleeves.
Thank you.
In eighth place is the orange,
yellow with the flowers on.
Cathryn. We just felt it still
felt quite like a sarong. Yes.
Adeena is seventh, Farie sixth,
Raph fifth, Damien fourth,
and Andrew is third.
In second place...the animal
print two-piece.
Rebecca.
The print works really well,
all the embellishment is great.
Well done.
Thank you, I'm really happy
with that. Well done. Good.
Well, I wonder who
could've come top.
It's Adam.
It's a transformation.
It looks like a dress.
And it's been very nicely draped.
Thank you very much. Well done.
Well, I needed that.
I'm absolutely delighted.
I need to find where that came from
and keep doing it.
Oh, I have to bring my A game
tomorrow.
The Farie that finishes is not
the Farie from this morning.
Just one more challenge
remains in International Week.
One last chance to save themselves
and avoid an early exit.
So, International Week -
who's performing like France in
the World Cup and who's performing
like the UK in Eurovision?
Andrew had a very good day
yesterday.
There were a couple of little
wobbles on his Breton,
but his shirt was fantastic. Hm.
So Andrew's sitting top of the heap.
So who's in the danger zone?
Farie's transformation wasn't
a great leap of imagination.
And her Breton top, you could see
it from a distance, how bad
it was on the neck.
Cathryn also had a tricky day
yesterday.
Her Breton, she managed to
cut holes in it.
And Cathryn's transformation
wasn't very imaginative.
And Adeena?
Adeena's transformation,
the armholes were in
completely the wrong place
and her pattern, the buttons
on the placket were misaligned.
But Adeena and Farie last week
pulled it back with their
Made To Measures.
Yes, so they could do that today.
Well, this is international
sign language for
I've heard what you've said
and I like it.
For the Made To Measure,
the models are back.
Hello.
I made it to week four. Yeah!
Welcome back, sewers.
Welcome back, models.
For this week's Made To Measure,
the judges would like you to make
a woman's outfit inspired
by one of the most admired
painters in the history of art.
No, it's not Paul Chuckle.
It's Frida Kahlo.
She was a Mexican national hero
and a feminist icon.
You have five and a half hours
for this challenge.
Your time starts now.
OK, then, Linda, here we go.
The sewers have all had
a chance to practise
making their outfits at home.
Can you turn around?
Now they must carefully adjust their
pattern pieces to fit their models.
I need to take this down.
I only heard about Frida Kahlo
through Sewing Bee, so this is
quite inspiring to sort of do
something a little bit different.
I don't know why we weren't taught
about Frida Kahlo at school.
What a wonderful, inspiring woman.
Born in Mexico City in 1907,
Frida Kahlo
is arguably Latin America's
most influential painter,
best known for her
uncompromising self portraits
and colourful multicultural style
that makes her an icon.
So, Frida Kahlo,
why have we picked her?
When you look at her paintings,
there's lots of pattern
and colour and the work that
she did was inspired by
so many things that actually have
great connections to clothing.
What sort of fabric should
we expect to see?
Well, I'm hoping they'll get
embroidered fabrics in somehow.
But, also, fabrics with prints on.
Yeah. You know, florals.
It's quite a wide brief,
a woman's outfit.
What are you expecting from them?
They could make us tops
and trousers, tops and skirts.
They could make a dress. It just
needs to have a sense of being
inspired by Frida Kahlo's
life or work.
What I really hope is they
interpret it in a really
modern and exciting way.
This Frida challenge is one of the
briefs that you can just go a bit
crazy on, if you want.
I'm just really excited
to see what everyone makes.
I'm looking forward to it.
It is just being able to use
all that creativity.
I cannot wait until we actually
have the catwalk,
cos there's going to be
so much colour.
It'll look like a carnival parade.
Vivid colours are the signature
of Kahlo's clothes, which she used
to express her identity.
Frida Kahlo's style
is very informed by
her mixed heritage.
Her father was German and her mum
was Mexican.
It's something that is
reflected in her wardrobe
and that is also
reflected in her art.
In her portrait The Two Fridas,
on the left the style is European.
On the right, she wears a colourful
huipil top and rebozo skirt -
the dress of her mother's
indigenous people.
This specific dress comes from
Southeast Mexico, where
women are the breadwinners,
so it conveys a message
of a powerful female icon.
In the 1920s in Mexico,
when women's fashion was influenced
by Hollywood, Frida's folk dress
was a bold statement -
not just of her feminism,
but her political beliefs.
She was a communist, and it reflects
a rejection of capitalism.
As much as politics influenced
Kahlo, breaking her back aged 18
also had a profound impact
on her unique style.
She suffers an almost
fatal accident.
The bus she was travelling
collided with a tram
and Kahlo describes how she used to
disguise her disabilities.
She will always style herself with
iconic flowers,
in her head piece
and her long skirts.
She would always concentrate
the viewer from the torso up,
so her styling was always
unconventional.
Good morning, Farie. Good morning,
Esme. Morning. And Patrick.
So, describe to us
what you're making.
I was inspired by this painting
by Frida Kahlo called
The Broken Column.
So I'm making a
Duchesse satin dress... OK.
..with a contrast panel straight
down the middle of the dress.
Her self-drafted design
also features puff sleeves
and an oversized bow.
And to mirror the injured back
depicted in Kahlo's portrait,
Farie will distress her
contrast jacquard strip.
The Broken Column is the inner
turmoil she experienced in her life,
so the column will be frayed. OK.
So you're going to hand fray
the edges of the fabric. Yes.
It contrasts really well
with the black.
I think it works really well
together. Yeah. Yeah, I agree.
Thank you.
While Farie's focus is
Frida's spine,
another part of her anatomy
has caught Damien's eye.
She paints her eyebrows
really striking,
so this is going over the top of the
bust there, like that... Yeah.
..to represent her eyebrows.
This is like the main feature,
so it's got to be nice.
A lacy frill. Yeah.
As an eyebrow. Yeah.
You can do that, yeah.
Yeah, nice. Yeah.
His taffeta and satin dress will
also have a strapless boned bodice
and colour palette
inspired by Kahlo's painting
Self Portrait
Dedicated To Dr Eloesser.
So we've got a green
and gold taffeta,
which represents things
she's wearing.
Then, we've got the red
for the lipstick.
We've got the orange for the cheeks.
It's going to look a bit of
a mish-mash of colours but, uh,
hopefully it should come together
as a piece of art.
That's what I'm going for today.
It's not a dress,
it's a piece of art.
The same Kahlo painting has also
fired up Rebecca's imagination.
So I've kind of tried to bring
the brights of the floral headband
and then the darks of
the background in the leaves.
But I didn't want it to be too dark,
I wanted it to be quite bright
and a bit exuberant.
Her hot-pink satin outfit has
an asymmetric top with frill
and a billowing three-layered skirt
with elasticated waistband.
I'm starting with the skirt
because I feel like I can whip up
the top a lot quicker.
I mean, this is how much net
I've got to gather.
And Rebecca's not the only one...
OK.
..with multiple layers to negotiate.
So what I'm doing is quite
a full skirt.
The actual top layer is
made out of net
and then the lining,
it's a silk but not a flimsy silk,
so I'm hoping it'll hold up
its structure.
And then I'm trying to make
an under skirt, as well.
With its sweeping skirt and fitted
bodice, Adeena's self-drafted
design draws inspiration
both from Kahlo and a lehenga -
the traditional south-Asian outfit
she wore growing up.
When I looked at her dresses, I was
like, "Oh, that, that's a lehenga,
"what she's wearing." Oh, right.
And what that did for me is made me
tap into my where roots come from.
So this is not just
a challenge for me.
Aww. I want to really do well
because... It has meaning.
It has definitely meaning.
Morning, Joe.
Good morning, star shine!
Oh, they're Russian dolls.
Yes, because she supposedly had
an affair with a Russian.
Which Russian? Trotsky.
So what I'm doing is a shift
dress with an overlay.
I'm trying to disguise the fact
that she'd had an affair
with the lace.
So I'm just giving her
a little bit of modesty.
I didn't know that about Frida. Yes.
He obviously was a communist
and she was,
so that's how they ended up
in company.
You often see that on Tinder.
"Communist looking for communist."
SHE LAUGHS
For a neat finish, Cathryn will
French seam the lace overlay
hiding her babushka dolls.
Gathered cuffs and a fabric flower
embellishment made at home
will add a romantic flourish.
Would you ever have an
affair with a Russian?
Not this week. Not this week.
No, I'm too in love with my husband.
Yeah. And busy sewing. Yeah.
I'm currently attaching my
net onto my waistband.
The main thing is that
I get everything gathered.
Oh, this is just going to take ages!
So this is my skirt lining.
I love a fancy lining.
Something absolutely flamboyant.
Not only is Andrew lining his
fit-and-flare skirt, he's lining
and embroidering his own huipil.
A huipil is a rectangle of material
with a hole cut out for the neck.
I'm going to create my take on a
huipil using machine embroidery
stitches and satin ribbons.
This is a traditional huipil
that Frida Kahlo wore,
so I've gone for this
colour palette.
I'm making a top in turquoise with
an insertion of a yellow square.
I think it's a nice nod
at the shape,
but making it a bit more modern.
Raph's take on the huipil
has shoulder pleats
mirrored on his culottes,
an open back with two curved panels
and decorative patches
of embroidery.
These are appliques which
I'm putting on the sleeves.
In Mexican dresses,
the flower would be maybe all over,
but rather than doing
an all-over flower pattern,
I decided to go with a more
subtle twist.
Like Raph, Adam's opted
for flashes of floral.
The inspiration of Frida Kahlo
is in this embroidered fabric.
I'm going for coloured
panels against white drill.
He's also adding puff sleeves
and covered buttons to a pattern
he's adapted to make a playsuit.
Have you fitted a playsuit before?
No. OK.
And I know that it's going to be
important to get this
waistband in the right position.
Yes. Yes.
Well, also just to make sure that
the body... And the length.
..is long enough. Yes.
That is crucial. Yeah.
Absolutely crucial.
Hm. Sewers, you've had
half your time.
Perfect.
I love it already.
Here's our broken column a la Frida.
This is the front overlay.
Because it's lace,
I'll have to French seam it
just so it tidies it nicely.
Today, my best isn't good enough,
it's got to be more than that.
In the bodice,
we're going to put some boning -
it'll give it some strength,
otherwise it's going to fall down.
My model's not going to be
too pleased.
I'm doing a fairly simple
colour block top cos
I don't need to do any fitting
for the top. I'm trying just to do
it quite quickly so that
I can then focus on the trousers.
Her top with grown-on sleeves
might be straightforward,
but her palazzo pants with sash,
belt loops
and invisible zip are a different
proposition entirely.
Trousers. She was a feminist.
She was a feminist, yeah.
Yes. I was kind of inspired
by, like, looking smart
but still being able
to look feminine.
Yes. Trying to kind of merge
the masculine with the feminine.
I guess in a way, yeah.
With the trousers.
I've had a lot of nights like that.
A lot of nights. All failures.
Right, Gloria, if you just turn
towards me first.
To fine tune the fit, the sewers
need to check each garment
on their model.
That looks good.
It's shaping nice on you, innit?
And for those making skirts...
That is the back.
..it's all about the waistline.
Does that feel... Yeah.
..that it's going to stay up?
Right. So I'm just going to
take in a little bit at the sides.
I need to take this in quite a bit.
God! This is a lot!
But even though she's using elastic
to make life easier...
I've actually done it wrong.
..things aren't going to
plan for Rebecca.
I've confused myself.
What I've done is sew on
the wrong layer first.
It was going to work out
that my net was on the top
and obviously I didn't want that.
I'm just going to
cut my waistband off.
Not good for time, to be honest.
I'm just altering the waistline,
and then I'm going to deal with
the lining separately.
I wanted to be a little bit
further ahead than I am.
I've had to cut quite a bit.
I just hope that
I can finish on time because
if I don't get any time, I'm not
going to be able to sort the bodice.
So now, I'm pinning
the bodice to the skirt section.
How's it coming on? Yeah, I think
it's looking pretty smart.
I mean, the colours are quite
vibrant. Do you ever paint?
Yeah. My favourite thing is just
sort of mocking up, like,
animal heads on human bodies. What?
There's a little picture there
behind you. Oh, look. Yeah.
That's so good! Yeah. I love that.
There's something
Frida Kahlo-esque about that.
There's a similar sort of use
of colour, I want to say.
Well, I'll take
that compliment, Joe.
Maybe you need to put Frida Kahlo's
head on a dog's body.
Wow. Maybe that's the next thing.
You know what? That's the next one.
Right. I'm just going to do the hem.
We have a trim.
I'm glad I finished the top.
But it looks a bit
boring on its own.
Serena's simple top has given her
a head start on her trousers.
OK. For others, there's still
the small matter of sleeves.
I have a very exaggerated
puff sleeve.
I hope that will definitely give
a strong shape to the shoulders,
but there has been a bit of
construction trial and error
cos I've never drafted
a sleeve before.
So I've added pleats to
add some puff,
and then I've got two sleeve bands.
I could've just elasticated them
but I like to give myself
a challenge, apparently.
I've got two overlapping pleats.
I'm happy.
Hello, is that the Mexican Embassy?
Hang on one second.
Sewers, you've got
one hour remaining.
Just wanted to prepare you as a
nation, you're in for a shock.
There you go.
While most outfits in the sewing
room are taking shape...
Yeah. That's fine.
So they're a bit big at
the minute - but that's why
I just pinned the pleats,
because I can tighten them up.
..Andrew, Adeena and Rebecca are
only just getting to grips
with their tops.
The outside of the top, the huipil,
has quite a lot of machine
embroidery but it's a little bit
annoyingly slow.
This is a one-shouldered top.
This is going to be the frill
but I've got, like, a zip
to put in still.
I just feel like I'm rushing.
I'm stopping with my skirt.
I'm going to move on to my bodice,
so then I can go back to the hem.
I've got quite a bit to do,
but it means something to me.
That is what's driving me today.
Now, Adeena, she's cut her own
pattern connecting
Frida Kahlo to her culture
and her own story.
I really like that.
But there's quite a lot of work in
it and she hasn't got much time.
No, she hasn't.
Just securing the front fabric
to the back fabric now.
Cathryn - it's a simple tunic
with one layer on top.
She should definitely finish.
If she doesn't, I'd be amazed.
I've set my sleeve in.
It's got that volume on the sleeve
hem, which is what we wanted,
but we're running
behind time already.
Farie's sleeve head
could look great.
It's quite impactful and I think
the fabric works really well.
But will she finish?
30 minutes remaining!
No, no, no, no, no, no, no!
Just... Oh, really?!
I need to get the neck done,
shoulder seams, side seams
and then try it on the model.
I think I'm just pushing
it with time.
I've got the sleeves to put in,
and the decoration.
I am determined to finish this
garment today.
This is the bottom ruffle
part of the skirt.
So, we have a new colour,
olive gold taffeta, two-tone.
I'm just looking at the fitting.
It's going to be a snug fit,
but I'm really happy that that's
sitting on her waist.
Raph, you've got some corduroy.
In French it's corde du roi.
Corde du roi!
I'd like to get a couple more
colours on if I've got time,
but there is an element of wishing
it would go a little faster.
So this is going to be the bow.
15 minutes to go, sewers! Ah!
That's not really the time
I was hoping for.
I'm just marking my buttonholes.
No fake buttons today. No!
This is an open-ended zipper.
I don't really like putting in
these kind of zippers.
I find them harder to match up.
My zip's quite invisible.
It's always good for an
invisible zip. Ah...
The zip's not good.
I could've actually done with
a pleat here but I don't...
I won't have time for that.
I'm just putting
the decorations on now.
How are your Russian ladies?
They're all hidden.
Hidden away. Naughty ladies.
Now I'm putting the black
lace across the top,
which is the main focal point
of this dress.
How many minutes do we have?
Five minutes to go!
Shine a light.
Not good for time.
I am really rushing.
I'm just going to work on
the armholes.
I don't think I'm going to get
it finished. Can't do the hem.
I'm just going to bag this out
and then stitch the sides together.
It's not my finest
piece of sewing overall.
I'm gathering the cuff.
It's just a pretty feature
on the bottom of the sleeve,
but it's always a race,
innit, at the end?
So I'm just fraying these edges to
make my broken column.
This is painstaking work.
I'm just trying to shove some ribbon
round the neck of this huipil.
How long have we got left?
One minute to go, sewers!
Oh, dear. What shall I do
about the hem?
My thread's broken.
Right. That's that.
Right. Let's get this on.
Wow!
Good colour combination.
Right. That's the skirt.
Right. You ready?
And, to be honest, there's not
a lot else I can do with this top.
There's just a bit of ease in the
back but it's just how it is.
Oh! I love it.
I've sewed it on the wrong way!
Oh, dear, love.
Not quite made it.
One bow for Esme.
I haven't attached
the hook to the belt.
I've put a pin into it so they've
got an idea how it's supposed to be.
I'm going to put a little
band round the cuff.
Needles up!
That is your time.
Let's see if you Mexi-can
or Mexi-can't
make a good item of clothing.
Wow. There are some amazing ones.
MUSIC: Acapulco Mexico
by Maureen Evans
Raph, this is fantastically
eye-catching and it really feels
strongly Frida Kahlo without using
a lot of floral
or a lot of embroidery.
The fit on the trousers
is very good.
And I like this decorative binding
and the embroidery on the sleeve.
I love that you've mirrored
the pleats on the culotte with
the pleat at the top of the sleeve
and it just links those two
garments in a very subtle,
but really clever way.
Thank you.
Your sewing, it's so neat
and I think you've used really good
fabric for the trousers.
And the fit of those trousers,
it's absolutely perfect.
But this top doesn't quite
feel like it's connected.
I would've liked to see this top
married to the bottom in some way.
I think this looks very,
very dramatic.
You've got a lovely shape.
This is a kind of Indian garment
with Frida Kahlo laid onto it.
I love that you've
dragged your kind of South Asian
heritage into this garment,
but it is a real shame that you
haven't had time to finish it
so that it isn't
dragging on the floor.
Turn round.
And it's a bit long at the back,
isn't it? Oh!
And we have a pin at the waistband.
I didn't manage to put the hook.
I ran out of time. Oh, yes.
I love this fabric
but I'm not entirely sure
I like the pink under it.
The florals are a bit subdued by it.
And where your zip is,
we have a raw edge.
I'm not quite sure what's
happened here.
Yeah, I'm not either.
I was rushing.
But I really like the overall
design of it
and it definitely leaps out
as a Frida Kahlo-inspired garment.
I like this huipil-inspired
decoration on the front of the top.
You've taken great trouble
to co-ordinate the ribbon
with the colours in the skirt,
but it looks really untidy.
The neckline is raw.
Can we look at the waist?
Fits pretty well.
You've got your little pleats, but
you've made the lining too short.
It has this tucking effect.
I don't understand why you've
lined it at all.
It's quite a heavy satin.
It didn't need a lining.
Also, I don't understand
why you lined the skirt.
Damien, the fit of this
looks pretty good.
It's a lot of work to do a boned top
and it's staying up,
but I don't really like the
combination of fabrics and colours.
The green at the bottom doesn't
feel like that vibrant jungle green
that you associate with Kahlo.
I know you've given us
the lace that actually does look
a bit like Frida's eyebrow.
There's a lot that's really
good in it, it just doesn't say
Frida Kahlo to me. Yeah, yeah.
I like the white and this
embroidered fabric together.
It's very geometric.
There's some very neat
and tidy sewing.
Both sleeves exactly mirror one
another, that's really nicely done.
Turn round.
I very much like the buttons,
but the top is too long.
And it's too short in the back
crotch, so it's got a hungry bum.
You don't want one of those!
I like the overall impact of your
flowers and the lace,
but by laying an embroidered net
over the top of a print,
we don't see the print and we don't
really see the embroidery, either.
You had that Russian doll fabric
but we don't see it.
I'm very impressed that you did
French seams, cos that will
have taken you much longer.
But this band here feels
completely like an afterthought.
It was a cover-up because right
when I got to the end,
I realised that I'd...
You've seamed it on the outside,
not the inside. Yes.
I mean, by putting this here, you've
almost drawn attention to it.
Farie, I think
it's an absolute knockout.
The shape is so modern
and the fit looks terrific.
The inspiration was
The Broken Column -
we've got that - and you've really
beautifully pin-fringed it
all the way down.
It's absolutely wonderful.
It's quite a stiff fabric
and to get it gathered in that
sleeve head is tricky,
and you've handled those
really nicely.
Turn round,
I've got to look at the bow.
Is it big enough, Esme? It is.
And I like that it's
so 3D and sticking up.
Well done.
Thank you.
WHISPERS: Thank you, Katy.
Well done, sewers.
Go off, have a break.
The judges will deliberate
and we'll find out who has won
Garment Of The Week
and who is going home.
That went really well.
Yours was amazing, Farie.
But I don't want to count my
chickens before they...
Is it roost?
It's very tough in that room.
If my journey ends here,
I've obviously made it to
the point of my ability.
If I left today, I'll be proud
with what I've done
but I feel like I've got
so much more to show yet.
That was a bit of a disaster.
I'd love to stay.
I've got more sewing in me.
Sorry.
So, who's coming on the onward
journey and who are we
leaving at the service station,
pretending it was an accident?
Well, I think Raph's was great.
The colours work beautifully. Yep.
And it really tells the story
of Frida Kahlo but in a modern way.
Anyone else?
Well, Farie. I love this dress.
When it came out on the model,
you went, "Wow!"
So, Farie.... Yeah. ..has saved
herself? Absolutely.
Also down was Cathryn.
Cathryn's was well sewn
but I look at this garment,
I can't see Russian dolls.
And she didn't really take
any risks.
How has Adeena done?
Adeena's had fantastic impact. Yes.
But the hem is completely undone.
She gave herself too much to do.
And I think Andrew was sitting
in a very comfortable position,
but I think this has thrown him
right in the mix.
This is a really poor
piece of sewing. Yeah.
I think I know which should win
Garment Of The Week. Yes.
But we probably need to have a bit
more of a think
about who's going home. I agree.
Well, sewers, we have been
around the world
and we have two final things to do.
The first one is a nice one.
Patrick, tell us who has won
Garment Of The Week.
Our Garment Of The Week
this week is...
THEY GASP
Yey! Oh!
She's done it again.
Farie, congratulations.
It was so beautifully made.
It was such a clever, clear idea.
Well done. Thank you.
Somebody does have to go home
and this has been the hardest
deliberation yet.
And that person is...
..Cathryn.
Absolutely. I totally agree. Yes.
Sewing is a very solitary hobby.
We've all been locked down for
so long, haven't we?
So, sort of it was like being let
out and then, being able to share
amongst such talented young people,
it was amazing, yes.
Very, very sad to be sending
Cathryn home,
but I think between some
silly mistakes
and just a little lack of ambition,
I think, sadly,
it is her time to leave.
It's all you've got to do,
a massive bow.
You hear that, guys?
Massive bows every week.
After the day I had yesterday,
it's unbelievable.
Garment Of The Week,
two weeks in a row?
Wow!
That's just...wow!
Next time... Hello.
..it's Children's Week.
Very fiddly.
The sewers tackle a teeny-weeny
pattern challenge...
There isn't enough to make myself
a pair of decent shorts.
..explore the deep
in the transformation...
I don't think I've seen anyone else
making a jellyfish.
..and make a mac in the
Made To Measure.
Mine is going to be enormous.
Who will end up on cloud nine? Oh!
This coat will rock
the school playground.
And who'll get caught short...
I think I might have to make
a new hood. Ah...
..in the storm?
I feel sorry for the poor little lad
that's got to wear this.
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07x04 - Episode 4
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Amateur sewers take on challenges as they compete to be named Britain's best home sewer.
Amateur sewers take on challenges as they compete to be named Britain's best home sewer.