Congratulations. It's a...
..new series of Sewing Bee!
You have been blessed
with adorable new sewers,
a cute new presenter
and a nice big new house for us all
to live in up here in Yorkshire.
Welcome to The Great British
Sewing Bee.
I hope you like sewing!
One historic wool mill,
12 brand-new home sewers.
I'm in the Sewing Bee.
This is crazy.
It means everything to me
to be here.
It's being put into this
magical world of fabric
and threads and design
and letting yourself go.
Oh, wow!
Each week, the sewers will face
three challenges
to test their precision,
creativity and ability
to fit to a model.
When I watch Sewing Bee, I'm saying,
"It's ridiculous. They can't make a
dress properly in five hours."
But now I'm here. I'm going to make
a dress in five hours!
Out of everything I've done in
my life,
this is, like, probably the peak.
All will be scrutinised by
the judges, Esme and Patrick.
Last year saw an expl*si*n in sales
of sewing machines.
Statistics tell us more young men
than young women took up sewing,
and that's reflected in
the sewers we have this year.
I love that on you!
You made it! It's really good.
The sewers are getting better
and better,
and challenges are getting harder
and harder.
They've got to be bold
and take risks.
And I'm excited to see
what they're going to come up with.
When I meet Patrick and Esme, I'll
have to stop myself from saying,
"Can I have your autograph, please?"
I'm just hoping Patrick smells
as good as he looks.
There's a chance.
You know, like tweed, but slightly
musky at the same time.
Who will win garment of the week?
I do like to win, win, win.
And who...
Argh!
..will unravel?
I would rather have a plan,
but I don't. So...
This is so reckless,
what you're doing, Mitch.
The Sewing Bee has travelled
200 miles from London
to its new home,
an old wool factory near Leeds,
where yarn has been produced
for hundreds of years.
Hello, sewers.
Hello!
I wanted to celebrate your arrival,
and my new job,
with a fireworks display,
but they told me that that would
come out of my wages, so...
Woo! Hurray!
Welcome to Sewing Bee.
Come forward.
How are you all feeling?
Nervous. Nervous, yeah.
LAUGHTER
Yeah.
Well, I'm over the moon to be
working with you.
Well, watching you work.
This first week is all about
creating a capsule wardrobe,
so that is a small versatile set
of clothes that are easy
to pack up if you're going away.
For instance, to a sewing
competition in Yorkshire.
Esme, would you give out
the pattern challenge?
Right. Pass these round.
Thank you.
There you go.
Thank you very much.
Patrick and I want you to make
a mini skirt.
It has two patch pockets
with piping round the edge.
And in homage to our fabulous
new home,
we want wool from Yorkshire.
There's a great choice of textures
and colours.
The haberdashery is piled high.
You have two hours
and 45 minutes for this,
your very first challenge.
Best of luck,
and your time starts now.
LAUGHTER
Woohoo!
Ooh, look at that!
Look at the fabric!
Ooh! Yes, yes.
So no, no, I am excited.
This is... It's good to get started.
I've gone for a pink.
Um, it'll remind me of
Legally Blonde.
Yorkshire produces some
absolutely fantastic fabrics,
so it's amazing to use Yorkshire
wool in the first challenge.
The 1950s were a golden era
for Yorkshire's wool trade.
It provided the finest cloth
to Savile Row tailors
and the most prestigious fashion
houses across the world.
And Yorkshire wool is still
the fabric of choice
for many of them today.
I've never made a mini skirt in
wool,
so never anything like this.
But it is really cute. I think I'd
wear something like this, actually.
So, here we are in a wool mill.
Why have you asked them to make
a little wool skirt?
I mean, we're really celebrating
the best of British textiles,
and it's a great choice for
a skirt.
It should have a lovely drape.
And it presses really, really well.
So the fabric could be working in
their favour? Yes, definitely.
But we've asked for
two piped patch pockets,
and I think it is deceptively
difficult because of that.
The piping has to be nice and even,
but also the patch pockets,
they need to be symmetrical because,
if they're not, we'll really notice.
We've asked for an exposed zip.
Obviously we want the zip evenly
inserted in the correct place.
Well, it's a little skirt,
but it's a big challenge.
Let's hope they don't fluff it up!
Ha!
How do I turn on the iron?
Oh, it's on!
I'm so excited.
I feel like I'm in a dream,
like it's not actually happening.
Let's make a start.
I read all the instructions first,
just as a once through.
The pattern for the mini skirt
starts with sewing the pockets,
which are edged with piping
and attached to the front piece.
The zip is inserted
and then the back is sewn
to the front.
Facing is applied at the top
of the waist,
concealing the raw edges.
And finally, it is hemmed
and pressed.
Hello.
Oh, hello.
Look at that colour!
And then I got orange piping.
It's a very obvious contrast.
It's vibrant!
No, vibrant's good!
Debra lives in Llanfairfechan,
North Wales.
She has a self-sewn wardrobe
of glamorous clothes
and loves to show them off at work.
I'm personal assistant in
a medical manufacturing facility.
Even in an environment like that,
if I'm going to dress
like a peacock, I will.
Have you read through
the instructions? Yes.
All the way through?
Uh, d... Uh, do you know,
you've got a zoom of understanding
when somebody's lying.
I've had a look on the first page.
I'm NOW going to read
the whole thing through.
I just felt like I wanted to get
scissors in fabric and get started.
I was a bit nervous. Well...
Thank you both. ..good luck.
Thank you.
Right. I want to get everything
cut out
so that I don't have a breakdown.
Mitch is a theatre manager living
in Cumbria with his family.
You waving, Fred?
He took up sewing during lockdown,
but it isn't his only hobby.
Thanks to his fiancee Lisa,
he also played in a band.
I desperately wanted to go on a date
with Lisa.
Lisa was working in
an Abba tribute band
and they needed somebody
to play their Benny,
so I said, "Yes, I will do it."
And most importantly, I got my date.
Mitch, this is your fiancee?
It is.
Had you seen her in the Abba tribute
band and that's why you liked her?
No. No?
She introduced me to my ex-wife.
Complicated. That's a complicated
backstory. Yeah.
I love it. Marry her first. Yeah.
She'll train you up. Yeah.
Come back in a few years,
we'll tour the world
and make some babies.
Yeah, that's it. Yeah.
That's exactly how it went.
Right. Cutting out - done that.
Piping.
Piping's this really nice detail
that goes around
the edge of the pocket.
The sewers can either make
their own piping
or choose from the selection
that's been provided.
I'm relieved that
there's premade piping
and I don't have to make my own!
I'm doing my very first stitch.
Obviously ready-made piping
is just faster.
But the easy option isn't
for Angela.
Right. I've just made my own piping
by cutting the fabric.
There was ready-made piping,
but I prefer the colour, really.
Hopefully...
..it'll be OK.
Red dahlias, aren't they?
Oh!
Angela's a school nurse
in Lancashire who won an award
for her work during the pandemic.
When she's off-duty, she's looking
after her grandchildren.
I've got five grandchildren and,
depending on where they're up
to with the speech development,
depends what they call me.
The older two call me Grange,
because it was Granny Ang.
That's me - Grange.
Angela.
Hello.
So, you've made your own piping?
I've made me own piping, yes.
Ooh! Very well done.
Now, sewing with wool - is that
something you've done much of?
I used to when I was doing
my nurse training
because I used to make all
me clothes then.
It's just 45 years to the day
since I actually started me nurse
training, so I'm...
Is it? Yeah.
Oh, well, happy anniversary.
Steve, though,
has nothing to celebrate.
I cut my piping too short.
That side's fine, there's enough
space there to turn it under.
This side....nicht so gut.
Can't just be leaving raw edges
all over the shop!
Steve is from Essex,
but now lives in Newcastle
with his girlfriend
and works as a running coach.
Oh, my God, we can't! It's raining!
Cool. Good job.
He's an avid Millwall fan
and took up sewing during lockdown
when he could no longer go to games.
Being a guy, being a Millwall fan,
those are two things that aren't
necessarily synonymous with sewing.
How you getting on?
I cut the piping too short.
Oops! You got a raw bit of piping.
Everything about this challenge is
new to me. I've never used wool...
OK, so you've never done piping,
never done wool.
I've very rarely done exposed zips.
In that case,
we'd better let you get on!
MUSIC: Gotta See My Baby Every Day
by Sandie Shaw
So, guys, you're halfway through!
SHE INHALES SHARPLY
I'm attaching the pockets
to the skirt.
This is the scariest bit.
I don't want to sew holes
in the piping.
Hi, I'm Annie, I'm from Surrey.
I'm 32, and I live with my
boyfriend, Dan, and my family.
Hello. Hello.
Annie is a junior fashion buyer
for a high street store.
Sewing isn't her only passion.
Annie, I heard that you
like crystals.
This one's massive.
This must be luck.
It's meant to be, like, good energy,
like, cleaning the energy.
So, around me it should be like...
Yeah. ..positivity.
Can you feel that, Mitch?
Do you feel the good energy?
I don't want to hear no bad vibes!
Like a ray of sunshine!
If you win the Sewing Bee,
then there'll be all these women
at home going,
"I knew crystals were
onto something!"
I know, literally. Yeah.
My friend Aisling's really
into crystals,
and when I was doing IVF, she got me
some, and then I got pregnant.
Oh, my God!
She was like, "The crystals worked!"
And I was like, "The scientists
would hate to hear you say."
Marni could certainly use
some healing vibes.
I'm not happy.
I am just trying to take out
some slightly dodgy top stitching
on these pockets.
I am like that.
Particular, fussy, perfectionist.
Marni is a vet based in Torquay.
I'd love to think of myself as
a haute couture clothes horse.
Um, that's what I'd really like
to be.
But in reality now, I'm
a middle-aged veterinary surgeon
and I spend just about most of
my life looking at dogs' bottoms.
Is it true that cos everyone got
pets in lockdown, vets are too busy?
Yes. Everyone's got a dog.
Yeah. Everyone's got a c*ck.
They're like little teddy bears.
You don't like them?
Give us the goss on c*ck!
Oh, no. My mum and dad's got two!
They're amazing
and they really don't mind if you
cut their nails or trim their feet.
That is true? Or not true?
What, they're fussy?
Oh, I see.
This is the exposed zip.
I'm so nervous.
I can't sew a straight line.
But Mitch is struggling
to get his zip in at all.
Don't jam up!
MACHINE BEEPS
Just jammed a pin in the machine.
That could be a problem.
Right. I need patience now.
The zip is so thick. Oh, my gosh.
Come show everyone your outfit!
Brogan is a teacher originally
from Edinburgh,
now living in Leicestershire
with her fiance
and her sausage dog, Roger.
I would describe my sewing style
as feminine.
I'm definitely the person
that would wear
a giant puff sleeve cerise
pink jumpsuit to Asda.
Right, I've done my zip.
I'm just a bit conscious
about time now.
What's that?
Guys, you've got half an hour left.
Half an hour.
HE GASPS
Oh, my God!
Mitch, don't pull it apart now.
My thread has split
and jammed in the machine.
I've been sabotaged by my machine,
I've been sabotaged by
the poor cotton threads.
Ooh, is it the cotton?
Is it the machine?
You're blaming a lot of things,
Mitch.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
It's clearly not me.
While Mitch battles with
his machine,
the rest of the sewers are
joining the fronts and backs.
Are you happy? Yes.
Good. Woohoo!
Yeah. It looks like a skirt! Woohoo!
I just want to stitch down the
facing inside for a bit of strength.
Oh, this is going to be fun.
One of the main flaws in a facing is
if it sort of turns over
to the front,
so I'm happy - it's hidden.
Sara, look at that.
It's morphed into this kind
of like slightly punk rock...
Yeah, it's gorgeous.
And those are the piped pockets,
which I'm not happy with.
Do you know what it is?
It's a bit West Ham.
I've offended everyone.
OK, I'm leaving.
So, you've got five minutes left
now, everyone.
That's slightly scary.
I'm behind.
I need to try and calm down a bit.
Angela? Doable?
Just doing the hem. I'll be done.
Best of luck. Thank you.
Oh, my God.
I did just break a needle.
Oh, no. My thread has come off.
Really isn't something you want
to happen this close to the end.
One minute left, guys.
Come on... Oh...
Get your skirts on your mannequins
now.
Oh, my God.
How do I get it on?
Do we go over the top?
Mitch! Yes, all right!
I worry when I see
a naked mannequin.
This is garbage.
Right. Come on!
Dog's dinner.
Oh, God!
HE SIGHS
Nightmare.
Your skirts may be mini,
but your time is maxed out.
That's the end of
the first challenge.
Done!
Stick a fork in it.
Yes!
SHE LAUGHS
It's quite a mess,
and I've broken the machine.
But I've made a skirt!
# Come to the party,
come to the dance
# I only hope you're gonna give me
one more chance... #
12 mini skirts ready for the first
judging of this year's Sewing Bee.
So, they've made us mini skirts,
but have any of them come up short?
What are your first impressions?
I think they look great.
# I hope that you do, yeah... #
Great choice of fabric.
Really dark charcoal
and red herringbone,
and you've picked it out
with this black binding.
Everything is running in really
nice, smooth lines
and you've made those pockets
very even.
The zip looks really, really neat.
Facing's nicely sewn in.
You've done a really good job.
Thank you.
Your orange piping is SO visible,
but, actually, you've made that
piping very even.
Well done. Thank you.
The facing's very neat, actually,
and top stitching here's good.
Really impressed.
Thank you.
It's beautifully, crisply
finished throughout.
The piping has nice round corners,
clean at the top.
I'm quite impressed, actually,
with how you've done that.
I love that you made
your own piping.
You've used the same fabric for
the facing,
and I love the combination of
the colours.
Yeah, I think you've done
a good job.
Pleased? I am, yes.
I'm a bit relieved, though!
How did you feel about sewing this?
A little bit sick. I still do.
LAUGHTER
They're very uneven, these pockets.
That one's lower than that one.
Let's look at the facing.
Raw edges here.
Oh, I haven't looked at the hem.
WHISPERS: I wouldn't.
Look!
SHE LAUGHS
What on earth's going on there?
I panicked.
So, you've had a right old nightmare
with that. Oh, yeah, absolutely.
We could say it was a feature.
Yeah!
It's got a really bold look to it.
Feels to me quite Chanel.
But the top looks wobbly here.
You've got autumnal
colours of tweed,
you've got a yellow piping,
and you've got a bright yellow zip.
Personally, I think there's just
a bit too much going on.
It's a little bit stretched here,
but good choice of colour,
cos dark colours don't
show mistakes.
I like this orange zip,
but we've got a bit of
the facing showing over the top.
The piping looks fatter here.
Ooh! Look!
LAUGHTER
The pockets aren't even.
Is that longer than that one?
It is true. It is true. Yeah.
HE LAUGHS
I know you had problems with the
piping, didn't you? Yeah.
You know, it's very uneven.
And we have a little problem
with the bottom of the zip.
We've got a raw bit of fabric,
which is fraying.
It is quite untidy in various
different places.
Yeah, it's just a rush job.
The judges will rank the mini skirts
from 12th to first place.
12th place - Mitch.
It looked a little bit like you
were struggling,
but you'll have better days.
In 11th place is Steve.
The piping looks uneven.
That was a big mistake.
Chichi's tenth,
Man Yee ninth,
Annie is eighth,
Richy's seventh,
Gill sixth,
Cristian fifth,
Debra fourth, and Brogan is third.
Second place...
..is Marni.
Incredibly fine margins.
It was perfectly accurate,
beautifully pressed.
Well done. Thank you.
Well, I think we know who's
in first place. Angela!
Yay, well done!
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Really, really well sewn
and also the colours
went well together.
Thank you. Yes. I'm quite emo...
I cry at everything.
SHE LAUGHS
Well, you can have a little cry,
as long as it's a happy cry.
Yeah. I cry all the time,
so don't worry about it.
# To be with you, love, every day
# I must be lucky... #
Well, that was a bit of a surprise.
That makes me feel like I'm not such
a fraud to be here after all,
and if I've won, then I must be able
to sew a little bit.
Pretty brutal on the feedback,
not going to lie.
But just to finish it
was a big achievement for me.
I've really got to go for it now.
It can only get better.
The sewers will get no instructions
for the next challenge
as they let their imaginations
run riot.
It's time for
the transformation challenge.
Every week, you're going to be asked
to transform something unwanted
into something different,
so that could be old jumpers
into a dog's coat,
or it could be an old tablecloth
into a summer dress,
or it could be your
ex-boyfriend's suits
into a banner warning
his future lovers.
Patrick, what are they going to be
transforming this week?
Well, hopefully this challenge
will see you
firmly in your comfort zone.
It's loungewear.
Ooh... Oh, my God.
Now I, of course, prefer to do all
of my lounging in a Savile Row suit,
but apparently many of you during
the pandemic
have been wearing
this sort of stuff.
You can only have one top,
one bottom to make
a glamorous going-out top.
Now, Patrick and Esme won't be
with us for this challenge,
so at the end
they won't know whose is whose.
A bit like keys in a bowl
at one of my parties.
Good luck.
So, the clothes may be for lounging,
but you're about to get very busy
because you've only got an hour
and a half for this challenge,
and your time starts now.
Go, go, go, go, go, go, go!
Go, go, go!
Whoa.
Ooh, that's so ugly!
Just grabbing things
and see what happens, yes.
My going-out style is,
I tend to wear just less clothes!
SHE LAUGHS
If I'm... If I'm honest.
We've asked for a top
that you can go out-out in.
So, either party or kind of
disco wear.
I think probably what they will do
is use the trim from
the haberdashery
to make it a bit more disco-y.
But we have given them
quite a good selection of
different jersey pieces.
Prints. Waistbands.
Drawcords.
Oh, and look - stripes.
This is their first opportunity
to say something big
about their own personality
and their taste and style.
They really have to think
carefully about this
and absolutely go for it.
God, I'm panicking.
I've got jogging bottoms,
and what I'm going to do,
I'm going to use these to make
a shirt with, like, a tie.
I've picked bottoms
because I thought they had
a nice evening-y sort of feel.
I'm going to try and do
some grey ruffles.
I am a child of the '80s,
so it's going to be neon pink
with double sleeve as a contrast.
It's looking a bit Flashdance-y,
isn't it?
My top features scrunched stripes
and then sleeves.
But, basically, with this fringe,
I wanted to add it
so that it hangs off from
the sleeves,
so you have a little bit of,
like, sleeve fringe
when you're dancing.
Man Yee is a pension's actuary
living in London.
I started sewing because I wanted to
make costumes to go
to Comic Con in London
with my friends.
My friends and I were only, like,
12 years old, I think, at the time.
I made my own Japanese
school uniform.
I wouldn't wear it any more,
but it was fun at the time.
It's going OK.
I can imagine right at the top
having a bit of a dance
to a Mika song or, like, Queen.
Just a lot of arm waving.
Hey, Chichi.
Hello.
How's it going?
Good.
The trouser legs will be sleeves
and this is going to be like
a sort of waistband,
but hopefully
it's going to be backless... Ooh!
..is the goal.
Yeah. Yeah, skimpy.
Chichi is a molecular biologist
living in Surrey.
The lab I currently work in,
it's built for PCR,
which is fortunate cos
now everyone knows what PCR is.
My 12-year-old self would be
very happy
to know that I'm now
a research analyst.
This is it. I've made it.
So, what would you wear on
a night out?
I would usually wear very little
when I'm going out.
I like to go to club nights,
letting go of nine to five.
Yeah?
It's different.
What kind of dancing do you do?
When you've just walked in,
you don't want to be too obvious.
You're like, "Yeah..."
And then eventually, you're just
like, "Yeah!" Yeah.
And then you sort of go, "Ahh!"
And so it is really coming from the
butt. It's all here.
Is this the same?
MUSIC: Saturday Night
by Whigfield
I look like I'm doing
callisthenics,
which you won't remember,
but it's from the '80s.
Mums used to do it
for their pelvic floor.
Pelvic floor exercises, anyone?
Get in the mirror,
have a bit of fun,
because no-one else
is actually watching.
These guys are now.
# Saturday night,
I feel the air is getting hot... #
So, guys, you're halfway
through now.
Oh, my God.
# I'll make you mine, you know
I'll take you to the top... #
I'm making a crop top with
a bit of bling.
These are going to be the straps
for the top
and I'm going to tie them in bows.
Brogan isn't the only sewer jazzing
up their creation.
My garment has black
and red stripes
with sexy butterfly mesh,
which I've put on inside out.
So, I'll unpick that
and do it again.
This is something I would wear
going out,
just like a bodice and then
a pink trim to make it cool.
But cool and contemporary isn't
for Richy.
His idea of a going out top
is a little unorthodox.
It's Georgian-inspired.
The colours as well.
I just love historical garments.
Richy lives in Shrewsbury
with his partner Dave
and works as a baker.
He's history mad
and visits museums for inspiration.
I love recreating something that
has been made before.
All the undergarments,
like corsets, I just love.
Richy.
Hello.
This is exciting.
It's Georgian.
This is exactly the kind of colours
that I would wear.
I'm basically saying I would like
to buy this top.
I hate it.
This is my worst challenge.
I don't really do stuff
for going out.
Sproffly neck, I mean, it looks
really perfect for a night out.
Yeah, you just brought it out.
I think you're doing a great job,
Richy. See you in a bit. Thank you.
Richy isn't the only sewer doubting
their design.
I've added ribbing to make
the V neck.
It basically looks like
another sweatshirt.
Ooh, that's a nice one.
It's so awful!
If I just put my head behind it,
you can't tell it's mine.
Marni, we think yours is great
over here.
I don't know why you're laughing at
it so much.
"Marni, why did you pick those
colours? What were you thinking?"
SHE SIGHS
I'm making a wrap top,
but it's horrendous.
This is not going to be worn at
any event.
Event to the bin.
This is the wrap top as well.
So, I was going to put a tie on it,
or maybe that'll just totally
screw it all up.
I'm obviously not very creative
at all.
Gill lives in Doncaster
with her husband Darren.
She works as a public health
intelligence analyst,
researching the effects of Covid.
From a distance, my style could be
described as Audrey Hepburn.
But if you look closely,
it's, "Mm, no."
Aw. I mean, I think that this may be
a "stay at home and have drinks"
top.
I'm not sure that I would actually
go out in this.
Gill might not be feeling confident,
but one sewer couldn't be
more excited.
I feel a bit in my element.
Designing puffy sleeves,
being creative,
this is really my thing.
Cristian manages a fashion store
and lives in Liverpool.
It's a far cry
from where he was born.
I grew up in Romania,
close to Dracula's castle,
in the middle of the mountains.
So, obviously,
I was around my mum a lot,
looking at how she's sewing.
That's how I started.
I'm making frills.
I'd rather go wild or go home.
This is for a pop star.
That's bit of bling on the front.
Ruffles on the back.
Good.
Is it something Beyonce
would wear, do you think?
Or, um, one of
the Kardashian sisters?
Ooh, this is very interesting.
It's just not
a very glamorous shape.
It-it isn't, but...
Thank you!
..I'm sure you could wear it in a
glamorous way or glamourise it up.
Yeah. If you wear a really big hat
and some thigh-high boots,
no-one would look at the top.
That's the thing.
And a little thong.
Right. I think I'm going to have
to go a little bit mad now.
I'm changing the shape.
Are you the kind of person who can
just sort of think as you go?
I would rather have a plan,
but I don't, so...
This is so reckless,
what you're doing, Mitch!
Let's breathe.
Guys, we've got 15 minutes left.
That looks really good, Annie.
Mine? Yeah.
I'm just gathering.
Scrunched the fabric up
with my fingers!
I'm going crazy.
I haven't even tried it out.
Oh, God, no. Garish.
It's all horrible. It's all hideous.
This, to be honest,
it's a very boring thing.
This is incredible.
Are you pleased?
No. No.
I'm a control freak all the way.
This isn't my happy place.
I've thought of something
for your clothes. OK.
Ah, Marni. Yeah?
And it sounds like Armani.
Yeah. Primarni's the other one.
What an absolute mess.
There's more edges!
I need a little bit more bling.
Is this a lollipop?
No, that came in some flowers
from me grandchildren.
Don't get distracted!
Tell me the story another time!
It's just not gone well, again!
Are you happy?
I like my frills.
I just need some puffiness
to the sleeves.
Well, quickly do it now!
I know!
Right, it's some sort of sleeve.
One minute left. Time to put your
nice tops on your mannequins.
Ahh!
Oh...
Mitch, I see you at the back.
Put your top on a mannequin!
Yes, all right.
Backless situation.
It's going to be a little top, but
that's the look we're all going for.
Oh...
Absolutely horrendous.
Sewers, that is the end of
the allotted time.
Please bring your mannequins forward
and muddle them up.
And breathe.
SHE LAUGHS
Marni. That's good!
Ooh, dear lord, woman.
Specsavers, I'm going to recommend
to you.
# Ooh, I put on my shoes
and I'm ready for the weekend
# Ooh, I put on my shoes
and I'm ready for the weekend... #
12 loungewear transformations
in just 90 minutes.
Patrick and Esme have no idea
whose is whose.
So, we've got a lot
of going-out tops,
but do any of them tell you should
be staying in?
Mm!
THEY LAUGH
They look brilliant.
Fabulous.
# Ooh, I put on my shoes
and I'm ready for the weekend... #
Ooh. I really like this fringe.
This kind of ombre tassel works
really well.
And I love the stripes
that they've threaded.
And this has got Studio 54
disco written all over it.
It looks a lot of fun. I could
actually see you out in this one.
Oh, yes.
THEY LAUGH
This feels very dramatic as well,
and... It certainly does.
..that trim feels very going out.
It's very successful,
this transformation. Yeah.
A backless top.
It's a very dramatic back.
Statement sleeves.
It definitely shouts going out.
I like the combination of
the colours and I love the trim.
It feels very current.
The whole thing is
very cleverly done.
This, to me, feels
slightly Elizabethan feast
at Game of Thrones, somehow.
Just the velvet
and the shape of the neck opening.
I think this is for
a night out drinking mead.
It does feel a little
bit costume-y.
Oh, look at the back, Patrick.
Mm-hm.
I don't think it needed this.
Can you imagine disco dancing in
that?
Well, I'm not sure I can!
I love the tucks.
But the fringe...
Yeah.
..it's a bit like costume.
A tie-fronted top.
It still feels quite sporty rather
than dressed up.
I think you might wear this to
a tea party.
Or a rave at the tennis club.
Wrap top.
You do see a bit of sparkle,
but you have to look quite closely.
Yeah.
Again, we've got a wrap.
It's actually quite chic.
But it doesn't feel out-out.
It doesn't look like
a going-out top.
It feels very sporty.
They've added binding
that's not terrific.
I mean, it's got a slight
Dennis the Menace...
Oh, yeah, that's true. ..hint to it.
Dennis the Menace would definitely
go disco dancing in that.
MUSIC: Take On Me
by A-ha
This seems familiar
from discos of the 1980s.
Ooh! It's a shoulder pad.
You know, I could've seen Pan's
People in this on Top Of The Pops.
It's terrific.
# In a day or two
# Take on me... #
Again, we've got a very '80s-looking
top.
I think it's a very dramatic shape.
They've cut the neck off
and they've inserted
the waistband rib,
which I think looks really cool.
We've got a sleeve within
a sleeve to make this shape.
It works.
It's really graphic,
such a total transformation
from what it would've been
originally,
which, I guess, was a hoodie
and a pair of jogging bottoms.
I love it.
Patrick and Esme will now rank
the garments from bottom to top.
12th place is
the Dennis the Menace top.
Mitch.
Didn't feel very going out-y.
Well, if you need to go for a run
and then to a bar,
as Dennis the Menace, you're set.
11th place,
it's the Elizabethan piece
with a train.
It's Angela's.
Angela.
Would you go out in a wafting train?
Debra's tenth, Richy is ninth,
Steve is eighth, Gill, seventh,
Chichi, sixth, Cristian, fifth,
Brogan, fourth, and Annie is third.
Second place...
..is...
..this one.
That's Man Yee.
I just absolutely loved the fringe.
Thank you.
# Anything could happen
Anything could happen... #
In first place is our super graphic
pink and grey top,
which must be Marni.
APPLAUSE
Thank you. Thank you.
Milk it!
You look surprised.
I am.
That's the vet talking.
There are so many clever
little details.
Definitely has a really '80s feel
about it.
I am a child of the '80s.
Maybe I'll start wearing neon pink,
you never know.
I'm pleasantly surprised.
I am really surprised.
Sometimes I feel I'm not
terribly inventive.
But I've done OK so far, yeah.
Let's not say any more.
You know, the higher you go,
the further to fall.
I would definitely wear it clubbing.
You've got the fringes,
so you want to show them off,
so like a lot of waves.
And perhaps like... Oh, my God!
Like, a lot of arm, arm movements.
I love arm movements.
I couldn't help but laugh when
they said Dennis the Menace.
But, actually,
Dennis the Menace stands out.
At least you know who that is!
# Pretty little baby
# Yah, yah
# Pretty little baby
# Yah, yah... #
For the final challenge,
the sewers must demonstrate
their fitting skills.
They've had a chance to practise
the garment at home...
Hello! Hi.
Hi, nice to meet you.
..but this is the first time
they have met the person
they are fitting to.
Please make my dress look
nice today!
Yes!
This has to be a redemption story.
Right, I'm with you.
Hello, sewers.
It's now time for your first
made-to-measure challenge.
Now, as you were all
so brilliant yesterday
and none of you broke a mannequin,
today you're being entrusted
with a real-life human.
Hello, beautiful models,
and welcome.
As it's capsule wardrobe week,
the judges would like you to make
a dress that's suitable
for any occasion -
the wrap dress,
which also happens to be
the easiest dress to flash in.
That's not relevant.
You have five hours, and your time
starts now.
Trying to fit it to
the model is a new experience.
I'm trying to work out where
everything is meant to go.
Oh, God, I hope it's right.
Diane von Furstenberg popularised
the wrap dress in the 1970s.
It's since evolved into
a multitude of much-loved variations
and is a firm fixture in many
a wardrobe.
It's either make or break today.
Vindication. This is what this is
going to be an attempt of.
Question - how do I make my evening
dress more like my bathrobe?
Answer - the wrap dress.
Correct.
Why have you chosen the wrap dress?
Well, I think it's a good challenge
because it'll allow them a bit
of scope to bring some of their own
flair to it, you know?
We could have mini, midi
or maxi hemlines,
we would have a cap sleeve,
a cuff sleeve, a puff sleeve.
They've got loads of design
detail they can bring to this.
But it's really important
how it fits over the bust.
It goes between the breasts...
Yeah.
..so what you don't want to
happen is it bagging
and their bosoms will show.
Their bosoms will show.
Everyone here's been given
a vest, just in case.
Ooh. Right, let's just start.
Hello, judges.
Hello. Gosh, this is lovely.
Tell us about the style that
you're going to make for us.
It's based on my time in
an Abba tribute band,
one of the first outfits
I saw my fiancee in was
the little kimono with
the coloured stripe.
I vaguely remember it.
So, you can sing?
A little bit, yes.
Go on. Give us a tune.
Oh, no, no. Give us a tune. I don't
think anybody's ready for that.
Mitch's Abba wrap dress features
a contrast band and belt
and an asymmetric hem.
Right, so how are you feeling about
this challenge?
Relevant to me at the minute
is possibly SOS. Uh...
Wahey!
I really, really hope
I've gimme, gimme, gimme'd myself
a chance with this pattern.
Best of luck.
Thank you, both.
While Mitch harnesses
his inner super trooper,
Debra is taking
a chance on high fashion.
One of my favourite designers
is Erdem
and so I looked at some of
his black and white,
romantic designs
and I tried to do my version
of that.
Debra's chosen an abstract print and
a bold contrast binding, which will
edge the entire dress and sleeves.
She hopes it's fancy enough to show
off to her workmates back in Wales.
Debra, do you speak Welsh?
I am Welsh and it's my first
language, and it's what we all spoke
in Penmachno... Yeah.
..where I grew up.
There's a funny phrase
for microwave. Popty ping.
See, that's what I like about
the Welsh language. I know.
Why did we have the stupid word
microwave
when popty ping
covers it so brilliantly?
I know, it's ace, isn't it?
It's great.
There's a weird word
for cannabis, is there?
I don't know! Oh, you don't know?
Oh, good. OK, that was a test.
She's passed the drugs test, guys.
She's clean.
Hi, Annie. Hello.
Hi.
I love this print.
Is there any particular inspiration
for this dress?
It's inspired by my granny.
So, she's from Ghana
and she wears lots of these bold,
colourful prints.
She taught me to sew, so for
my first challenge,
I wanted to do something...
Oh, that's fabulous. Yeah.
..that represented her.
Annie's African floral print wrap
dress will feature flared sleeves
and a ruffled hem.
And the big ruffle on the bottom
will take some time.
Well, we'll leave you to get
on with it, hey?
Yeah. I think we better.
Thank you so much.
For mine, I went to the original
wrap dress, which I thought,
going back centuries and centuries,
is a kimono, wrap-over style.
So, it's got kimono-style sleeves.
Richy's wrap dress will feature
a kimono-inspired sash,
a stand-up collar
and supersize split sleeves.
I love the drama of the big sleeve.
Yeah. Oh! What's here?
Ah, so, I did a regency outfit
during lockdown for a friend of mine
and I made a pair of stays.
I love historical things.
I've got a whole selection
of underwear,
some of which is like that.
Wow. Now, that's impressive.
THEY CHUCKLE
With everything cut out,
the sewers set to work
on their fitted bodices.
Mitch, you feeling good?
Yeah. I've started my front bodice.
On track.
But Chichi has more than
the front to worry about.
This is my cut-out back detail.
Oh, gosh, yeah. You did that with
your transformation as well,
didn't you... I did. ..the back?
It's daring.
I do love a cheeky cut-out.
Her open-back bodice will be
enhanced with flutter sleeves,
all made with animal-print satin.
I'm advocating for animal print.
It's flashy, but I'm not sure
what animal this is.
It's a luminescent leopard.
THEY LAUGH
Gill's dress is
a little more demure.
It was inspired by
a dress that Kate Middleton wore.
I just thought that she looked
really classy in it.
It features elbow-length sleeves
and shoulder gathers, giving way to
an elegant fit around the bust.
I can't stretch the bodice.
Kate Middleton wouldn't
be wearing it then,
unless she was breast-feeding.
My bodice will feature
gathered ruffles.
I'm a ruffle addict.
Brogan's ruffle wrap dress will be
made from a gingham print and
it's enhanced with a contrast tie.
My fabric's cotton.
It's very stable
and THE nicest fabric to sew.
So, I might've been
a bit tactical there.
But a stable fabric isn't
for Man Yee.
Oh, no. It slipped.
Hello, Man Yee. How you getting on?
I am using organza.
Gosh, that is almost invisible
and weightless.
It's week one,
you've chosen one of
the most difficult fabrics to sew.
But if I get kicked out,
at least I've done this.
Yeah, "At least
I've done some organza!"
Man Yee's using
her lightweight organza
to sculpture supersized puff sleeves
and a voluminous gathered
skirt.
She's also making a slip that will
be visible underneath.
So, you confident? No.
Oh, OK.
It could have amazing impact.
Yeah. Thank you.
Sewers, you are halfway through.
That's fine.
You can only go so quick
when your fabric is too thin.
I don't want the punch holes here.
While Man Yee perseveres
with her organza,
the rest of the sewers move on to
the all-important bodice fitting.
The front fits.
SHE GIGGLES
A good fit at the front is
one thing,
but Chichi also has
the back to worry about.
Why am I panicking?
Oh... My cut-out back detail is
baggy.
I'm going to have to
tighten seams.
Not happy with that.
And the front, oh, looks loose.
Chichi might be concerned
with the fit,
but Steve's concentrating on colour.
The colours look great on you,
actually.
Good-oh.
I took my inspiration from films
of Wes Anderson's.
I'm, like, a massive Wes Anderson
fan
and really love the colour schemes
that he uses in a lot of his films.
Wes Anderson's films,
like the Grand Budapest Hotel,
feature chalky colours,
which Steve is reflecting using
clashing bold blocks of linen.
He's also making turn-up sleeves.
Oh, no way. Major mistake.
Rookie error, basically.
I just sewed these sleeves together.
Yellow goes with yellow,
but I did yellow with blue.
Let's unpick an entire row
of stitching and finishing.
Right. Make up for lost time. Fine.
OK, you can take it off now.
I want to finish
this slip underneath.
And that's all to protect
your modesty, you see.
Cos if she was going out,
Man Yee would just wear it with
nothing underneath.
Oh, yeah, absolutely!
Just a Wetherspoons on
a Tuesday lunchtime!
Having a Quorn pie.
You've got an hour left, guys.
I'm changing the fit. So stressful!
The sleeves aren't done.
I just don't know if I've got enough
time to get anywhere near finished.
VOICE-OVER: While Steve and Chichi
battle with their bodices...
How's it going?
It is going pretty well. Woohoo!
Just got to put the bottom to
the top.
..the rest of the sewers are forming
their dresses
and can move on to
the design details.
I'm doing black bias.
It's a decorative band.
I'm going to make a flounce.
When it's cut and you do
the flounce, it does this.
The curves of Cristian's flounce
will be echoed with his abstract
wave-print viscose fabric.
I need to check fit
before I add the flounce.
I love the shape of it.
This is a professional clothes
wearer complimenting your dress.
This is great!
Thank you so much.
I'm doing the ties.
If I'm going to do anything wrong,
this is where I'm going to do it.
So, I'm going to stitch that
to that. Yes.
Angela's highly visible tie will
form a statement sash.
Her flared skirt will be
echoed in her cuffs.
Let's go. We're all having fun.
SHE HUMS TUNE
Humming while you work?
Yes, I always talk
to myself as well.
Trying to top stitch the waistband,
and I've used a contrasting thread.
Of course, the downside of that
is that you can see errors.
Marni is not only adding top
stitching -
she's also making flutter sleeves.
Stressed, anxious,
but she won't be naked.
Right, I'm adding the ruffle.
Hopefully, my granny is proud of me
for this fabric.
Is this the kind
of dress that she would wear?
No, she probably wouldn't wear
a wrap dress.
She probably would have worn
something fitted to show off
her figure. Oh, really? Yeah! I see.
You got a saucy nan?
You have half an hour left now,
guys. No way.
I'm very behind.
Going to go for it with the skirt.
Oh! I haven't even been looking at
this thread.
We're running low.
Everything's going wrong.
Brogan, doable?
Yes. I've got the sleeves in.
Yes! Yeah.
Come on!
All good.
I'm just doing the binding on the
top of the sleeve. Very quickly.
Gosh. Why can't I thread my bobbin?
I'm unpicking, like,
a missed stitch.
Nerves are getting to me.
No. Oh, my gosh.
Chichi, are you OK?
No. This is a nightmare.
I'll help.
Just a minute. Oh, the top one.
Right round.
Can you see? That way.
Thank you.
I'd really appreciate a time check.
Everyone, we've got ten minutes left
now,
and we're going to bring
the models back.
Oh, my God. Not the models.
I promise I know what I'm doing.
You look to have so much of
a dress here.
But my machine just stopped. Oh!
And my elastic is stuck some...
Oh, no!
I've got angry thread,
so I'm unpicking.
Despite sewing for years,
I'm not confident in my dress.
Chichi,
you look deep in concentration.
I am concentrating
so hard right now.
Come on!
I like to do the hem at the bottom.
It'll either get done or it won't.
Pray for me.
Oh, my God. The hem slipped.
So, I'm just trying to find where
I stitched the bloody thing.
I don't think I have enough time
to hem properly.
If I don't laugh, I will cry.
Guys, one minute left.
You need to get those dresses
on the models now.
Mayday, mayday.
Oh, that fits. This is good.
Of course it fits.
I've got a raw edge. That is grim.
Give us a twirl.
Panic. Oh, my God.
There's so much pressure.
I've just got wet organza now.
Horrendous.
Don't look at the inside.
Just keep pulling.
Needles up, sewers.
That is the end of your first
made-to-measure challenge.
And that's a wrap...dress.
Well done, everyone.
APPLAUSE
I should've been able to finish it,
and I didn't.
Frustrating.
It looks too short.
Oh! Sexy.
Cut too much off.
How short is too short?
That short.
But I'll tell the judges,
"Believe me, that's supposed to be
like that."
Yeah. Well, can you walk like this?
Just to make it look a bit longer.
There you go. Solved.
Worried that it's not glamorous
enough.
Do you think I've done enough
to stay in the competition?
I hope so. I hope so.
Yes.
Look, look, you're saying,
"Yes, yes, I have."
I hope I have.
MUSIC: Arms Around The World
by Louise
# You and I
# Gonna wrap our loving arms
all around the world
# Gonna capture all the love in the
universe... #
12 wrap dresses made-to-measure
in just five hours.
# And wrap our arms
# Around the world
# The world
# Gonna capture all the love in
the universe
# All around the world... #
I love that you've brought a bit of
Ghana into the sewing room.
It's so vibrant.
I think the fit across
the bust is excellent.
The frill must've taken you
a considerable length of time.
What was the name
of your grandmother? Monica.
It's nice and colourful,
just like her.
Well, I think that's just
a fabulous story. It looks great.
I'm getting emotional now.
# Take me outside
# Sit in the green garden
# Nobody out there
# But it's OK now
# Bathe in the sunlight
# The money frame falls
# Take me outside
# Sit in a green garden... #
I really love the green
of this dress.
It feels very juicy.
The tie is beautifully symmetrical.
Well done.
Thank you.
# Oh, ah, oh, ah, oh
# Oh, ah, oh, ah, oh... #
It fits over the bust
and I love the frill.
This looks very you.
Thank you. You'd wear it,
wouldn't you? I would.
# And I'll fly on the wings of
a butterfly
# High as a treetop and
down again... #
It definitely has a feel of
the kimono to it.
The big sleeve looks really cool.
It's fun, it's chic.
You should be very pleased.
Thank you very much.
# I go wherever you go
# Wherever you take me, I'll go... #
First thing I'm going to do
is look at your top stitching.
Ooh. I knew you would, Esme.
Actually, it's really neat.
It's really well made. Well done.
Thank you.
# If you change your mind,
I'm the first in line
# Honey, I'm still free
# Take a chance on me
# If you need me, let me know
# Gonna be around... #
Did you intend for it to be
that short on this side? Yes.
You did? I wanted it to be sexy,
and it covers modesty. But...
Just! It, uh...
Just, and no more.
I do believe it was meant
to wrap over further.
When she's walking,
she's going to be exposed.
But Abba costumes were revealing.
So, obviously, you put it on
the model, you looked at it
and went, "Yeah,
I want it going between her legs"?
I didn't think THAT, Esme.
You need to have
a nice pair of knickers on.
LAUGHTER
It is short,
but then it's got real impact.
The fit is really nice. I think
it's sitting well over the chest.
It looks terrific,
it's really fun, it's really bold.
I think you should be very pleased
with it.
When I finished sewing,
my model leaned over to me and said,
"I'd go out in this,"
and I just wanted to cry.
# I wanna wrap my arms around you
# I'm gonna build a wall of love
that will surround you
# Wrap my arms around you
# Now that I've found you... #
You happy? Ish.
You can say yes if you feel happy.
I'm happy that it's finished.
Do you not think it looks
absolutely fantastic?
I mean, I could see
the Duchess of Cambridge
wafting along in this dress.
It is the absolute very epitome
of elegance.
The fit across the front is
near perfect.
She looks amazing in it.
Am I dreaming?
No. You've done
an incredible job on this dress.
Thank you.
WHIMSICAL CLASSIC MUSIC
Right, Man Yee, you gave yourself
quite a lot of work, didn't you?
Organza is not that easy to sew.
You have handled it pretty well.
The organza obviously allows us
to create a really sculptural shape.
It's a real surprise, in a good way.
Well done.
Thank you.
You pleased?
Fairly pleased.
Fairly pleased? Yeah.
I think you should be very pleased.
The combination of that very subtle,
almost watercolour print,
with that very stark black binding
is incredibly impactful.
Where you've got the binding,
you could've stretched the fabric,
but, actually, you haven't.
The length of the sleeve is perfect,
the waist seems
in exactly the right point.
I think you should be incredibly
proud of it.
It's stunning. Well done.
Thank you so much.
# It's been a long, hot summer
# And it's 95 degrees in the shade
# Bah, bah, bah... #
I like the frill in this fabric.
It's cool.
And it suits you. Well done.
Thank you.
# Drinking pink champagne
# It's easy
# But I just can't lie
# Now I'm queasy... #
From afar, it looks great, actually.
It looks so good from afar.
The fit looks really nice.
It's in the quality of the finish.
The hem's not terrific.
The quality of the ties,
I think, again,
you obviously haven't had time
to press them properly.
Turn round. I love the back,
but it's baggy.
You haven't double-hemmed
the sleeves. No.
The more I look at it,
the less I like it!
ORCHESTRAL MUSIC
It has that Wes Anderson
colour palette to it, that I love.
The obvious error is
that you've not finished it.
If you'd got to the point of putting
the turn-up onto that sleeve,
obviously it would've looked better.
It's a little bit tight
on her bottom.
Can you see?
It looks like a mistake.
OK.
The judges said some nice things.
Have I done enough? I don't know.
Sadly - and it's only really
just hit me -
someone is going,
and it very well could be me.
I'm going to be here for as long
as they'll have me,
but I don't know if they're happy
to keep me going.
The other guys are
incredibly strong.
A lot better than me.
I was really impressed with what
everybody else had put together.
It was really inspiring, actually,
to see the creativity in the room.
I can't believe that they was,
like, so positive about it.
And, obviously, cos it was
about my granny,
it made me quite emotional!
It has been
an exceptional first week.
You have all excelled yourselves.
The only two tasks left are for us.
So, first of all, Patrick is going
to reveal who has won
garment of the week.
Our garment of the week
this week is...
APPLAUSE
Oh, my God!
Debra. Yes.
Congratulations.
It's chic, it feels ever-so-modern,
and it is phenomenally well sewn.
I'd wear one of those.
There we are.
We all want one.
No greater recommendation.
Sadly, we have to say goodbye
to one of you.
Please remember, you all did so
brilliantly to get here
in the first place,
and should be so proud,
you've all been amazing.
But the person going home is...
..Mitch.
Yeah. It's the right decision.
I'm so sorry. You've been such fun
and so brilliant.
Well done, Mitch.
Mitch did a fantastic job today,
but there were still flaws,
and he'd given himself too much of
a mountain to climb.
Really well done. Fantastic.
Thank you.
Coming into the sewing room is such
a magical experience.
I'm going home,
but there are 11 other sewing bees
that are now my little surrogate
family.
Whirlwind, in one word.
Very relieved that I'm still here.
I want to ride the wave
for as long as I can.
It's brilliant.
This group bonded so quickly
and they help each other.
I think a lot of the sewers haven't
got confidence in what they do.
We saw it yesterday with Marni,
we saw it today, Debra.
Gill, the same.
I hope that this gives them all
a shot in the arm,
because they are exceptionally
talented as a bunch.
It's going to be
a highlight of my life, that
I've just won garment of
the week. What happened?!
I could barely believe it.
I'm going to try and believe
in myself
a little bit more
in the competition now.
I'm on a high at the moment -
I want to stay that way!
VOICE-OVER: Next...
Keep up the pace till
the finishing line!
..it's sports week.
Yes, yes!
The sewers tackle trainers...
I've completely forgot
to add my tongue in!
..transform netball kits...
Business in the front,
party at the back.
..and make jackets inspired by
sport icons.
It's very Tom Daley.
Who will get gold?
Duh-duh...
And who...
WHISTLE
Panic.
..will belly flop?
Unfortunately,
you've got a little hole.
Well, would you believe me if
I said it was for aerodynamics?
No, I would not.
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08x01 - Episode 1
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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.