09x03 - West Africa

[bunniefuu]

Sewing in the UK is all well
and good

but we fancied coming somewhere
a bit further afield.

So I've paid for everyone to come
to West Africa.

I'm just stretching my legs
before the others arrive.

Soaking up the sights.
THUD

Don't worry about that - the sky is
just very low here.

SHEEP BLEATS
Sh, elephant!

SHEEP BLEATS

Oh! True travel is in the mind.

Welcome to the Great British
Sewing Bee - West Africa week.

Last time...

WHISTLE BLOWS
I'm birthing a bag.

...Tony and Vicki's creativity...

It's going to be chequered
like a sexy Battenberg.

Let's hope so. ..couldn't compete
with Mia's garment of the week.

We asked for complex elements,
and you've given us

very complex elements. I'm stressed.

And while Maria
and Matthew struggled...

It will look amazing
when you're swimming at night.

I'm not very pleased with this.

...it was Gillie who left
the sewing room.

Now... This is all going to be
"brr!"

...we're celebrating West Africa...

This is very exciting.
...with a special guest...

I really, really love this.

...the sewers get to grips
with strips...

Where is the placement of this
pocket? Where is it going?

...dare to drape... Do you think
they'll mind

that her bottom's hanging out?
I like it. ..and vie for volume.

It looks stunning.

Just don't ask me if I'm OK.

Oh, no.

No, no, no, no, no.

MUSIC: Eledjire
by Angelique Kidjo

So excited for West Africa week
because I went there 30 years ago.

It's just brought back
loads of nice memories.

So I'm in a slightly sort of,
oh, slightly nostalgic mood.

It's a week that I've really been
looking forward to.

My grandad and my dad was born in
Sierra Leone.

I've never been, so my connection is
just through, like, stories

and things that my dad would bring
back when he travelled.

I'm so excited.

I'm not sure what to expect, but I
think it's going to be really fun.

Lots of patterns and print. It is
right up my street.

It's a culture
that I'm not familiar with.

That doesn't scare me, but I know
that we have a special guest judge.

Hopefully, she's nice.
SHE LAUGHS

Come forward, sewers.

This week, we are going to
West Africa, home of incredible

music, a thriving film industry, and
Mansa Musa - the richest man ever.

But don't go looking for him
on Hinge -

he lived in the 14th century,

and I saw him first.
THEY LAUGH

Unfortunately, this glorious trip is
not a holiday.

You'll be making lots of clothes
from the region, which is made

up of 16 countries,
and we're starting in Ghana.

Now, as usual, Patrick and Esme
will be judging your efforts,

but we also have a special
guest judge...

...fashion designer Banke Kuku.
Welcome, Banke.

APPLAUSE

Banke Kuku is a celebrated fashion
designer from Nigeria.

She studied art, fashion and textiles

at Central Saint Martins College

and Chelsea College of Art
and Design, before launching

her luxury clothing brand in Lagos,
where her pieces are produced.

Her garments have been seen
on the red carpet

and worn on catwalks
across the world.

Welcome. Thank you.

Esme, what are we doing
for the Pattern Challenge?

Right. Here we go, guys.

Oh. Oh.

So what we've got is a pattern
inspired by a batakari,

a Ghanaian man's tunic.

It's a simplified version.

It still has its flared shape,
which is created by six godets.

A traditional batakari is often made
using woven strips called Daboya.

We've given you those
on the cutting table.

You'll also need to choose
a lining fabric.

I think we're GHANA have
a great time!

GROANING LAUGHTER
You have three hours

for this challenge, and your time
starts now.

Oh, Lizzie. I dibbed that one!

Every time, I end up
with the last one! I know.

After selecting their Daboya fabric...

There we are. ..the sewers must
choose a complementary facing

material for the batakari.

I wanted red. We've got lilac...

I'm just like a magpie.

I'm attracted to those colours.

I have fallen in love with mustard.

I think that goes quite nicely.

I really like blue and yellow.

It allowed me to play with
a yellow facing.

It's just a happy colour.

I have to admit
that I hadn't come across it before.

I can hopefully picture what
it's meant to look like.

I've never seen a batakari before,
or heard of one,

so I'm excited to try it out.

I do love learning about different
cultures and traditional wear,

so I'm excited to have learnt
a new thing.

The Ghanaian batakari,
also known as a fugu, is

famed for its distinctive flared
shape and decorative neck opening.

What's the difference
between a smock and a tunic?

I don't know. What IS the difference
between a smock and a tunic?

I don't know, I'm not a clothes
expert. That's why

you guys are here. Banke, tell me
about a batakari.

This is actually
a simplified version,

but it's usually more flouncy
and it's more oversized.

So we've simplified it due to time.

If you look here,
you have these inserts.

This is a godet.

Those need to be well lined up,
but also very neatly sewn.

Got to make sure the pockets are
well placed,

not too high or not too low.

They should be in the same place

on either side, otherwise
that will really stand out.

Anywhere else
they might get tripped up?

Where they place the neck.

Because this isn't how you'd
normally

get a neck hole in a garment.

No, it's not.

Most European garments, where you're
constructing it, the neck is

part of that pattern.

So you'd have that neck shape
already in place.

What we're asking them to do is
to cut a neck hole out of it. OK.

So if you have that neck hole
a little too far to the front,

or to the back, it will affect
the balance of the overall garment.

Hmm. Or expose a belly button.

Or if you got it VERY badly wrong...

THEY LAUGH

It's actually a really interesting
method of construction.

I think it's exciting to not know
what you're doing

and follow the instructions
as you go.

I'm just going to get on with it.

The main body of the batakari is
made from Daboya fabric,

which comes in one long length.

To start, four strips
and six godets are cut out

and sewn together,
creating one large cloth.

The neck-facing is stitched
to the centre of the garment,

tapering to a V at the front.

The neck opening is trimmed away
and the facing is turned through.

The garment is folded in half
then side panels

and armhole facings are added.

The front of the pocket bags are
attached to the side panels,

then pushed inside through a slash.

The back of the pocket bag is
attached and edge stitched in place.

Finally, the smock is hemmed
and pressed.

Morning, Lizzie. Hello. Hi, Lizzie.

Have you ever worked with a fabric
similar to the one we're

using today?

I haven't sewn with this, but I have
actually been to West Africa,

and I remember the men in the north
wearing this garment

in its full glory,
I just remember it being... Yeah.

...just amazing. Yeah. So you know
what it's supposed to look like.

Yeah. So not intimidated at all.

Oh, yeah.

Oh, my word. Just hope to sort of do
it proud.

Best of luck.

Take a strip
and cut four lengths of 160.

I don't feel too bad about putting
things together in strips.

I'm just hoping that I do them properly

and everything will be jolly
and bright.

The distinctive Daboya strips
our sewers are using

are traditionally dyed
with indigo.

I mean, it's so gorgeous.
It's just, like, really soft.

I don't want to ruin it. You know,
you just kind of want to

do this beautiful fabric justice.

So my fabric is the indigo dye
with the touches of pink, which

match my nails quite well.
So that's what drew me to it.

Is that why you made a beeline
for that one?

Essentially, yeah!

Have you ever been to West Africa?

I'm half Jamaican,
half Sierra Leonean. Oh, nice.

The importance in my family is
like dressing with the same fabric

but different designs. So my mum may
wear something completely different

to me, but we're wearing the same
fabric. So we're all happy.

Everyone's happy. We have that
in Nigeria as well. Yeah.

Especially at a wedding. So you have
one family wearing one fabric,

and the other family wearing
another fabric.

My dad always calls it "one kind"
so you're all dressed as one.

One kind! So nice.
That's really nice.

So you're dressed in this like
one kind.

I don't know, if I include you in
the family, Patrick,

you'd just wear a little bow tie
or tie. I'm in. I'm down for that.

Take one of your strips,
and with right sides together,

pin and stitch a godet
along the long edge.

So you've got something square,
and you're sewing in triangles.

So you imagine that it's going
to flare out a bit at the bottom.

The last time I inserted a godet was
in a fishtail skirt in the 1980s!

Trying to pull boys. Pff!

If the sewers don't align
their godets neatly and precisely...

Never done a godet.
First time for everything.

...the batakari's distinctive
flared hem will be uneven.

So it's just a case of lining up
the piece with the strip.

What about traditional dress?
Anything from where you come from?

I mean, I'm just from England, so...
Yeah. A bit bland.

I can't really wear anything. Chips.
Do you want to wear some chips?

Sausage roll. Wear a sausage...
Dress up as a sausage roll!

I've sewn my straight lines,
and now I've got a godet.

So it's there. It's a
triangular piece.

Oh, gosh. Attach a godet to each
end of the other...

Oh, so we just keep going.
Keep going and going and going.

How are you getting on?
Um, all right, I think.

I didn't even know what a godet was.
I'm not going to lie to you.

So it's nice to learn something new.

Have you ever made
anything like this before?

A lot of my stuff I make is tight,
rather than kind of the baggy fit.

Yeah. Did you make this outfit
you're wearing? Yes.

VERY nice. Thank you.

PATRICK LAUGHS
You love your harness, don't you?

You're in Spain, you're halfway
there, you're halfway through!

So just done all four panels on
there, so the godets are just there.

I am now working
on the facing for the neck.

This is an unusual shape neck-facing
that I've not used before.

There are Arabic garments, actually,
that would have a similar

neckline to this.

I need to line up the neck-facing
with where the shoulder should go.

Unless the neck hole is positioned
in exactly the right place...

So that's two and a half inches
that way.

And that's two and a half inches
that way.

...the batakari will appear unbalanced...

I've just measured the whole thing
again just to make sure.

...sloping forwards or
backwards at the hem.

Because of the time element,
I'll just do it by eye.

Sew with a 1cm seam allowance
all the way round

the neckline opening. Taper your
stitching to a point at the front.

I'm not a fan of these
because it's all about the accuracy.

It's quite difficult to manoeuvre,
though, because there's

so much fabric.

And now I've got to cut a hole
inside the stitching I've done.

Oh, God I'm a bit nervous, actually.
Ah! I'm just going to go for it.

Ooh! If it's wrong,
there's no going back.

And I've trimmed back
so much material on there.

And then you'll be able to flip
the facing to the inside.

And it'll have a nice
finished neckline.

Is it interesting sort of learning
about another country's

traditional dress? Yeah, it's nice
to know other things. I think in

Wales, we've got our, like,
traditional Welsh lady costume.

Not this? Yeah! Are you joking me?

No, that's our Welsh lady costume!

Little bonnet. So, what about the
traditional men's dress?

There isn't one? No, they just wear
rugby shirts. It's a bit unfair.

Yeah. We had to wear that, and then
they come in in rugby shirts. Well,

they can wear their rugby shirts,
but they also need frilly bonnets.

Far less frilly, the batakari served
a great purpose in history

and has become a strong symbol
of Ghanaian cultural identity.

The garment dates back
to the 19th century,

when it was worn as a form
of protection.

One of the earliest versions of what
we think of as the batakari

started out as a w*r shirt
made by the Akan people, using

a mixture of cotton,
leather and animal skins.

The batakari has evolved over time,

and is now made from strips of
hand-woven, cotton-based cloth.

Strip weaving dates back
to the 11th century

and is used to create indigenous
fabrics such as kente and Daboya.

This intricate process takes a long
time and a high level of skill.

Weavers use their hands
and feet to operate a loom.

The limited width of the loom
produces narrow lengths

of fabric, and different weaves and
colours produce different patterns.

Plants and natural materials
are usually used to create the dyes.

Indigo would be used to create blue,
tamarind for gold,

or ground-up tree bark for brown.

And it's no wonder a garment
so steeped in tradition has

become a representation of pride
across Ghana.

The batakari became
a symbol of cultural significance

when it was worn by President Kwame
Nkrumah during his historic

independence speech in 1957.

He knew that it would convey
a strong, unified

identity to the world.

And that message still stands
today, as shown by Ghana's national

football team, who
wore batakaris when they arrived

at the 2022 World Cup.

Oh! And we've hit Morocco!

You've got one hour left.

The dye is coming off the, er,
fabric and onto my hands.

I haven't got it on the trousers,
though, so... that's a win.

At the moment,
I am sewing the side panel

so it becomes a full garment.

Been thinking about English
traditional dress.

Morris dancers.

THEY LAUGH

The next step is armhole-facing.

I think it goes over the shoulder,

so clean up the edge for your
arm hole.

I've just made a massive boo-boo.

I've sewn the armhole facing in
the wrong way.

Oh. No, that's wrong.

Just sewn it onto the wrong side.

This is exactly
what I didn't need to do.

Let's try again. Come on, Lizzie,
you can do it.

You can do it, you can do it.

Half an hour TOGO, guys.

Get it? Togo?

Trying to speed ahead the last
half an hour, get it all done.

I think it's going to just be
what it is now.

As Tony and Lizzie battle
with their armhole facings...

Oh, I'm shaking now.

I don't know if I'm going to get
this finished.

...the other sewers can begin
on the batakari's complex pockets.

I've made a pocket like this
once before

and I followed a YouTube video
the entire time.

Take one marked pocket piece and
place wrong-side-up on the smock.

Where is the placement of this
pocket? Where is it going?

The pocket piece must be carefully
lined up with a mark

made on the side panel.

It was a very important mark from
the pattern that we had to make.

I lined the slit with this line.

If marked incorrectly, the pockets
are at risk of being too high

or too low...

Where does the pocket go?!
I just don't know.

...distorting the look
of their finished garment.

You just kind of plop it on there
and hope for the best.

I'm hoping we're in the right place,
but who knows?

I think my pocket placements
are incorrect,

but it's OK. I'll roll with it.

After this, I have to cut it all out.

Cutting through this,
you're like, "Ach!"

Turn pockets through the opening
to the wrong side of the smock.

Next, sew the inner part
of the pocket to the outer

part of the pocket.

Just edge-stitching
around the pocket.

Edge-stitching is not to be done
under a panic situation.

My pocket's going to show through
at the bottom.

Just chop that bit off
so you don't see it.

There we are - first pocket.

I'm on to my pockets.

Please can they just go in
in about two minutes flat?

Five minutes, everyone.

It is literally speed hemming.

Speedy, speedy sewing's
going on here.

This is not my finest work.

Final press, but it's done.

I've got it. Oh, wow! I think.

Trim off all the bits that
I don't want.

They're on the inside anyway.
I know. But you know.

Honestly, if Esme puts her head up inside

and starts saying stuff,
I'LL say something.

Oh, no.

No, no, no, no, no.
My bobbin run out.

You've got one minute left.

Come over here, come over here.
This one's threaded with blue.

Pop those batakaris
on your mannequins, please.

Yeah, I'm happy with it.

I'd wear it. It's a man's garment,
but I would wear it.

I'm not doing it justice.
There's no neatness with this.

Needles up, sewers.
I'm done, I'm done, I'm done.

No time left
to fine-tune your tunics.

Please bring your mannequins to
the front for judging.

I mean, everyone's got their pockets
in a different place.

Mine are higher. I think I've done
it wrong.

Why am I so silly?
My gangster pockets.

Oh, yeah, nice. So they're really...

Yeah, it's kind of like,
"Yeah I'm all right."

Come on. Well done. Off you go.
Come on, Lizzie.

If I drag it, you can carry on
doing your business.

MUSIC: Sou Sedhiou
by Orchestra Baobab

Ten simplified batakaris
made in just three hours,

but what will the judges
make of them?

I think one or two you may have
learnt a new-found

respect for the batakari makers
of Ghana.

So, Asmaa, I love the yellow facing.

Everything is really well balanced,
really smooth.

Godets - all in line.

The pockets are very neatly constructed.

You've done a fantastic job of this.

Think they would be a fan of you
in Ghana.

Well done.

The neck line's very neat.

The pockets, they're not
in the middle of the side panel,

but you've sewn it in very neatly.

The whole tunic is riding up
to the front.

If your neck hole was a little bit
to the back, the whole thing

would sit level. OK, thanks.

The neckline seems to come up here
a bit.

You haven't quite put
the neck in the right place.

Your pockets should have
been sitting

right in the centre of that
side panel.

They're also too low.

Did you chop some of that off?

I like your choice of facing.

Your pockets really stand out.

They're really, really high up.

I mean, we've got pockets
right underneath the armhole, which

makes them completely unusable.

First of all, the neckline needs
to go back a bit.

The pocket isn't in the middle, and
on this side,

the pocket is higher.

They are in very different positions.

It's incredibly obvious.

Altogether, it's a really nice
piece. Really good work.

I love your choice of fabric.

It's just the neck hole that's just
not giving it that balance.

But, overall, you should be
incredibly pleased with this.

Thank you.

Where you've placed the neck hole,
you haven't quite lined it up

correctly. The pocket is too high.

It should be about here.

Also, this godet is slightly lower
than the others.

The pocket is quite a long way
to the front.

But the left hand pocket is
sitting central.

In terms of the godets,
they're not quite on the same line.

And we've got a raw edge.

The facing on the armhole
isn't very flatly applied.

You actually have a bit
of a rip here.

There are quite a lot of mistakes.

The godets, you have some
raw edges here.

This pocket is way too low.

And the pocket bag is hanging down!

That is a big boo-boo.

The judges will now rank the batakaris

from tenth to first position.

In tenth place, it's Fauve.
Quite a lot of things wrong.

Untidy pocket bag, untidy facing.
Not your best sewing.

And in ninth place is Mia.

Unfortunately, the pockets
were in the wrong place.

They weren't well sewn.

Lizzie is eighth, Tony W is seventh,

Matthew sixth, Lauren's fifth,

Maria's fourth and Tony R is third.

In second place is...

...Vicki.

Your neckline isn't symmetrical,
but generally really lovely,

and altogether it looks really tidy.

Which means in first place,
it's Asmaa.

Very well done.
It's a fantastic batakari.

Very well done. Thank you very much.
Thank you.

I did not think that I had the win.

So I honestly was not expecting it.

You know, I'm trying my best.
I really am.

Oh! I just could kick myself.

I thought mine was going well, but
then when I saw it at the end,

I was like, "Oh, I don't know what
happened."

I don't think I had one
positive comment.

I know that you can come back
from things,

so I've just got to
go for it in the next challenge.

It's time now
for the Transformation.

Patrick. We are DYEING to see
how you handle this challenge.

Oh! Nice!

We're giving you a selection
of fantastic adire fabrics.

Adire is traditionally made
by Yoruba people in Nigeria,

and it literally means
"tie and dye".

We want you to take
a length of fabric,

drape it on the stand
to make a dramatic garment.

Now, this one is judged blind,

so these guys are off to reminisce
about Woodstock.

Peace out.

LAUGHTER

You have an hour and a half
for this challenge.

And your time starts now.

We are doing it. Go, go, go, go.

Oh, I stubbed my toe.

I'm not having stripes.
Am I having stripes?

Oh, that's nice.
This one or this one?

How much have I got?
Oh, we get quite a lot.

So, instead of having pattern
pieces, draping is

when you actually just use
the fabric and you would drape it

over the mannequin itself
to create the finished garment.

I've done it to my mannequin
at home.

I love a bit of draping.
I've not done lots of it.

It does create lovely form.
Never actually done it.

It's also a little bit terrifying
because you're used to just

cutting your shapes and then coming
together. I've never, ever done this before.

And I must admit,
I'm in full panic mode.

So we've given them these amazing
strips of adire fabric.

Normally, these fabrics tell
a story.

And the symbols mean
different things.

Maybe it's like harvest time,

and then you may have symbols
of food, of crops.

They would use stamps and wax,

and they will also use chicken
feathers to create these patterns.

And sometimes they just tie it.
Yeah. And dye it.

It's quite a stiff fabric.
It's a stiff fabric.

So it should lend itself to creating
quite dramatic shapes.

When it's draped
on the stand, it's a process.

You need to be able to see
when it's working.

You need to be able to go,
"Yes! That's great." Grab it.

Fix it. And I think you also need
to know when to stop. Yeah.

It needs to work
with the form of the mannequin

and create a really elegant
and interesting shape.

The placement of the print is
also quite important

because it will exaggerate
elements of the draping.

I just hope they don't end up tying
themselves in knots.

Ha-ha-ha!

I just love this fabric,
all the dots.

I quite like the idea of forming
some pleats. Like, straight

lines with the dots.

I might sort of go a bit asymmetric.

I've just got this pinned in, so my
next challenge will be the sewing.

So my initial idea is
a bustier kind of top

that would lead to a dress.

So I'm just draping the fabric
quite tight with pleating.

It's not a uniform pattern,

so I thought even if I have elements
that are horizontal, elements

that are vertical, I think it will
still look really, really cool.

So I'm thinking of doing
like a swoosh. Just a swoosh.

I'm happy with this fabric. This one
kind of looks like a butterfly.

I think it's a lot
about a natural shape.

Flowy vibes.

I just wanted to get some nice
little shape and details.

I think there's going to be some
sort of gathering

round the shoulder. Cos I don't want
to cut into it too much.

So you've got an idea? I've got
an idea, yeah.

It's going to be a long skirt.
It's going to have a wrap top.

And attached to that wrap top is
going to be two halter cups that

tie at the back. It's a dress.
It's one of those...

It's that thing that they call a
dress. Top and skirt together. Yeah.

You've invented it. Just going
to do it.

I've never seen you this frantic,
actually, Tony. Mate,

I'm dying inside. It's the opposite.
I think you're living furiously.

Yeah, let's go with that. Yeah.
Let's go with that.

Not sure yet.

I'm just putting it on and
then going to see where it takes me.

My idea has been evolving as
I've kind of pinned and gone.

I'm just trying to find
dramatic shapes.

So you can go elaborate,
but I am thinking something fitted.

I can manipulate the stripes.

I have to ask, are you bribing
someone for fabrics?

Cos I've not seen you near anything
that's not purple yet.

MARIA LAUGHS

What are you making?

I'm just trying to get the basic
form of the torso

and hopefully I'll just
figure it out from there.

You're halfway through, sewers.

I'm going to take this off
and sew along where I've pinned it.

I need to sew
a bit of structure in, then

I can continue on the rest of it.

Otherwise it just looks like I've
thrown it and pinned it.

Oh, another boring outfit
from Matthew!

I've never really considered myself
someone that drapes,

I just plonk and pin. I see.

We've got the halter cups done.

I think they're looking for
something draped and structural,

and that's not essentially what
I'm delivering. Ooh.

Oh, no.

This is gorgeous. Thanks.

I'm trying to sort of think
about all those wonderful

ladies in Ghana that just, like... Yeah.

It's statements all the way.

Do you think they'll mind that her
bottom's hanging out? I like it.

It's like, "You think this is drama?
Woo. "Look at this." Yeah.

That's a little bit too "ooh-hoo"!

But I'm going to go a little bit
more revealing.

If I play it safe I could go home.

It's looking a bit juicy in the bum.

Ooh.

Do you think that's a bit high?
It's a skirt length. It's there.

Don't bend over.

Can't promise.

30 minutes left.

What?

I'm struggling, don't have a plan.

Every time I take it off,
it'll shift.

Which is a bit of a nuisance.

Oh, couldn't reach. I do like
hand-sewing, it does take a while.

I just need to kind of tack
all the layers to each other.

I'm going to drape one more piece
that will connect the shoulder.

I'm making a tie to hold all
those pleats I've made together.

Oh, look at that.

I think if I put a little belt loop
here... This is very exciting.

I'm just going to add a few
little tucks.

If in doubt, go for
a dramatic dress.

And they'll go,
"Ooh, THAT'S a bit of drama!"

I don't like it,
I don't like that at all.

I've not got any side boob,
so Esme'll be happy.

Not sure if she'll be happy

with what's going on, it's just
very basic.

What a mess. Are you not happy?

No. It's horrible.

You putting a zip in?
That's very, very ambitious.

Everyone else is just tying
a knot in it and calling it a dress.

Five minutes, five minutes.

I'm not sure which section
I'm joining together right now.

I'm just sewing where my pins are.

Draped it without
thinking about the length,

so now I'm just chopping it up
a bit.

Trying to get some final flourishes
in of shape.

Fancied a bit of drama at the bottom,

but I don't think I've got it.
I'm thinking to put a ruffle on.

Final touches?

Yeah, we've gone to
the resignation station.

Oh, you're going through the seven
stages of grief.

That's the last one.
Resignation, you're just miserable.

Well, it's amazing what you can do
in 90 minutes.

This is a really limp bow, cos
otherwise I think it's a bit plain.

One minute left, everyone.

You're joking.
Oh, come on, I can do it.

Hemming, hemming, hemming.

Tuck, tuck, tuck, tuck.

Have I finished with seconds to
spare? What?

I could see myself wearing this
with a lot of tit tape.

What do I know about
ladies' clothes, man?

Try and find the front of the dress.

Blob is the shape that
I have gone for.

Oh, it's still inside out. Take your
time, so you don't rip it, Tony.

Needles up, sewers.
That is your time.

Bring your mannequins forward
and mix them

up like twins in a '90s sitcom.

Breathe, it's fine.

If you get upset, you're
going to rip it. Cheers, lovely.

Oh, God, oh, right, do you know
what? These mannequins...

I mean it's better than nothing.

I can't believe I'm the first up
this time, what's going on?

Yay.

Oh, I'm struggling, sailing.

Oh, my goodness.

MUSIC: Greetings
by Joni Haastrup

Ten adire fabrics transformed into
draped dresses in just 90 minutes.

Well, let's bring the judges back
in, shall we? Judges?

And our judges don't have a clue
whose is whose.

Like the battle between Ghanaian and
Nigerian jollof rice, whose is best?

I think this is
very, very interesting.

It's almost like an evening dress.

I love the positioning of the print.

Love the way the purples fade
into the yellows and the green.

They've put pleats and things in,
which makes this shape.

There is a lovely balance.

I think it's a huge success.

I really like the way

they've thought about the direction

of the print and the way
it works around the body.

This person's had fun.

They've draped a bit. Yes.
Gone for it, attached it.

It's worked, hasn't it?
It's experimental. Yeah.

And sometimes you need to be free.

It's got a lot of drama.

It's a really good style
for the sort of fabric it is.

It's a really, really simple form.

And sometimes when you're draping...

Simplicity is the key. Yes.

Quite short at the front, but...

Well, that makes it sexy.

I'm not sure it feels as nicely

balanced as some of the others.

It's not the most flattering.

I'm not sure this drape at the front
feels well-placed.

Well, it might suit me,
with my tummy.

If you're walking, I think
you'd expose yourself.

So they've gone, "Right, let's..."

They've pulled bits up
and twisted it.

You've got bumps and lumps
all over the place that are somewhat

reminiscent of the swirls
in the fabric.

There's just a bit too much
going on.

It doesn't look as experimental
as the previous pieces we've seen.

I do like the way they have
sort of placed the stripes.

They've constructed the whole
of the top from one long strip.

I think that's actually
really clever.

I mean, we've almost got a sort of
batwing dress or a flying squirrel.

We've got a wide waistband
that has been sewn in.

I actually think
it's very flattering.

Pleats dotted
almost in different places.

Kind of playful in a very
elegant way.

We've got a frill at the bottom.

But it's not very drapey.

It's a finished dress that they've
just put on the mannequin.

It feels too safe.

Almost feels like this person made

this top and then

they thought, "Oh I'll just drape
a bit of fabric round the bottom."

It's not giving me enough drama.

It just feels a little bit normal
and I'm not sure that this

big white motif that's been chopped
out works very well where it is.

I really like the balance
and the construction of this.

I love the detail there,
I love the pleating here.

I love the way they've played with
the print with, like, the short

lines and the long lines.

Like, the short pleats
and the long pleats. Yeah.

It feels like every piece
of fabric has been placed

and manipulated in a way that has
clear intention.

The judges must now rank the
garments from worst to first.

Right, in tenth place is this purple
one with the white bits on.

That's Maria.

It feels like two different
garments, doesn't really have drama.

In ninth place is the red halterneck.

That's Tony. We didn't feel that it
had enough draping and drama to it.

OK, thank you.

Fauve is eighth, Matthew is seventh,

Asmaa is sixth, Vicki is fifth,

Mia is fourth and third is Tony W.

In second place is the blue
and white

Grecian goddess with a twist.

Lauren, we loved it, it had
so much drama, it was very elegant,

brilliantly engineered
around the top.

Well done. Thank you.

Well, I think we know
who's in first place.

This spotty asymmetrical dress.

That's Lizzie.

APPLAUSE

You really went to town with
the draping and it's really worked.

Thank you.

I just won!

Yay!

I've finally won something, or
at least came not near the bottom.

I'm so delighted.

I'm not by any means safe or
anything like that,

but I'm happier than, yeah, I was.

Sometimes you think you've hit it,
and you clearly haven't.

Today was one of those days.

I feel fine about it.

I came last the last time,
I survived.

Maybe I'll survive again.

My lady. Thank you, darling.

Go on. Thank you.

For their final challenge...

Hello. Hiya.

...the sewers will make a garment
for their models.

I've got to do well today.

Welcome back, sewers,
and to our models.

For this week's Made To Measure,

the judges
would like you to make a boubou.

A boubou is occasionwear
worn across West Africa, often with

a story told by the fabric.

Like, once upon a time
there were ten sewers,

they had four hours,

and their time starts now.

So, if I just get you to stand up
for me.

I just need to measure
from your shoulder down.

I've had a chance to research
what a boubou is,

cos I won't lie, didn't have a clue.

Essentially a boubou is
an occasionwear kaftan.

It's just what's on bang on trend
at the minute.

They look good
on just any body type.

The boubou is a robe which has been
worn across the region by both

men and women for centuries.

It's known for its airy shape

and its popularity has spread across
the world and onto the red carpet.

Are there regional differences
for the different West African

countries, like Senegal,
Ghana, Sierra Leone?

No, I just think the key thing is
it has to be comfortable.

Yeah. So I really want to see
some nice, big, breezy pieces.

Of all the Made To Measures
we've done, this is probably

one of the simplest, fit-wise. Hmm.

So we need to see some detail,

we need to see something special
in the fabric.

Fabric is going to be
really important.

Yes. So for the more dressy boubous,
you would see more decadent

fabrics like lace, chiffons, silk.

Oh. Sequins.

Oh, definitely.

For the more casual boubous,
you'd see more cotton, adire,

maybe more local African prints.

Yeah. I'm hoping that it's something
that tells a story about the person

who's made it.

Well, let's hope that nobody makes
a booboo with their boubou.

That's shameful.

So that's still my front.

While most sewers are using
large pattern pieces to create

the iconic voluminous shape...

So big.

...Lizzie is creating MORE work
for herself...

I'm a bit nervous,
cos I'm colour blocking.

...by aligning several rectangles
of fabric.

This is the plan. Right. Mm-hm.

I'm actually folding the fabric
from the centre all the way

round to the back
in these colour blocks. Lovely.

Timing is always your nemesis,
isn't it? Yeah.

It really is, and I simplified
my original idea cos I just know

I've got to reel it in
if I'm going to try

and finish things in a calm way.

Lizzie's complex boubou
features French seams

and a drawstring ribbon channel
down the centre.

Her colour choices for the blocks

of bamboo silk hold strong memories.

Colours came from my kente cloth
that I got

when I went to West Africa,
because it's about my trip which is

a long time ago,
and it's faded memories.

And I thought it's quite nice
to pull out the more faded palate.

That's nice. I really like
the colours. Yeah. Thank you.

Back home in Iraq, a boubou is
what we sometimes wear at home.

We call it a jellabiya.

So this is what I would choose
to wear for a wedding occasion.

There's actually quite a few
elements to it, and I think,

as per usual, I've probably given
myself too much to do,

but there we are.

Asmaa's ambitious Arabic-inspired
boubou is made

from a crepe-backed satin

overlaid with sequined lace.

It features floaty sleeves

and a self-drafted hood, both

made from a silk chiffon georgette,

which she dyed herself.

I chose the blue
for peace and harmony,

and from where I came from,

there wasn't very much peace
and harmony. No.

And there still isn't
any peace or harmony.

These are fabrics you'd always see
at weddings. Yeah.

The more glitter, the better. Absolutely.

That is how it's done
in West Africa. Yeah, yeah.

I just hope I can actually finish
it, but we'll see. Course you can.

So this is African wax print.

It looked very celebratory.

As well as fabrics which fall
and flow...

And I've got a ring that matches
and it's got my family's

birthstones on it,
so I thought that was quite nice.

...the judges would like there to be
some symbolism in the colours

or a story told through the print.

It's about the action-reaction
of a stone in a puddle.

And the ripple it makes.

So it's kind
of like the action that we have has

a ripple across the world.

You've gone for a lacy boubou.

Blue's about love and harmony,
and feathers -

often a symbol of status.

It's fans. Fans.

I just love it, I'm making this
cos it's something

I can imagine my mum wearing. Yeah.

And she has a slight obsession with
buying family fans when it's hot.

Oh, wow. Ah, OK.

So she'll be like, "It's really hot,
so I've bought the kids a new fan."

"So I saw this and I thought,
"Oh, she is going to love it." Aw.

Lauren is making her kaftan-style

boubou from an African wax print

fabric inspired by her beloved mum.

She'll be making it luxurious

by embellishing the sleeves

and neck line.

So, I've got some diamante trim.

Oh, wow. Love it. Any other trims?

So, and I've also... I can see
something fuzzy down there.

I've also got a bit of feather
as well. Love this.

So... I'm a feather fan. Ah.

I love feathers.

I have done my research on Banke

and I know she loves
a bit of a feather and a fringe.

I haven't done it just cos of her,

I want that drama when it goes down
the runway, I want it to swish.

Fauve's glamorous boubou will be

nipped in at the waist with

a satin tie and trimmed

with feathers and fringing.

She's making it high fashion

by using a single block colour

of pink crepe-backed satin

which is notoriously tricky to sew.

And have you used this fabric
before?

Yeah, I've used it a couple of
times. It is a little bit slippery,

so I'm taking my time with it. Yeah.

And if I don't do well,
I'm going home,

so I'm on a mission to smash
this garment out. Nice.

Ooh. Positive thinking.
Oh, yes. Yeah.

I hate the fabric,
cos it's just too sheer.

Maria is already running into
problems with her delicate fabric.

Is this what you'd call chiffon,
is it?

Yeah, the way fabric handles is
what's taking the time.

Like, it will be down to the wire.

Oh, really? Yeah.

OK, that's very exciting.

But, er, probably not for you.

Maria's chiffon boubou is inspired

by her love of vintage kaftans.

She'll be giving it a modern take

with an embellished gold neckline

and waist tie

as well as sparkly trim.

That's the trim. Yeah. But there's
metres and metres of hem there.

Yeah. Do you know how long it is?

I'm guessing probably about six.

Oh, OK. Wow, all right, yeah.
Quite a lot.

You're halfway through.

That's exciting, isn't it?
I love it, Lizzie.

It's really you as well.
Don't do TOO well, though,

cos, you know, like, I want to stay,
all right?

Well, look, I've got to finish it.

But while some are well on their way
with construction...

I'm just sewing up the side seam
and the pocket.

I've done this side already

so there's a little hidden pocket
in there.

Fancy, fancy.
...Asmaa has doubled her workload.

I'm trying to baste the lace
on top of the satin.

It's taking me a long time.

But if I don't baste it,

lace shifts.

And Vicki is also making this
challenge harder for herself.

The main technical part
of my garment is that

I want it to be pattern matched,
but it's really time consuming.

Vicki will be matching

the pattern across her side panels

inserted to add volume

to her sleeves.

Her midi-length boubou will be

nipped at the waist with a belt

and will be made
from a cotton lawn fabric.

I've got a little belt buckle
from my nana.

I thought it was like
a nice little sentiment. Yeah.

I wanted it to be
sort of like a celebration of women.

Why don't the women have faces?

Why are women so faceless
in the modern age?!

And while Vicki's boubou
celebrates women...

Chipped my nails,
sad time for everyone.

...Matthew's got something
for the men.

I wanted to play around with

what is traditionally a male cut
of a boubou,

and there's a cheeky little
harness involved.

Matthew's harness
for his male garment

will be placed across the neck line

of his self-drafted
crepe-georgette boubou.

He's also planning to add drama
with ruched balloon sleeves

and contrasting blocks
of Ankara wax fabric.

And no issues, you think,
with matching a very, very

lightweight fabric with
a slightly heavier stiffer fabric?

I really like the way it pulls.

OK.

Yay, I'm sewing.

Going to be glad
when this pattern matching's over.

Oh, my word, I'm so happy about
that. Centre front matching.

Lace, you need a slightly wider
stitch than normal.

That's what my mum tells me.

So if anything goes wrong,
I know who to blame.

I'm just hemming the sleeve
at the minute.

I think my family are going to be

over the moon when they see
the sleeve.

So that's now one sleeve

and then it'll get gathered up
into a cuff.

So I've just put the elastic into
the bottom channel of the sleeve

so it should sit nice and puffed.

Got a ruffle and a puff.

I'd say it was a ruffly puff.

And the bottom's a puffy ruffle.

Puffed sleeves and an elasticated

off-the-shoulder design

give Mia's boubou a

modernised, personal spin.

She'll be exaggerating

the silhouette even further

with a tiered skirt

and taffeta ruffle.

If you want to add something on,

make it big enough to be a feature
or just take it off,

that is something
I definitely put into this.

If it's not fancy enough,
take it off.

I am making a flounce

which is a...
Yeah, a fl... it's a flounce.

It's all in the word,
it's onomatopoeia, isn't it?

It kind of is a fancy thing that
goes down the front.

The flounce will run down the centre

front of Tony's psychedelic boubou

to give the illusion of movement.

It will break from tradition, with a

more modern fitted shape at the top.

It's meant to show off somebody
a little bit more.

I've not done anything which I think
is this fitted before.

I'm really scared about that.

While Tony R focuses on fit...

Just keep pinning,
just keep pinning.

...Tony W's boubou is billowing.

I like classic styles

and that sort of elegant fabric,

elegant, flowing movement
of the fabric.

Tony's boubou has a classic
rounded neckline

and a loose, airy fit.

The floor-length square shape
adds movement and volume

and he hopes his feather lace
overlay will add some luxury.

This is for a FANCY person.

Like, this is a gown
for somebody that they would maybe

give their wife as, like, a gift
because they love them so much.

And they've got a harmonious marriage.

When you say to me,
present from husband to wife,

I hear, "What's he done now?"

LAUGHTER

One hour left, guys.

Where do these four hours go?

If anyone finds an extra three hours
hidden anywhere,

I would be grateful
if you could return them.

I think I am definitely pushing it

and in danger of leaving pins in.

I mean, it doesn't look like much yet,

cos this is all going to be "brr",

in nice and tight.

So my model's going to try it on now.

Ah, how exciting!

It's for, like, a very fancy wedding...

Oh, a fancy wedding.
...in a country house... Oh!

...where there's fairy lights.

Oh, gorgeous.

Does the guest like
the bride and groom,

or are they going out of obligation?
No, this is actually the mistress.

Oh! Shock, horror!

OK.

Do you mind stepping in?

Go for the arm, it's just
to that side of that one.

Although the flowing silhouette
of the boubou

should make fitting straightforward...

It is supposed to be
a loose-fitting garment,

so I'm not worried
about the fitting too much.

Want it tight across the top, well,
I want it fitted across the top.

...its length and individual design features

still need to be fitted precisely.

So I just want this
like sort of under your bust.

I'm just going to tighten it a bit.

I am just placing the harness bit
on to the neck

and trying to centre the ring.

Just a casual harness,
you know what I mean?

Half an hour left, guys.

I am working on the centre front.

A little bit nervous
about the weight of the wax.

Oh, it's just slippery.

I'll never work with this fabric
ever again.

Just don't ask me if I'm OK.

I'm sort of at this really crucial point

of matching up my V with this ruche.

I really like the look of Lizzie's.

It's quite a lot of work seaming all
those panels together.

She's got that gather.

I hope she gets it finished.

The ribbon channel is going
down here.

Hurry, hurry, hurry
and get it all gathered up.

Mia seems pretty comfortable.

She seems confident.
She seems pretty calm.

She's just got to gather those two
layers of the skirt.

Just about to go to the machine
and actually sew it on now.

It's a bit wonkily-donkilies.

I've got this gold neck trim.

It's got a tuck in it.

Maria, I think
she's struggling a bit.

Her fabric's really light,

so it's very difficult
for her to work with.

I think I'm going to go home
this week.

So stressed.

One thing I'm worried about Fauve

is her choice of fabric.

Because satin, you will see just
tiny little puckers.

I'm just pinning my fringing.

There's just a lot.

So now I'm working on the sleeve,
hopefully attaching it,

and then there's
a side as well to do.

Well, Asmaa, I love her concept,

I love her choice of fabric

but I think she's given herself
a little bit too much to do.

She might not even finish.

As a craftsperson, you want to do
as much as you can, do your best.

15 minutes, guys.

I'm just going to have to power finish.

You can do it, girl, come on.

I've just got to sew up
the back, that's it.

When it's not perfectly
pattern-matched I'll be so angry.

I'm in the zone over here.

Trying to get this last layer on.

There's just so much of it.

Just doing a quick rolled hem.

I am now stitching my trim

to the hem.

My next project is going to be a
really nice,

little lavender bag.

If it's not good enough,

I'm going home and I need it to be
good enough.

I want to call this my
"rising from the ashes" dress.

How much more have I got?

Oh.

I've got miles and miles.

Five minutes, everyone.

Get your models dressed.

Feels like it goes on forever.

Well, I mean, it does.

So I am going to call it quits
in a minute,

I'm just going to do the hem.

Load you in.

Ooh, ooh, ooh.

Oh, it's gorgeous. Yeah.

Oh, it's like a glamorous sofa.

THEY LAUGH

Not quite what I was going for,
Sara, all right?

Let me just fix your elastic up.

The moment of magic.
Oh, yes, the magic.

I would just love it
if this sat flatter.

I've put three buttons
but I've done two loops.

Let's go.

Needles up, sewers.

That is the end of your
Made To Measure.

It's just wrong.

You look great. Yeah!

I LOVE this, this has got
a lot of special memories.

MUSIC: Rock Your Body
by Burna Boy

This is definitely a boubou.

You can dress this up with heels,
wear it with flats,

so a Nigerian woman
would definitely wear this.

It really does work.
And you mentioned the colours

inspired by your vintage kente
as well. Yeah.

It really has
such a beautiful story.

Sewing this fabric
and doing French seams

and matching the colours is
a real task. Yeah.

And I think you've done really well.

Every little detail of it has been
carefully considered

and it all works just right.

Thank you so much, thank you.

MUSIC: Ever Lasting
by Stonebwoy

Asmaa, I really like
your choice of fabric,

I think it looks really dressy.

It is puckering... Yeah.
...from the front,

and the button loops do look
a bit untidy.

Oh, that was a rush job.

I think you were
very, very ambitious.

It's just meant that you haven't had
time to give it

that level of finish
that it deserves. Thank you.

I really, really, really love this.

It's perfect for any Nigerian event.

The two fabrics work
beautifully together.

It's got a beautiful shape to it.

It's just the finishing,
it's such a shame.

Let's have a look.

Oh, dear. Don't look there.

OK, I won't look there.

No, there's, er, there's...
I haven't looked at that raw edge.

MUSIC: Heaven
by Ebo Taylor

I love the story with the fans

and your mum always buying
everybody fans.

I like that you've dressed it up
with a bit of trim.

The feather isn't quite
the right colour.

Finishing this strip
just below the seam

feels a bit awkward.

The trim should've gone all the way round

and then maybe you could've brought
it down into like

a V shape in the front,
but it's lovely.

A boubou is really free flowing

and I do feel that it is
a bit too fitted.

You've done quite a lot of work
to fit it across the waist.

It needed more volume at the top

to echo the volume
that you've given us at the bottom.

Because the print is very busy,

the frill disappears.

Be bold with it.
MUSIC: Crazy Tings by Tems

Mia, it looks stunning.

It's got all of that kind of
easy-breezy, relaxed volume

that we were looking for
in the boubou.

The elastic isn't too tight
around her arms.

This is just the perfect size
for her.

I do love the fabric.

The combination of colours...

Ah, the little hole

but I think it's brilliant.

You can be really pleased with this.

Thank you.

MUSIC: Sekkle Down
by Burna Boy ft J Hus

It is very free.

It gives you that boubou freeness

which is really, really nice.

Really does tell your story
very well,

the whole ripple effect.

The chiffon is very, you know,
reminiscent of water.

And the sleeves do look very ripply.

I feel like the ankara is
a little bit heavy.

I think it is just dragging it
a little bit, the... the harness.

Sitting here it's not doing much.

I think if you were really going
to be bold about it,

have it like a choker.

MUSIC: African Woman
by Baaba Maal

Vicki, I love the choice of print.

The shape is really elegant.

The length gives, like, a nice,
modern spin to it.

The sewing is really, really nice.

You spent a lot of time
matching your pattern,

and you have matched it perfectly.

It is really elegant. I loved the
way it moved on the catwalk.

It's a great choice of fabric
for this type of garment

and it's hard to sew with

and, actually, you've managed
the seams not badly.

I mean, they're not perfectly,
perfectly straight.

You either have the sequins
or the gold.

But not both.

I'm not keen on the sequins.

Turn round.

And we've got a little tuck here.

MUSIC: Keys To The City (Ogede)
by Mr Eazi

I think it's a really dressy piece

and I definitely feel like lots of
African women

would wear this to a very grand occasion.

I love that you've used a plain,
bright colour

and it's the same all over.

That does have impact.

Where you have a satin fabric,

any pulling on that seam would be

incredibly obvious,
and we haven't got any of it.

It's been really,
really nicely sewn.

Think it's very good.

Thank you.

I'm over the moon.

I still don't know if I'm safe
cos everyone's so talented.

But even if I go out,
I go out on a bang.

That dress was a dress of my dreams.

I did pour my heart
and soul into making that.

And then you see it floating
down the catwalk,

it's just like...

"Oh, my word, I made that."

And the nostalgia in it.

It's woken up some really special memories.

It went better than what I thought.

I was expecting them
to rip it apart but...

I feel good
about the comments, I think,

but you don't know.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed
our brief trip to West Africa.

You've all made some
incredible clothes,

but one of you has really
excelled yourself.

Patrick? Our Garment of the Week
this week is...

Lizzie!

Thank you.

Lizzie, I felt like you
really put your heart in it.

It was really, really well done
and your stitching was perfect too.

Thanks so much, that means a lot.
Thank you.

It was a very hard week
for the judges

to pick someone to go home,

and that person is...

...Maria.

It's all right.

I can't believe it,
I made it here in the first place.

That, within itself is
a massive achievement.

So I am proud, I'm proud.

Can't leave my pals, can I?

Maria struggled
in the Transformation.

It lacked ambition and

despite a well-thought-out boubou,

the quality of Maria's finish
let her down.

Well done, Maria. You did
really well. You've been great.

It was a very, very tough week.

This week Lizzie just stamped her
foot and went for it.

Her Made To Measure had
this fantastic story

so it had real meaning.

She did brilliantly.

Congratulations. Oh, thank you.

Really well done.

I felt like I had a lot of ground
to make up on and, um,

I knew that I had more
that I could show.

I'm going to be having a little
disco tonight.

Relieved, so relieved right now.
I love my dress.

I want to take it home, I want to
put it on, I want to go to a wedding

so if anyone's got any weddings,

I'll come along, please, so I can
wear it.

I've found this week exhilarating.

I cannot wait for my mum to see
the fact that I've got

fabric with fans on it.

She's going to find that hilarious.

Next time...

Oh, my goodness.

...it's the return of
Reduce, Re-use, Recycle week.

Scraps are banned in
a zero-waste pattern...

Wouldn't you want to wear this?!

...the sewers get creative
in the Transformation...

Cos you wanted drama at the bottom
and that might be Uranus.

...and get hooked on crocheting.

Who will reclaim
Garment of the Week...

These are almost perfect.

...and who will settle for the tip?

I'm not happy with this.