01x03 - Child's Dress, Pleated Dress and Jackets

[bunniefuu]

It's the semi-final
of The Great British Sewing Bee

and the pressure is on.

After last week's agonising decision
about who created the perfect

zip-fly and who rolled
the finest silk hem,

we're down to four contestants,

all of whom want to stitch
their way to victory

and be crowned
Britain's Best Amateur Sewer.

They get a crown, right?

Last time, making a pair of trousers
separated the men from the boys.

And you've got the fly
the wrong way around.

Fitness instructor Stuart...
Oh, cheeky!

..surprised the judges
with his tulips.

Love it. Brilliant!

For the first time, Ann disappointed
with her patch pockets.

I think you could have been
more ambitious.

I think we'll leave it at that.

And after the silky blouse
challenge... It's gone Pete Tong.

..and much debate...

We need to talk about that.
We do need to talk about this.

..Tilly...

I've lost my pins,
I've lost everything.

..and Mark were asked
to leave The Sewing Bee.

Oh, no!

This week:

# I'm in the semi-finals. #

The semi-finalists
face three more challenges,

set by Savile Row's Patrick Grant

and the nation's most experienced
sewing teacher, May Martin.

The fabric itself has
got a mind of its own.

But how will they cope with
sewing on a miniature scale?

The competition is fierce,
isn't it? Fierce.

What can they possibly do to
transform this shapeless dress?

I want to do something drastic
like chop the skirt off.

And after the most tricky
made-to-measure challenge yet...

I've got cramp in my fingers!

..which one of them will be asked
to leave The Sewing Bee?

They're just going to crucify me!

I've not got enough fabric.
I can smell the tension.

The tasks are getting harder.

Only the best three will
make it through to the final.

This is The Great British
Sewing Bee.

We're back in east London,
where the four remaining contestants

are facing two solid days of sewing.

81-year-old yoga devotee Ann

is hoping her 75 years
of sewing experience

will hold her in good stead.

Back again! This is absolutely
amazing. Brilliant!

She is very measured and knows her
capabilities, which are great.

But she never takes big risks.

Up against Ann is 41-year-old
fitness instructor

and creative maverick, Stuart.

I want to up my game, I want
to be good enough to stay in.

I really fought for Stuart last week
because he showed flair,

he showed individuality,

but today there are some
technical challenges.

48-year-old hospital cleaner Sandra
has honed her sewing skills

making clothes
for family and friends.

I can't believe I'm
here for the semi-final.

The judges will not give you a
second chance for getting it wrong,

not at this late stage.

Sandra needs to demonstrate to us
that she knows how to fit.

She needs to show us
that the eye for fitting,

as well as technical
excellence, are there.

And the fourth semi-finalist is
27-year-old perfectionist Lauren.

Everything definitely
feels much more tense.

Everyone knows the levels
of what you've got to do

have just been
pushed up a little bit.

There's no corner to hide.

I think Lauren needs to just show

there is more about her
than florals and frills.

I think we need to see she's got
a broader range of capabilities.

Oh, Lordy!

The semi-finalists have no idea what
today's challenges will involve.

I'm really excited about today
and I'm really looking forward

to watching all of them
do their best work.

We are looking to expose
any weaknesses

and to celebrate all the brilliant
techniques they can bring to bear.

Welcome back to The Sewing Bee

and huge congratulations for getting
into the semi-final.

We always start with a challenge
about following a pattern.

The judges today would like you
to make a child's dress.

You can use whatever
fabric you like.

Lauren, you look terrified.

Just a bit. Absolute nightmare.

Is it? Good luck. Off you go.
Two-and-a-half hours. It starts now.

In this first challenge,

the judges want to test the sewers'
ability to follow a pattern.

As it's the semi-final, they want
to see couture techniques

carried out on a small scale.

The pattern itself is for
a toddler's summer dress.

It's straight-forward but the
finishing needs to be exquisite.

Two pieces of fabric are sewn
together with a special French seam,

then gathered into
fine pleats at the top

with rows of shirring elastic.

It's joined to form a tube
and stitched on to the other side.

Then rouleau loops are made
by rolling two strips of fabric

which are then attached to
the shoulder and tied in a bow.

What kind of fabric should
these guys be choosing?

Something that's soft. Like that.
We want this to gather up.

If the fabric's too stiff,
it won't sit well.

We want it to ruche up.

It's a nice, light,
fine cotton fabric.

So things like the shirring,
where everything is elasticated

and gathered up, if you had
a fabric that was very thick,

it would sort of be lumpy
and wouldn't hang nicely.

Is this a good fabric, May?
Yes, you need something soft.

I wanted something lightweight.
A good choice.

It's soft, so it'll move nicely.

It's plain, so you don't have to
worry about a pattern.

But not everyone has
gone for a simple option.

I thought with a stripe, the bottom
would look as good as the top.

First thing I've got to do
is find the rest of my pattern!

I wanted a fine cotton

and also that I thought
would look pretty on a child.

I think a child might be quite happy
with the flowers on this print.

I think it's rather fun.

# 20 tiny fingers

# 20 tiny toes... #

Once the sewers have cut out
the back and front of the dress,

they need to stitch it
together on one side,

using their first couture technique.

Using a French seam, join...

Ah, now, French seams...

I know what a French seam is.
Phew! That's good.

What is a French seam?

You sew wrong side to wrong side,
one row of stitching,

then you turn it back,
fold it, press it,

and then you resew it again
on the top

so you've got two rows of stitching.

So the raw edges are enclosed inside

and you've got a very, very strong
seam. Why is that important?

One of the things about kids'
clothes is they get washed a lot.

You need a robust garment.

It's almost like you sew
the seam twice

so that it hides any raw edges

and it's just a neater
way of finishing something off.

It also means it's nice and soft
on the inside for kids.

When I've made children's
clothes before,

it's really just been
as a little practice to myself.

I've not actually
made them for a child,

just because they are kind of cute.

What have you been
practising for, Lauren?

You're starting to sound
like my mother-in-law now!

It's many years since I did
anything like this.

Mother of five
and grandmother of seven,

Ann has an advantage over the other
sewers in the semi-final,

having made clothes for two
generations of children.

Funnily enough, we were
talking about this last week.

They reminded me of special dresses
that I'd made for them

and the excitement
they felt in seeing them.

It was great!

Years ago, a friend of mine
had a baby

and I made two absolutely revolting
baby dresses.

Disgusting fabric.

You know, really bizarre,
like curtain fabric.

I think it was a bit of
a Sound Of Music moment, you know,

"That would look cute."

Not cute. Not cute, not clever.

Poor child!
HE LAUGHS

It'll probably grow up
psychologically damaged

and it'll be all my fault.

Every time they see a pair
of curtains, they'll freak out.

One hour 30 minutes left.

That's one hour 30 minutes.

Don't panic.
I won't.

I thought I would be further on
by now. Time's flying past.

Patrick and May's pattern doesn't
specify how many rows

of shirring elastic
the sewers should use

to gather the tops of their dresses.

I don't know if there's an
indication on the picture.

I've got to shirr
between here and here,

so I reckon probably one, two, three,
four lines of shirring should do it.

Shirring shmirring.

If I was to have five...

One, two, three, four, five.
That'll do.

One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven, eight.

About seven to eight rows of
elastic, I would like, in there.

It might be too much for
some people, but you know what?

It's not going to make
any difference

until Patrick gets
his tape measure out.

The elastic has to be
wound on to a bobbin

before putting it into the machine.

I'm just going to keep winding.

That's the shirring elastic.
That's the elastic.

You reel that onto there.

But you have to wind it on by hand.

If you wind it on the machine
it stretches as it goes on.

You have to wind it on relaxed. Ah!

I'm not going to tell anybody.

I'm going to put some shirring
elastic on by machine.

I've done it by machine
at home in the past.

Everybody else will be horrified.

I think if I hold it like that
in my hand,

I can guide it,
so it's not too tight.

There we go.

By hand it can be just too loose.

With the bobbin of elastic
in the machine,

the fabric should ruche up easily.

You are shirring, you are
pushing a row of elastic along

and as you machine stitch,

the elastic gathers up the fabric.

Crucial to perfect shirring
is an even tension

when holding the fabric as it
passes under the machine foot.

Making this little dress brings back
the memories

of when you have got three to do.

The first one's a pleasure.
The second one goes OK.

By the time you get
to the third one,

you've had enough
and want to get it finished.

The unlucky person got the third one.

It might have been a bit
more roughly done.

Even when a row is finished,
tension is still critical.

The trouble is, when you
finish sewing,

you've got to make sure you
pull enough elastic through

that you don't lose it.

As you pull it and cut it,
it springs back into the machine.

My elastic just keeps pinging
back into the bobbin.

Each additional row of elastic
needs to be stitched

at precisely the same tension.

And perfectly parallel to the last.

This has got to be done
quite by eye.

I suppose I could draw a line,
but I'm not going to.

Is that in a straight line?

Yeah, I've pressed a crease
so I have a crease to follow.

They are really into
their parallel lines.

They're really into parallel lines.
Absolutely.

They're like Blondie.

I put sticky tape on my machine

so I could line up the fabric
as I stitch.

Well done. Check it out!
Shirring elastic, stage one.

How are you getting on, Ann?

Well, I'm getting there.

I think I've ventured too many
rows of elastic.

I think it's ambitious. I've done
four. How many have you done?

I've done one, two, three, four

and I've still got about
another four to go.

Oh! Blooming heck.
You're doing eight? Sandra!

How many have you done? Oh, shut up!
Get out of town!

It'll be fine. How many have you
done, Stuart? Three.

The little girl doesn't want it
falling down, does she?

No, but at the same time,
it doesn't want to be
like a tourniquet, Sandra.

Sorry? Doesn't want to be
like a tourniquet, either.

Got to think about that
child's comfort.

Once the dress is joined
together to form a tube...

At the moment I'm doing
the second French seam.

..the next couture technique
is to create rouleau straps.

I'm turning my straps the right
way. I've done the one fine.

This one, I'm all
fingers and thumbs.

I think the pressure
is getting to me.

Rouleau straps are round tubes
of fabric.

How do you make it loop?

You have a piece of fabric
which you've cut... On the bias.

I like it! On the bias!
I'm learning.

You have a piece of fabric
that you cut at a 45-degree angle.

You then fold it in half. OK.

You machine your tube and then
they've got a metal gadget

with a hook on the end,
which you feed up through the tube,

hook on the end and pull it through.
You pull it inside out!

Got it, just!

If you look at the way Ann is making
hers, she's hovering with the iron,

so the steam is going in
and giving them a little press

but she's not squashing them flat.

But Sandra has other ideas.
I'm not doing rouleau straps.

I have done the one.

I can demonstrate why
I prefer to go with my own.

There is never a completely right
way of doing anything in sewing,

you do what you are happy with.

With a place in the final at stake,

Sandra's decision not to follow
the pattern could be dangerous.

They want the rouleau strap.

(They are not getting
a rouleau strap.)

Well, what's this?
What's this finickety thing?

I don't like it.
What are you talking about?

Turn this inside out!
I haven't got time.

Everyone, you have ten minutes.
That's the ten minute call.

The final instruction on the pattern
is to find and add embellishment.

It hadn't occurred to me to do
anything outside the instructions.

I thought that the test was
to follow the instructions.

Oh, embellishment of your ch...
I didn't read that!

I wanted to add something.
I'm thinking another button.

There are other buttons going on.
So button up. OK.

I'm going to make another bit of
rouleau and tie a bow on the front.

I haven't got time to
think of anything else.

Two little buttons and I had time

so I'm putting a patch pocket
on the front, as well.

Let's never forget your success
with the patch pocket.

Just call me the Patch Man.

I'm not really sure
what I'm doing there.

My pins are in the wrong way.
I'll do it this way.

You have 30 seconds, please,

to put your beautiful dresses
on the mannequins.

How are you doing, guys?

15 seconds.

Sandra, I'll be honest,
I am talking to you.

Thank you. Finito.

Stand away. Stand away.
Look somewhere else.

Finished. Massive well done.

These are adorable.

# I love you, a bushel and a peck

# A bushel and a peck
and a hug around the neck

# A hug around the neck
and a barrel and a heap

# A barrel and a heap
and I'm talking in my sleep

# About you... #

May, first impression?

We've got even spacing
with our shirring here.

This is a lovely French seam.
Yes, it is very well-ex*cuted.

I like the detail. You've tied
a knot on the end of your rouleau,

which I think is really precise.

The bow on the front
is a beautiful detail.

Very delicate. It's very
beautifully done.

Ann, well done.
Are you happy with that?

Very happy, yes, thank you.

First impression?
Really, really cute.

However, the problem up here
is if you were putting this

on and off a child and you only had
two rows of shirring,

it's weak and it would take no time
at all for the shirring to break.

and it's by having several rows of it

that you get the strength
in the garment.

Right. Now then, French seams.
Quite a generous seam.

One might say sort of
on the elephant side.

I think you need to refine
your techniques a bit

and scale them down a little bit.

This is a beautifully ex*cuted
rendition of this pattern.

The obvious thing to say

is just how beautifully delicate
these straps are.

I mean, this is just exemplary
handling skills.

I mean, really, really fabulous.

It's extremely neatly sewn
through the bodice.

A fantastic piece of sewing.

I think you've done a really,
really good job.

Your French seam is really fine.

Smaller than Ann's. Good job.

I've just been really impressed
with the way those stripes are
sitting around the garment.

They are all sitting vertically
and it's so easy to twist them,

if that shirring
hadn't been done nicely.

A brilliant technique.

You haven't made rouleau loops.
I have.

Well, you've made one
and you've kind of,

"Here's one I didn't make earlier."

If my child was wearing that,

they would want a strap
that would stop on.

In many senses you're right but we
did ask you to follow a pattern

we've got to be strict on it

but what you've done
through here is exemplary.

Patrick and May will now
rank the sewers'

attempts from fourth to first.

Sadly, Stuart, yours is number four.
A little bit more shirring required.

Sandra, you come in at number three,
beautiful shirring

but you had flat straps.

Patrick, who is in at two?

Very, very difficult to
choose between the two of them,

because both beautifully
ex*cuted but second...

Ann.

Congratulations to Lauren!
Yey!

You won it because those straps
are just exquisite.

Congratulations. A huge well done.
THEY CLAP

Go and have a rest before challenge
number two, cos it's a biggie.

You might want to have a sit down.

I've not had anything up until now,

and to finally get top in something,
I'm really, really chuffed.

I could have made rouleau
that small but I didn't.

I need to get myself a little higher
in the league tables.

I'm gutted. I can't help
but say I'm absolutely gutted.

It's the semi-final,
I've got to up my game.

If I don't, I'm really
jeopardising my place.

Four beautiful
little girl's dresses.

Now it is time for
the alteration challenge.

Our sewers have just 90 minutes

to transform the trickiest
high street buy yet.

It's time for your
alteration challenge.

You've got an hour-and-a-half
to dramatically alter this dress.

At the moment it's quite shapeless.
You can use pleats.

You can use darts.
You can use whatever you want.

You've got an hour-and-a-half.
Your time starts now.

This shift stress
is made of viscose,

a fluid fabric commonly
used in high street dresses.

Wait a minute. I need to think a bit
more.

Wait a minute. Wait a minute.
Wait a minute.

Off-the-peg,
it's very loose-fitting,

so it's a perfect garment
for a radical alteration.

Being able to take a very
straight-forward dress like this

and give it some style

and changing its shape is a really
useful thing to be able to do.

One of the most obvious things
to do is to create a waist.

We can put a couple of darts into
the front,

we can do the same at the back.

We can take away in the side seams.

We want to see innate understanding
of how to create shape in a garment.

I know what I want to do...

..I just can't figure out
the best way to do it.

I'm going to taper the hem

so that it fits in more closely
at the side.

I'm going to put some tucks
at the front

and I'm going to dart the back
so that it fits more closely here.

I almost want to do something
drastic like chop the skirt off

but I think it would be
quite a big... You can!

I would feel quite nervous
about doing it. Don't!

They want alteration,
I think you would get points,

I'll say this to everyone,
for being a bit dramatic.

You'd chop it off and then what?
Attach it again, almost with a band?

Like a belt that's attached.

I'm obsessed by that idea!

If there is any credit for being
just a little innovative,

I want to try and get it.

I'm doing like a sort of
almost like a zigzag ripple effect

down the outside,
hand sewing on the outside.

If in doubt, call it punk.
That's what I say.

Sandra, how are you, darling?
I'm fine. I'm putting some darts in.

This is an alteration challenge
but all I'm saying,

I've said it to Lauren,
because it's the semi-final,

I think the judges want bravery.

You need a lot more time for
more bravery.

Do you? I think so. Well, I do.
Don't say that!

I've just persuaded Lauren
to cut her skirt off!

What have we had? An hour and 25?
I bet we've only got an hour now.

"Contestants, you have three
minutes. Three minutes."

While Stuart, Ann and Sandra

can repin their alterations
if they aren't happy...

If the dart's positioned wrong,
it'll look dreadful.

..Lauren is about to face
the point of no return.

What I'm going to do is make
the top of the dress fitted

but make the bottom
of the dress pleated.

I'm going to chop it off.

But I want to make sure
I chop it off straight.

Here goes!

Chop, chop, chop.

No going back now.

I've just got to go for it, I think.

30 minutes gone and 60 to go.

40 years ago it wasn't unusual
to make your own clothes.

Most homes had a sewing machine and
most high streets a haberdashery.

During the Second World w*r,
home sewers were called on

to play a vital role
for king and country.

And they had quite
an illustrious role model.

In 1939, the Queen Mother
gathered the members of her staff

in the Blue Drawing Room
of Buckingham Palace

twice weekly to make clothes for the
troops fighting in World w*r Two.

She showed the world that when faced
with the terrible prospect of w*r,

everyone would have to do their bit.

Women from all walks of life were
encouraged to gather together

to form sewing work parties,
known as Sewing Bees,

using their skills to
contribute to the w*r effort.

The Queen Mother was a big role
model at the time

because she was the patron
of the Women's Voluntary Service.

They actually organised
a lot of these Sewing Bees.

They were a powerhouse of activity
where women could come

and really contribute
to the w*r effort

with something they had skills to do.

They'd be quite noisy and boisterous

but a real sense of community and a
real sense of helping the home front.

The sewing work parties were often
led by a more experienced sewer

who instructed the group
on what was to be made that day.

The Government actually produced
patterns for things like scarves,

balaclavas and sweaters that could be
sent out to the Army and the Navy.

They also started making
camouflage nets

and things really
specifically for the w*r front.

I always think it must be
hard for the women

who already knew
their husbands were lost,

to keep producing those things

for other people's husbands
and fiances who were out there.

In 1941, wartime sewing took
a desperate turn

as industries became more focussed
on the w*r effort,

fabrics were scarce and clothes
rationing was introduced.

If you weren't wealthy enough
to have a wardrobe full of clothes,

it was a case of make-do-and-mend.

When it comes to clothes,
make-do-and-mend needn't be at all
unfashionable.

Listen to what you can do.

Mrs Clarke made her frock from her
husband's old plus-four trousers.

To help people cope
with clothes rationing,

the Government issued leaflets,
posters and newsreels

which gave women ideas about how
to make their clothes last longer

and get creative with whatever
material was to hand.

Make-do-and-mend is about using
your existing clothes

or anything you have lying around
the house to make new clothes.

Clothes rationing continued
until 1949, by which time

Britain's make-do-and-menders
had become increasingly resourceful.

Tell me about this dress.

They're made of silk maps which were
issued to aircrews during the w*r.

At the end of the w*r, these maps
were sold off in department stores

and people used them to make all
sorts of clothes for themselves.

Absolutely beautiful.

People must have had amazing
creativity

and learnt a lot of new skills
in a fairly short time

to be able to produce
this sort of thing.

I suppose necessity breeds
invention.

People had no choice than to really
improve their sewing skills.

There is one person
in our own Sewing Bee

who developed her sewing skills
thanks to clothes rationing.

When I went off to college in 1949,

I was wearing what to me looked
a very smart,

straight skirt made out of an
old pair of my father's trousers!

Well, in those days,
men's trousers were Oxford bags,

so they had lots of pleats at the
front, lots of room in the seat.

I think that he'd
probably worn out the cuffs.

So I was given
these trousers to unpick

and I made myself a skirt.

That's what I wore when I went up
to college as a student at 18.

I hate having to make-do-and-mend,

I think because I had
to do it for so long.

45 minutes to go, and with the new
dress shapes pinned into place,

sewing can begin.

It's quite tricky, this is.

Having removed the middle of her
dress, Lauren is reattaching
the top to the bottom.

I should be able to just get
everything done

but it's not going to be
neat on the inside.

Let's assume I'm going to be fourth,
in terms of skill.

Can I raise my game by being
different to the others?

Well, this is my attempt.
I wanted more of an A-line dress.

I put two darts in the front,
two in the back

taken the side seams in,

took that in a bit more
around the waist.

Whether she'll ever get it
off or on, I don't know.

Has it got a bit of stretch in it?
It has.

You should get it over the top.

OK, everybody, half an hour left.
That's half an hour.

That will give me time to try
and tart it up a bit.

Once they've managed to change
the shape of their dress...

Don't be too small!

..the sewers can use any remaining
time to embellish their alteration.

Sandra, I'm just nicking
your scissors. OK.

How are you going to finish it off?

Are you going to put
that band around?

I'm still not 100% on that red.

I feel like it looks like an
air hostess. I'm not. I'm not.

I'm glad you said that.
I'm not 100% on it.

I think something solid
and bolder might look better.

I'm just putting
some braiding around,

just to make it look
a little bit different.

But when I've held it up, it's
like something my nan used to wear!

What are you doing? It's got a zip
on the back anyway, on the outside.

I'm just wondering if I can make...
A zip belt? A zip flower.

You're thinking of just making
a zip flower. A zip flower.

Why wouldn't you? I know. It's like
Debbie Harry's in the... I know!

I wasn't happy with my ribbon

cos I felt like it looked like
an air hostess,

so I've gone for something
a bit disco.

Five minutes, everybody.
Five minutes left.

Bloody hell!

I was thinking of putting
that round the neck,

but I can't do it
to my satisfaction in the time.

Rather than having it put on badly,
I'm not going to put on at all.

Guys, you have one minute left.

Somebody's watch is wrong.

That ain't bad for free-hand, is it?

The judges said to radically
change the dress.

Radically change the look of it, the
fit of it. It is a radical change.

Oh, God! Please get on!

Oh...!

OK, that's it. Your time's up.

Please put your dress
on your mannequin.

Place your mannequins at the end
of your workstation.

She can't breathe in, this one.

The judges are going to judge.

The challenge was to dramatically
change the shape of this dress.

May and Patrick are about
to discover who succeeded.

OK. Um...
A few thoughts went through my head.

Where's the nearest exit?
That was the first one!

I wanted this kind of rippled
effect down the outside. Reshape it.

You can make it more
fitted by pulling the zips down.

You fulfilled the brief

and you've created something
that's quite bonkers-looking.

Yep. I'm not saying that
this is something we'd

put down a catwalk, but you've taken
a big leap and you've done

a load of work and actually it
kind of almost makes sense.

Have you machined that on the inside?
No, I hand-sewed it. On the outside?

Yes. Because you found it was easier
to control by working on the outside?

It wouldn't stand up to any strain,
however it's really wacky.

If Stuart's dress is cheese,
this is chalk.

It couldn't be more different.

No. But it is equally, in my mind,
precise and elegant. It's lovely.

The only thing I would say, Ann,
it's absolutely beautiful,

but you played safe.

What's interesting is you've done
a lot of things that are similar

to Ann's, but you've decided to
take that all the way through.

I don't think
they are quite as symmetrical

perhaps as they could be.

Your points, they might not be
straight, but they are superb.

Show me. They blend in beautifully
with the garment, we've got

no pokes or puckers,
not all absolutely perfect,

this one's a bit drunk here, but you
displayed some good techniques.

I...

I really like it.

I think, you know, you've adhered
to your brief, which is

you've dramatically changed
the shape of this dress.

The fact you've got this pleat
popping out has produced this

almost bustle-like effect
on the back, which really gives it

a beautiful silhouette from the
side, as well as from the front.

It really creates a very
dramatic shape.

This is very different to what
we've seen from you so far

and I really like it.

A huge well done on your second
challenge.

Normally, you'd be going home
at this point, but your third

and final challenge of the
semi-final is a really big one.

So if you don't mind,
we'll start on it tonight.

Go, have a cup of tea,
then come back to the sewing room

and we will begin.

At this point in the competition,

there are two people
that are incredibly closely matched.

Both Ann and Lauren have delivered
two excellent challenges.

Lauren is excelling. She has stopped
being a rabbit in the headlights.

She has taken on board everything
we have set her

and she is really doing some
wonderful work.

I think, for me, at this moment
in time, Stuart is the guy whose

sewing across the two challenges
has not been as high as the others.

He's fun. He enjoys himself.
He has a go.

And he's grown throughout
the competition

and he just keeps surprising
us with his style.

Sandra is playing a bit safe.

I think I'd like to see her
take a few risks

because she's such a good needlewoman
and she needs to believe in herself.

For the last challenge
of the semi-final,

the models have returned...

Hello!

..to be fitted with a garment

that will test the sewers'
tailoring skills.

The judges wanted to give you
tonight just to measure

your models and cut your fabric.

They would like
you to make a jacket.

Your time starts now.

The sewers have an hour-and-a-half
on the clock tonight.

They have chosen the pattern
and fabric for their jacket

and had the chance to practice
making them at home.

I did do a pre-run
and used my daughter.

She was over the moon
when it was on.

It's still half-finished,
but there we go.

But with so many parts
to each jacket,

constructing it to fit
their model perfectly...

If you inhale, breathe in.

..means there are plenty
of opportunities for mistakes

to be made and the Savile Row
judge will spot any errors.

Is this the hardest thing you've
asked our sewers to do?

I think it is the most
technically demanding.

We've been testing
dress-making techniques today.

In this challenge,
we're going to test their ability
to tailor a garment.

What are you after? Simplicity
or beautiful execution? Both.

The more ambitious they are,
the more we will credit them.

Although it looks simple, there is
a lot of work goes on inside this.

I'm going to have to cut corners,
a lot of corners.

Ann's jacket is the classic
boucle tweed,

edge-to-edge style with no collar.

This is the fabric that I'm using
and it comes from Linton Tweed.

I bought it over the Internet.

That famous boucle tweed
that everybody knows

and assumes is French, it's
made in the north-west of England.

And it's wonderful.

And there are so many mills
in Yorkshire and across Scotland

that are making for
the very best couture houses

and fashion houses in France
and Italy and we don't celebrate it.

We don't know about it.
It's beautiful.

It's something to be
incredibly proud of.

I've tried to do something on the
jacket that I haven't done before.

The collar overlaps and the jacket
just comes edge to edge.

Sandra's softly tailored fine
burgundy tweed jacket

has a wrap collar. But the fabric
is already giving her problems.

It is going to fray rather badly.

My first step, I wasn't going to,
will be to neaten all the edges

before I even do anything else,
to stop it fraying.

The fabric that I'm using
for the main part of the jacket

is what's called boiled wool.

The benefit of it is when you cut
it, the edges don't fray.

Stuart's boiled wool will become
a boxy loose-fitting

Alpine-style jacket
with a stand-up Nehru collar.

Stuart and, to a certain extent,
Sandra, are making their garment

and going to fit it on the fly
which may work, it may not.

Ann is taking the approach we
would take in Savile Row,

which is she is basting
the jacket together,

very lightly sewing it together

and then it's not sewn properly
until it fits correctly.

So you can make quite substantial
adjustments very simply.

This won't be my actual jacket.

This is the toile, which is
a sort of practice jacket

so that you can get the sizing right.

Lauren is first making her
jacket in a cheap calico cotton.

Once it fits perfectly, she will use
this toile as a template.

I've had so many issues with
fit before

that I wanted to try and do every
attempt to make the jacket fit.

Her tweed-fitted hacking jacket
will be lined with pink satin.

I've almost made the toile.
Wow! That's good going.

But then I've not cut out
anything else.

That sounds so much lengthier
process than Stuart or Sandra.

At this point, your impressions
are that Lauren and Ann

are doing it classically
and will create a better garment?

They've got a much better chance of
creating a better garment.

Guys, you have one minute left

and then you can go home
and have a lie down.

I'm going to cut the lining
and then I'm ready for construction.

I'm just hoping a good night's sleep
will bring me back refreshed.

And I hope everybody else
gets a bad night's sleep!

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

# Tick a-tick tock... #

Six hours remaining in the last
challenge of the semi-final.

Stitch the shoulder seams, that's
the next thing I've got to do.

Stuart and Sandra start
sewing their jackets.

But Ann and Lauren are still fitting
their garments to their models.

They've got a way to go before their
fabric goes under the machine.

Lauren, how are you feeling?
Not great, to be honest. Why?

All I can hear is the buzz of sewing
machines.

So do you feel behind?
And here I am, cutting out.

You've got about ten minutes left...

I'm kidding. You're going
to be absolutely fine.

Good! Brilliant! Done!

Sandra is now having to go back

and neaten her fraying fabric
with an overlocker.

It cuts and encloses the edges
but can cause the fabric to stretch.

Are you finding it falling apart

and that's why you are
doing all the overlocking?

I'm gutted I had to overlock.

I hadn't planned time
for overlocking.

The problem is it takes
so long, doesn't it?

Stuart has already
machined the front

and back of his jacket together.

Stuart's making a jacket
that isn't totally fitted.

It is a more casual jacket.

Does that still have to have
the same fit?

It is not going to fit the body
in the sense that this one has

that very sculpted Savile Row
shape to it

through the side seam, but we're
still going to be expecting it

to hang straight up and down.

A standard jacket off-the-rack
is cut for an idealised form,

but everyone is different.

If we take Stuart's model,
for example. If you just come in...

Hello, Alfonso.

If you look, what you see,
looking at him,

come here and have a look,

is this shoulder is significantly
lower than that one. Yes! Oh!

And what's going to happen there
is the jacket is going to drop
and swing away that side.

We are going to be
looking for that today.

Yeah, OK. Thank you.

Ann is fitting her model
for the second time

with her loosely sewn jacket

and she has realised she needs
to make an adjustment.

This is called
a floating chest piece

and it's a piece of canvas
that you put in this area,

and because my model is quite
full-busted

and has a sort of hollow in the
chest there,

this fills up that hollow.

She is very methodically going
through it. I love her process.

Of everyone here, it's
as close to the way we do it.

I just hope she gets it finished.

Stuart is going to have to finish
his to a quite exceptional standard.

In the fitting he did, he chucked
it on the model for a few seconds

and said, "That looks fine."

So it really had
better be a good fit.

Sandra is actually overlocking
everything and I think

only because her fabric,
when she cut it out,
it just started to fall apart.

Three hours have
gone in the challenge

and Lauren still hasn't started
sewing her jacket together.

And that's not her only problem.

I've lost, basically I've lost
a bit of my jacket.

I've not got enough fabric.

With one vital piece missing,

she is at a standstill and might not
be able to finish the challenge.

I can smell the tension.

Four-and-a-half hours to go.

Every week on the show,
we give you a how-to guide.

How to make something lovely
for the home.

This week, curtains.

Cut your fabric and lining material
to size.

Press and hem both panels.

Place them on top of each other,
leaving the lining

around five centimetres shorter than
the curtain fabric at the bottom.

Pin together then stitch the lining
to the curtain along the side seams.

At the top edge, fold in both layers

and pin the heading tape
along the width of the curtain.

This is where you will
attach the hooks.

Fold the raw edges under the tape
and stitch it in position.

Tuck in curtain weights along the
bottom hem and hand-sew them in.

This will help it hang smoothly.

Neaten the edges by folding
in the hem on all remaining sides

and corners and hand finish.

Press and lightly steam
on the wrong side up.

Finally, draw up the strings
from both ends of the tape,

distributing the gathers evenly,
and secure with a knot.

Your curtains are now ready to hang.

The sewers have four hours left
to finish their jackets...

..and Lauren needs to make
up valuable time.

I just thought I'd lost a bit
but I found it, so panic over.

I do really want to win.

I know I can do it,
it's just doing it in the time.

It's just really hard.

One of us is going to be leaving.

I don't want to see anybody go
and I don't want to see myself go.

I'm pretending it's not
going to happen

and I'm just trying to keep
as focused as I can.

Ann is the only sewer to have chosen
a tweed fabric with a pattern.

When I put this on,

the stripes of the jacket match up
with the pink stripes going across.

With Patrick's
eagle eye on us today,

they're going to match,

they're going to match as well
as I can get them to match.

Once the main body of the jackets
are sewn together,

the sleeves can be
fitted into the armholes.

This is the bit that I'm most
nervous about messing up.

I'm putting my first sleeve in.

The sleeve head is bigger than
the hole it's going into.

So this bit here is bigger than
the bit it is being inserted into.

So it literally needs to curve

and be gathered round to actually
mould and sit into the armhole,

and that is quite a skilful
thing to do

because you are making a large area
sit smoothly and roundly

into a smaller area.

It's a delicate process
called easing.

Most sewers pin the fabric in place
before machining

to ensure the sleeve head
is gathered without puckers

or pleats into the smaller armhole.

The fabric, because it's stretchy,

all the way through the construction
that's been a little bit of a pain

but now, I can actually stretch
and put them together

and that's where a bit of give in
the fabric

is actually really helpful.

But not everyone is having to
ease their sleeves.

Bit tight around the back.

Sandra's raglan sleeves attach
higher up at the collar

and that's where
her easing issue lies.

It fits around the jacket like that.

But overlocking all the edges
of her fraying fabric

has caused the hole for Sandra's
collar to stretch out of shape.

It fits but not as nicely
as I would have liked it to.

It's now larger than her collar
piece. I shall just ease that in.

We will have to sort of
stretch it a bit.

It will stretch because it's wool,

but I don't really want
to give it that much.

Half an hour left,
that's half an hour.

There is just time for hemming
and any decorative touches.

The fabric itself has got
a mind of its own

so I'm having to speak to it very,
very firmly.

I'm feeling rushed.

The nature of the jacket
is the fact it's an outer garment
that has to look smart.

We're looking for really beautiful,
clean lines.

We're looking for a very,
very even distribution of fullness.

Everyone, you have ten minutes left.
That's ten minutes.

Talk about working fast!

I'm going to be sewing
right to the end.

We are looking for beautiful shaping
and beautiful shoulders.

I've got another sleeve to do.

I shan't get the lining
fastened down.

They are just going to crucify me!

It can't be a soppy garment.

It's got to be precise.

All right, then!

I've got cramp in my fingers!

I know it's not perfect
but I think I have done enough.

You have one minute left.
One minute.

More haste, less speed.

Take that to Savile Row, Patrick!

Five, four,

three, two, one.

Brilliant.
SHE CLAPS

Absolutely exhausted. Really
exhausted.

It was a sewing marathon.

I don't think I've pressed it
as much as I could.

My hand-sewing isn't neat
because I was doing it so quickly.

I think my jacket looks
OK on my model.

In fact, I think
she looks rather good in it.

Everybody else has managed to finish
and I haven't.

I would say I'm going home.

Lauren, please bring your girl up.

OK.

It is sitting quite level
all the way around.

The shoulders
look like they are nice fit.

You have kept the softness in
the front, which I think is nice.

Can I just have a quick look
at the back?

It is a bit full there. That's fine.

You need a bit of back drape
there to give you a bit of movement.

If it's drum tight across the back,
that's not going to work.

Can we have a look at the inside?

The finish on the inside is good.

You'd neatened
absolutely everything

so there's no falling apart
with this jacket, is there?

Initially, I'm looking just
at the front tipping up,

which is a shame,

because this bit is just
sitting up a bit. I know.

So the collar, sitting really
well at the front. Nice and flat.

Your sleeve seam is just slightly
tipping forward, isn't it? Yes.

Because you have overlocked the
fabric and it stretched slightly.

Overlooking stretched everything.

It's pulling it out of shape as you
were working it, which is a shame.

Are we going to have a look inside?

So the lining has been put in nicely.
Not finished, but...

Obviously, we've run out of time

but what you have managed to
do inside is neat and well managed.

Slightly out of balance
but not horrendously so.

We're just not quite the perfect
circle around the neck

but a really nice
curve into the back.

So we've got a vertical line
coming down here which means

that your sleeve has been
set in really symmetrically

and you've got a lovely vertical line
so it's got balance.

Your fabric is just shouting,
"this is a straight line",

and you've done it.

Round the back you've got
a horizontal line

going across the back here, balancing
across from shoulder to shoulder.

Shall we have a look inside?

I think the finish inside is
worthy of the finish on the outside.

So there is a lot in here that
is done very much to the standard

that we would do it on Savile Row.

The sleeves seem to be tipping off
the shoulder is a little bit

and perhaps could come across a bit.

I think they're supposed to be
a bit higher up, aren't they? Yes.

I'm a bit disappointed that the
binding around the top hasn't gone

right into the seam.
You have done that both sides.

I'm going to undo it

and just see how it falls
when it is not buttoned up.

What we are seeing now
is what I suspected.

I think when you did your fitting,
I was watching,

I don't think you spent long
enough fitting him.

It's here where, because he;s
significantly dropped that side,

you know, you can see it at the
bottom there quite clearly. Yeah.

The sewers can do no more.

They can only wait for Patrick
and May's decision.

It would be wonderful to be
in the final. Just being part of it.

I think, I think that is what will be
so great.

"Oh, I've got through
to the final!"

I think I would feel a little guilty
if I went through,

in the fact that
Stuart did as well as me.

I'm sad that the challenges
have come to an end,

but I hope against hope

that maybe I will get the chance
to do it all one more time.

I want one of those
places in the final.

I've put so much effort in,
to not get one of those places,

I would be devastated.

You are about to choose
who goes into the final.

Why don't you take out the pieces
that have worried you the most.

There goes Sandra's jacket.
And for you, Patrick?

I think we have to put Stuart's
dress alteration.

Let's talk about Stuart in general.
Sometimes he's completely wowed you.

I've loved watching him develop
and I have loved watching him sew

but I think in the final,

we need three people who are going to
wow us with their sewing capability.

Sandra is clearly a better sewer but
she continually leaves things

incomplete, and I think that is her
great difficulty.

Stuart is not such a great sewer
but he gets the job done

and I think therein lies
the difficulty that we face,

because we don't want
to get into the last week

and see half finished garments.

As you know, every week,
the judges choose their best piece.

Our favourite piece
for this week was...

Ann's jacket which was,
quite simply, beautiful.

APPLAUSE

Oh, how lovely!
Gorgeous.

Now, somebody's going to be
leaving The Sewing Bee.

The judges found it
incredibly difficult

because you've all just done
extraordinary things

at such a high standard,

so I'm incredibly sorry to
say the person who is leaving us...

..is Stuart.

I'm sorry. I don't want you to go.

Well done. Well done.

We will miss you.
Absolutely fine.

We wanted to say how hard it was

because you have listened
to everything we said.

You've brought so much of a sense
of fun to sewing

that you need to be applauded
for doing that

because, you know, there is a joy
in everything you do here.

Thank you very much.

Thank you for letting me have
the opportunity to stay as long.

Are you crying, Sandra?
No.

Thank you so much for the
opportunity. I really appreciate it.

For the judges to say that
I brought a sense of fun

and a joy to sewing,
that's why I do it.

And if I've communicated that,
fabulous.

We shall really miss you.

I know.
It's been lovely knowing you.

Ann, Lauren and Sandra will
see this journey through

right to the very end, and
I'm sad I won't be there with them,

but the bigger picture is
that I've made friends here

that I'll have
for the rest of my life.

Come here. Mm! Well done.

Well done.

I'm buying you
a bottle of wine tonight!

Now, THAT, I will take you up on!

If you want to sew or be creative
or do anything else, do it.

Enjoy it, because anyone
can be creative.

It doesn't matter how old you are,
male, female,

or what your experience or how much
money you've got or how little,

you just enjoy it.

I've just got to try
and do it for him.

I've got to try and win for Stuart,
to justify my place here.

At the final, Lauren, Sandra

and Ann tackle a complex
pattern for a man's shirt.

This is definitely the hardest.
So complicated.

Tension mounts when they're asked to
demonstrate hand-sewing skills.

It's like the blind
leading the blind.

Come on, you are great.

And they create
stunning evening gowns...

The fight isn't over yet.

..before one of them
takes the title.

The winner of
The Great British Sewing Bee is...

Feeling ready to sharpen up
your sewing skills?

Visit...

..to find tips and ideas
featured in the series.