:00:17. > :00:19.It is the final. The Great British Sewing Bee, we've gone from A-line
:00:19. > :00:22.skirts to tailored jackets to those beautiful little girls dresses. We
:00:22. > :00:28.started with eight sewers, we are now down to the final three. Four
:00:28. > :00:31.weeks ago Just about to put the needle to the fabric. A group of
:00:31. > :00:36.talented people came together. Have you made an A line skirt before?
:00:36. > :00:40.I've never made a skirt before Claudia, A line or otherwise.
:00:40. > :00:47.right across Britain. This is the third zip I've ever done in my life.
:00:47. > :00:57.In a quest to win the title of the country's best home sewer. Ring-a-
:00:57. > :00:57.
:00:58. > :01:05.ding-ding! Each week judges Patrick Grant. Do they work? Have a go.
:01:05. > :01:10.Well, that's a lovely pocket. And May Martin. You've got a little
:01:10. > :01:13.hole in the bottom, a bit of ventilation. Tested the sewer's
:01:13. > :01:20.ability to follow a pattern. You've got the fly the wrong way around.
:01:20. > :01:24.But it's opposite to mine! Radically alter an item of clothing.
:01:24. > :01:30.And construct a made-to-measure garment from scratch. I'm not
:01:30. > :01:34.looking. Now Lauren, Sandra and Ann have made it through to the final.
:01:34. > :01:39.Where they face the most complex pattern yet. There is no place to
:01:39. > :01:46.hide. For the first time their hand sewing skills are put to the test.
:01:46. > :01:54.I can't even see the stitching on that. And as a finale, they must
:01:54. > :01:57.create a spectacular evening dress. Our three finalists now face the
:01:57. > :02:07.toughest challenges of all. And after that only one will walk away
:02:07. > :02:25.
:02:25. > :02:30.Two days of intense sewing await Lauren, Ann and Sandra as they
:02:30. > :02:36.enter the sewing room for the final. Their hard work over the last four
:02:36. > :02:38.weeks has been leading up to this moment. Lauren has been
:02:38. > :02:48.consistently ambitious, but also shown she can master the most
:02:48. > :02:51.delicate tasks. I mean, this is just exemplary handling skills.
:02:51. > :02:53.I'll fight for it, I'll do whatever I can because, I really want it now.
:02:53. > :03:03.Ann has been very disciplined, never setting herself unachievable
:03:03. > :03:05.goals. And always finishing to a very high standard. Well of course
:03:06. > :03:11.I'd like to win, I've been thinking about it absolutely all the time
:03:11. > :03:14.this week. Sandra has produced some of the most complex garments of the
:03:14. > :03:18.competition and has shown herself to be a natural with the needle.
:03:18. > :03:21.love the topstitching round here. When you think about walking away
:03:21. > :03:31.with the title it's a bit overwhelming. Lauren and Ann just
:03:31. > :03:33.
:03:33. > :03:37.creep into the back of your mind every time. Sewers, do you want to
:03:37. > :03:47.come and join us at the cutting table. Welcome back to the Sewing
:03:47. > :03:47.
:03:47. > :03:50.Bee for the final. We're very happy it's you, don't tell the others.
:03:50. > :03:53.Your first challenge the judges would you like you to make is a
:03:53. > :03:58.man's shirt. You must be joking! Yes, I'm terribly sorry, Ann, we
:03:58. > :04:08.were worried about that reaction. You've got four hours, your time
:04:08. > :04:13.
:04:13. > :04:15.starts now. I'm trying to look for something that's quite lightweight.
:04:15. > :04:18.And also something plain would be good, so I don't have to worry
:04:18. > :04:25.about stripes or this kind of thing. I picked this fabric, I just liked
:04:25. > :04:27.the colour. I'm presuming it's linen. I like working with linen.
:04:27. > :04:31.I'm just checking through the pattern, just seeing what procedure
:04:31. > :04:37.they've done, just before I chose the fabric. The pattern for this
:04:37. > :04:41.classic man's shirt is made up of nine pieces. There are two sections
:04:41. > :04:44.for the front which will be hemmed for the button and the button holes.
:04:44. > :04:48.The back section is sandwiched with a yoke on either side to strengthen
:04:48. > :04:52.it across the shoulders. A two piece collar is attached at the
:04:52. > :04:54.neck and the sleeve sections are fitted into the arm holes. There
:04:54. > :05:00.are a number of complicated construction challenges within a
:05:00. > :05:04.man's shirt. It's a real test of their accuracy and their
:05:04. > :05:14.consistency. This is a seriously difficult challenge and really
:05:14. > :05:18.
:05:18. > :05:26.there is no place to hide. Ann has already got all the pattern
:05:26. > :05:30.pieces pinned on and has started cutting out. I've made shirts for
:05:30. > :05:33.myself, probably one every year. I am much more used to doing women's
:05:33. > :05:35.clothes. But basically a woman's shirt and a man's shirt are the
:05:35. > :05:38.same except they're slightly different shapes. Just relieved
:05:38. > :05:42.that we haven't got cuffs and a cuff opening to do because that's
:05:42. > :05:46.really time consuming. Since last week Ann has done little other than
:05:46. > :05:54.practice for the final. If she is nervous at all she's absolutely not
:05:54. > :05:56.letting on. I think if she won she'd be so proud of herself. The
:05:56. > :06:06.fact that after all these years of sewing it's been recognised, that
:06:06. > :06:07.
:06:07. > :06:10.actually she's pretty good. Do you know I haven't really got used to
:06:10. > :06:13.the idea that it is the final. Those words are going to the back
:06:13. > :06:16.of my head and this is just what we're going to do next. With half
:06:16. > :06:18.an hour gone, Ann is ready to make the button stands which are the
:06:18. > :06:23.hems that run down the centre front of the shirt. Press front edges
:06:23. > :06:29.under on fold, which is that line. Then turn towards inside and stitch
:06:29. > :06:34.close to the edge, yes. I'm just doing the top stitching on the
:06:34. > :06:37.front where the buttons go. The top stitching along the edge of the
:06:37. > :06:41.button stand has to be neat and parallel to give the shirt a smart
:06:41. > :06:46.finish. It's got to be straight, it's the first thing they'll look
:06:46. > :06:50.for. Now where I've top stitched that
:06:50. > :07:00.down, it hasn't quite caught it underneath. So I'm going to unpick
:07:00. > :07:03.
:07:03. > :07:08.It's the final and I'm scared that if I'm not fussy, that's what
:07:08. > :07:15.they'll pick up on. At the moment, I'm still just on the first
:07:15. > :07:21.instruction. So really I need to make sure that this is all straight.
:07:21. > :07:23.Those guys are like sewing already, this is not reassuring. For former
:07:23. > :07:32.physiotherapist Lauren, taking part in the sewing bee has been all
:07:32. > :07:34.about helping her pursue a new career in sewing. Winning is
:07:34. > :07:36.important to me because everything that I've studied for before or
:07:36. > :07:41.trained for, hasn't really been anything to do with creativity. And
:07:41. > :07:44.that's my real passion. She puts her heart into it and when she does
:07:44. > :07:46.that I know that she does really well. And so the fact that she is
:07:46. > :07:49.in the final is no surprise. And this will just be complete
:07:49. > :07:51.confirmation that she is amazing. And I think it's important for her
:07:52. > :07:56.to recognise that. Yeah, I know my family will be thinking about me
:07:56. > :07:58.now, desperate to know what I've been asked to do. My mum especially.
:07:58. > :08:03.I was talking to her about what could it be, what could they give
:08:03. > :08:06.us? I said, I wonder if they could give us a man's shirt? And she was
:08:06. > :08:16.like, no, it will take too long to make a man's shirt. They won't give
:08:16. > :08:17.
:08:17. > :08:19.you that, don't worry. Here I am, whipping one up.
:08:19. > :08:25.The yoke is the piece across the back of the shirt. And it provides
:08:25. > :08:30.support at the shoulders. The yoke is a complicated part of the shirt
:08:30. > :08:35.to construct. So Ann is taking care to line up the three pieces before
:08:35. > :08:38.putting it under the machine. pinning one piece on to one side of
:08:38. > :08:42.the shirt. And then I turn the shirt over and I pin the other
:08:42. > :08:52.piece to the other side of the shirt. But Sandra is going one step
:08:52. > :08:52.
:08:52. > :08:56.further. I'm going to tack it in place. If I just pin it's going to
:08:56. > :08:59.slip. I'm going to be as precise as I can. Because I know as the clock
:08:59. > :09:01.ticks towards finishing it gets a little bit racy and a little bit
:09:01. > :09:06.rough. So what are you going to have for tea tomorrow when I'm not
:09:06. > :09:10.here? Takeaway! It's probably the biggest experience she has ever had
:09:10. > :09:13.in her life. It's the biggest thing she's done on her own and for
:09:13. > :09:17.herself. Because everything Mum's ever done, she's done for us or for
:09:17. > :09:20.somebody else. To get as far as this, she's got to have something.
:09:20. > :09:28.She can win, she's really good. She doesn't believe she's really good,
:09:28. > :09:31.but she is. I think it's changed me inside from when I first started.
:09:31. > :09:36.It makes you register what you really want to do with your life. I
:09:36. > :09:42.have made a shirt before, not a man's shirt. I've done a boy's
:09:42. > :09:45.shirt which is similar, but I've done blouses. So yeah, I'm OK with
:09:45. > :09:55.it I think. Everyone you've had one hour, one hour is gone. Ssh, I'll
:09:55. > :09:56.
:09:56. > :09:58.tell them. Top stitch front yokes close to joining seams. Whilst
:09:58. > :10:08.Sandra and Ann have sewn their yokes together, Lauren is having
:10:08. > :10:10.
:10:10. > :10:16.problems. Aargh! I've made a mistake. I've topstitched too many
:10:16. > :10:18.layers together. So they've got to come out. I need to try and focus.
:10:18. > :10:23.If I start panicking things are going to get worse than they
:10:23. > :10:31.already are. Lauren makes a second attempt at sandwiching her yoke
:10:31. > :10:34.together. I'm feeling behind right now and I'm feeling like I don't
:10:34. > :10:44.know what I'm doing and the others do. And they're just storming off.
:10:44. > :10:53.
:10:53. > :10:57.Alright, are you doing your yokes? Have you done this before? No, I've
:10:57. > :11:01.not done any of this before. That unpicker's taken a bit of a
:11:01. > :11:06.battering today, hasn't it? I know. I've just realised something else.
:11:06. > :11:08.Don't worry, what? My stitch is too long, I'm still on a baste size
:11:08. > :11:15.stitch. This isn't even funny anymore, I can't believe I've
:11:15. > :11:18.picked this out so many times. Lauren has made the mistake of
:11:18. > :11:20.leaving her machine on a long basting stitch, which is used to
:11:20. > :11:24.temporarily hold two pieces of fabric together. When you do the
:11:24. > :11:29.final topstitching, it has to be on a small stitch. In the rush, she'd
:11:29. > :11:37.just forgotten to dial the machine up. And that's that, has to come
:11:37. > :11:45.out, has to be sewn again. So tough. Everyone, you have two hours left,
:11:45. > :11:49.you have two hours. I don't know where everyone else is. I just want
:11:49. > :11:56.to get as much done in the time that we've got. If I could get my
:11:56. > :12:01.sleeves in, I'd be over the moon. This is a sleeve. We've got a
:12:01. > :12:03.larger area than we have here. they have to do is to ease all of
:12:04. > :12:10.that extra cloth in evenly throughout the shoulder. But how do
:12:10. > :12:13.you do that? You're just taking the cloth and very carefully, making
:12:13. > :12:16.little dimples. Which when you sew them get smoothed flat and all of
:12:16. > :12:21.that is gathered together. that's been perfectly done. It's
:12:22. > :12:31.been layed in and topstitched round and it's absolutely flush. Ann, did
:12:31. > :12:35.your sleeve? Beg your pardon? you get your sleeve to fit in ok?
:12:35. > :12:42.Yes, no problem. They have to ease a bit but not much. Why, are yours
:12:42. > :12:44.too big? Uh-huh, far too big. you don't look happy. I'm not. It's
:12:45. > :12:53.just trying to ease it in, is difficult. Like this is a disaster
:12:53. > :12:56.area over here. Right, that's one in. Good girl. Let's go. Let's go.
:12:56. > :12:59.That's lovely and steady, you alright? Yep, just lining it up. Oh,
:12:59. > :13:06.pucker! May doesn't like puckers, she doesn't like puckers. She
:13:06. > :13:16.doesn't like tucks. I'd really love to win, but those guys, they're
:13:16. > :13:17.
:13:17. > :13:22.just, they're good. So complicated. Sewers, you have one hour left.
:13:22. > :13:28.That's one hour left. The collar of the shirt is one thing which can't
:13:29. > :13:36.be rushed. The collar is definitely the most important bit. If I was
:13:36. > :13:38.May or Patrick, that's what I'd be looking at. To get a really sharp
:13:38. > :13:48.collar, all the bulk on the inside must be trimmed away before the
:13:48. > :13:54.
:13:54. > :13:57.points are turned out. You have to be really careful. One good poke.
:13:57. > :14:00.Do you know, I've gone through the tips of collars that many times.
:14:00. > :14:02.This is a blunt pair of forceps. Those came from a great aunt of
:14:02. > :14:10.mine who qualified in medicine in the 19th century and they push that
:14:10. > :14:12.corner out really well. There we are. I'm just trying to do my
:14:13. > :14:15.collar at the moment. Trim seam allowances, clip curves done that,
:14:15. > :14:23.turn collar band to right side and press. Need to try and press this
:14:23. > :14:33.wee bit now. I basically want this to be in the top, that to be like
:14:33. > :14:39.
:14:39. > :14:43.that. This is just a nightmare. I'm just neatening the side seams.
:14:43. > :14:48.I'm doing it with the overlocker. I think I probably would always use
:14:48. > :14:51.an overlocker for this sort of seam. Using an overlocker is a quick and
:14:51. > :14:54.easy way of cutting and enclosing the raw edges of the fabric at the
:14:54. > :15:01.same time. Sandra is using a more classic, but time-consuming method
:15:01. > :15:07.instead. I just wanted to do French seams down the sleeves. Check you
:15:07. > :15:09.out, will you have time? I don't know. Always the optimist. I could
:15:09. > :15:19.have overlocked it, but I've never seen a man's shirt that's been
:15:19. > :15:23.overlocked. Half an hour to go and the last additions to the shirt are
:15:23. > :15:28.the buttons and button holes. buttonhole itself, they are going
:15:28. > :15:32.to do on the machine. It sews a line of stitching on either side
:15:32. > :15:35.and they would just cut it. What they have to do by hand is make
:15:35. > :15:40.sure that the button holes are in the right position. And also that
:15:40. > :15:43.the button holes are at exactly the same distance. Because if they're
:15:43. > :15:53.too far apart it will stretch it tight. And if they're too close
:15:53. > :15:55.
:15:55. > :15:59.you'll see a little buckle. $:/STARTFEED. I've got the hang of
:15:59. > :16:04.it now. There is another buttonhole to do at the neck and I'm not sure
:16:04. > :16:11.how it will cope with this one. It's on the very thick fabric at
:16:11. > :16:21.the neckline. The very, very top buttonhole got stuck and I'm just
:16:21. > :16:28.
:16:28. > :16:33.going to unpick it and do it again. Yes, and it's worked. Fine. Oh, it
:16:33. > :16:42.just does not like this bit of my shirt at all. It got stuck again.
:16:43. > :16:49.Right, third time lucky. It's a mess. If I've got to do everything
:16:49. > :16:59.three times again before it works, is that the story? I don't have
:16:59. > :16:59.
:16:59. > :17:02.good news. You only have 15 minutes left. I think if he had a mad woman
:17:02. > :17:11.ripping his shirt off she wouldn't have a lot of trouble with the
:17:11. > :17:16.stitches and the buttons. I think towards the end there is a mad rush.
:17:17. > :17:21.I'm hemming the bottom of my shirt. She is focused. You're like rocky.
:17:21. > :17:30.Where's my pencil? Girls, you've got to minutes left to get your
:17:30. > :17:34.shirts on your mannequins. Tell me when we've got a minute. It's not
:17:34. > :17:39.good enough for a final. I think everybody's very close to finishing.
:17:39. > :17:49.I think Ann might have finished. I'm scared to look round. Yes, see
:17:49. > :17:49.
:17:49. > :17:59.what I mean. Three, two, one. Lauren, iron down. Sorry. It's run
:17:59. > :18:28.
:18:28. > :18:31.MUSIC It's sitting nicely on the mannequin and you've got two runs
:18:31. > :18:36.of topstitching and they look really lovely and straight. A
:18:36. > :18:45.little puckering around the sleeve. Yeah. This should be fluesh into
:18:45. > :18:49.the armhole. -- Fluesh into the armhole. That buttonhole is miles
:18:49. > :18:54.off where it is. I did it three times. It doesn't matter how many
:18:54. > :18:58.times you did it, it's still not in the rice place. Looking at it, your
:18:58. > :19:03.collar is not meeting in the middle, but the collar is very lump-free
:19:03. > :19:13.and really nice and smooth. Lots of good bits in it. Things you could
:19:13. > :19:27.
:19:27. > :19:31.That collar is actually sitting not badly. There are no lumps. The
:19:31. > :19:37.points look pretty even. The yolk is cleanly sown. You could probably
:19:37. > :19:42.have got a little closer to the edge with the topstitch. No, you're
:19:42. > :19:46.a bit off there. Just the spacing on the button and the hole between
:19:46. > :19:50.the second and third, which is is causing it to kink out a little bit.
:19:50. > :20:00.I noticed you were doing a French seam. An extra technique, which is
:20:00. > :20:17.
:20:17. > :20:22.First thing to say is how terrificly clean this yolk is. --
:20:22. > :20:28.terrifically clean this yolk is. Lovely stitching. It's absolutely
:20:28. > :20:35.on the edge. Your sleeves have no puckers. Collars, they actually sit
:20:35. > :20:43.nicely around the neck. The points are very even. A very well-executed
:20:43. > :20:49.piece of sewing all round. May and Patrick now rank the shirts from
:20:49. > :20:55.three to one. Lauren, sadly yours is the third. But well done, anyway.
:20:55. > :21:05.In second place, was Sandra. Ann, you're the winner of this challenge.
:21:05. > :21:10.
:21:10. > :21:15.Thank you. Not a lot to choose My shirt has become top of three,
:21:15. > :21:25.which is brilliant. I'm so pleased. I'm gutted about that judging. I
:21:25. > :21:27.
:21:27. > :21:33.didn't do well at all. If I wanted to win I shouldn't have come last.
:21:33. > :21:43.Men's shirts are incredibly tricky. Up next, the alteration challenge
:21:43. > :21:48.
:21:48. > :21:52.and this time the sewing machine is The judges would like to see hand
:21:52. > :21:58.sewing. So, machines are completely off limits, but you can use
:21:58. > :22:03.applique, hand-sew or do beading. You each get one of these and you
:22:04. > :22:10.each have an hour-and-a-half. Sandra, you look thunderous.
:22:10. > :22:15.terrified. There will be horrendous. Good luck. Your time starts, now.
:22:15. > :22:18.As well as everything in the haberdashery, Lauren, Sandra and
:22:19. > :22:22.Ann have been offered threads, sequins and beads. In almost every
:22:22. > :22:26.challenge so far, they've been dominated by the ability to use the
:22:26. > :22:30.machine and I work in a workshop where almost everything is done by
:22:30. > :22:34.hand and it's about the relationship between you and that
:22:34. > :22:40.needle and the thimble and the fabric. They shimmer, but I think
:22:40. > :22:43.I'll get lost. Can you leave me something on the table, please?
:22:43. > :22:47.haven't seen decorative hand sewing, so it will be really interesting to
:22:47. > :22:51.see how they tackle this challenge. There are lots and lots of
:22:51. > :22:56.different stitches that they can use and it's using those in an
:22:56. > :23:00.artistic way that we're looking for. I've done a lot before. When I was
:23:00. > :23:06.a kid, I used cross-stitch, but this is all more free. I'm thinking
:23:06. > :23:12.like a sort of sig-zag and stripey thing. Lauren plans to hand sew
:23:12. > :23:21.three lines of embroidery stitching, topped with a double line of fine
:23:21. > :23:26.sequins. I have a lot to claw back. That shirt was a mess. My -- I've
:23:26. > :23:31.made bags before, but I haven't really decorated them. Sandra is
:23:31. > :23:36.hoping to effect an applique design, where pieces of contrasting fabric
:23:36. > :23:41.are delicately hand-sown on to the bag. I haven't got a clue what I'm
:23:41. > :23:48.going to do, I just flow. We'll put a few petals on. I like doing this
:23:48. > :23:53.sort of thing. I like doing hand stitching. Ann has already begun
:23:53. > :24:01.sewing her design. I'm going to do some sort of free-formed kouching
:24:01. > :24:05.over it. Kouching is a quick -- couching over it. Couching is a
:24:05. > :24:11.versatile technique. She has laid a thick thread on the bag, which she
:24:11. > :24:16.will secure with a finer thread. make little stitches over it.
:24:16. > :24:20.stitch must have the same tension, because it can look pinched or
:24:20. > :24:25.loose, distorting the free-flowing design. I'll be thick of ways I can
:24:25. > :24:30.fill in shapes and things. I think it's really interesting the way
:24:30. > :24:32.that Ann and Sandra are interpreting the challenge. Ann is
:24:32. > :24:40.doing couching and Sandra applique and running stitch. I'm looking
:24:40. > :24:43.forward to seeing them finished. Sandra's running stitch, may be
:24:43. > :24:48.simple, but consistency is crucial. Each must be the same and each
:24:48. > :24:55.stitch must be the same length and distance from the last. Can we keep
:24:55. > :25:00.these bags? 20 minutes in. When you're hand sewing, things have to
:25:00. > :25:03.be super duper neat. Lauren is yet to make her first stitch.
:25:03. > :25:11.trying to draw my design, because I want it to be consistent throughout
:25:11. > :25:18.the bag. Four divided by... That's 25. Can you see the zig-zag? It's
:25:18. > :25:26.coming. It's appeared. Sewers, you have one hour left. That's one hour
:25:26. > :25:32.left. Ann has already finished her couching. What will you do now?
:25:32. > :25:41.think I'm going to experiment doing some stitching alongside this, just
:25:41. > :25:47.to sort of echo it. Quite big and bold stitches. I'm going with the
:25:47. > :25:52.flow. I haven't got a plan. It's like the blind leading the blind.
:25:52. > :25:56.Sandra's attaching even more applique. You know, when my family
:25:56. > :26:03.watch this, they'll kill themselves. Lauren's finally begun sewing her
:26:03. > :26:06.top row of sequins. Really fabulous things to use, but very fiddley to
:26:06. > :26:11.use. They are cupped as well, so I'm trying to make sure I pick them
:26:11. > :26:17.up all the same way. That's right, so it's backwards. I think just two
:26:17. > :26:22.rows is maybe enough. I don't want to spend all my time doing sequins.
:26:22. > :26:27.Having applied petals and flower buds, Sandra has found some beads.
:26:27. > :26:31.I'm not a bead person. My friend does lots. She will be saying,
:26:31. > :26:37."Haven't you learnt anything from me?". At least someone can go out
:26:37. > :26:44.and think they can buy those things and do it. Everyone, you have half
:26:44. > :26:49.an hour left. Lauren's second line of hand sewing is a classic
:26:49. > :26:53.embroidery stitch with a twist. Instead of using one thread, I've
:26:53. > :26:57.actually made four threads to be as if it is one thread. So that it's
:26:57. > :27:00.got more of an impact. When you are hand sewing, one thread is not
:27:00. > :27:05.really going to stand out. I wanted to use this, because there is more
:27:05. > :27:10.of a shimmer. The other thread was more of a dull, flat colour. You've
:27:10. > :27:16.got to put on another eight pieces? I would have liked to have
:27:16. > :27:21.connected them somehow. Yes, some sort of stem. It goes quite well
:27:21. > :27:31.with your jacket. You could do another and put it on the cuff.
:27:31. > :27:34.
:27:35. > :27:39.me a little boutonniere. I better try and woo him a little bit.
:27:39. > :27:43.time running out, Lauren has been forced to change her design. I had
:27:43. > :27:48.originally thought I would hand sew all the stripes, but it was a bit
:27:48. > :27:52.unrealistic to do it in an hour- and-a-half. I'm trying to use
:27:52. > :27:59.Bondaweb to stick my next stripe on to the bag. As soon as the iron
:27:59. > :28:09.touches it t will stick. Sewers, you have -- touches it, it will
:28:09. > :28:12.
:28:13. > :28:17.stick. Sewers, you have ten minutes left. This will be it? Just putting
:28:17. > :28:26.little bunches of sequins on. not going to finish on time, I
:28:26. > :28:30.don't think. Probably I have been overambitious. I'm going to join
:28:30. > :28:40.the flowers together with the stalk. Sewers, you have one minute left.
:28:40. > :28:48.
:28:48. > :28:58.Is that right? Yes. Yes. I'm in a knot. OK, everyone, that is time.
:28:58. > :29:22.
:29:22. > :29:26.Please, put your bags on your Your running stitches are an even
:29:26. > :29:30.length and you've got good thread tension there. They're all sitting
:29:30. > :29:37.about the same amount of tension on top of the fabric. There's
:29:37. > :29:40.continuity there, the design flows and it's stitched well. You've done
:29:40. > :29:43.three quite simple techniques, but you've done them very well. And I
:29:43. > :29:45.think because you did it in a step by step way. You didn't look like
:29:45. > :29:55.you were under pressure. You were just, OK, I've done this bit now
:29:55. > :30:06.
:30:06. > :30:13.I'm going to do this next bit. So it works as a whole.
:30:13. > :30:19.We asked you to personalise a bag. And that says Sandra like nothing
:30:19. > :30:22.else could, it's a roaring success. I love the texture on this. I love
:30:22. > :30:24.the fact that you've put these berries in the middle of the flower.
:30:24. > :30:28.You've sewn them from behind, you can't see any of the stitches
:30:28. > :30:37.holding those berries on there. The chenille trim here, I can't even
:30:37. > :30:39.see the stitching on that. Your stitching is invisible. You've got
:30:39. > :30:49.some running stitch around your leaves. There's good rhythm in your
:30:49. > :30:55.
:30:55. > :31:00.stitching, nice and even. Overall You drew the whole thing out at the
:31:00. > :31:03.very beginning and you kind of gave yourself this massive challenge.
:31:03. > :31:06.And if you'd just started with one zig zag of sequins in the middle
:31:06. > :31:14.then you could have said, right I've got another half hour, I'll do
:31:14. > :31:16.another row. Might it have been easier for you to use a thicker
:31:16. > :31:21.thread to start off with in hindsight? Yeah, I should have used
:31:21. > :31:24.it to try and get the impact that I wanted. I mean, actually, what
:31:24. > :31:32.you've done is really really nice. And that times four on the whole
:31:32. > :31:34.bag would have been fantastic. huge well done on your second
:31:34. > :31:38.challenge. You have one challenge left before somebody is announced
:31:38. > :31:45.the winner. It's the big one, it could change everything. We'd like
:31:45. > :31:50.you to start tonight. Go to the cafe, have a break and then come
:31:50. > :31:56.back and we start on your final challenge of the competition ever.
:31:56. > :32:06.I love Sandra's bag. From a distance it had great impact, I
:32:06. > :32:09.
:32:09. > :32:19.think the other two were neck and neck for me.
:32:19. > :32:23.
:32:23. > :32:27.You're ok, that was lovely. Come on. You're great, absolutely great,
:32:27. > :32:31.yep.. I think Lauren was pretty upset. She came in this week in a
:32:31. > :32:34.great position, but we've got a massive eight hours of sewing to go.
:32:34. > :32:44.We've done two quick challenges. The shirt was tough. She performed
:32:44. > :32:54.
:32:54. > :32:57.pretty well, it's not like it was a disaster by any stretch. And I
:32:57. > :32:59.think having seen what she plans to do with the evening dress, if she
:32:59. > :33:03.fits it well if she executes it well, y'know, she's every chance of
:33:03. > :33:05.winning. So I don't think she should be despondent by any stretch.
:33:05. > :33:08.I have some really exciting news, normally at this point we introduce
:33:08. > :33:10.our sewers to their models who they've worked with for the last
:33:10. > :33:14.three weeks. But because it's the final, it's special. So we thought
:33:14. > :33:18.they should have some very special models. So if you don't mind, I'm
:33:18. > :33:21.going to introduce you to Ann's daughter, Sally. Hello. Sandra's
:33:21. > :33:24.daughter, Rebecca. And this is Lauren's sister, Jenny Kate. Guys,
:33:24. > :33:28.thanks so much for doing this. Now, you put your mum up for this,
:33:28. > :33:31.didn't you, Rebecca? Yeah, I told her about the show, but she
:33:31. > :33:34.wouldn't enter herself, so I did it for her. Did you talk to Lauren
:33:34. > :33:40.last night? Yes. I spoke to her on the phone last night, she doesn't
:33:40. > :33:43.have clue. I told her good luck. And my favourite thing is we've had
:33:43. > :33:48.to give your mum the measurements. And what does she keep on saying
:33:48. > :33:55.about her new model? My new model's a very odd size. Alright, get into
:33:56. > :34:00.position. Off you go, girls. I'm going to bring them in, I'm going
:34:00. > :34:02.to bring in the judges, it's like Oprah. For this last challenge, the
:34:02. > :34:05.sewers have chosen their pattern and fabric and they've been given
:34:05. > :34:14.their models' measurements. But have no idea who their models might
:34:14. > :34:17.be. The final task is a difficult one. You have eight hours to create
:34:17. > :34:26.a very, very gorgeous evening dress. Because it's the final we thought
:34:26. > :34:35.we'd give you different models. OK, let's meet your models.
:34:35. > :34:39.Did you know about this? Well, sewers we're very, very happy
:34:39. > :34:43.you're happy. Some of you are crying. You're crying. We love that
:34:43. > :34:47.the fact, Ann, you've got your model that is oddly shaped. So huge
:34:47. > :34:57.luck with this task. Remember, one of you will be the winner and your
:34:57. > :35:01.
:35:01. > :35:07.time starts now. I want to get over the shock of this. Tell me when you
:35:07. > :35:09.need me. There's a chair just there, don't talk to me. To stand a chance
:35:09. > :35:12.of winning the Sewing Bee title, Lauren, Ann and Sandra need to
:35:12. > :35:14.create a made to measure evening gown which fits perfectly. Come
:35:15. > :35:20.here a minute, Beck. They have an hour tonight to measure up and cut
:35:20. > :35:22.out their fabric. Do you want me to hold it? They've had a chance to
:35:22. > :35:26.practice making the dress at home and Sandra used daughter Rebecca as
:35:26. > :35:30.her model. I just wish now I'd taken the time to fit it properly.
:35:30. > :35:35.I'll never forgive her. She's worse than having a real model because
:35:35. > :35:42.she'll criticise it so bad. But I can shout at her and I can stick
:35:42. > :35:45.the pins in her. Sandra is making Rebecca a teal satin gown with a
:35:45. > :35:48.draped chiffon train, which runs from the neckline and along the
:35:48. > :35:56.plunging back. Hello. Can we see your pattern? That's the satin.
:35:56. > :35:59.That will drape beautifully, won't it? It's got a little bit of weight
:35:59. > :36:09.in it. This is going to drape round the shoulders there and just go
:36:09. > :36:11.
:36:12. > :36:15.down. I hope so because I have my worst critic here.
:36:15. > :36:21.The dress has got lots of panels at the front which give the dress its
:36:21. > :36:27.shape. And then it's got a big long skirt. It'll go all the way to the
:36:27. > :36:29.floor. Lauren's floor length gown has a sequined skirt and an
:36:29. > :36:34.asymmetric bodice made up of 19 separate panels in duchess satin.
:36:34. > :36:37.My sister is eight years older than me. Seven and a half. Sorry, she's
:36:37. > :36:41.seven and a half years older than me and she lives in Scotland, so I
:36:41. > :36:47.don't really see her that often. I think it has given me a boost, it's
:36:47. > :36:51.been a good distraction anyway from earlier on. With measurements taken,
:36:51. > :36:57.and patterns pinned, the finalists start cutting out their fabric.
:36:57. > :37:01.Good evening. Which view are you making? So I'm making this one with
:37:01. > :37:08.the three quarter sleeves. So what are you putting your lace on to? Oh,
:37:08. > :37:10.that bright blue? A little black dress I had in mind. Ann's little
:37:10. > :37:12.black cocktail dress is made from lace layered over blue taffeta.
:37:12. > :37:18.Like Sandra and Lauren, she's chosen a delicate fabric which is
:37:18. > :37:21.difficult to handle. It really wants to slip and slide all over
:37:21. > :37:29.the place, but I shall talk to it very firmly and it will behave
:37:29. > :37:32.itself. I'm going to cut the lining out. I wanted to do the sequins in
:37:32. > :37:38.the morning really when I'm not so tired.
:37:38. > :37:40.Just want to get it finished for you, Bec. Ok, everybody tools down,
:37:40. > :37:47.that's it, you've had an hour, you will have another seven tomorrow.
:37:47. > :37:57.Go home, rest, and we'll see you tomorrow morning.
:37:57. > :38:11.
:38:11. > :38:14.Lauren, Ann and Sandra enter the sewing room for the last time. At
:38:14. > :38:18.the end of today one of them will be named the winner. Having cut out
:38:18. > :38:21.their fabric, they've got seven hours left to make an evening dress.
:38:21. > :38:28.Last night I cut out the nine panels that make up the front and
:38:28. > :38:30.then the back. As well as the complicated bodice of her dress,
:38:30. > :38:37.Lauren has chosen a stretchy sequin fabric for her skirt which is
:38:37. > :38:40.notoriously tricky to control under the machine. As soon as I saw the
:38:40. > :38:45.sequined fabric, I knew I wanted to use it to give the dress a big wow
:38:45. > :38:50.factor. At the moment I'm attaching the lining onto the skirt fabric.
:38:50. > :38:55.So it makes the sequins easier to handle.
:38:55. > :38:58.Who are you most worried about? Who in five hours time will we be
:38:58. > :39:02.rushing in to help? I'm really worried about Lauren because it's
:39:02. > :39:07.an ambitious style. She's also got a stretchy sequin fabric for the
:39:08. > :39:11.skirt. If she stretches it out of shape and it doesn't go well, it
:39:11. > :39:16.could look a mess. She's got a lot to do in the time. Let's talk about
:39:16. > :39:18.Ann. If she can handle this layer of lace over the top I think she's
:39:18. > :39:23.got every chance of pulling something quite stunning out of the
:39:23. > :39:26.bag. She's lining up the pattern on her lace, because it's got a very
:39:26. > :39:30.specific pattern, it's got to run around the body. Are you happy with
:39:30. > :39:33.Sandra's? She's got the complication of this sort of
:39:33. > :39:39.chiffon scarf which may not be easy to handle. I mean, it's a tough
:39:39. > :39:42.fabric. Sandra's hoping her lining will help her achieve a good fit.
:39:42. > :39:45.She's going to use it as a toile, a practice garment which is then used
:39:45. > :39:51.as a template for the actual dress. If I can get that right it might
:39:51. > :39:54.help with the finished dress. I'm not going to press the seams of
:39:54. > :40:01.this lining yet because if I've got to alter it, it'll just make it
:40:01. > :40:07.harder. With two hours gone on the challenge, Ann is still preparing
:40:07. > :40:09.her fabric by hand and has yet to touch her machine. I put tailor
:40:09. > :40:15.tacks in to mark all the important points on the pattern before I
:40:15. > :40:19.start any sewing. Parts of all jobs are pretty tedious, you know,
:40:19. > :40:22.washing up after a good dinner. You can't cook a dinner without making
:40:22. > :40:26.dirty pots. And if you skip this stage then you really run into
:40:26. > :40:30.trouble later on. She spends absolutely ages tacking everything
:40:30. > :40:33.together. I've got an image of her as a child doing more of that than
:40:33. > :40:39.sitting on the sewing machine. Having lined her sequin skirt,
:40:39. > :40:41.Lauren moves on to constructing her bodice. There are lots of parts but
:40:41. > :40:44.once they all go together, it's a little more straightforward from
:40:44. > :40:51.there. What are you doing this minute? I've got these two to go on
:40:51. > :40:57.to here. Oh amazing, it's going to look beautiful. You seem quite
:40:57. > :41:03.confident, I'm delighted. Well I don't feel confident about getting
:41:03. > :41:06.it to fit. Because generally, everything that I've made for the
:41:06. > :41:16.real life models doesn't fit them. Well when the judges say it's about
:41:16. > :41:23.
:41:23. > :41:33.fit, I don't think they mean it. Is that the front? Yep. Sandra's
:41:33. > :41:37.finished her lining. If it fits Rebecca, she'll use it as her
:41:37. > :41:45.template for the actual dress. does it feel around your bum? It's
:41:45. > :41:47.not a bad fit. I think we're ok, Beck. Satisfied her dress is
:41:47. > :41:51.perfectly tacked together, Ann is finally ready to start sewing on
:41:51. > :41:56.the machine. This looks so beautiful. Yes, I'm really pleased
:41:56. > :41:58.with the way it looks. Am I wrong in thinking you actually measured
:41:58. > :42:00.the lace up so that that whole pattern followed, was that
:42:00. > :42:04.incredibly hard? That's the visual centre of the lace, yes. And you
:42:04. > :42:11.have to find that otherwise it looks off when you're wearing it.
:42:11. > :42:14.haven't even seen anybody else's. Ann's sitting right behind me and
:42:14. > :42:16.every time I've looked hoping to see it, I haven't. And I've missed
:42:16. > :42:26.Lauren's, all I've seen is some beautiful gold glitter, which
:42:26. > :42:33.frightens me. Looks like competition, doesn't it? Everyone,
:42:33. > :42:38.you have four hours left. Four hours left on this task. Hop to it.
:42:38. > :42:41.Right, strip. Halfway through the final challenge and it's time for
:42:41. > :42:47.Ann and Lauren to test the fit of their dresses. I'm just pinning the
:42:48. > :42:50.bodice to the skirt ready for the first fitting. You can't fit a
:42:50. > :42:58.bodice unless it's attached to the skirt, because you need the weight
:42:58. > :43:01.of the skirt to pull it down. Da-nah! I think I maybe have to
:43:01. > :43:08.take it in slightly at the side. Let me see you at the back, this is
:43:08. > :43:17.a bit slack. Right, turn round to the front and let's have a look. Oh,
:43:17. > :43:20.Geronimo! Are you pleased? Is that a relief? Yes, very. Yes, I was!
:43:20. > :43:23.I'm happy with that, right, back in, back in.
:43:23. > :43:25.I'm just doing a gathering stitch which just gathers in to the middle
:43:25. > :43:28.of the dress at the front. Having finished her lining and prepared
:43:28. > :43:31.the satin fabric for the dress, Sandra moves onto her biggest
:43:31. > :43:37.challenge. The fine chiffon train which must be perfectly hemmed. Is
:43:37. > :43:40.this the chiffon round the neck? this will go like that. Have you
:43:40. > :43:43.ever worked with this fabric before? It's very thin, isn't it?
:43:43. > :43:47.Once before and I remember then it was a nightmare. Because that
:43:47. > :43:55.fabric will bruise, won't it? That's a good word, Claudia. Mmm,
:43:55. > :43:58.I've been hanging out with May. The raw edges of the train need to be
:43:58. > :44:01.turned in with a rolled hem, which Sandra is securing with a machined
:44:01. > :44:05.row of fine machine stitching. But one slip on this delicate fabric
:44:05. > :44:09.could destroy the look of the train. I've just missed a tiny little bit.
:44:09. > :44:19.Because it's such a little hem, it hasn't quite caught it. It wouldn't
:44:19. > :44:20.
:44:20. > :44:26.have looked very nice if there was a little bit of raw hem showing.
:44:26. > :44:36.Everyone, you have two hours left. Right, I'm going to sew my dress up
:44:36. > :44:38.
:44:38. > :44:45.now. Right, like that. Now I can start
:44:45. > :44:47.my actual construction. The basic tricky bits are now dealt with in
:44:47. > :44:52.the preparation and that's what makes this fairly meticulous
:44:52. > :44:56.preparation really worthwhile. they puckered? No, do you want me
:44:56. > :45:06.to hold it up so you can see? don't want to press it. Because if
:45:06. > :45:15.
:45:15. > :45:19.I press it, it could mark. $:/STARTFEED. One hour to go. The
:45:19. > :45:27.dresses are taking shape, but there are still crucial elements to
:45:27. > :45:31.complete. Right. I get this zip in. What kind of zip are you putting
:45:31. > :45:37.in? A regular zip and I'll panned- prick it in. I don't want machine
:45:37. > :45:41.stitching to show on this lace. Sandra and Lauren are using their
:45:41. > :45:47.machines to put in their zips. With such delicate fabric any errors
:45:47. > :45:52.will show and Sandra has the unpicker out. I don't know why this
:45:52. > :45:57.side, it's puckered just at the end. I can't leave it at the end. Do you
:45:57. > :46:02.think it's the satin that has slipped? The one side has gone
:46:02. > :46:12.beautiful. I think it's rushing and getting too close. The last bit of
:46:12. > :46:16.
:46:16. > :46:20.machine stitching is this seam here. You have 30 minutes left. I trod on
:46:20. > :46:26.this. It will be black by the time I've finished. The trouble with
:46:26. > :46:32.putting all the tacks in is they do eventually have to come out.
:46:32. > :46:38.not pinning the lining. If that's a corner I've got to cut, it's a
:46:38. > :46:44.corner I've got to cut. It's about that too long. Everyone, you have
:46:44. > :46:47.15 minutes to put your dresses on your models. I don't know if the
:46:48. > :46:52.dress is going to be finished, because I don't know if I'm going
:46:52. > :46:59.to sew the hem. I might sew it while it's on her. Where are you
:46:59. > :47:09.going? I'm looking for a hook and loop and I can't find any.
:47:09. > :47:12.
:47:12. > :47:19.fight isn't over yet! I've goot to put a hook of some sort -- got to
:47:19. > :47:27.put a hook of some sort. Mum, what's this? Have you finished it
:47:27. > :47:31.this? No, there's five inches left to do. Hopefully I'll have a dress
:47:31. > :47:37.that's fnished. I cross my fingers -- finished. I cross my fingers and
:47:37. > :47:47.pray. That's the end. Time's up. Sandra, let go off the iron, please.
:47:47. > :47:47.
:47:47. > :48:28.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 40 seconds
:48:28. > :48:31.First up, Sandra and Rebecca, It drapes beautifully on Rebecca.
:48:31. > :48:35.It is sitting beautifully on her body. I know you had terrible
:48:35. > :48:42.trouble with the hem on this. You've tackled it well. You've got
:48:42. > :48:46.a nice, even edge. You had zip issues and sadly - they are
:48:46. > :48:51.unforgiving, especially in satin. The fact that there is a little bit
:48:51. > :48:56.of unevenness down the side of this zip is irrelevant to me. It's
:48:56. > :49:00.absolutely invisible. You wouldn't know there's a zip in there. The
:49:00. > :49:03.shape of the back is perfectly balanced. The overall impression is
:49:03. > :49:13.really stunning. I think this is the best piece of work you've done
:49:13. > :49:44.
:49:44. > :49:50.I mean, initial impressions, I think it's a phenomenal piece of
:49:50. > :49:54.sewing. You've chosen a frifically difficult material to work in here
:49:54. > :49:59.-- terrifically difficult material to work in here. It's very well
:49:59. > :50:05.balanced. I think it has a beautiful silhouette. You've got
:50:05. > :50:08.this rose running all the way down the bodice. You've also got the
:50:08. > :50:13.same bit of pet earn on each sleeve as well. Putting in the sleeves
:50:13. > :50:19.with a sheer, you can see all the seaming and you've got a beautiful
:50:20. > :50:29.seam line around there. It's a very sophisticated-looking dress. It's a
:50:30. > :51:05.
:51:05. > :51:15.roaring success in my book. Thank The main thing I was worried about
:51:15. > :51:15.
:51:15. > :51:20.with this dress was the fit. But the fit is beautiful. It's really
:51:20. > :51:24.huggy the back there and the front is really sitting beautifully. Also,
:51:24. > :51:28.you've got a very difficult fabric here. It's very stretchy and it's
:51:28. > :51:34.hanging straight down to the ground. A little bit on the bottom hem, a
:51:34. > :51:39.little bit of unevenness. Also, just got a slight gather in the
:51:39. > :51:44.long seam here, but it doesn't take away at all from the impact of this
:51:44. > :51:49.dress, which is really stunning. You could find tiny faults, but
:51:49. > :51:54.it's a really fantastic piece of dress-making so extremely well done.
:51:54. > :51:59.A huge well done to all of you. The judges are now going to have to
:51:59. > :52:05.deliberate, so have a cup of tea and somebody will be announced as
:52:05. > :52:08.Britain's best amateur sewer. feel like I've really, really
:52:08. > :52:14.surprised myself, because I had this vision in my head of how the
:52:14. > :52:19.dress might look. I didn't know if it was going to be good or not. I'm
:52:19. > :52:23.really pleased with what I did. like to think I've done my very,
:52:23. > :52:27.very best sewing. What position that puts me in, I don't know.
:52:27. > :52:35.really do think it's very, very close and I'm just glad I'm not a
:52:35. > :52:41.judge. Whilst Patrick and May make their decision, all the fine ists'
:52:41. > :52:44.garments are put on display for their family and fellow members to
:52:44. > :52:49.look at. They've all got completely different strengths. I think
:52:49. > :52:53.everybody deserves to win, because the quality of the clothes that
:52:53. > :52:58.they've produced is amazing. don't know how the judges will call
:52:58. > :53:02.it. I think the final dress could have swung it anyway. Right,
:53:03. > :53:07.Patrick and May, you now are about to choose who is going to win the
:53:07. > :53:12.great British Sewing Bee. Before you totally come to your decision,
:53:12. > :53:18.tell us about Sandra and her work. Sandra has done amazingly well.
:53:18. > :53:22.Week one, first challenge, best skirt, fully lined. I think she's
:53:22. > :53:25.consistently shown us she can sew, but it's been frustrating, because
:53:25. > :53:29.we haven't seen her finish anything and all of a sudden, final day and
:53:29. > :53:35.challenge and there it is. The finished garment. Very good needle
:53:35. > :53:39.woman, she just needs to believe in herself. Tell us about Ann. Really
:53:39. > :53:43.lovely work. She never underperforms. Just her natural
:53:43. > :53:47.ability with the material and the with the needle and sewing machine,
:53:47. > :53:52.it's at a really elevated level. She is showing a life-time of
:53:52. > :53:55.sewing skills. Let's talk about Lauren. She pushes herself.
:53:55. > :53:59.Occasionally she goes abit awry, but this dress was a big challenge.
:53:59. > :54:02.She's done exceptional work, really beautiful work and every time we've
:54:02. > :54:06.given her a challenge she has stretched herself a bit more and
:54:06. > :54:10.built on her skills. So, you are happy with the finists. I've only
:54:10. > :54:20.got one question for you then, do you know who you want to win?
:54:20. > :54:45.
:54:45. > :54:50.Finists, please come forward. -- finalists, please come forward. Ann,
:54:50. > :54:54.Sandra, and Lauren, I like the fact you are doing deep breathing.
:54:54. > :54:57.Brilliant. Three finalists, who made the most beautiful, beautiful
:54:57. > :55:07.dresses and wonderful things throughout the series. It's now
:55:07. > :55:17.time to announce the winner. The winner of the Great British Sewing
:55:17. > :55:21.
:55:21. > :55:26.Bee is... Ann. APPLAUSE
:55:26. > :55:33.Can I give you that? Well done. thank you. How lovely!
:55:33. > :55:39.Congratulations. Well done. Are you over the moon? Oh, that's brilliant.
:55:39. > :55:43.Thank you, everybody. Thank you. Ann consistently produced the most
:55:43. > :55:49.wonderful work and her dress was challenging fabric and she matched
:55:49. > :55:53.the pattern. The whole dress was lovely. Ann has demonstrated the
:55:53. > :55:58.most beautiful, classical dress- making and tailoring skills. If I
:55:58. > :56:07.could employ her now I would. know, it's a real boost that for
:56:07. > :56:12.all these years I've been doing something right. I'm 81. I know you
:56:12. > :56:20.are. This is absolutely brilliant. I mean, look at this. Look at
:56:21. > :56:24.everybody. It's absolutely magical. I like to think that not just me,
:56:24. > :56:27.but everyone who's been on this programme has inspired people to
:56:27. > :56:31.pick up their needles, get out their sewing machines and just get
:56:31. > :56:35.on with it and show. It would have been great to win and obviously you
:56:35. > :56:42.are going to feel a bit of disappointment, but she is awesome
:56:42. > :56:46.and she deserves to win. I have always lacked a bit of confidence
:56:46. > :56:51.in my sewing, even up to this week, should I be here and am I good