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The Great British Sewing Bee(2013–)
April 2, 201312 Seasons · 97 Episodes
Returning Series
Reality
4.0from 17 users
Overview
Amateur sewers take on challenges as they compete to be named Britain's best home sewer.
Network BBC One, BBC Two
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Amateur sewers take on challenges as they compete to be named Britain's best home sewer.
2015
The contestants are tested on a core fabric found in every dressmaker's cupboard: cotton.
The nine remaining amateur sewers are tested on their ability to make clothes on a miniature scale.
Claudia Winkleman takes the eight sewers back in time to the 1950s, when home sewing was at its height.
The remaining sewers take on a set of tasks designed to test their ability to add shape and structure to clothing.
It's the semi-final, and the five remaining sewers take on a set of tasks working with tricky and technical fabrics.
The competition reaches its conclusion as the three finalists enter the sewing room for the very last time, with the judges looking for cutting-edge designs.
2013
Amateur sewers test their sewing and dressmaking skills. The contestants make an A-line dress, alter a high street top and create a made-to-measure dress under the clock.
The contestants tackle fly fastenings, patch pockets and made-to-measure silk - but two amateur sewers must be sent home.
It is the semi-final and the sewers compete in three more challenges, including a made-to-measure jacket.
The contestants follow a man's shirt pattern, show off their stitching skills and create a made-to-measure evening gown.
2014
The contestants are tested on the three core fabrics in a dressmaker's cupboard: cotton, wool and silk.
The contestants are tested on their ability to match and combine patterned fabric, with a challenging pleated skirt.
The contestants are given a surprise pattern for a pair of leggings, and must turn a T-shirt into a completely new garment.
The contestants must make clothes on a miniature scale, from children's clothes through to fancy dress outfits.
The six home sewers are set three challenges which require them to handle some of the most difficult fabrics to sew with.
The five remaining sewers take on a 1930s-themed quarter-final using old-fashioned techniques and machines.
The four remaining sewers face three challenges - none of which permit a pattern for guidance.
The three finalists enter the sewing room for the very last time. Who will be the winner?
2019
Joe Lycett presents as the sewers create a 'wiggle dress' and transform three items of denim clothing, before having to fit real live models with made-to-measure jumpsuits.
Joe Lycett hosts as the nine remaining home sewers return to the sewing room for children's week. The garments are a mammoth challenge being fiddly to sew.
With Joe Lycett hosting, the remaining home sewers head back in time to the 1970s, attempting to revive the glamorous, rebellious and sometimes ridiculous, style of the decade.
The fabrics in the haberdashery go technical, as the seven remaining home sewers take on man-made fabrics designed for sport and the great outdoors.
The fashion industry is the biggest polluter of our planet next to oil, so for the first time on The Great British Sewing Bee, it is Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Week.
With Joe Lycett hosting, the quarter-finalists face British and Irish fabrics week. Patrick Grant and Esme Young ask the sewers to create a 'worker's jacket' from linen.
Joe Lycett hosts the semi-final, as the four remaining sewers go global, taking on garments and techniques from around the world.
The three finalists take on a trio of evening wear challenges. The judges begin by asking the sewers to follow the most complex pattern yet, a double-breasted waistcoat.
2020
Joe Lycett kicks off ten weeks of the most perplexing patterns, eye-popping transformations and stunning made-to-measure garments yet.
The 11 remaining sewers return for holiday week and are challenged to create palazzo pants, beach cover-ups and colourful shirts.
Joe Lycett welcomes the ten remaining home sewers back to the nation's most famous sewing room for children's week.
It's sportswear week, and the sewers must create rugby shirts, waterproof onesies for toddlers and tennis outfits.
The eight remaining sewers return to the sewing room for lingerie and sleepwear week.
For reduce, reuse and recycle week, all the fabric in the haberdashery is replaced with charity shop clothes and soft furnishings.
The six remaining home sewers head back in time to the 1980s, attempting to revive the glamorous - and sometimes ridiculous - style of that decade.
Five sewers do battle in the quarter-final, where they must master techniques and styles from France, Spain and the Philippines.
For their semi-final challenge, the four remaining sewers go to the movies, taking on garments and techniques from the silver screen.
The competition reaches its dramatic denouement as the final three sewers tackle celebration wear challenges and the series winner is crowned.
2016
Ten home sewers must follow a deceptively difficult pattern for a woman's top made up of four pieces.
Nine sewers return hoping to show the judges that they can make beautiful clothes on a miniature scale.
The sewers take on delicate lingerie, working with fiddly pattern pieces and the most delicate fabric.
Patrick and Esme set the seven remaining sewers the challenge of tackling techniques and garment styles from other cultures and continents.
The sewing room is transported back to the 1960s as the six remaining sewers try to prove they deserve a place in the quarter-finals.
In the quarter-final, the five remaining sewers sweat it out over activewear, creating complex garments from the most technical of fabrics.
The sewers must make an asymmetric yoked skirt inspired by modern Japanese pattern cutting.
The three finalists create three pieces of evening wear to impress the judges.
2022
Sewing Bee kicks off with 12 sewers creating a capsule wardrobe. They begin with a mini skirt, then make a going-out top from lockdown loungewear and finish with a fitted wrap dress.
The sewers make a pair of high-top trainers for Sports Week. They also create daywear from old netball kits, and they fit a sports jacket inspired by their sporting hero.
It's summer week, and the sewers make light and airy outfits, including a summer dress, a creation from old hammocks and a two-piece trouser co-ordinated outfit for a man or a woman.
Scraps are put to use in Reduce, Reuse, Recycle week to create quilted patchwork jackets. Old coats are given a new lease of life, and second-hand duvets become maxi dresses.
The sewers follow the pattern for a toddler's sailor suit, make fancy dress Halloween outfits and create out-of-school garments from old school uniforms.
Music Week brings a pattern for a parka once loved by the Mods, old denim gets the country music treatment, and David Bowie inspires the sewers for their Made to Measure outfits.
A lace bra and knicker set tests the sewers before they turn thermals into daywear. They must then fit a pair of luxury pyjamas to their male models.
The quarter-finalists go back to the 1930s to make women's sailor trousers. They also turn men's shirts into 1930s blouses and fit glamorous bias-cut evening gowns.
For a place in the final, the sewers follow the pattern for a kimono-inspired dress, mend old denim using Japanese techniques and create an outfit using folding and pleating.
It's Party Week, and the finalists must make an iconic stretchy dress, use their old scraps to make an outfit and fit red-carpet-worthy jumpsuits before one is crowned the series winner.
2026
The Great British Sewing Bee returns as 12 new sewers get ‘summer ready’ with shorts, transform barbecue aprons into bags, and become models as they make outfits for their perfect summer’s day.
It’s week 2, with sewers tackling prints and colours, including an adaptive pattern-matched shell top, a transformation of purple and brown, and an outfit in just one colour.
It’s week 3 of the sewing bee, and it’s time for Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, with pants, outfits with drama at the back, and made to measures hoping to save the planet.
Week 4 celebrates Mexico with a folkloric top, structural garments made from tablecloths, and outfits inspired by Mexican festivals.
It’s sports week for Week 5, with sewers creating swim shorts, teaming up to transform windsurf sails, and using free motion embroidery on made-to-measure bowling shirts.
2021
Week One sees judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young settling the contestants in with a trio of challenges based on everyday wardrobe staples.
Summer Week sees Esme and Patrick challenging the sewers to create paperbag shorts, cocktail outfits and button-down sun dresses.
For gent's classics week, the sewers make baker boy caps, transform old jackets into outfits for a woman, and create a casual utility jacket.
It's international week, and the sewers make Breton tops, transform sarongs into a new garment and take inspiration from Frida Kahlo.
For children's week, the sewers' skills are tested by romper suits, Under the Sea-themed fancy dress and raincoats for mini models.
It's Reduce Reuse Recycle Week. The sewers make waistcoats out of old clothes, turn army surplus into a women's outfit and make a dress out of jeans.
It's Winter Week. The sewers' skills are put to the test making a flannel shirt, turning old scarves into a garment and creating a glamorous winter party dress.
It's Music and the Movies Week. The sewers create a dress inspired by Dirty Dancing, a Sound of Music transformation and a disco era-inspired outfit from Dreamgirls.
It's the semi-final, and the sewers go back to the 1940s. They create a pair of Oxford bags, dresses from parachutes and a Dior New Look outfit.
It's the final, and the theme is celebration. The three remaining sewers work on a bridesmaid's dress, a festival-themed transformation and a glamorous off-the-shoulder gown.
2025
The Great British Sewing Bee returns as 12 new sewers tackle shape with tie-front blouses, transform circle skirts, and use pleats in a dramatic Made-to-Measure challenge.
It's week 2 as sewers tackle activewear: a seven-panel cap, a cycling kit transformation and stylish athleisure to take you from gym to coffee shop.
It's week 3, and we're celebrating design icons: Diane von Furstenberg, Vivienne Westwood and Versace.
It's week 4, and we're celebrating Korea with sewing challenges inspired by the jeogori, tae kwon do and cheollik.
It's Reduce, Reuse, Recycle week, with sewers creating a zero-waste jacket, transforming discarded tents and, inspired by the Make Do and Mend campaign, raiding wardrobes to create new outfits.
The sewers create adaptive dungarees, repurpose maternity wear into toddler outfits and design outfits inspired by their childhood dream jobs.
It's Art Week. The challenges are to create a baby-doll dress inspired by Grayson Perry, transform a pair of used painter's overalls and produce a garment that embraces the bold designs of pop art.
It's week eight, and the sewers head to the movies with a jacket from The Birds, cinema curtains and a horrifying Made to Measure challenge.
It's the semi-final. Three challenges stand between the sewers and the final: plus fours, polo shirts and 1920s-inspired party outfits.
It's the final, and after challenges including the bias cut dress, sheer fabrics and trompe l'oeil, one sewer will be crowned winner.
Patrick Grant
Self - Judge
Esme Young
Self - Judge
Sophie Willan
Self - Presenter
2023
Twelve brand new sewers follow the pattern for a twist top, transform office wear and create cut-out, made-to-measure dresses.
The sewers face three challenges inspired by travel. They are asked to create a rucksack and a swimsuit, and to transform windbreakers.
The sewers celebrate West Africa over three challenges with batakari, adire fabric and boubous.
It's Week 4, and the remaining sewers create zero-waste trousers, upcycle tote bags and repurpose crochet blankets in Reduce, Reuse and Recycle week.
It's Week 5 and Art Week as the sewers take on modernist skirts, transform canvasses and make surrealist, made-to-measure dresses.
The sewers put their twist on dinosaur dressing gowns, zhuzh up denim jackets and create pint-sized party outfits for Kids' Week.
It's Week 7, and we're going back to the 90s with cargo pants, 90s icon fancy dress and body-skimming supermodel dresses.
It's Week 8, and the remaining sewers celebrate fashion icons with little black dresses, a shower curtain transformation and smoking jackets.
It's the semi-final, and three utilitarian challenges stand in the way of a place in the final: the trench coat, cleaning products and boiler suits.
It's the final of The Great British Sewing Bee, and after challenges including a Victoriana dress, fabulous men's outfits and a two-in-one dress, only one sewer will be crowned winner.
2024
The Great British Sewing Bee turns ten as 12 brand new sewers follow the pattern for an A-line skirt, transform T-shirts and put their take on day dresses in the Made-to-Measure.
It's Week 2, and there are three challenges inspired by sport. The sewers are asked to create a half zip fleece, an outfit from cricket kit and a national strip fit for the world stage.
It's Week 3 of The Sewing Bee, and the sewers face three challenges inspired by travel. They are asked to create summer blouses from tablecloths, nautical bags and outfits fit for the French Riviera.
It's Reduce, Reuse and Recycle week, and the sewers create a quilted bag, use textile waste to create a new garment and give wedding dresses a new lease of life.
It's Week Five of The Great British Sewing Bee, and this time the sewers are celebrating India with Nehru jackets, calico and Madras fabrics, and garments inspired by saris.
It's Children's Week, and Kiell Smith-Bynoe invites the seven remaining sewers to follow the pattern for a child's sequined bomber jacket.
It's Week 7, and it is time for the sewers to take on lingerie with pyjama blouses, transformed shapewear and bustier dresses.
It's Week 8, and the remaining sewers celebrate the diva with a fringed dress, animal print and a stage outfit for their favourite performer.
It's the semi-final, and in the way of a place in the final stand a set of challenges inspired by three icons: Balenciaga, Gaultier and Chanel.
It's the final, and after challenges including opera gloves, party paraphernalia and a draped evening outfit, one sewer will be crowned winner.
