Here’s everything you need to know about season 12 of The Great British Sewing Bee
Who won The Great British Sewing Bee 2025?
After 12 gruelling weeks, Caz (60, Midlands) was awarded the title of Britain’s Best Amateur Sewer. Her incredible Made to Measure dress, which was a tribute to the NHS, clinched her the crown and wowed the judges and public.
Read our full interview with Caz, where she discusses her highlights, hardest moments and what it felt like to win the Sewing Bee.
2025 Sewing Bee episode guide
Episode ten: The final
From 12 to 3… it was time to crown the winner of The Great British Sewing Bee 2025! But first there were garments to make.
“Even if you twisted my arm, I couldn’t tell you who I thought could win it, and that makes it very exciting.” – Patrick
For the final Pattern Challenge, Esme and Patrick tasked Caz, Orla and Yasmin with making a bias cut slip dress. The goal was to create a slinky silhouette with a cowl neckline and spaghetti straps.
All three chose beautiful satin fabrics (we specifically love Orla’s deep purple fabric), but struggled with fiddly straps and cutting on the bias. We loved Yasmin’s tweezer technique, and Caz kept on smiling despite fighting with the fabric’s stretch.
Our favourite: Orla’s deep purple bias cut dress (which won the Pattern Challenge!)
‘Not in the final… Noooo!’ – Orla
For the transformation challenge, the ladies were tasked with turning sheer fabrics into something stylish. They were given four garments and were told to embrace the sheer element while still giving coverage where needed.
Orla scrapped her heart idea at the last minute, Yasmin experienced ripping, and Caz was layering materials like a madwoman! But in the end, there were three sheer creations the bees could be proud of.
Our favourite: Caz’s sheer dress
Then we were on to the last Made to Measure of the series – how sad! Our finalists designed trompe d’oeil outfits, modelled by their loved ones. It was about tricking the eye, playing with perspective and being creative.
Caz’s golden ribcage dress was a homage to the open-heart surgery she went through four years ago. Modelled by her daughter, it featured a gold zip symbolising the surgery.
Yasmin’s dress was a touching tribute to her dad’s love of tailoring and the famous Dior illusion masks. It was also a nod to her and her fiancées career in the medical field.
Orla chose to create a gothic pleated dress which had a rainbow surprise, celebrating their siblings’ non-binary identity. She explained that the dress shows ‘no matter how dark people present themselves, there can always be joy inside.’
“The Sewing Bee is more gruelling than all those survivor shows…” – Orla’s sibling Ro
Three incredible dresses, three incredible finalists. It was time for Patrick and Esme to crown the winner…
Caz is the 2025 Great British Sewing Bee champion!!! A huge congratulations to her. What a finale, what a series.
Until next year, sewists!
New Sewing Bee host revealed…
Meet the new BAFTA award-winning host of The Great British Sewing Bee 2026.
Episode nine: The 1920s and semi-finals!
Yasmin, Caz, Kit and Orla battled it out this week to secure their spot in the final of The Great British Sewing Bee. The theme this week was the 1920s, with three challenges inspired by this rip-roaring era.
For the first challenge, the Bees had to make plus fours – traditional sporting trousers, often worn while golfing.
“Wool is really easy to press so we’re expecting to see really well-pressed plus fours.” – Esme
We love the friendly pattern-cutting competition between Kit and Orla (we’d lose against both of them) and adored Caz’s fabric choice. Every week, we’re baffled at how fast these Bees can sew!
Our favourite: Caz’s plus fours
Next, it was on to the Transformation Challenge. Esme and Patrick tasked the contestants with transforming polo shirts into colour block garments.
“The point of this challenge is to think about the use of colour” – Patrick
Orla embraced her love of shapes, and Kit paid homage to Esme’s iconic Swanky Mode dress. Yasmin opted for a triangular top while Caz went for a halter dress.
Our favourite: Orla’s swirling crop top
Then it was on to the second-to-last Made to Measure challenge! This week, they had to make a dress fit for a 1920s celebration.
Add embroidery to your wardrobe
Inspired by the embroidered details on this week’s sewing bee, learn how to embroider your clothing right here on Gathered!
Kit’s self-drafting of his patterns will never fail to amaze us! We loved the history of all the Bee’s garments, especially Yasmin’s LGBTQ+ sailor dress. Who knew you could sew a double inverted box pleat?
“Just keep sewing, just keep sewing!” – Caz
Our favourite: Yasmin’s sailor dress
All four garments were incredible. The talent in the semi-final was truly unmatched! Garment of the week was awarded to Yasmin’s sailor dress, while Kit’s messy embroidered addition sadly sent him home. What an incredible sewer, and we can’t wait to see what he makes next.
Shocked at this week’s result?
Read all about the reaction to Kit leaving the show here on Gathered. Sewing Bee fans left reeling after shock result in the semi-finals….
Episode eight: Movie week
Week eight took us to the pictures! For Movie Week, our six quarter-finalists were challenged with making the famous jacket from The Birds, designed by the legendary Edith Head.
This elegant jacket is a difficult sew thanks to its 17 pattern pieces, gussets and multiple techniques! It certainly challenged our Bees.
“They never press their patterns and I always tell them to!”
Esme
Caz struggled with the instructions and cut her gussets out of her main pattern piece – a sewist’s nightmare. Kit took the jacket in his stride, helping all the other contestants (what a sweetie) while Gaynor couldn’t beat the time crunch.
Our favourite: Kit’s incredibly neat jacket
Can you believe Kit has now won six pattern challenges?! Onto the transformation challenge, where the Bees were tasked with turning cinema curtains and tie backs into a glamorous Hollywood party outfit.
Sew a stylish jacket for autumn
While the Eidth Head-inspired jackets were incredible, they weren’t very beginner-friendly! Sylvia Nettey’s cropped jacket sewing pattern is a great starting point for amateur sewists and is the perfect transitional piece.
Buy the cropped jacket pattern from the Gathered Shop.
Sara might be on to something with the popcorn delivery – what a genius mid-sew snack! In just 90 minutes, there were five high-glamour dresses (and one very risky design) for Patrick and Esme to judge.
Our favourite: Yasmin’s draping tassel dress
For the final challenge of Movie Week, the Bees had to design a costume for a horror film. Perfect for the upcoming autumnal season, these costumes put us in the mood for spooky season.
Stitch your own glamorous party dress!
Hit the red carpet just like the Bee’s did with The Mila Dress. It’s the perfect dress to wear to all your evening events.
Pick up the Mila dress sewing pattern from the Gathered Shop for just £8.99!
“It’s really important what they make today is a costume not a fancy dress outfit”
Patrick
While Kit and Orla went for a truly creepy approach, Gaynor and Yasmin opted for elegance. Caz opted for a tricky high priestess dress, complete with a high neck and cape.
Our favourite: Orla’s creepy doll dress
Want to make your own creepy costume?
Check out our collection of DIY Halloween costumes! We have everything from sewing patterns to fancy dress ideas to buy.
Patrick and Esme were awarded two garments of the week! Orla and Kit’s horrific costumes took the prize, while sadly, we waved goodbye to Gaynor. Her water siren dress just wasn’t scary enough for Patrick.
Just like that, we officially have our semi-finalists… Kit, Orla, Caz and Yasmin.
Episode seven: Art week
This week it was all about showing off creativity as well as sewing skills as the Bees took on three art-inspired makes.
The first challenge was to create a babydoll dress, inspired by Turner-prize-winning British artist Grayson Perry. The make required plenty of technical skills to create the ballooned sleeves, collar and frill… and so much gathering!
‘My god, it’s gathered everywhere’
Caz
Patrick and Esme were paying close attention to detail, with Esme spotting that Orla’s side seams weren’t lined up and that Stuart had put the skirt on the wrong way round. But it was Yasmin’s gathering that really impressed the judges.
Our favourites: We loved Yasmin’s choice of colourful fabric featuring illustrations of women – we could just imagine Grayson wearing her dress.
Give gathering a go
Want to see if you’ve got a gift for gathering and stylish sleeves? Our Alexandra dress sewing pattern on the Gathered shop is the perfect project to try out those skills.
Onto the transformation challenge, where the Bees were given used painted clothes (aprons, overalls, dungarees) and were tasked with turning them into an asymmetric garment. The judges were looking for stand-out designs that really considered the positioning of the paint marks.
Kit fully embraced the challenge of transforming a jumpsuit into a top (with the suggestion that it be worn with a bright green pair of speedo’s), whereas Gaynor didn’t know where to start and just wanted to run away.
‘Dirty clothes? What the devil are we meant to do with these’
Gaynor
Stuart created a nice shoulder detail with some shirt cuffs, but although his design was sophisticated, it just didn’t stand out enough for Patrick. For Esme, however, it was Orla’s pleated skirt that instantly caught her eye, cleverly positioning the paint markings and using contrast to help enhance the symmetric design.
Our favourites: Caz’s diagonal striped pink on khaki green dress.
Try your own transformation challenge
Raid your wardrobe and create your own upcycled asymmetrical masterpiece with our free upcycled sweater project on Gathered.
Last but not least was the Made to Measure challenge – 5 hours to create an outfit inspired by the pop art movement. The judges were looking for designs that were punchy, witty and graphic – hallmarks of the pop art style.
This challenge saw the Bees get ambitious as well as creative – Orla came prepared with some custom printed fabric, Stuart created a complex, structured dress made out of 14 panels which each needed interfacing, and Caz went both big and bold with her Bowie-inspired 2D cutout dress design.
But it was Kit that stole the show with his ambitious and perfectly pop-art design. Kit chose to take the ‘fast art’ approach of pop art and apply it to his design, making it from crepe paper backed with stitches and bias binding. Despite a heart-stopping, tearing sound (thankfully it was just in the seam allowance), Kit created a stunning design with clear graphic elements that almost ‘leapt out of a Lichtenstein’.
Our favourites: Although Caz ran out of time, we were obsessed with her playful quilted dress.
Kit’s impressive pop art-inspired design rightfully won garment of the week… let’s not mention that bag though! Unfortunately, we have to say goodbye to someone, and this week it was Stuart who left the competition.
Big and bold
If all these bright and daring outfits have got you wanting to try something new, the Tulle Top sewing pattern in the Gathered shop will both push your skills and make an impact!
Episode six: Kids week!
Things went mini on this week’s Sewing Bee as it was kids’ week! We think Patrick rather suited that lollypop man outfit…
‘I’ve never sewn for kids but how hard can it be? Everything’s just smaller…’ – Dan
For the first challenge, the seven contestants were tasked with sewing tiny, adaptive dunagrees. The key was to pick super-cute fabric and consider how they could make their dungarees wearable for kids with differing needs.
Victoria Jenkins joined Esme and Patrick to help judge the dungress. She is a pioneer in adaptive fashion, with her designs being featured in Vogue! Victoria creates clothes which have been adapted for different disabilities, making fashion accessible for everyone.
Make mini dunagrees
Stitch your mini-me their own dungarees with Simply Sewing’s adorable dungarees sewing pattern, available in the Gathered Shop.
Our favourites: Orla’s 90s rainbow dungarees and Yasmin’s floral piece.
Next was the Transformation Challenge, where the Bees turned maternity clothing into children’s outfits! They had 90 minutes to create comfy play clothes.
There were some very clever garments, and then there were some which were very… dramatic. We loved Orla’s upcycled tights and Yasmin’s skort, but felt a little overwhelmed at Kit’s ruffles and Dan’s trim.
“We don’t all play as rough as you do…” – Patrick
Our favourites: Yasmin’s two-piece and Orla’s giraffe dress.
If kids’ week on Sewing Bee has inspired you, make sure you check out our collection of kids’ sewing patterns.
We have free sewing patterns, including this sweet dress, toddler jacket and smiley apron.
Finally, it was the Made to Measure challenge. Patrick and Esme asked the sewers to make and fit a fancy dress costume inspired by their childhood dreams. We discovered Patrick wanted to be a vet when he was little, and Esme an actress. Somehow, this information doesn’t surprise us at all!
The mini-models were adorable, and we loved watching the contestants take a trip down memory lane. While Gaynor and Yasmin cruised to the finish line, it was a race against time for the other Bees.
Our favourites: Caz’s dress featuring her mini-models drawings and Orla’s beekeeping costume.
Caz’s incredible Zandra Rhodes dress and beret combo won garment of the week, while Dan was sent home for his unfinished ringmaster costume. It was an emotional goodbye.
Sew a kid’s costume, ready for playtime!
Inspired by the Made to Measure challenge on this week’s Bee, this adorable dragon sewing pattern will quickly become a family favourite.
Episode five: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Welcome to eco-week on the Bee! The theme was ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,’ and there were some truly inventive challenges.
“Who will recycle rags into riches and whose sewing room dream will end up in the trash?” – Sara
First up was a no-waste workwear jacket made up from 13 carefully measured pattern pieces. This means no fabric is left behind! The jacket must have four pockets, a collar and buttons down the front.
With just two miniature pattern pieces given by the judges, maths was needed to calculate their workwear jacket patterns. This stumped some of the Bees, and we don’t blame them… maths was never our strong point either.
“When I measure a bodice, I still have to do it in inches!” – Esme
Jess mixed up her front and back piece measurements while Dan was loving the creativity of the challenge. Then it was more maths for buttonhole calculations, proving just how many skills sewing uses!
Kit’s maths degree came in handy and won him the challenge, while Gaynor baffled everyone with 4-inch extra-long sleeves.
Our favourites: Stuart’s cord jacket & Kit’s colourful number
Sew your own workwear jacket
If you loved the zero-waste workwear challenge on the Bee, pick up Simply Sewing’s Barn Jacket sewing pattern from the Gathered Shop.
Next up was the transformation challenge. Inspired by the thousands of tents left behind at festivals each year, the Bees were tasked with turning rescued tents into festival wear.
“I went to a spoon carving festival this year!” – Patrick
We loved the use of the tent hardware in this challenge. Tent mesh was turned into pockets, pole holes into top straps, and peg rings into edgy accessories. Dan’s humorous and saucy outfit won this week, and we think it was very well deserved.
Our favourites: Kit’s puffy dress and Dan’s elaborate festival outfit with a cape!
Inspired by upcycling?
If you want to get stuck into your very own transformation challenge like they do on the Bee, then our Guide to Upcycling your Wardrobe is a must-buy!
This ebook is full of modern, upcycling ideas including embroidery, patchwork and more.
On to the Made to Measure challenge! This week was inspired by the wartime Make Do and Mend campaign. Starting in 1942, the campaign was introduced due to clothing rations.
The Bees had to turn family and friends’ recycled clothing into something new, bold and beautiful. It was trickier than it looked as Gaynor showed by mixing up her pattern pieces! Esme wasn’t convinced by Jess’s hemming and Dan rushed to finish his outfit, but by the end, each contestant produced a beautiful garment that told a story.
Our favourites: Caz’s recycled jeans jumpsuit and Jess’ special lab coat dress.
Make do and mend your own clothing!
Master the art of mending clothes with our guide! We cover everything from visible mending to darning right here on Gathered.
From pjs to party, the judges loved Dan’s inventive Christmas dress, and it won him garment of the week! Sadly, Jess was sent home this week.
Learn the techniques mentioned in episode five:
Episode four: Korea week
In just one week, we’ve gone from design icons to the beautiful world of Korean fashion! Week four was all about celebrating South Korea with the incredible guest judge Eudon Choi helping Patrick and Esme with the judging (read all about him here on Gathered).
For the first challenge, Esme and Patrick tasked the Bee’s with sewing a jeogori. Traditionally, the main bodice is made in one fabric with the ties in another contrasting fabric. The contestants had 3.5 hours to create a perfectly pressed jeogori.
“I’m terrified of Esme, she’s everywhere…” –Dan
All the Bees decided to take a contemporary approach, with modern fabrics and designs incorporated into the traditional cheollik structure. Plus, we thoroughly enjoyed Kit’s rendition of Kate Bush. After a frantic finish, nine incredible cheolliks hit the catwalk. How do the contestants make jaw-dropping designs every week?!
Our favourites: Yasmin’s archery-inspired cheollik and Orla’s two-piece interpretation.
With only half an hour left, Novello and Dan struggled with time while Caz sewed her tie in the wrong place… as Patrick said, “We may finally have found a real challenge”. Kit’s colourful jeogori clinched the top spot.
Our favourites: Caz’s sporty colour combo and Kit’s fun fabric.
It was on to the transformation challenge next, and the contestants were tasked with refashioning a classic taekwondo uniform in just 90 minutes.
“Wow… nothing what I expected!” Eudon
There were K-pop inspired outfits, woven dresses and elaborate designs. The five belts were used in some ingenious ways, but Kit’s design once again stole the judges’ hearts.
Our favourites: Dans’ K-pop outfit, Yasmin’s graphic top and Kits’ structured dress.
The final challenge saw the Bee’s creating the infamous cheollik. Traditionally worn by Korean men as a military coat, it has now become a fashion piece popular among women.
“Five hours of absolute mania” – Stuart
After some very difficult judging, Eudon, Esme and Patrick came to a decision. First, for the good news, garment of the week was awarded to Caz’s neon cheollik. Her bravery paid off! Sadly, Novello left the competition this week. We wish her all the best.
Learn the techniques mentioned in episode four:
Episode three: Design icons
Cappuccino, no brown, Biscoff biscuits – we got it, Esme! Design Icons week was all about wrap dresses, transformation challenge anarchy and Versace runway outfits.
For the first challenge, the contestants made Diana Von Furstenberg wrap dresses from jersey fabric. It was all about fine finishes, high elegance and as Esme stated, ‘no wobbles’.
‘It’s more than just a dress, it’s a spirit’ – Diana Von Furstenberg
The Bee spirit was well underway with Dan showing Jess her overlocker mistake, and we love the fun Caz fact of the week: she likes to relax by sewing underwear. By the end of the three and a half hours, there were ten fantastic wrap dresses.
Our favourites: Jesse’s leopard print number & Caz’s bright wrap dress
Sew your own wrap dress
Make your own version of this cult classic dress by picking up the Alice dress sewing pattern from the Gathered Shop.
For the Bees transformation challenge, they were given an array of soft furnishings to give a punk makeover. The tartan and safety pins were flying as they created incredibly rebellious outfits inspired by the punk queen herself, Vivienne Westwood.
Our favourites: Kit’s period punk dress, Stuart’s tartan and yellow number & Yasmin’s plum tartan dress.
Going into day three, Caz and Kit were the front-runners after winning the wrap dress and transformation challenge. Now, it was all about Versace, with sexy silhouettes, glamour, and opulence.
‘So you’re doing Dorothy does bondage?’ Patrick
Some riskae outfits were going on in the studio this week, inspired by JLO, Greek mythology, film and more. The ten dresses were something Versace would be proud of.
Our favourites: Yasmin’s bondage-inspired dress & Orla’s butterfly slit dress
Caz’s Kansas-inspired dress stole the glamorous show, winning Garment of the Week. Stuart, Novello & Glendora were in the firing line this week, and sadly, we said goodbye to Glendora.
Learn the techniques mentioned in episode three:
- Jersey fabric sewing masterclass
- How to sew a corset
- How to add a zipper
- Complete guide to overlockers
- How to sew with elastic
Episode two: Activewear
Things are speeding up this week as it’s all about activewear! The Bees were sweating under the pressure, knowing two people were to be sent home…
First up, the contestants had three hours to sew a seven-panel cap. Each cap should feature mesh, three rows of top stitching and lots of fiddly panels, leaving no room for error.
‘Let’s go press girls’ – Kit
We fell a bit in love with Stuart’s dog Treacle and Glendora’s cameo on Top of the Pops – how iconic! Mistakes were made, but overall, 12 colourful caps made it in front of Esme and Patrick.
Our favourites: Peter’s funky cap and Dan’s cool cap (especially when worn by Esme).
Make your own practical gym gear!
If you’re looking for a simple activewear project to get you started, try Simply Sewing’s free yoga mat bag pattern.
For the transformation challenge, the Bee’s were tasked with turning three retro cycling jerseys into a party outfit. There were some flamboyant designs, and we loved Peter, including a pocket for a phone – we’re big fans of pockets!!
It was Kit’s inventive design that won the judges’ hearts, though, giving him a two-challenge winning streak.
Our favourites: Orla’s strapless dress and Novello’s yellow fringed dress.
‘That’s some first rate recycling’ – Patrick
This week’s Made to Measure challenge was athleisure wear. Outfits to wear from gym class to the coffee shop. The first job for the Bee’s was to fit their practised designs to their models, then it was on to the sewing.
Free pattern alert!
These leggings will take you from the gym to the coffee shop! Use Simply Sewing’s free leggings sewing pattern here on Gathered.
A few of the contestants challenged themselves to create three-piece outfits, and Saffie gave herself a massive task by designing a complex utility vest. Glendora’s hatred of the jogging bottom made us giggle even though we’re partial to them ourselves. We love Jess’ Princess Diana-inspired idea too.
Peter’s relaxed approach didn’t convince Esme, and we were all a bit shocked when Yasmin told us she was a hooker… in rugby, of course.
Our favourites: Caz’s Kung-Fu inspired three-piece, Stuart’s Wimbledon set & Orla’s influencer-inspired outfit.
Stitch your own athleisure wear hoodie
Pick up Simply Sewing’s Bailey Hoodie Sewing Pattern over on the Gathered Shop and you’ll be comfy, stylish and productive.
Gaynor’s went slightly off brief, and Peter’s no-measure approach came back to bite him. Orla’s cool three-piece athleisure wear set won her garment of the week, but sadly, we said goodbye to Saffie and Peter. Both are brilliant, creative sewists, and we wish them the best!
Learn the techniques mentioned in episode two:
Episode one: Tie blouses, circle skirt transformations, pleated dresses
The Bee is back, and what a first episode! We love the variety of contestants this year – scientists, entertainers, construction workers and more. The first episode really put the 12 new sewers through their paces.
‘What’s the difference between having a baby and sewing? They both take labour, love and stitching’ – Sara
For the first pattern challenge of 2025, contestants rushed to the haberdashery to find the perfect fabric for a tie-front blouse. The judges were looking for neat gathers, peplum shape and drapery fabrics. We love how lots of the sewists took to the floor to lay out their fabrics – very relatable, we think!
‘Just bung it on the bottom’ – Esme
Saffie struggled with her slippery fabric, and Peter wasn’t quite sure what a gather was, but in the end, all 12 tie front blouses were dreamy! Big congratulations to Kit for winning the first star make of the series.
Our favourites: Kit’s colourful number and Gaynor’s gingham print blouse.
Make your own tie front blouse!
Buy Simply Sewing’s gorgeous tie front blouse pattern from the Gathered Shop and take part in your very own pattern challenge.
The next task was the transformation challenge. The contestants were given circle skirts to reinvent and reimagine, as Patrick said, ‘we’re looking for raw creativity.’ There was frantic sewing, haberdashery running and a whole lot of sighing from some very stressed sewers!
Our favourites: Yasmin’s giant bow top and Dan’s tartan two-piece.
Sew your own circle skirt
Fancy making your own skirt? Use our circle skirt pattern to learn how.
Then it was time for the big task – the Made to Measure challenge. The contestants were given five hours to make a dress with pleats which fits their model perfectly. There was everything from Vivienne Westwood-inspired dresses to simple yet elegant day dresses.
Our favourites: Orla’s incredible graphic black and white dress and Caz’s top-stitched denim dress.
Well done to Peter for winning garment of the week with his standout origami dress. We got a lovely surprise when the judges said no one is leaving the Sewing Bee Studio this week!
‘They expressed who they are, which to me is very very important’ – Esme
Stitch your own pleated dress this week
Make your own pleated dress with this beautiful pattern from Simply Sewing. Now available on Gathered Shop.
Learn the techniques mentioned in episode one:
We’d love to know what you thought of each episode too! Chat with us over on Simply Sewing or Gathered’s Instagram.
Meet the Great British Sewing Bee 2025 contestants!
We can’t wait to meet this year’s contestants! Keep an eye on this page for all the latest contestant news.
This year’s contestants have been announced! Meet the 2025 Sewing Bee contestants.
CAZ
- Age: 59
- Location: Staffordshire
- Occupation: Retired
- Loves: Technical sewing – she’s a big fan of topstitching and French seams.
KIT
- Age: 24
- Location: Manchester
- Occupation: Digital Marketer
- Loves: Transforming “awful” fabrics into beautiful garments
GAYNOR
- Age: 72
- Location: Port Talbot, Wales
- Occupation: Retired Office Manager
- Loves: Sewing tailored jackets and backless velvet evening gowns, and is passionate about well-finished seams.
JESS
- Age: 33
- Location: London
- Occupation: Head of Communications
- Loves: Vintage fashion and the history behind it. She sees sewing as a creative outlet and powerful form of self-expression.
ÓRLA
- Age: 19
- Location: Inverness, The Highlands
- Occupation: Café Worker/Student
- Loves: Pushing creative boundaries and turning unconventional materials into bold, recycled fashion looks.
PETER
- Age: 45
- Location: Devon
- Occupation: Senior Pre-Construction Manager
- Loves: sewing practical, wearable pieces and repurposing old items.
GLENDORA
- Age: 59
- Location: Luton
- Occupation: Bus Driver
- Loves: sewing as a creative and practical outlet, from making classic, quality garments to designing looks for soul and reggae events.
YASMIN
- Age: 30
- Location: Gateshead
- Occupation: Research and Development Scientist
- Loves: sewing as an instinctive practice that empowers her with confidence and lets her transform second-hand materials into colourful outfits.
NOVELLO
- Age: 66
- Location: London
- Occupation: Family Business Owner and Magistrate
- Loves: Expressing her creativity and sewing unique, personalised creations.
DAN
- Age: 37
- Location: Durham
- Occupation: Performer
- Loves: using unconventional materials to create bold, standout pieces.
SAFFIE
- Age: 32
- Location: London
- Occupation: Lecturer in Product & Industrial Design
- Loves: sewing functional garments with plenty of pockets and well-fitted cuts.
STUART
- Age: 53
- Location: Herefordshire
- Occupation: Premises Manager
- Loves: sewing durable, repairable pieces that stand the test of time.
Meet The Great British Sewing Bee 2025’s judge, Patrick Grant!
Here’s what the amazing Patrick Grant has to say about 2025’s Sewing Bee series…
How would you sum up this year’s series of Sewing Bee?
It was one of those where there were so many good people, it was impossible to call who was going to make the final or who was going to win. How do we gauge the technical competence of our sewers? With the pattern challenges.
And this year, they absolutely nailed them. I can’t remember a series where they were done with such universal excellence. We were like: ‘Oh God, we haven’t made these nearly hard enough…’
They don’t sound particularly easy, though, Patrick…
Well, they weren’t, but the sewers were so good they made them look easy. The first challenge in the first week was as hard as anything we’ve ever done in a first week, and we got 11 that were almost perfect.
Week after week, we gave them difficult things and it wasn’t until we got to week eight that we got more than maybe one person who struggled. We had to resort to fine-tooth comb nitpickery in order to separate them, looking at the accuracy and spacing of their top-stitching.
It’s extraordinary how the sewers get better and better, while the challenges get harder…
Some years, we have sewers who are maybe more creative and sometimes a bit less technically able. And sometimes, we have sewers who are less experienced, so they just haven’t followed as many patterns. Some people have done hundreds over their lifetime. Others, relatively new to sewing, may have only done a couple of dozen. Sometimes, that shows.
They can be brilliant creatively, but maybe they’re not so good at following instructions. This year, we had all of the normal creativity, but also a layer of technical competence that was outstanding. Every week, we were sending home somebody capable of amazing things.
Do you ever think a transformation challenge might be too testing within such a short time frame? Most of us would need an hour just to think about it…
Transformation is an hour-and-a-half, and yeah, sometimes it’s hard, but it’s there to be a challenge. Ultimately, we’re not worried so much about the finish or whether it fits brilliantly; we’re looking for an idea. Has somebody got the imagination, knowledge and back catalogue of garments to create something innovative, good-looking and wearable? It’s never enough time.
The transformation challenge is always quick… that is the challenge. On pattern challenges, we know we give people enough time because we test them rigorously. One of our team will develop the pattern and instructions, then somebody else in the team will test it, and it’ll be tweaked.
Once we’re happy, we send it out to a panel – usually two or three former Sewing Bee sewers – who time test it. We add time to allow for the interruption of cameras and questions and that’s it. We know they’re doable. The last three pattern challenges we did were hellishly difficult and our quarter-finalists, semi-finalists and finalists all did extremely well.
Have you and Esme taken longer to decide who’s made garment of the week and who’s going home?
Absolutely. From the beginning, we were having to send really good home people. It’s hard. You know they’d produce great things in the challenges to come and you think: ‘I’d like to see how they would’ve done that…’ But that’s the way the cookie crumbles.
Often, it boils down to one bad sew. This year, it was mostly made-to-measures where people were maybe overthinking, being too complicated, aiming too high. It was great, though. We had a fantastic time filming as always. Sara was on super form and Esme was at her absolute best. It was a brilliant series, but then I say that every year… because it always is.
Tell us about the sewers…
The average age was considerably higher than it was the year before. We had one in their early 20s, a couple in their 30s, then we had 40s and quite a few 50s, 60s and 70s. And what do they do for a living?
We had an, a premises manager, head of communications, someone who ran a family printing business, a digital marketer, a retired office manager, a student, somebody who works in construction, a bus driver, a scientist, a magistrate, a fire breather and stilt walker, and somebody who lectures in product and industrial design.
All human life is in the sewing room…
It’s all covered. And we’ve the tallest competitor we’ve ever had. He was a good couple of inches taller than me and I’m just under six foot three. He runs the World Dad Dancing Championship in his spare time.
What were your favourite pattern challenges?
We did a Seven-Panel Cap in Active Wear Week – quite a tricky thing to make, but they managed really well and the fabrics they used… they were really cool. I really liked the Grayson Perry inspired challenge in Art Week, too.
We asked them to make an iconic Grayson inspired doll style dress and they did fantastically well.
Is Grayson a Sewing Bee fan?
Well, I know he’s watched it because I’ve spoken to him about it and Philippa, his wife, certainly is a fan. Esme knows Grayson pretty well and I’ve met him a few times and love him.
He’s a fascinating guy – an extraordinary figure in the world of art and as a sort of social historian. It’s always a pleasure to chat to him.
What were your favourite transformation challenges?
Movie Week was amazing. We gave everybody red velvet curtains, like the old cinemas used, and they had to make a dress for an after-party. Oh, it was so glam. Turning tents into festival wear was a really good one in Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Week, too. There were very clever ideas.
We worked with an organisation called ReTribe in Sheffield on that challenge. They go to festivals, collect unwanted tents, recover the material and make things. There are 40,000 tents left behind at just one festival. This is what happens when you make things cheap and disposable… people will dispose of them.
They’ll say: ‘Why would I bother to pack it up, ship it home, clean and dry it and repack it?’ They see it as part of the ticket price. It’s mad when you think that, in the past, people would keep a tent for their entire lifetime, then pass it on to somebody else.
What about your favourite made-to-measures?
I absolutely loved the costumes for a horror film in Movie Week. Some were so good they could easily have been characters in an actual horror movie. The When I Grow Up fancy dress in Kids Week was also brilliant as we got to see a side of the sewers we don’t normally see. They had to make a costume for the job they thought they wanted to do when they were little. One wanted to be a politician and the costume they produced was so great.It made me laugh… a lot.
You’ve got some fabulous new themes including Korea Week…
That was great. Korea is somewhere I’ve been a few times and really like. A friend of mine called Eudon Choi – a very talented Korean womenswear designer – was our guest judge. He’s based in London, but from Seoul, and he was instantly great. So were the contestants. I always enjoy the research they do and the interesting things they unearth.
For the made-to-measure, they had to make an outfit inspired by a Cheollik, which originally was a garment worn by men under an official military coat and often used for horse-riding. They all did it in different ways. Everybody starts at the same point and their research and thinking leads them somewhere else. It was a lot of fun.
1920’s Week sounds a fabulous idea, too…
Well, we did a transformation challenge using polo shirts. René Lacoste developed what we now call a polo shirt – that classic sort of pique in the late 1920s. Originally, it was developed as a tennis shirt and it wasn’t until the 1980s we started calling it a polo shirt.
Of course, there are millions of those in charity and secondhand shops around the world, so using those to make something new was a great challenge.
Were there a lot of flapper dresses in the made-to-measure – an outfit for a special event?
Yeah. They went really deep into this one. They were very specific about the historically important people they were creating outfits for and very specific about the event. I liked it a lot. There was a great deal of personal storytelling through the clothes they made this year that I really enjoyed.
Was the final a close run thing?
Yeah, it was very close. Even halfway through the final, it couldn’t really be much closer.
You had Sara back in the sewing room as host…
Yeah. She was on awesome form and brought Mouse the dog with her, which was great.
Did the three of you get some nights out this time?
We didn’t, actually. I was so busy. Between filming, I was doing book talks. I did eight literary festivals.
What were the funniest moments behind-the-scenes?
Mostly stuff that isn’t suitable for public consumption. LAUGHS They’ve been filming quite a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff, though, for digital, so you will get some of that.
More singing in the green room, we imagine…
Yeah, the playlist is still at full volume, although Esme has switched her allegiance from Fruitellas to Cola Moams – that is now her drug of choice.
Are they on her rider?
No, she doesn’t know what she’s going to get addicted to until it arrives. Somebody, fortunately, fed her a Moam and that was it: Cola and Cherry Maoams. I’ll just hoover up the flavours she doesn’t like.
No, I try not to spend all day eating because you’d end up the size of a whale if you had everything on offer.
What are you up to outside Sewing Bee?
The book – Less: Stop Buying So Much Rubbish – continues to sell really well and it’s throwing up loads of things. I’ve done a keynote speech for the UN Global Compact. I did a keynote speech at B Corp Festival and for the Design Council. The messages in the book are resonating very strongly with people. Community Clothing has been phenomenal this year.
We’ve attracted 10s of 1000s of new customers. The more people that find the brand, the more people that buy something and keep coming back. We’re making stuff that’s going to last a lifetime and be worth wearing for decades to come.
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And you’re using repurposed materials in some cases…
Yes. We’re developing something with ReTribe using repurposed tent material and we’ve started working with a paper mill in Cumbria. We’ve launched notebooks made from denim scrap. It makes really nice paper.
Other fabrics, we’re going to start giving to mattress maker Harrison Spinks. They use recycled cotton from textiles in their mattress pads, so pretty much all our scraps will be used for something long-lasting and good quality. It’s the way we think business should be done – with a care and consideration to people and the planet. Too many businesses only give a stuff about money and, generally, they’re doing nothing but harm.
You’re also turning into a latter day Tom Good with your garden in Yorkshire…
That’s all been very fun. We watched The Good Life as a family growing up. I do a column about rebuilding the garden for the FT. I get to write about things like pigs, scything and ferrets.
I spent about 10 hours on Sunday building a fence to protect the newly planted orchard from the pigs. I made it out of bits of wood I found lying around the garden. I was splitting branches to make posts and some of the rails, then dismantling a load of old pallets the builders had left behind to repurpose all of that. I couldn’t have had a nicer time.
Unlike Tom Good, you’re not giving up the day job, though?
No. I love running Community Clothing because we make things we’re really proud of and we’re doing business in a way we’re really proud of. A lot of people depend on it now – almost 2,000 are employed across the 40-odd factories we work with in the UK. It shows you can do business a different way and be successful. I can’t imagine a time where I wouldn’t want to be involved.
And, of course, I love filming Sewing Bee. As exhausting as it is trying to juggle it with the day job, it’s a treat. Everybody who works on the show is great, and the sewers are always great.
Pretty good. It’s funny when you reach certain milestones and they give you pause to reflect. It’s interesting to see how far the conversation around clothes has changed over a decade. And the conversation around our own abilities to make and mend and reuse both the clothes and the textiles we have in our homes.
I’d be surprised if Sewing Bee hadn’t had a fairly significant impact on people’s awareness of the issues around the production and disposal of clothing. And, also, on their willingness to participate in doing things a better way.
In this series, for the first time, there were a significant number of sewers wearing clothes they’d made out of non-new materials. Also, on various made-to-measure challenges outside of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Week, they were voluntarily choosing to make clothes out of reclaimed or repurposed textiles. That is a fundamental change in thinking and we’ve had a lot to do with that.
Meet The Great British Sewing Bee 2025’s judge, Esme Young!
Here’s what the amazing Esme Young has to say about 2025’s Sewing Bee series…
How would you sum up the new series?
It was great. It’s always great. The challenges Patrick and I have set for the sewers this year are really ambitious – things they have never done before – and, right from the start, everybody did incredibly well. There was so little between them, it was really difficult to judge. That happens more and more.
The person who eventually won was great, but we didn’t know how it would all end up. You certainly couldn’t tell from the beginning who’d be there in the final. It was such a rollercoaster. It was often down to such a small margin, when it came to sending one home, that any of them, really, could have won in the end.
You’ve got some new themes this year. Tell us about 1920s Week.
Well, they made plus fours in the pattern challenge and an outfit for a special event in the made-to-measure. The 1920s was quite interesting in that it was just rectangles if you see what I mean. There were no waists. With flapper dresses, there was much more freedom as they were a loose fit with a knee-length hem. I do find it interesting how, in different decades, the clothes changes.
At Swanky Modes in the 1970s, we went to buy secondhand clothes and there was a lot from the 1930s when they were more body conscious than the previous decade. They were cut on the bias and emphasised curves and that influenced us and what we were designing. In the 1920s, though, clothes were straighter. And a lot had beading. It’s that Thoroughly Modern Millie look.
Korea Week was another new one…
Oh yes, that was great. It’s so interesting to make things from different cultures. There was a lot of pleats in the made-to-measure challenge. They had to make an outfit inspired by a Cheollik, a garment originally worn by men under an official military jacket with a pleated skirt. It can be difficult to make a skirt with a lot of pleating. Swanky Modes used pleats, but we’d get the fabric professionally pleated.
Art Week sounds fabulous…
Yes! The pattern challenge was to make a dress inspired by Grayson Perry. I know Grayson and I think he’s going to like being the inspiration for a challenge.
What about your outfits this year? We can’t wait to see them…
In the opening episode, I wore a dress I’d made from fabric printed by one of my ex-students, a Japanese designer called Wataru Tominaga. I’ve got quite a few former Japanese students, actually. I went to Japan last Easter with my brother and they took us out to supper.
The fabric was a dark blue and green tartan pressed with pleats and printed over the top with bright orange, green and blue panels, so when you moved you could see the original fabric on the inside. It was really clever. I also wore a pair of Adidas trainers I bought in New York and all the sewers were going: ‘Oh, where did you get those from?’ They’re orange, black and blue with net over the top. They are very bright, too.
Sewing Bee inspires so many people to sew – first-timers and returners…
It’s brilliant that’s happening because children aren’t taught sewing at school now like I was. And, you know, not everybody’s brain is the same. A lot of people are very creative and good with their hands, but less good at maths or science.
What are you up to outside of Sewing Bee?
Well, I’m teaching at the moment at Central Saint Martins. I haven’t worked on films for a while because Sewing Bee takes up a lot of my time, but I do enjoy it. I love filming the series in Leeds. It’s a great city to spend some time and it’s a sort of spiritual home for textiles – there are lot of old mills there. The area where the mosque is has quite a few shops with fabrics and things from Pakistan. I can’t help myself, so I come back with an armful. Colourful fabrics with little bits of embroidery catch my eye. I have to come up with new things to make now. You might see them on another series of Sewing Bee.
Sewing Bee book 2025
The Great British Sewing Bee: Pattern Drafting: A Beginner’s Guide to Creating Dressmaking Patterns From Scratch is the brand new Sewing Bee book for 2025.
