The WORST episodes of The Great British Sewing Bee

#1 - Episode 8

Season 9 - Episode 8 - Aired 7/12/2023

It’s Week 8, and the remaining sewers celebrate fashion icons with little black dresses, a shower curtain transformation and smoking jackets.

#2 - Episode 3

Season 8 - Episode 3 - Aired 5/11/2022

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-ord for a man or a woman.

#3 - Episode 4

Season 9 - Episode 4 - Aired 6/14/2023

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.

#4 - Episode 9

Season 7 - Episode 9 - Aired 6/9/2021

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.

#5 - Episode 1

Season 7 - Episode 1 - Aired 4/14/2021

Week One sees judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young settling the contestants in with a trio of challenges based on everyday wardrobe staples.

#6 - Episode 9

Season 9 - Episode 9 - Aired 7/19/2023

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.

#7 - Episode 3

Season 9 - Episode 3 - Aired 6/7/2023

The sewers celebrate west Africa over three challenges with batakari, adire fabric and boubous.

#8 - Children's Week

Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 5/23/2016

The Great British Sewing Bee returns for an eight-part series presented by Claudia Winkleman. Nine amateur sewers return hoping to show judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young that they can make beautiful clothes on a miniature scale. First, the sewers must carefully follow a pattern to make a babygrow from stretch cotton jersey - but who will get the gusset and poppers in the right place and who will end up going off-piste? Next, the sewers must show they can handle slippery satin and chiffon by totally transforming an adult bridesmaid dress into a wearable garment for a boy or a girl. For the final challenge, real children replace the mannequins as the sewers strive to create perfectly fitted woollen capes, knowing the judges will scrutinise every cut and stitch before deciding who deserves to stay and who must bid farewell to the Sewing Bee.

#9 - Episode 3

Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 3/4/2014

#10 - Episode 1

Season 9 - Episode 1 - Aired 5/24/2023

Twelve brand new sewers follow the pattern for a twist top, transform office wear and create cut-out, made-to-measure dresses.

#11 - British and Irish Fabric Week

Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 3/19/2019

The quarter-finalists face British and Irish fabrics week. First up is the pattern challenge, which is a stern test of their soft tailoring skills, as judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young ask the sewers to create a `Workers Jacket' from linen. Next, it's the transformation challenge, and the sewers are asked to take inspiration from the British seaside by turning stripy deckchairs and parasols into stylish garments in just 90 minutes.

#12 - Episode 6

Season 9 - Episode 6 - Aired 6/28/2023

The sewers put their twist on dinosaur dressing gowns, zhuzh up denim jackets and create pint-sized party outfits for Kids' Week.

#13 - Episode 1

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 4/2/2013

Claudia Winkleman presents a series from the makers of The Great British Bake Off in which eight hopefuls are tested on their sewing and dressmaking skills as they compete to be crowned Britain's best amateur sewer. Over three challenges, they must follow a simple pattern for an A-line skirt, transform a high street top by altering the neckline and produce a made-to-measure dress for a model under intense time pressure. The judges, May Martin from the Women's Institute and Savile Row's Patrick Grant, scrutinise every stitch as they look out for puckering seam lines and perfect top stitching. One sewer is awarded garment of the week whilst two leave the Sewing Bee.

#14 - Episode 7

Season 9 - Episode 7 - Aired 7/5/2023

It's Week 7, and we’re going back to the 90s with cargo pants, 90s icon fancy dress and body-skimming supermodel dresses.

#15 - Construction

Season 4 - Episode 1 - Aired 5/16/2016

Claudia Winkleman hosts a new eight-part series of The Great British Sewing Bee. Under the scrutiny of Savile Row's Patrick Grant and Central St Martin's Esme Young, ten fresh-faced home sewers face three challenges designed to test their skill and understanding of basic garment construction. First, the sewers follow a pattern for a woman's top made up of four pieces. However, it is deceptively difficult, demanding accurate pattern matching skills, a steady hand for cutting and precision sewing. Next, the judges want their personal style and imagination to come to the fore by transforming a maternity dress in just 90 minutes. Finally, they take on the Made to Measure challenge, fitting a skirt to a real model. Who can keep their cool to produce a flattering waistline and perfectly level hem, and who will falter and be the first to leave the sewing room?

#16 - Episode 2

Season 8 - Episode 2 - Aired 5/4/2022

Sara Pascoe presents a trio of sports-themed sewing challenges, including a Sewing Bee first - a pair of trainers, which includes unfamiliar techniques such as punching eyelets and stitching soles. That's followed by transforming an old netball kit into a garment to be worn off the court and a made-to-measure jacket inspired by their sporting hero

#17 - Episode 5

Season 9 - Episode 5 - Aired 6/21/2023

It’s Week 5 and Art Week as the sewers take on modernist skirts, transform canvasses and make surrealist, made-to-measure dresses.

#18 - International Week

Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 6/6/2016

It is 'international week' as Patrick and Esme set the seven remaining sewers the challenge of tackling techniques and garment styles from other cultures and continents.

#19 - Episode 2

Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 2/25/2014

Claudia Winkleman welcomes the nine home sewers back to the sewing room to face three more challenges. This episode tests their ability to match and combine patterned fabric. First the judges, Savile Row's Patrick Grant and sewing expert May Martin, surprise the sewers with a pattern for a pleated skirt. The catch is that they must match the pattern of the fabric across those pleats without changing the size of the skirt, which catches a few of the sewers out. They must show their ingenuity by combining two patterned men's shirts into one garment - the results range from a little sailor dress to a boob tube. Finally, they make made-to-measure men's patterned pyjamas which must both match across the seams and fit their male model perfectly.

#20 - 1960s Week

Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 6/13/2016

This week, the sewing room is transported back to the 1960s as the six remaining sewers revive vintage garments, take on time-honoured techniques and wrestle with antique equipment in an attempt to show Patrick and Esme they deserve a place in the quarter-finals.

#21 - Activewear

Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 6/20/2016

Claudia Winkleman hosts the quarter-final of the Great British Sewing Bee, where the five remaining sewers sweat it out over activewear, creating complex, hard-wearing garments from the most technical of fabrics. For the pattern challenge, judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young ask the sewers to make a man's lycra cycling top, which requires expert handling of a fabric that stretches in all directions and a complex zip insertion that tests their patience. Next, for the alteration challenge, the sewers use all their ingenuity to transform garish 1980s ski suits into children's jackets. Finally, the made-to-measure challenge sees the sewers create the most fitted garments ever attempted on the Sewing Bee - yoga outfits - to secure one of four places in the semi-final.

#22 - Episode 2

Season 9 - Episode 2 - Aired 5/31/2023

The sewers face three challenges inspired by travel. They are asked to create a rucksack and a swimsuit, and to transform windbreakers.

#23 - Episode 4

Season 6 - Episode 4 - Aired 5/13/2020

It's sportswear week, and the sewers must create rugby shirts, waterproof onesies for toddlers and tennis outfits.

#24 - Episode 3

Season 7 - Episode 3 - Aired 4/28/2021

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.

#25 - Episode 4

Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 3/11/2014