The Great British Sewing Bee 2015: Meet the contestants
A deputy head-teacher, an army Lieutenant Colonel and a retired air hostess go head to head in BBC2's annual stitch-off
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Support Officer from Manchester
“If I have a project on the go I can’t wait to get back home! I finish work at 4.30pm so dash off to get the bus and start sewing immediately.”
Deborah is a keen sewer and blogger who likes to share ideas with the online sewing community. She describes her style as ‘vintage with a modern twist’, and often combines patterns to make clothes perfect for her shape.
Deborah’s mum taught her to sew when she was just 11. She works for Manchester Metropolitan University but before that, Deborah had a job in a fabric shop, which she thinks definitely fuelled her love of sewing.
Deborah is currently trying to develop her own wardrobe of dresses and skirts for work, but the garment she is most proud of making is her wedding dress.
I.T Consultant from Berkshire
“I was fixated on the last series and when I saw the shout out for new sewers, my wife and friends kept egging me on. I eventually decided to throw my hat in the ring!”
Matt learned to sew in the army aged 16, when he needed to mend and repair his uniform. Over the last three years she’s been teaching himself dressmaking skills from online tutorials and he can now make dresses for his wife Gemma, and fancy dress outfits for their two young children.
He has often found himself the butt of his friends’ jokes for his more classically feminine hobby, though all of their wives are jealous of Gemma’s constantly growing new wardrobe, reports Matt.
Deputy Head Teacher from Darlington
“I’ve realised it’s better to take your time and do it right the first time!”
Deputy head teacher Amanda learnt to sew when she was seven-years-old on her grandmother’s old hand machine – and she now enjoys sharing her skills with her pupils. She would love to inspire all of the nation’s primary school children to learn how to sew.
Amanda was given a tailor’s dummy for Christmas in 2012, which she believes has totally transformed her sewing. She’s more in love with it now than ever.
