From furniture restoration to pieces for stage and screen, Hattie McGill has done it all. Julian Odessa chats to Hattie about her passion for embroidery
Interview by Julian Odessa
INSPIRING PEOPLE
W ith a career that includes time spent embroidering film and television costumes, such as Series Two of Bridgerton, Hattie McGill shares her passions, and introduces her delightful dog General Major Rigby…
What do you think was the first thing that captivated you about embroidery and textiles?
I was a really fidgety child, so I was always doing some sort of craft. My mum has a small cross-stitch piece I made aged four, so it’s something I’ve been doing for a very long time! I always knew I would do something textiles related. My mum is a wonderful sewer, my sister trained in film costume, and my grandma (who sadly I never met) was an incredible embroiderer. So, it was inevitable really.
Tell us about your time spent studying at the Royal School of Needlework – which aspects of needlework fascinated you most?
Every aspect! I loved my time at the RSN; I owe it so much. It gave me such a solid foundation of embroidery skills and knowledge which I now draw upon in my work. I loved the modules on different stitches, the history, and studying in Hampton Court Palace was a dream. I came from a Furniture Restoration & Conservation degree, and I was working for an antique dealer when I applied to the RSN. Embroidery was something I had always done as a side hustle – I never thought there was a degree in it, let alone something I would end up doing full time. I assumed I’d attend RSN and then go into textile restoration – but I was swept up into the world of embroidery and really found my feet.
How did you find yourself producing art for TV and film??
I was lucky with my entry into film and TV costuming. A costume designer saw my work in an exhibition – she happened to be looking for an embroiderer for her latest film and offered me a job. It’s hard work, the hours are very long, and you often have seemingly impossible deadlines to complete a piece. But it’s all worth it when you see your work on screen, knowing you played a small part in an amazing project.
Do you have a favourite style of project to work on?
The majority of my own work is goldwork – it’ll always be one of my favourites. I also really enjoy whitework and would love to do more of it. It doesn’t often crop up in costume work, so recreating a whitework or goldwork piece for a period drama would be my idea of heaven. But I’d be equally happy working on my own pieces in my garden in the sun with a good podcast or audiobook o
