FOREWORD BY
As the tenth series of The Great British Sewing Bee begins and we embark on another exciting journey into the world of fabrics and fabulous creations, I am filled as ever with admiration for the incredible talents and boundless passion of the contestants who continue to grace our screens. Their skills, good humour and genuine love for the craft is a never-ending source of inspiration. My favourite thing about the show is the way that all the contestants help and learn from each other. It reminds us that creativity is a collaborative journey, and that no matter how talented you are, there is always scope to learn new things.
I no longer buy any clothes; for the last three years I have exclusively made my own garments. But whether we are buying clothes or making them ourselves, more and more of us are prioritizing garments that are made to last. We are increasingly conscious of the environmental impacts of our clothes habits, not to mention the financial implications of investing in clothes or fabrics that wear out quickly, or trends that rapidly go out of style. A well-made garment is one that will stand up to wear and tear, and one of the many metrics against which I judge contestants’ work is the quality and durability of the construction.
A capsule wardrobe consists of a small number of high-quality staple garments that can be mixed and matched to create myriad different outfits. This book is almost a capsule wardrobe in itself: a selection of key designs and, moreover, a celebration of all things timeless and
