Sensational sewing

With The Great British Sewing Bee back later this month, three women share their love of stitching

- MICHELLE ROWLEY

Judith Staley, from Edinburgh, helps women over 50 connect through sewing and embroidery.

I love having a needle and thread in my hand. When you make something yourself, it has history and means so much more to you.

One of my best decisions at school was to drop maths A level and take up needlework instead. I sewed clothes for myself at college and university, and later for my children.

In 2013, the first series of The Great British Sewing Bee reignited my interest in dressmaking. It also led to me setting up my Instagram account, @sewover50, encouraging people over 50 to connect through sewing and embroidery.

During the first lockdown, I decided to record life through embroidery. I sketched, then stitched things I saw on my daily walk, such as swans and parks. Around the outside, I added relevant words, such as Zoom, haircuts, scones and clapping. Working on this stopped me from picking up my phone. Now, it's great to have a record that there were still good times during a difficult period.

I like embroidering words to leave messages in my clothing, like author George Eliot's line about 'Delicious autumn', which I stitched on to a coat label. Down the zip of a dress, I've also embroidered 'Reused tablecloth', just in case anyone wants to know what it's made of!

'I forget my worries - sewing really is great therapy'