76 Congratulations on winning The Great British Sewing Bee! How did you get involved with the show? Thank you! Like so many sewers who watch the show, I always thought I’d never apply — it just looked far too stressful! Sewing under time constraints definitely didn’t seem like my thing. But last year, some things changed in my life. I had to close the small family printing business I ran, which gave me time to reflect and think about what I really wanted to do next. Suddenly, I felt this urge to push myself way out of my comfort zone. So, without overthinking it, I applied - and I was absolutely thrilled to find out I’d made it onto the show! Were you nervous about appearing on TV. How did this differ from your day to day life? Yes, I was terrified! I think that’s a completely normal reaction. My family’s advice was simply, “Just be yourself,” which I think is good advice for life in general. Once filming started, I was having so much fun that I almost forgot it was for a TV show. It was very different from my dayto-day life at the time, apart from the sewing. Usually, I’d be at work running machinery, covered in ink, or chatting with customers, so being in front of cameras was definitely a big change! What was your favourite garment you made on the show? Honestly, I don’t think I have a favourite, I love all of my M2Ms. Each of them is special to me and I get excited talking about all of them. If you pushed me hard I’d probably say, pop art, because when do you get to make a dress that’s so ridiculously funny. How has life changed since winning? It still feels the same to me but I definitely get recognised in fabric shops now! Caz, winner of The Great British Sewing Bee talks to Craft Focus about winning the hit BBC television programme STITCHING TO VICTORY ©Love Productions 2025
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