Ready, set, sew! Two Newcastle graduates make it to final four in BBC sewing competition

Hi both, congratulations on doing so well in Sewing Bee! What’s life been like since the show aired?

Kit: It’s been a whirlwind! The first time I was recognised from the show I was on a virtual meeting with over 50 colleagues about pensions – so awkward! 

I’m still working full-time in Manchester but trying to carve out some time to set up a little sewing side hustle, selling patterns and designs. The response to my garments on socials has been so lovely and that’s given me the confidence to give it a go.

Yasmin: And I’ve been keeping myself very busy too with a move across the world! My fiancée and I moved to Melbourne, Australia, for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure while Sewing Bee was airing. I’m lucky that the company I work for in Newcastle has an office here and Sophie is a doctor so can practice here too. We’re missing our families and friends (and Greggs!) but making the most of this year before we return home.

How exciting! You must have had lots to bond over backstage with your student experiences in Newcastle. How quickly did you clock that you were both alumni?

Yasmin: The first day I saw Kit they were carrying a tote bag from Proven Goods (the best doughnuts in Newcastle) and I immediately went over. We bonded over stories around the city, especially the pink triangle and the queer community.

Kit: I think Newcastle is such a great place to be queer and to realise you’re queer in your early 20s. It’s a really accepting, warm community. And I had to rep Proven Goods, given I worked there as a student!

There was a one-year crossover of your time on campus. Did you ever cross paths before Sewing Bee?

Kit: I was a singer with the university jazz orchestra and A Cappella Society as a student, and sharing these memories with Yasmin on set, we figured out that I would have been one of the performers at Sophie’s graduation ball (Yasmin’s fiancée Sophie is a graduate from our Medical School). It’s a small world!  

What are your favourite memories of your time at Newcastle University?

Yasmin: I found my way to a PhD at Newcastle in a rather unconventional way. During my master’s degree, which focused on RNA expression, I decided to be bold and email a few principal investigators working in RNA biology across different systems. That led me to Professors Lightowlers and Chrzanowska-Lightowlers at Newcastle University, who were incredibly welcoming and open to the idea of me joining their lab.

My time there was my first real introduction to mitochondrial biology - which is incredibly complex and interesting. I truly loved my time in the mitochondrial research group and I am so grateful for the opportunity to refine my scientific skills there.

That being said, meeting my fiancée is hands down my favourite memory of Newcastle Uni. Sophie was studying medicine while I was doing my PhD, and my office was just one floor below the Medical School library. Even when we were both completely swamped, we managed to carve out time together at the start of our relationship — and that meant everything.

Kit: I also arrived at Newcastle in an unconventional way – through Clearing! I was keen to get as far away from home in Surrey as possible and have an adventure, so was quite happy being bundled on the train at King’s Cross without having visited the university. I had a cousin in Newcastle studying Chemistry, so he met me from the train and made sure I arrived at Park View safely. We were the first cohort to live in Park View (which replaced Richardson Road) and we all heard horror stories of Ricky Road!  

I loved how Newcastle was a relatively small city, but there was so much to do – and obviously, it’s a great night out! My go-to spots were Bobby’s, which I’m sad to see has closed now, as well as Rusty’s. The Black Swan on Westgate Road had jazz jams on Tuesdays which made for a fun evening too.

You were both on campus during the COVID-19 pandemic. What was that like?

Yasmin: I was lucky in that I’d finished my lab work just before the pandemic hit. But writing up my thesis during Covid was a real challenge - I was juggling full-time work in a new role, trying to finish my thesis, and navigating all the uncertainty that came with the pandemic. Newcastle University was incredibly supportive throughout that time. I genuinely don’t think I could have completed my thesis and viva without their help.

Kit: I don’t think I was able to fully make the most of living in Newcastle until my fourth year because of the lockdowns. I was Social Secretary of the Jazz Orchestra, and when in-person rehearsals were stopped, it was my job to somehow keep the social element of the society alive. We would hold weekly quizzes, online Taskmaster tournaments, all from my little bedroom in Heaton!

The pandemic also impacted my exams. Instead of your traditional 3-hour exam in a sports hall, we had to do our exams at home. This meant the questions were a lot trickier because we had access to books and of course the internet, so it had to be something we couldn’t find the answer to! I actually really appreciate this now as it gave me a much deeper understanding of my subject.

What first got you into sewing, Kit?

Kit: Like Yasmin, I’ve sewn since childhood, and my Mum bought me a sewing machine for a Christmas present during my first year of university. It was fun bringing that back up North to Park View with me! I would make cushions, bags, or occasionally something for a Newcastle night out.

But it wasn’t really until I had graduated and moved to Manchester that I upped the ante on my sewing. I had a bar job for around six months while I was looking for a role to start my career, so I had lots of my days free! I began sewing some dungarees and it grew from there, until I was making a new garment every week.

People who watched the show may have noticed that I draft my own designs rather than using a pattern. I think that comes from my visual brain and the skills I learn during my Maths degree at Newcastle! In my fourth year, I studied Applied Mathematics and really enjoyed the 3D modelling modules, so find it quite easy to imagine a net of something in my head.

And finally, what can you tell us from behind the scenes that people may not know about the Sewing Bee?

Kit: We all obviously brought home a little bit of contraband from the set! I nabbed a point turner, which you use for turning out collars and corners on clothing. It’s been very useful!

People may not know that we also don’t finish off any of the raw edges on the pattern challenge, so I’m tempted to unpick them and finish off all the garments I made (which recently landed on my doorstep!) While it feels like sacrilege to tamper with them post-show, as they are they’re at risk of fraying and I’m a big advocate of sustainable fashion. By finishing off the edges I could add another decade to the lifespan of the garment!

Yasmin: One of the biggest surprises is that I wasn't actually cast on the show at first! I was a reserve sewer, alongside another one of the final 12 bees who ended up on screen. So, I went into filming with very low expectations - I still cannot believe I made it all the way to the final.

Kit: It’s a cliché, but the 12 of us really do still talk every day. I feel really lucky to have been gifted 11 new friends all passionate about the same thing.

That’s so lovely to hear. Thanks for speaking with us!