Inside The Great British Sewing Bee: semi-finalist Heather Storrod on what it’s really like

Every year, The Great British Sewing Bee sends a wave of people to their sewing machines — and leaves the rest of us wondering what it’s actually like in that room. How do you get on the show? Does the clock really feel that tight? And what do the sewists themselves keep in their boxes?

Heather Storrod reached the semi-final of the 2026 series, winning garment of the week along the way. She learned to sew four years ago at a night class, sewing runs in her family, and she is very firm about bodkins.

She kindly agreed to answer our questions. Over to Heather.

Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into sewing. What made you apply for The Great British Sewing Bee?

I am 29 from Birmingham and have been sewing for the last 4 years. Sewing was the creative outlet I needed for a busy corporate job as a project manager in the construction industry. My grandad was a tailor, my nan and mother a seamstress, so sewing was in my blood.

I wanted to apply for the show because I had watched it years before ever learning to sew and thought it would be a great chance to make some new sewing friends and learn skills I’d never dream of attempting.

What’s the application process actually like?

It’s a long process from application to the show. You start with an online application, filling out a series of questions about how you started sewing, your skill level and style. It’s then a mix of phone calls, video calls and in-person auditions where you show off both your skills and existing makes.

What surprised you most about filming?

When you get to the point of filming you can’t believe the amount of prep that goes into it all. From all of the crew setting up the sewing room, the sewing team practising patterns and sourcing fabrics months in advance, to the bees preparing for their M2M challenges. It’s a huge effort from the crew for everything to be ready and look seamless when we are there ready to sew.

Which of the three Sewing Bee challenges did you find hardest, and why?

I was dreading the transformation challenge as I didn’t consider myself to be ‘creative’. I like to recreate things I’ve seen and loved online or in shops, so the idea of making something up on the spot with no instruction was daunting. But actually I loved this challenge — it was freeing to just have fun with some fabric you weren’t afraid to cut into and just have a go.

The pattern challenge proved trickier for me as I’m not the quickest of readers, and challenges such as the bomber jacket had over 40 instructions, so getting through it all in the time was hard.

Which of your Sewing Bee makes are you proudest of?

I am so proud of my Mexico week made to measure. I never imagined I’d win garment of the week, and I knew I was taking a risk not doing a direct copy of a traditional outfit, but my take on it really paid off! The outfit moved so beautifully down the catwalk and consisted of over 15m of gathered fabrics. I even self-drafted the skirt, which isn’t something I’d usually do, but I was being stubborn as I couldn’t find the perfect pattern.

What do you sew on at home, and how did the Sewing Bee machines compare?

I sew on a Brother A65 and I’ve always sewn on a Brother, so it was different switching brands, but thankfully my machine was a similar spec. The needle threader was different but overall not too many differences.

On my very first challenge I had to call for assistance multiple times as my machine kept jamming and topstitching thread snapping, leading to some wobbly topstitching on my shorts. From that first challenge I was dreading all the problems I’d have, but actually the machines were absolute workhorses and they sewed through anything we threw at them!

What are the five things you’d never be without in your sewing box?

A bodkin. I will die on this hill that threading elastic with a bodkin is so much easier than a safety pin!

A heat erasable pen. I am not a fan of using chalk — the reason I messed up my folkloric top during Mexico week was because I couldn’t see my chalk line!

Multiple pairs of snips. I try to snip loose threads as I go, but the snips go missing throughout my project so multiple pairs must be close to hand.

Tweezers. You never know when you’ll need to change overlocker thread or turn out a corner.

Masking tape. Whether it’s to mark the right side of your fabric, to use it as a guide on your machine for seam allowance, or to put on the bottom of your sewing machine foot to ensure it glides over sticky fabrics, it always comes in handy.

Do you have any tricks for keeping your head under pressure?

Not only is it sewing to a deadline with cameras, it’s talking to the team interviewing us, in studio lighting, with a room full of people. It is a lot of pressure, but I’d just chat away to myself, telling myself to stay calm, that I can do it, and that it is just sewing. My sister is training as a paramedic, so when she says she’s saved a life that day it gives you wonderful perspective on being close to tears in the sewing room.

At home I’d take a break. I’d walk away from the machine, have a breather and come back to it, but you don’t have that luxury in the sewing room with a tight deadline.

Lots of people watch the Sewing Bee, buy a machine, and then freeze. What would you tell someone at that exact point?

I would say go to a class! The internet is great and you can learn everything you need to there, but if you need a bit more support and encouragement to get started, book a class. Despite coming from a family of sewists, I learnt to sew at a night class at my local college. It was affordable, I had a great tutor that taught me the basics of a machine and how to read a pattern. From there I was obsessed!

For patterns I’d say know yourself. If you’re the kind of person who gets bored easily, go for a bigger challenge. I’d pick the Tilly and the Buttons Thea trousers — they have great instructions, they aren’t so hard that they’ll sit in a pile incomplete forever, but hard enough that you’ll learn plenty. And if they look awful you can wear them as pyjama bottoms.

If you’d be daunted by learning too much at once, then go for a tote bag. No pattern needed, and you can never have too many.

What’s next for you, and what are you making this autumn?

In life, planning a wedding and settling into my new role as a project and marketing manager for one of my favourite fabric companies! In my sewing, building my autumn wardrobe with some trousers and jackets. I also have an engagement party outfit to make. 

Thank you, Heather

Our thanks to Heather for giving up her time, and congratulations again on a brilliant run through the 2026 series. You can follow her makes — the wedding, the engagement party outfit and the autumn wardrobe — at @hereheathersews on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Two things of hers have stayed with us. The first is that she learned at a night class four years ago and was in the Sewing Bee sewing room by year four. The second is “it is just sewing” — worth remembering the next time a zip goes in crooked at eleven o’clock on a Sunday night.

If the series has you reaching for a machine, our sewing machine range is online and available to try out in our Chester showroom, and we would far rather you came and tried a few than guessed. Happy sewing!