Neela

Originally from Bradford, Neela was taught to sew by her mother on an old Singer machine when she was just eight. She started collecting patterns when she was young and now has an extensive back catalogue, which she uses for her designs.

Neela likes to be adventurous with her fabric choice and, inspired by the previous series of the Sewing Bee, invested in an overlocker to help her tackle more difficult fabrics.

She is keen to pass on her love of sewing to the next generation, and has taught both of her daughters to sew. They now have three sewing machines in their house, and are looking forward to creating a space at home dedicated solely to sewing.

“I’ll make things for my children and myself, mostly for Indian weddings. I have a massive family and we always have family functions. Last year we had two weddings so there is always some event to sew for.

"I normally self draft patterns for the girls' outfits, but I tend to mix and match patterns when I'm making my own clothes.

“I sew on my own. But when my girls see me sewing, they get inspired and start making things alongside me, which is great.”