We chatted to The Great British Sewing Bee judge Patrick Grant about why he loves the show and the release of his new book Less.
Born in Edinburgh, Patrick Grant, 52, grew up around people in the textile industry. His grandfather worked in the woollen industry in the Scottish Borders and Patrick spent his childhood holidays in mill towns and saw the effect of the decline of those industries in the community.
After studying materials science and engineering at university, he bought and revived Savile Row tailors Norton & Sons before relaunching British ready-to-wear designer brand E Tautz.
In 2016, he transformed an ailing Blackburn factory into his social enterprise Community Clothing, which aims to make quality everyday clothes in British factories.
Since 2013, Patrick has been a judge on the BBC show The Great British Sewing Bee and has now written Less, which focuses on how owning fewer things can make us happier. He lives in rural Lancashire.
How do you feel about Sewing Bee hitting series 10?
“It feels great to have made it! We’re so pleased that people love the show. It’s crazy to think that we started 10 years ago, not sure whether it would work and resonate with people.
“It’s such a fun and jolly show and the standard has got better and better. But it delivers some really important messages about finding joy in making your own clothes and embracing your style.
“What’s really interesting about this series is that for the first time we have a number of contestants who have used old materials to make their Made to Measures without being asked. I think that’s an amazing shift in a decade, to think that we’ve changed people’s thinking about old textiles that much.”
What can we expect from this year’s contestants?
“Overall, we’ve got the youngest cohort and the oldest contestant we’ve ever had.
“But once again, they’re all amazing people. They’re so proud that they’ve made these things. Fifteen years ago, there’s no way that this show could have existed.”
What’s your favourite thing about Sewing Bee?
“Learning to sew is so important because clothes have such a huge impact on our happiness. Sewing Bee has educated people and spread the joy about making your own clothes.
“Ultimately, the show is just really good fun. I love doing it. But I feel proud to do it because of the positive influence that it has had.”
You’ve just written Less. What inspired it?
“I wanted to write the book because I feel that we’re living the wrong way. We’ve been conned into the idea that having more stuff is somehow going to make us happier, and actually all the evidence suggests that the opposite is true.
“We’re not prioritising choosing pieces to treasure, which will bring us happiness. We’ve lost all the pleasure in owning and living with good things and having a strong connection to them. It’s time to bring back the joy in everyday objects! Almost everything that we used to have in our lives had some story to it – we need to re-embrace that attitude.”
How do you think we can apply that idea to our clothes?
“I think the first thing to do is to take stock of your wardrobe and work out what you wear. There will be clothes that you don’t like any more that somebody else would want – put them on eBay or Vinted, or give them to a charity shop if you can afford to.
“Then work out the pieces that you’d like to keep – remember that the most sustainable clothes on the planet are the ones we already have. Once you’ve done this, the things that you’ve chosen to keep in your wardrobe will be the ones that are most special to you, so your enjoyment of them should increase.”
What are the most hard-working items in your wardrobe?
“I started writing Less in October, and since then I’ve worn two pairs of trousers. I’ve washed them maybe three times but otherwise worn them every day. I have a heavy crewneck ribbed wool jumper. I wear crewneck cotton T shirts in navy blue. That’s about it!
“I basically wear the same stuff all the time. I change my facial hair and my haircut but I like to live in an incredibly simple way with my clothes.”
What’s the best garment for beginners interested in making their own clothes?
“There are some brilliant dressmaking projects for beginners. Skirts are easier than trousers, so start with something simple like a straight skirt. Tunic tops are really easy, too.
“But my biggest tip would be to make sure you do the project for real – don’t feel like you’re just having a go and not going to wear it. You need to be focused on making it really well. And don’t forget that if it goes wrong, you can unpick and start again!”
Less: Stop Buying So Much Rubbish – How Having Fewer, Better Things Can Make Us Happier by Patrick Grant, £22, is out on 9 May.
Watch series 1-9 of The Great British Sewing Bee on BBC iPlayer now.