Sewing Hero hailed for help throughout the pandemic
A DENTAL hygienist from Keelby, near Grimsby, who has been described by friends as a “superhero”, has been named as one of three UK Sewing Heroes for their work in supporting their local communities through sewing during the Covid pandemic.
Louise Drakes was named by Singer Sewing Machines after a nationwide request for nominations and was honoured at a lunch in London with Patrick Grant, a judge on the BBC programme The Great British Sewing Bee. Louise has now made over 11,000 lip-reading masks for the hard of hearing, those working in care homes with elderly people, for street teams working with homeless people as well as masks, scrubs, and gowns for those working in the NHS.
She has also sent out more than 250 packs of fabric and mask patterns to other people around the country so that they can do the same. And all this whilst continuing to hygiene bags and blankets for homeless people and gowns for babies born sleeping.
Partially deaf herself, Louise recognised the need when we she went to the supermarket just before the first lockdown and realised that she couldn’t hear or lip-read people wearing conventional masks. So, she set up her own Facebook page and Amazon wish list to enable people to donate items to help her keep making the much-needed masks
“I looked at many other types of lip-reading masks but in the end decided I needed to design my own
and make sure they were the best fit they could be,” says Louise. “But the fabric was also important. I needed to get crazy, funky fabrics that would appeal to kids and teenagers as well as more traditional, vintage fabrics for those in care homes.”