DEBRA’S CREATING A BUZZ ON SEWING BEE
HER Halloween outfit was, quite simply, a triumph. Patrick Grant, the effortlessly charming judge on the BBC’s Great British Sewing Bee, was in raptures, describing Debra Drake’s Miss Havisham dress as an “absolute work of art”.
“It was one of the best made-tomeasures we’ve seen,” he said.
“It’s genuinely spooky, it really is. Honestly, I could see this costume on a stage in the West End.”
By winning the hit BBC show’s latest Garment of the Week title, Debra confirmed her status as one of the frontrunners as series eight reaches the half-way stage.
It’s left Welsh viewers cheering her on in the hope the hit show can produce its first Welsh-speaking champion.
Debra, 51, grew up in Penmachno, Conwy. She began sewing at the age of nine by making outfits for her dolls before working up to making full-sized garments for herself.
For a fashion-conscious youngster raised in a remote North Wales valley, it was a necessity.
“The nearest boutique was 10 miles away,” she said. “Everyone shopped there so we all wore the same thing!
“Luckily, my Mam enrolled me on a sewing night class in our village school. I was by far the youngest there and the ladies took me under their wing.
“I was always arty, but I really found the most marvellous of hobbies in sewing.”
In her locality, Debra found herself surrounded by plenty of “stylish and strong” women.
They helped her identify the power of clothing.
“It was the ’80s and women were dressing in a very strong way,” she said.
“Also during this time, there were notable ‘tribes’ such as goths, dance music, heavy metal fans – it fascinated me how you could tell a lot about a person by what they chose to wear.”
In her late 20s and 30s, Debra stopped sewing to buy off-the-shelf clothes as she began working for a multinational company.
Later, with her son grown up, she returned to the hobby, determined to brighten up the workplace in some of her more colourful, designer-inspired creations.
Working there gave her the time management skills she needs to work to the show’s tight deadlines.
Even so, signing up for the Sewing Bee was a daunting prospect.
“It has got to go down as one of the most exhilarating – and downright petrifying – things I’ve ever done in my life,” she said.
“Fellow Bee Angela told me just before our first Made to Measure, ‘Just think of it as us all in our sewing rooms with a few hours of uninterrupted sewing.’ It wasn’t quite like that, but it really helped me to focus!”
For the past 10 years she has lived in Llanfairfechan on the Conwy coast with husband Andrew, who was schooled in Bangor.
At times, he has suffered on the programme almost as much as the show’s contestants.
Asked about her love of floral fabrics, Debra told viewers: “I went on a date with a guy once and he had daisy socks on.
“I remember asking him, ‘Why are you wearing daisy socks?’ and he said, ‘They’re my sister’s.’ I married him!”
Living on the coast means she can indulge her other pastimes of sailing or snorkelling. Otherwise, she’s up at 6.30am for a spin class or adding to her collection of vintage designer accessories.
As her first language is Welsh, viewers have written to say how nice it is to hear a North Walian accent on the programme. The most common question is whether she really does make the garments in the allotted time – she does.
Already she’s inspired one local to go out and buy a sewing machine. Others have been quick to offer their support.
“Our Welsh sewing bee is doing us proud,” said a fan on Facebook.
Debra was already an accomplished craftswoman before she began honing her talents on the Sewing Bee.
She’s most proud of a Chanelstyle jacket she made for herself – a project that took 30 hours of machine- and hand-sewing.
“I adore making dresses and jackets,” she said. “Dresses are great for me as my body has changed during the perimenopause.
“I have found ways to hide the bits of me that I am less confident about.”
Inspired to sew by designers such as Erdem, Gucci and Chanel, Debra is fast making a name for herself in the sewing world.
She added: “I really appreciate all the support I’m getting from my home village. We’ve been here 10 years – and feel like we lucked out.”