MOVE OVER MARY BERRY, TURN ON TO TREE AT STITCHLESS TV

So where did this love you have for sewing first come from?
Crafts have always been part of my life, going right back to when I was a child. My mother came over to England from Italy not speaking a word of English so made her living by sewing make up bags for the nearby Coty cosmetics factory, and so I was always surrounded by the buzz of creativity.  I remember the excitement of, aged only 7, helping her produce 2000 paper roses for a Marie Osmond concert at Wembley. By that age I was already confident with a sewing machine, and at 10 I was adapting not only my own school uniform but others’ too, trading this for makeup and other items.

I love your YouTube channel ‘Stitchless TV’, how did it come about?
A couple of years ago I proposed the idea of a sewing programme to a big production company. They were very excited by the concept, but believed it was too niche for television. Part of my ethos is that absolutely anyone can sew, so I decided to prove them wrong and began posting videos on YouTube, initially just as presenter training. I have had some really amazing responses from people who, never having touched a sewing machine before, were inspired to start making things and  it made me realise just how much potential lay in sharing my ideas like this.

What is it about your own method that is so different from the typical perception of sewing?
The sewing that I demonstrate on my YouTube channel is ‘Stitchless Speed Sewing’; a method I have developed that finds a simple way to make absolutely anything and involves no pins or tacking. Everything can be made within an hour, for example my 30-minute coat inspired by the ‘Comme des Garcons’ collection. I also use unconventional materials to overcome the hefty price tag that comes with a lot of fabric; kitchen scourers make gorgeous purses, imitating £100 per metre chainmail!

You mentioned that you believe anyone can sew; how do you make it more accessible for people?
For a lot of people the biggest barrier is fear of the machine itself, and I overcome this by using mini children's machines. They’re basically a much smaller, simpler version of the real deal and come in bright colours, so look a lot friendlier. It was actually my using of these machines that led to me being contacted by the manufacturers, John Lewis, to do workshops in their fabric department. Here I get anyone, regardless of their age or experience, to come and sew in a relaxed and informal environment. I love seeing the joy on peoples’ faces when, within minutes, they have made their own snood, t-shirt or purse.

You’re clearly very passionate about sewing, so other than these workshops what else do you do to spread the love?
I had the first ever regular sewing slot on BBC Radio London on the Jo Good/Sonny and Shay Late Show, where I got them to quite literally sew on air. One time the hindi singer Navin Kundra was on as a guest and I asked him if he wanted to make Shay a hat out of a jumper. Never having sewn before he said he’d give it a go, and within 5 minutes he had made a hat! It’s amazing being able to open people’s eyes to the ease with which they are able to create things, and it was certainly a very special moment.

I can see that you’re brimming with creativity and ideas for the future, where do you see this all going?
For me, sewing is like baking; if you have all the ingredients and a good, simple recipe you cannot go wrong. I share these recipes and inspire people to step out of their comfort zones and try something new. I reach out to people, for example I go and sew in Age Concern, Brentford, where I helped an 86 year old man sew a pink scarf for his girlfriend. It all ultimately feeds into my idea for a brand, and for a television programme which is on the horizon.

You can find Tree on her website: http://www.stitchless.co.uk/. She also updates via twitter @Stitchless_TV and on her facebook page 'Stitchless Tree'.