Meet the Maker - Juliet Uzor
Juliet Uzor Is a former primary school teacher, a mum, and in 2019 was the winner of BBC’s Great British Sewing Bee.
Hi Juliet, thanks so much for taking part in our Meet the Maker interview. Please can you introduce yourself to our Knitters and Stitchers?
Juliet: I’m Juliet Uzor and I love making clothes in a range of fabrics of different textures, colours, patterns and origins.
What do you make?
Juliet: I love making everyday clothes and occassionwear.
How did you get interested/started in your creative field?
Juliet: It all started when I was in need of a creative outlet and a hobby to destress after a tough day at work as an inner London primary school teacher. After finding out how much I totally enjoyed making tote bags and the occasional dress, I decided to start documenting my journey on my blog sewsonatural.com
What/ who inspires you?
Juliet: I am inspired by colourful fabric which inspires the designs that I create. I get a lot of my inspiration from everyday women of varying shapes and sizes
What’s your creative process/ routine? How often are you making?
Juliet: I tend to create as my motivation leads and try not to get sucked into the hole of fast making. Whenever I get the motivation and the space comes up in my wardrobe I get onto Pinterest for inspiration. The ideas I put into a mood board then inform my fabric choice and I start sketching. When the sketches are complete, I transfer them to flat paper patterns which I used to cut and sew my desired wardrobe piece
Do you listen to anything whilst you’re working?
Juliet: I love listening to podcasts so much.
What is your workspace/studio like?
Juliet: My creative work takes place in my home studio aka our dining room which I have transformed into a sewing den.
Creative tool you couldn’t live without?
Juliet: My scissors are my babies.
What is your next project?
Juliet: My next project is a Marilla Walker Belemnite dress using African wax fabric.
What are your plans for the next 12 months?
Juliet: I intend to release a few sewing patterns to accompany my YouTube videos
What have been your biggest challenges/achievements, or your favourite story so far?
Juliet: My biggest achievement has been winning the Great British Sewing Bee. It has spring boarded me to areas that I never imagined myself exploring
Dave Kneeler, 2019
What do you love about The Knitting & Stitching Shows?
Juliet: I love being able to meet people I have been following online in real life at the shows. The community aspect of it fills me with so much joy
What are your three top tips for crafters and makers…
Juliet:
- Practise
- Document your journey
- Never give up.
Crouching Tiger hidden Hillary, 2019