Hand-made: The costume-maker inspired by 1950s Barbie

Dressed in miniature couture-like outfits, it was a collection of 1950s Barbie dolls that first sparked Mandy Nichols' passion for beautifully crafted clothes.

As a costume cutter, Mandy creates period costumes for film, television and theatre using pattern making and sewing techniques passed down by her grandmother.

In the first of a series looking at people who make things by hand in time-honoured ways, the BBC met with Mandy while she was working on an Australian period television drama, A Place to Call Home.

Video journalist: Rebecca Leaver