Scottish medical student is Sewing Bee's youngest winner
- Published
Serena with presenter Joe Lycett and judges Esme Young and Patrick Grant
A medical student from Glasgow has stitched up the title of Britain's best amateur sewer.
Serena Baker was crowned the 2021 winner of the Great British Sewing Bee after impressing the judges over eight weeks with numerous flawless garments.
The Edinburgh University student is the BBC One show's first Scottish winner in its seven series.
And at 21 when the programme was filmed, she is also its youngest ever winner.
Amateur sewers were whittled down to three finalists over the 10-week competition.
But it was Serena's ruffled off-the shoulder dress, inspired by Killing Eve character Villanelle that clinched the title.
The winning made-to-measure dress was inspired by Killing Eve's Villanelle
Serena told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme she was delighted with her win.
"It's been incredible," she said. "Especially this year, being able to go and do something like that - I'm so lucky to have that opportunity and then to do well and then to win it.
"I have watched the show for years and then thought, why not just apply and then I won and it happened, so it means the world to me."
Serena continually impressed judges Esme Young and Patrick Grant through the competition, excelling at challenges including a buffet dress, paper bag shorts, a button-down sundress, a baker boy cap, a unisex children's raincoat and a baby romper.
She was praised many times for her technical sewing skills and during the final, Young showered her work in praise.
Emotions got the better of Serena when she was announced as the winner
She told her: "I have this thing about really, really talented sewers. They have fairy dust that they throw over the garment and it doesn't look like it has been touched by a human hand. And that's what your sewing is like."
Serena defeated fellow finalists Raphael and Rebecca in the last episode of the series, in which they were challenged to make a girl's bridesmaid dress, turn homeware such as cushions, bead curtains and table cloths into summer festival outfits and finally construct and fit glamorous off-the-shoulder evening gowns for their models.
'Happy tears'
She said: "When they announced that I was the winner I could hardly believe it. I was totally overwhelmed and it was so much to take in.
"It had been an intense 10 weeks, but mostly I felt just really happy and proud of myself.
"There were a few tears, but they were happy tears. I was high on happiness."
Serena started sewing on her mum's sewing machine when she was 15.
"Instantly I knew it was for me," she said. "It was my passion and it just grew from there. I kept trying out different garments."
The three finalists Rebecca, Raph and Serena
Serena believes sewing can be a hobby for everyone, despite its image of being associated with older ladies.
"All three of the finalists were young so I think it showed that sewing can be for anyone," she said.
"And with the slow fashion movement and being more sustainable, I like to combine that with my sewing too and that is something young people are getting more interested in, learning how to upcycle second-hand garments and learn how to mend them."
TV winners
Serena's win continues a great year for Scotland in competitive reality TV.
Edinburgh student Peter Sawkins won the Great British Bake Off.
Glasgow's Lawrence Chaney sasheyed away with RuPaul's Drag Race UK title and 24-year-old student Jonathan Gibson from Glasgow was crowned the youngest ever champion of the BBC's Mastermind.
Serena still has two years of her medical training to complete before she starts junior doctor training but she is vowing to keep on sewing.
With all this stitching practice, surely Serena is top of her class for sutures?
"I haven't done any surgery yet - but maybe that will be my next passion," she said.
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- Published20 December 2015
