A MECHANIC from Belper is among the contestants appearing on BBC2's Great British Sewing Bee show.
Mark Sanders, 41, was taught how to sew by his mother in his younger years.
But it was only when he started attending steam-punk events, at which people dress in Victorian and pirate-like clothing, that he and his wife decided to take up sewing again.
"I've been able to sew for a long time," said Mark. "When we started going to steampunk events, I bought a couple of outfits and thought to myself, 'I could make this'.
"So I did and have been doing it since."
Then he was told about a show which first aired last week on BBC2 called The Great British Sewing Bee, which tests contestants' sewing abilities.
The contestants compete against each other, producing garments and undertaking other sewing tasks.
Produced by the same minds that brought The Great British Bake Off to the screens, the new show is named after a social event called a sewing bee in which people meet to chat over their needlework.
The Great British Sewing Bee requires participants to impress judges May Martin and Patrick Grant in a bid to eliminate each other.
Mark, who runs Derbyshire Car and Commercials, in Alfreton, applied on a whim.
"I wasn't expecting to get on the show," he said. "I applied for a laugh."
He said he was used to sitting in his living room with a sewing machine in front of the TV with his wife and dog.
"We each have our own sewing machine – it saves the arguing," he joked.
When asked about the Sewing Bee, Mark said: "It's different to being at home.
"There's a lot of pressure. If you make a mistake, you either have to waste time correcting it or live with it."
When asked about the other contestants, he said "The people are really lovely.
"It's oddly not a very competitive environment. You compete against yourself and the time you've got left, as opposed to each other."
Mark has passed the first round and avoided elimination. He will be appearing in the next screening tomorrow on BBC2 at 8pm.
He and the other contestants will be tasked with making a pair of trousers and must customise a high-street skirt in 60 minutes. Mark is also required to tailor a "perfect blouse".
