Pattern cutting is fundamental to Lydia’s role as a costume designer and maker, but fewer theatres are maintaining in-house costume departments, making training as a freelance practitioner harder to come by.
Lydia invested her QEST Scholarship in 100 hours of individual lessons over three months with Helen Shine, who has cut patterns for Victoria Beckham and Peter Pilotto and made clothes that have appeared on red carpets and catwalks.
In 2016 Lydia decided to start making her entire wardrobe from scratch, and since 1st January 2017 she has only worn clothes she has made herself. She runs workshops around the UK and sells her designs to encourage women to make their own clothes.
