Stuart Hillard

Stuart Hillard learned to knit when he was three, and by seven was knitting his own jumpers. But he was shot to prominence when he appeared in the first series of the BBC’s The Great British Sewing Bee back in 2013, having started sewing to make curtains, cushions and quilts when he moved into his first home.

These days he’s a quilt designer, designs fabrics, and has written books including his excellent Bags for Life, which has inspired many to start bag-making. And when he’s not designing, making or presenting, he’s likely to be on the 88-acre farm in North Yorkshire where he and his husband raise goats and rare breed sheep.