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Mark

SEWING STYLE: historical costumes, pirate outfits & the use of heavy duty fabrics

Fact title Fact data
Age
41
Â鶹ԼÅÄtown
Derbyshire
Occupation
HGV Mechanic

Over 6 foot tall, pony-tailed and pierced, HGV mechanic Mark Sanders lives with his wife, their 13 year old daughter and English Bull Terrier, Diesel.

When he's not fixing trucks, Mark enjoys a more genteel pastime – sewing. His mum taught him to sew but he hadn’t had much use for it until he and Donna started attending 'steam-punk' events where revelers dress up in Victorian costume and drink tea. To ensure he was wearing historically authentic clothing, Mark started to scour libraries and visit museums to research the costumes and then started making them himself.

Now in the evenings after work Mark and Donna sit opposite each other in the living room with their own sewing machine competing to see who can make the most elaborate costume. The only problem for Mark is he can’t find thimbles big enough to fit his enormous fingers. Despite this he manages to produce striking creations – his favourite being his ‘Johnny Depp Pirates of the Caribbean’ costume complete with feathered three corned hat.