From furniture restoration to pieces for stage and screen, Hattie McGill has done it all. Julian Odessa chats to Hattie about her passion for embroidery

Interview by Julian Odessa

Hattie’s work can be seen in the film Emma.

Photograph: Autumn de Wilde

General Major Rigby is “good for everyone’s mental health and morale,” when Hattie is working on set.

Murder on the Orient Express is another hit film in which Hattie’s handiwork can be seen.

Photograph: Nicola Dove

W ith a career that includes time spent embroidering film and television costumes, such as Series Two of Bridgerton, Hattie McGill shares her passions, and introduces her delightful dog General Major Rigby…

What do you think was the first thing that captivated you about embroidery and textiles?

I was a really fidgety child, so I was always doing some sort of craft. My mum has a small cross-stitch piece I made aged four, so it’s something I’ve been doing for a very long time! I always knew I would do something textiles related. My mum is a wonderful sewer, my sister trained in film costume, and my grandma (who sadly I never met) was an incredible embroiderer. So, it was inevitable really.