Salisbury's sewing soldier Lt Col Neil Stace stitches to support SSAFA's First World War project '100 Hearts for 100 Years'

Army seamster Lt Col Neil Stace, a REME officer and BBC Great British Sewing Bee finalist, has been leading a needlework session with the Royal School of Needlework in Hampton Court Palace, to demonstrate the therapeutic benefits of sewing as part of the national sweetheart pin cushion project.

Lt Col Stace, 48, took up needlework and knitting at school when it allowed girls to join the school football team. He decided with a friend that they should take up sewing and he has been.

He picked up the nickname “Stitch” during a tour of Afghanistan having taken his machine with him.

Now Neil has been using his sewing skills to support military charity SSAFA Wiltshire’s 100 Hearts for 100 Years project, in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.

The project will see 100 First World War sweetheart pin cushions replicated and displayed in Salisbury Cathedral in November.

Convalescing soldiers were given regimental felt which they stuffed with sawdust to create pin cushions and decorated with buttons and badges. These would then be sent home to their loved ones.

“It would be really interesting going back to the First World War, where clearly a lot of these hearts come from, whether there was a stigma of being a man sewing, or whether they were so traumatised by what was going on that they did anything to focus their minds; to take their minds off the horror of what was going on,” said Neil.

“I did a bit of research on mindfulness and sewing."

“I thought this really does work. Even if you haven’t got a stressful life, it’s nice because time slows down and you can just focus on what’s happening in your hands. And, it’s creating something beautiful.”

The main thing is that anyone can do it. You don’t need to have any experience or be an expert, says the engineer, who took his trusty old sewing machine on numerous tours of Afghanistan, Bosnia and Northern Ireland, where being able to sew took his mind off the stresses of the tour and provided a much-needed skill to his team, requiring repairs to uniforms, and curtains for barrack rooms.

“I experienced some really stressful tours in Bosnia and Northern Ireland and Being able to Sitting at the machine and sewing really helped me focus and take my mind off the day’s events,” said Neil. “I made everything from wedding dresses to curtains whilst on tour.

“If you’re depressed or struggling a bit, it’s just being able to focus in the zone. sewing, cooking, gardening, painting, anything like that helps take your mind off things.”