The Repair Shop guest breaks down as experts restore late sister's 'special' item
The Repair Shop guest breaks down as experts restore late sister's 'special' item
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An episode of The Repair Shop saw a guest moved to tears as the team breathed new life into his late sister's cherished possession. On Wednesday's (February 5) instalment of the popular BBC programme, viewers met Ben, who sought help in restoring a dress that belonged to his sister Lizzie, who had sadly passed away just 10 weeks prior. Alongside the dress, Ben brought in a painting by Lizzie of the very same garment - a testament to her artistic talent.
"She was a fantastic artist, and sadly this dress, which went through her life journey of over 40 years, is now in rather a sorry state," he shared. Ben also spoke about Lizzie's inspiring transition journey, having been born male, and how she channelled her experiences into her art, earning high praise from critics. Textile conservator Rebecca Bissonnet took on the task, gently soaking the dress in lukewarm water.
"There's a lot of secrets and details that I feel need to be retained, as it does represent Lizzie and it represents her art and her life," Rebecca said as she prepared the lace for washing. Upon seeing the restored dress, Ben was visibly moved, tearfully saying: "Oh wow. I can see all the seamstress work you've done, it's lovely. "It's just lovely to see it back to its original state. It's now ready for the next stage of its journey, it's gonna play centre stage at a posthumous exhibition in Newcastle," reports Gloucestershire Live.
Ben elaborated on his plans to ensure the legacy of Lizzie's dress lives on by passing it down to her daughter Ellie, with the hope that it will be cherished for generations. He expressed his heartfelt intention: "But then, the final destination of this is this needs to go to Ellie. Also, Ellie has a daughter. This can now continue down that family line, the memories of Lizzie are going to keep rocking and rolling. I've looked for something positive out of this and you've given it to me.".
