Sewing started out as a hobby for Deborah Breen, something she enjoyed doing when her Fibromyalgia wasn’t affecting her too much.
But the Dundee mum-of-two never imagined it was a hobby that could turn into a business.
About a year ago, Deborah crated a bib for her sister’s newborn baby and then began to gift them to friends and family.
Despite suffering from Fibromyalgia, a long-term condition which causes pain all over the body, and a range of other illness, Deboarah decided to focus her time and effort into the sewing.
She said there were a lot of people with various illnesses who had decided there wasn’t much they could do, but she was determined that wouldn’t be the way she looked at life.
“It’s a battle but I’m hoping nothing can hold me back,” she said.
“It just happened that people liked them and they’re good quality because the stuff I make has to be good quality because it’s going to a baby.”
She enrolled in the Certificate in Textiles at Dundee and Angus College, who encouraged her to take part in the Enterprise Dragons event where participants had to convince a panel of judges their business idea would work.
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Deborah came second-equal alongside Cara Anderson with her business Bibs and Pieces, winning £1000 and a pop-up shop in the Overgate centre, and said it had been overwhelming to be selected.
“It’s nice to feel that somebody believes in you and instead of having just an idea, other people think it’s a good idea and are willing to to financially back it, it’s overwhelming,” she said.
A single mum with two kids, she was now in the process of making the business a reality and while she was yet to make her first sale, she was optimistic about the future.
“I’m not letting these things hinder me and put me off,” she said.