Callan Knitwear founder had a ball meeting star Tara Lynne after being commissioned for a 90s-style jumper
Mary, who recently relaunched her company Callan Knitwear online, is building up a bit of a portfolio for unique pieces for TV and film.
But it was her commission to come up with a funny jumper for the character Ma Mary in the smash hit Derry Girls which really got her creative juices flowing.
She explains: “Cathy Prior who was the costume designer for the show contacted me out of the blue and asked me to design a jumper for Ma Mary and said they would need it in three weeks.
Mary Callan
“She wanted a 90s pattern and as Ma Mary was a feeder, Cathy thought a food theme would be best.
“I taught knitting in the Art College and we had an old machine which was pre-programmed with decorative 90s patterns. I showed Cathy the book of motifs and she picked out some she liked and I went off to draw some more on the computer.
“We decided on bacon slices, eggs, a wooden bowl with a spoon sticking out of it designed on a 90s diamond pattern.
“I got to meet the actress Tara Lynne O’Neill who plays Mary to measure her up for the jumper and she was really good craic, she was even funnier in real life.
“The design was very much Cathy’s idea; I just facilitated the making of it.
“It is such a good show and it was a whole new departure for me, and really good to do something a bit comical and I got a real comedy buzz out of it.
“I think the jumper is now in the Derry Girls collection at the Visit Derry Museum.”
Mary’s pieces are all hand-finished
The icing