Heart of Huddersfield ’21 Garment Makes - Falling in love with In The Blood Red!

To talk more about our wonderful new Heart of Huddersfield fabrics, we’ve spoken with Claudia, a wonderful member of our Mill Shop staff. If you’ve visited us at our Mill Shop, then you’ve bound to have met her!

Claudia, please tell us all about yourself, how long have you been sewing for? 

“Hello! I’m Claudia and I like to call myself "an enthusiastic amateur"! I first started coming to Fabworks as a shopper, before I started working here. I really enjoy working in such a creative space and being surrounded by amazing, talented people it allows me to increase my skill-set and learn every day!

I originally completed a Diploma at art college, but after that I didn’t sew for years until I was re-inspired by my mum and started making aprons about 10-15 years later!"

What type of garment did you choose to make?

"I decided to make a Biker Jacket Cardi by Sew Different for this project, in HOH '21 ‘In the Blood Red – Twill Melton’; it’s coming up to Winter so a wool jacket will be very weather suitable!

I really challenged myself with this Heart of Huddersfield garment, I’ve never made anything that’s fully lined before so I’m quite proud of myself!"

Why did you choose 'In The Blood Red' for your jacket?

"The colour, “In the Blood Red”, reminds me of a poppy which is just lovely, and is why I chose it! It’s a gorgeous, bold colour and I couldn’t resist!

I then chose to use the "Thunderbridge Storm - Marled Melton" HOH ’19 alongside (now sold out), for piping around the edges which creates a lovely contrast to the strong red. Piping was also another skill that I challenged myself with but I really enjoyed learning."

Did you pre-wash your HOH fabric before sewing?

"I pre-washed the fabric before I started using it; on a 30-degree, gentle cycle that wasn’t too harsh on the wool. There was only a slight bit of shrinkage, which was expected."

Which pattern did you use for your jacket? And did you make any amendments to the pattern?

"I used the 'Laura Casey – Biker Jacket Cardi Pattern', however it says to partially line the front of the jacket, but I chose to fully line it instead. I love the feeling of a cool, satin lining against my skin."

"I used the "Wings of Desire (Ruby & Ink) Jewel Jacquard" for the lining, the colours in it work perfectly with both wools, and it looks beautiful when the jacket is worn open."

Our favourite part of your jacket, Claudia, is the grown-on lapels! When worn open, they mirror the wings of a butterfly and so the "Wings of Desire" was the perfect choice for a lining!

“It’s such a lovely compliment to 'In The Blood Red', it’s an absolutely gorgeous lining!”

Did you enjoy the project?

“Yes! I love that I’ve learned a new skill, I also love that the yarn used to produce the wool is dyed and woven locally, sustainability is very important to me! Being a part of this project was really quite fun and exciting!”

Any advice you would give to those wanting to use our HOH Fabrics?

“My advice is to try and challenge yourself like I did! Push the boundaries, it’s always exciting learning new skills and working with different fabrics." 

Thank you for taking part in this project Claudia, we love that it gave you the opportunity to challenge yourself creatively!

If you want to know more about our Heart of Huddersfield Fabrics, head to our 'Sustainability Deep-Rooted in our Heritage' blog post!