Thistledown Marl as a Cocoon Jacket

Some of you may know me from my time working at Fabworks Mill Shop, my name is Chloe and I have had the pleasure of being part of the Fabworks family for over 6 years now, after being a customer for as long as I can remember, coming to the shop as a kid with my mum. I am 29 years old and have sewn all my life thanks to Mum and Grandma, and have used my knowledge and skills to help and inspire many customers over the years.

My favourite thing about working at Fabworks is stroking all the amazing fabrics when they arrive on the shop floor, and when I heard about the new Heart of Huddersfield collection I could barely contain myself. I was desperate to get my hands on some of these gorgeous wools and have a play.

Here is my garment. I made it using the exquisite True Blue and Nature’s Best colourways from the new Thistledown Marl collection. I mean, who can call this ‘work’ when we literally get to play with these stunning soft supple wools all day? The fabrics have an amazing texture and wooliness to them, whilst still being stable and so easy to handle. I wanted to create a garment that was casual and comfortable but also classic in style and in the end I chose the Sew Different’s Cocoon Jacket because I think it suits this fabric and has enough structure to hold the sculptural shape of the cocoon, whilst still being fluid and drapey enough to create a soft jacket. This one will be ideal for popping on in winter with a roll neck and jeans!

I did add a few tweaks of my own, mainly a facing and full lining for added warmth, as we move into winter. The pattern is nice and easy to put together, I managed to do some careful manipulation to the notched neckline so as not to stretch it out of shape. (You can stay stitch around the neckline to ensure this doesn’t happen to you). I found the Thistledown Marl fabric marvelous for this particular project, it is malleable in the corners so it does all the work for you. My top tip here would be not to use anything sharp (like scissors) when turning the corners through as the sharp ends could pierce the fabric creating nasty holes that can’t easily be undone. Also make sure not to use anything with too much of a rounded tip either as this can leave you with a rounded nobbly point. By folding the corners of the seam allowance before turning through, you can create nice crisp points. I added a facing to the pattern so that the wool fabric would still be seen if the front edge rolls. I also decided not to top-stitch the facing on the centre front, as I wanted the Cocoon Jacket to be a soft relaxed garment. A good press is all it needs.

The pattern recommends 2.25m of fabric, but I chose to use two fabrics instead, and for my size (12) I comfortably cut all the pattern pieces using 1.5m of True Blue and 0.5m of Nature’s Best. I then used 1.5m of Old Blue Eyes - Polka Dot Lining for the silky smooth inside. When you purchase any of the Heart of Huddersfield wool fabrics, Fabworks will send you a special garment label to sew in. I made sure to stitch mine into the centre back of the jacket for a professional and tidy finish.

The Thistledown Marl bouclé wool has the most luxurious handle and is so lovely to work with, easing into areas such as the sleeves is a doddle, leaving no puckers behind and creating a flawless finish, with the colour speaking for itself. The vibrance of True Blue with its natural tonal hue is so lush and expensive, whilst Nature’s Best really is as it’s named, showing off all of wool's finest natural fibres, flecks and tones. This one is sure to become a staple in my wardrobe, and not just in winter!