Heart of Huddersfield ’21 Garment Makes - A Deep Dive Into Uber Ultramarine Blue Creations

This week we’re sitting down with two more of our amazing, Millshop staff members, Hayley and Stephen! Both who picked out 'Uber Ultramarine - Twill Melton' to make their garments!

Let’s chat to you first Hayley! How did you originally get into sewing and dressmaking? 

“My grandma used to have a really exciting, wicker, sewing basket that I used to love delving into to make clothes for my dolls, she didn’t have a sewing machine so she would hand sew everything.

I first used a sewing machine in school, I didn’t do a lot of sewing but I loved it straight away. I finally got into serious dressmaking in my late twenties/early thirties and that’s when I bought myself a sewing machine and did a bit after work as a hobby."

Your Grandmas wicker sewing basket sounds like it was brilliant! Let's talk about the Heart of Huddersfield project, which fabrics caught your eye?

"I chose the 'Uber Ultramarine - Twill Melton' from the new HOH '21 Collection because blue is the colour I wear most, and it’ll go with most things in my wardrobe! I love how bright and bold the colour is.

I also used 'Sky Blue Reflection - Yorkshire Melton' as a trim for the back of the collar as a contrast. Both fabrics were lovely to sew, however the 'Sky Blue' was slightly harder to manage so I decided to invest in a clapper and used that to get a neat, flat finish on my seams. I would advise this to anybody who uses the HOH Wools."

Did you pre-wash your fabric before starting to sew with it?

"I chose not to pre-wash the fabric, which is something I’d normally do, but on this occasion I didn’t because a wool blazer is not the type of garment I'd wash."

Why did you choose to make a blazer for this project? Did you use a pattern to make it?

"I made a blazer because it’s a garment that will suit my shape and that I would be most likely to wear after this project. I used the 'The Blazer Pattern' from The Avid Seamstress however, I added length to the body and the sleeves to fit me better. I also chose not to use interfacing on the collar and cuffs where the pattern instructed me to, as I felt that the 'Sky Blue' fabric didn't need the extra thickness."

How did you choose to line your blazer?

"I lined my blazer with the 'Senate of Griffins – Jewel Jacquard (Aquamarine & Pewter)', this was the first time I have sewn a full lining into a garment and it went really well because the pattern I used was incredibly easy to follow!"

That's great Hayley! It looks brilliant too! 

"I actually ended up with left over fabric after making my blazer and I really wanted to use all the fabric I had, so I made a bag to match!

I used sample pieces of the other colours within the new 'HOH '21 Collection' and created a rainbow on the front, and then used rainbow webbing for the strap to match, I love it!"

What a fun way to be zero waste! It's also great to see all of the HOH '21 Colours together in one piece, even better that it was made from scrap fabric you had left over! 

"My family members, who have seen my blazer, all want one for themselves! I may end up making it again for other people!"

You can get all 6 HOH '21 Samples here for just £8 with delivery!

We don't blame them! You've done a brilliant job! We especially love how creative you've been by using your leftover fabric for that bag, I'm sure you will inspire many of our customers to follow in your footsteps. 

Let's come over to you Stephen, can you tell us a little about how you got into sewing?

“I started sewing when I was 13, I was originally taught by my mum, and then I went on to do National Diploma, a HND, and complete degrees in fashion, tailoring and costume design. I’ve been working in Fabworks for 3 years now!"

We're very excited to hear all about your garment! What was your main source of inspiration?

"I chose the 'Uber Ultramarine - Twill Melton' because I thought it would look brilliant as a jacket! I adore a military style so I used that as inspiration for my make."

"I took 'The Maker's Atelier - Pea Coat Pattern' as a base but I did change it quite a lot, because I felt it wasn’t masculine enough for me and the style I wanted."

"I made the pattern slightly longer as it was too short for me, took out the back vents and took away the belt. The sleeve also wasn’t a tailored sleeve, which I prefer, so I made the sleeve more tailored.

I added military style pockets and sleeve tabs to the jacket as well, I used “Waterloo Blue – Herringbone” (now sold out) from the HOH ’19 collection for these and the collar, I thought the two blue shades together would look lovely."

Your jacket is incredible Stephen, and we really love how you've made the pattern your own by adding in tailored aspects! You really are talented, we're very lucky to have you in our Millshop.

Did you pre-wash your fabric before using it?

"Before I made it, I didn’t pre-wash because I was worried about the wool stretching out slightly and not being able to get a true grain line when cutting out my pattern pieces."

What did you think of our HOH Fabrics whilst sewing? Did you enjoy this project?

"The 'Uber Ultramarine' is a lovely fabric to use, it sews and presses nicely however, it does need a strong interfacing to ensure the fabric is stiff enough for a tailored garment. I’m definitely going to make myself another one, but in a different colour!"

We absolutely love your jacket Stephen, the details of the pockets and sleeve tabs, and the lovely neat seams, you can really see its beautifully sewn! Well done!

Both of your makes are fantastic, they both are stunning examples of how you can use the 'Uber Ultramarine' to create bold garments.

Pop back next week to read about Chloe and her Forever Green Jemima Waistcoat! Or, if you can't wait that long, take a read of our previous blog posts 'Totally addicted to Tarnside Teal!', 'Meet the Miraculous Magenta Makers!' and 'Falling in love with In The Blood Red!' where we chatted to other makers! 

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