Heart of Huddersfield

Heading into Autumn/Winter time is quite exciting! If you're a sewing enthusiast, like us, the best part of all is that we can start sewing with fabulous Wool fabrics!

Chloe, why don’t you introduce yourself and tell us all our your Forever Green Emerald make!

"Hello! I’m Chloe, the designer and creator of The Pattern Stash...

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.

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"!

This week we’re talking to the makers who chose ‘Tarnside Teal - Twill Melton’ from our new 'Jewels of Yorkshire Collection' for their makes; our very special, Mill Shop Manager, Tara, Jen Legg, a creator we’re constantly in awe of on Instagram and Laura Casey, the brilliant owner and designer behind Sew Different!

Tara let’s speak with you first, what’s your sewing history, how did you get into it originally?

"I’m Tara, I have been sewing for about 30 plus years now. I started making clothes for my little dolls with scrap fabrics, my nan used to sew around me so I guess I was inspired by her and whatever she was working on.

We're continuing our journey with our new Heart of Huddersfield '21 Collection. Our wonderful Fabworks Team have created some garments to show you how fantastic these new fabrics are!

Not only are our staff involved, we've also collaborated with some wonderful makers and seamstresses who's skills we've admired through Instagram.

Over the next six weeks we'll be having a chat with all of the makers about their garments, getting their opinions on the fabrics and seeing what practical advice they can offer!

This iconic part of Yorkshire gives us so much more than just its landscape and its people. We have our master weaver and his team (family business) as well as the mills within the Holme Valley and the Colne Valley; these people and places are the true inspiration behind our Heart of Huddersfield project.

From spinning the yarn all the way through to the final rub test on the finished piece, everything takes place within a eight-mile radius, hence, the ‘Heart of Huddersfield’.

Here’s something that we at Fabworks take great pride in talking about (besides our Yorkshire heritage) is our value for money. Our Heart of Huddersfield Range has certain requirements: top quality fabrics from sustainable sources, manufactured locally and unique to us. After creating a vast number of shades and weaves in the original 2019 HOH range, we created the subtle shades and textures of Thistledown Marl for 2020.
This year, it’s all about colour, and we’re celebrating it.

With the chillier months just a round the corner it's time to start thinking about our winter wardrobes and dressmaking with our favourite fabric.

What is the Heart of Huddersfield Collection?

In case you’re new to Fabworks or haven’t heard of this range, let us remind you…

Fabworks began as a family business trading in reclaimed textiles (rags) and shoddy waste, at a time when this part of Yorkshire was renowned as the centre of the English Woollen Cloth trade.