Heart of Huddersfield 2022 Staff Makes and Reviews
Our wonderful Fabworks team have created their very own garments out of our brand new Heart of Huddersfield Collection for 2022😍
Giving you Autumn outfit inspiration, sewing tips and more, read what our team have to say about the new HOH fabrics below:
Donna:
Fabric: Hillside Heather - Mist Herringbone
Lining: Mill shop Exclusive Lining
Pattern: Vogue 1569
“I was really excited about the new HOH22 Collection, I could have easily used any one of the colours because they’re all so beautiful, but I adore purple and the Hillside Heather is right up my street.
Wool is my absolute favourite fabric to work with, it’s firm and stable which makes it a great fabric for beginner sewists to use. I used a clapper to help with my seams, so if you have one I would suggest using it.
For subtle but quirky detail, I used the herringbone on the horizontal for the panels on my sleeves! You can use the herringbone any way you like, or use them together like I did.”
Cassandra:
Fabric: Kingfisher Flash - Storm Herringbone
Lining: Glint of Goldfish - Special Occasion Satin
Pattern: Lynsey Dungarees - The Pattern Stash
"I enjoyed working with the Heart of Huddersfield a lot, it was lovely to sew with, for me I sew as and when I get a spare 10 minutes and it can be days between sessions but the fabric hardly frayed. Even when handled and moved. I highly recommend.
The choice to do the Lynsey Dungarees was a no brainer for me, as it’s my favourite pattern ever, and I can't wait to wear them in the mill shop as the cooler weather sets in."
Claudia:
Fabric: Autumn Plum - Mist Herringbone and Squirrels Drey - Storm Herringbone
Lining: Poison Pens - Jewel Jacquard
Pattern: The Amelia Skirt - The Pattern Stash
"I was spoilt for choice with colours but I picked my top favourite two, Autumn Plum and Squirrels Drey, but as it was hard to decide I’m going to make one more in another colourway too. As it was an Autumn make this time I opted for more Autumnal colours.
The lining I used was Poison Pens - Jewel Jacquard as the colour matched perfectly. The Heart of Huddersfield is easy to work with, has a good handle and is just lovely to sew with.
I used a dress zip and created a lapped zip fastening rather than using an invisible zip to challenge myself to do something different and to create a more tailored look.
A tip to fellow beginner sewists using these gorgeous wools, or just sewers in general, trim your seams down on the inside for less bulk! This helps massively, especially on areas like the waistband."
Stephen:
Fabric: Kingfisher Flash - Storm Herringbone
Lining: Glint of Goldfish - Special Occasion Satin
Pattern: Self-drafted
"Teal is one of my favourite colours, I was tempted by the Wild Foxglove - Mist Herringbone but I knew I'd get more wear out of the Kingfisher Flash. I've already worn it out a few times, I even got asked to make another for someone!
I added denim to make the wool a bit more contemporary, I used pockets from an old pair of jeans at the front. I wanted to make a biker-style jacket and the wool is brilliant to use, it presses wonderfully.
I used the Glint of Goldfish lining as a nod to the Kingfisher name of the wool, keeping the fish theme going.
If I could offer any advice, I would say to opt for a medium-weight interfacing for areas that needs extra structure, for example collars, etc."
Mel:
Fabric: Mallard Mayhem - Storm Herringbone and Slate Micro Puppy Tooth Check - Super Soft Brushed Suiting
Lining: Savanna Nights (Plum & Teal) Jewel Jacquard
Pattern: Self drafted
“I was heavily inspired by some pleated skirts I saw on Pinterest and wanted to make my own so I self-drafted my top and skirt patterns and created my own; I wanted to create a top and a skirt combination so I could easily wear them together or as separates. My idea was to create something trendy out of the Herringbone fabric and I think I’ve done that, I used a different colour for the pleats on the skirt to make them stand out more and I even frayed the edges on my top for an edgier look.
This was my first time working with wool and I had zero problems, it was so easy to work with. I had a hard time choosing my colour preference though because they’re all so lovely.”
Tara:
Fabric: Winter Walk - Storm Herringbone and Dewy Meadows - Mist Herringbone
Lining: Savoy Style (Plum & Teal) Jewel Jacquard
Pattern: Artist's Smock - Sew Different and Burda Young Skirt 7462
“I wanted to create something that was more on the modern side, a new take on the traditional type of Herringbone garments that we always see. I really wanted to show that you don’t just have to create tailored garments out of Herringbone, you can really do what you like with it, I’ve made frills out of mine!
For my top I did my own hack on the Sew Different Artist Smock, I cropped it and added sleeve panels. For the sleeve panels I used the Herringbone on the horizontal for a lovely contrast. The skirt is the Burda Young Skirt 7462 pattern but I lengthened it slightly, using the two greens together is really effective and looks brilliant made into frills.
The HOH22 Wool is a pleasure to sew with. I would suggest lining your garments for comfort against the skin.”
Jill:
Fabric: Winding Waterways - Mist Herringbone
Lining: Senate of Griffins (Aquamarine & Pewter) Jewel Jacquard
Pattern: Self-drafted
“I self-drafted my dress which has a similar style to a pinafore, it only used one metre and was a very easy make. If you wanted to make one yourself but needed a pattern to use as a base to start, I would say the Sew Different Folia Frock pattern would work nicely as it has a similar shape around the top and similar darts, all you would need to do would be to remove the sleeves and change the shaping of the bottom.
The wool is fantastic to sew with, it’s a lovely medium weight making it warm to wear but it’s not too bulky when you’re wearing it, it’s quite light on your body and comfortable to wear.
It’s very easy to acquire a professional finish with the HOH wools, such as topstitching, pressing and hemming, because they’re easy to work with. “
Dawn:
Fabric: Hillside Heather - Mist Herringbone and Winter Walk - Storm Herringbone
Lining: Star Shine - Jewel Jacquard
Pattern: The Blazer - Avid Seamstress
"When choosing the colours I went for two that contrasted best but that also matched my style and my wardrobe, I have plenty of purple and green already so this blazer will fit in perfectly.
For more contrast between the different coloured panels, I also used the Hillside Heather on the horizontal.
I embroidered a small lavender on the sleeve because I love customising things; I may do more embroidery on it at a later date.
The Blazer pattern is a good pattern if you're looking for an introduction into soft tailoring as the instructions and images are clear and easy to follow. I added shoulder pads and sleeve heads into mine to create a more structured look but that's optional.
The wool itself is faultless, as I always say wool of this kind does as it's told! It's stable, pliable and workable and is a dream to sew with.
Lyndon:
Fabric: Squirrels Drey - Storm Herringbone
Lining: Celestial Navigation (Rubellite & Jet) Jewel Jacquard
Pattern: New Look 6839
"I chose the Squirrels Drey - Storm Herringbone as it was the one that appealed to me most, red is my favourite colour so the deep and dark orange was closest to that. As I don't sew, Stephen made me a waistcoat; I love wearing waistcoats because I don't like jackets or full suits too often and a waistcoat is smart without being too dressy.
I've never had a waistcoat with a collar so this was something a bit different for me, and as Stephen made it for me I could request things like proper pockets at the front.
The wool is lovely and warm to wear, I can't wait to wear it out properly, I just need to organise an event now!"
Izzy:
Fabric: Frosted Forest - Mist Herringbone
Lining: Mythology (Peridot & Gold) Jewel Jacquard
Pattern: The Blazer - Avid Seamstress
"I love my blazer! The fabric is luxurious and high-quality and a blazer is very smart and fashionable, especially for Autumn. I chose the Frosted Forest because green is my favourite colour, it also goes really well with my hair!
Dawn made my blazer for me because I don't sew that much myself, we added shoulder pads for a more 70's vibe and I think this will become a really classic, key piece in my wardrobe."
Leo:
Fabric: Mallard Mayhem - Storm Herringbone
Lining: Nouveau Nights - Plum and Teal
Pattern: Simplicity S8962
"I picked Mallard Mayhem - Storm Herringbone because I liked the teal shade, I was close to picking Kingfisher Flash but I preferred the darker teal colour of the Mallard Mayhem. I also had a jacket in Waterloo Blue from the HOH 2019 collection and I wanted more variation in my wardrobe.
I chose Nouveau nights - plum and teal as a classic lining as it coordinates with the shades of teal so well. The pattern was Simplicity S8962, I wanted quite a modern style sports blazer and Stephen kindly made this for me.
The fabric is very insulating and warm to wear, and I really love how from far away the Storm Herringbone fabrics look almost like a plain colour but the closer you look the more you can see the beautiful Herringbone detail."
See our full Heart of Huddersfield collection here!
To learn more about these gorgeous new Herringbone fabrics, see our blog post 'Heart of Huddersfield is Back! Everything you need to know!'