Let's Talk About...My Favourite Fabric: Embroidered Green Tweed

This piece of fabric has no official title. It used to be a smart skirt, that I no longer have the label for, to check its provenance. 

It had a life before it came to me. I bought the vintage skirt from a charity shop in Castle Cary, close to where we were living at the time, back in the noughties. 

The colour caught my eye. It’s an unusual colour; it’s definitely green, but is hard to describe which green. It’s not anything like khaki, or lime, but somewhere in-between, with a bit of a golden hue, like a fresh new oak leaf in early spring. 

It is made from lightweight woollen tweed, and was lined with a similar colour. The skirt was a classic A line, with darts at the waist, a zip at the back, and the hem finished just above my knee. It fitted perfectly. It just ticked all the boxes with texture, colour, and design.

The fabric is covered entirely with machine embroidery crewel chain stitch, with large and small flowers in variegated silky threads, ranging from deep reds, browns, oranges, and gold, giving a luxurious contrast to the woollen background fabric. I used to wear it with a bright red cashmere jumper, which would brighten up any wintery day.

Unfortunately a few years ago, those pesky clothes moths got into my wardrobe, and caused havoc with my lovely skirt. All very tasty for the moths. It was now unwearable. Sad times. So I thought the best thing to do, after giving it a good wash and iron, was to cut it up and save what I could for textile projects in the future. So it got added to the pile. 

I’m not sure it will be used for my jackets though. Sorry. I’m really not sure it would wash well, after being appliquéd onto a jacket. I do try to use washable, easy care fabrics on something that is as washable as a denim or linen jacket. I’m sure it’s time to shine again will happen sometime, somehow! 

Hazel x

P.s. If anyone would like a more delicate fabric like this tweed on a jacket, I’m sure if it’s hand-washed all would be okay. Just email me (hazel@hazymade.co.uk) or DM me on Instagram (@hazy.made) and we can talk it through.