Heriott Watt fashion technology student Alison has recently completed a year’s work placement at Hilltrek. Here’s what she has to say about her experience:
“To gain necessary hands-on experience within the technical clothing industry, I was placed by my university in Hilltrek’s Clachan Yell workshops. Aboyne might not be the most obvious hub of technical clothing innovation, but it was there I cut my teeth gaining practical knowledge of new fabrics and cutting patterns, developed my sewing skills, and – as well as manufacturing garments - worked on a diverse spectrum of repairs which came into the workshop. I doubt any big brand companies would have been able to provide as varied an experience; one day I’d be repairing tents and flysheets, the next adjusting school bags and motor biking gear! The team at Clachan Yell also involved me in the cutting stage of many of Hilltrek’s garments, which allowed me to become more experienced with an array of popularly stocked fabrics. I picked up various new techniques involved at the preliminary stages of garment design, and, as well as familiarizing myself with Hilltrek’s patterns, I even helped to produce new ones: see the Kintail Ventile shirt http://www.hillgear.com/acatalog/Kintail_Ventile.html for an example of my work!
I would like to say a big thank you to everyone at Hilltrek who helped me throughout the year; from my experience at the Clachan Yell workshops I gained indispensable knowledge and vastly improved my skills and confidence in garment manufacture.”
