Kate’s needlework praised in woollen mill visit

The Princess of Wales stitched a label into a pair of jeans gifted to her husband and declared: “He will love those,” as she celebrated Wales’ textiles industry.

Kate spent the day learning about premium fabrics and fashion produced in West Wales and visited the family-owned jeans manufacturer Hiut Denim, whose creations have been worn by the Duchess of Sussex.

The future queen was also praised for her skills with a needle and thread when given the chance to mend fabric at woollen mill Melin Tregwynt, known for its luxury blankets and throws.

At Hiut Denim in Cardigan the princess went onto the factory floor and stitched a “Made in Wales” label into a pair of £245 organic Hack jeans which were a present for William.

When told the trousers were a gift for her husband, she replied: “He will love those.”

Cardigan has been home to jeans production since the 1960s, with its first jeans factory employing more than 400 people, making 35,000 pairs a week.

That factory closed in 2002 when production moved to Morocco, but Hiut brought those manufacturing skills back when the company was founded in 2011.

When Kate met Claudio Belotti, 75, who has 50 years of cutting experience, she tried cutting out a pair of organic Mari jeans – the firm’s soon-to-be-on-sale slim fit women’s denims – and joked there was “no pressure”.

While cutting, Kate said: “I love making things, so I think I would really enjoy making denims.

“The most adventurous I got was making a pair of pyjamas… and I don’t know where they have gone now.”

The princess wore a vintage Welsh wool coat for her day in Wales and at Melin Tregwynt near Fishguard took on the challenge of helping to repair a broken thread in a roll of reversable fabric, telling staff member Paula Harding: “You have to have really good eyesight and patience.”

Kate completed a small 2in repair, and Ms Harding said later: “She did it right, it’s amazing, and she didn’t go through the other side, that’s skill – she’s got the skill.”

After being told Ms Harding was the third generation of her family to work at the mill the princess said: “That’s what’s wonderful about these family businesses, they’re so based on these families and inter-generations passing on these techniques.”

Melin Tregwynt was run for more than 100 years by generations of the Griffiths family before it was set up as an employee-owned trust in 2022.

Known for the high quality of its wool blankets and throws, with blankets selling for up to £450, the company still weaves its fabrics in the centuries-old mill bought by Henry Griffiths in 1912 when he started the business.