So I’m a little last minute, opening meet is Sunday and I still haven’t had my colours put on my coat yet. Does anyone have some directions or good close up pictures? Our colours are yellow and green, if it was only one colour I’m sure I could wing it but with the two colours I’m not sure that’s a great idea.
Your hunt will have its “colors” tradition . Is it the collar?
Surely if you have been awarded your colors you must know what to do. If you really don’t, then call your Master, hunt secretary or a senior member of your hunt.
You are in NZ or AUS?
I have been awarded my colors in 2 different hunts, and even though it’s only one color on the collar, I sent mine to a seamstress to have them done.
One coat the seamstress put the colors directly over the existing collar. The other seamstress deconstructed the collar and put the “colors” on as the new collar.
I felt like I would mess up the whole sewing on of colors if I had done it myself. I can ride a horse to hounds, but I AM NOT a seamstress by any stretch of the imagination.
For both hunts, the hunts buttons were awarded with the “color”.
Congratulations on earning your colors.
Hope you were able to sort it before opening meet! :yes:
If not, ask around if you don’t have a local tailor.
I am hopeless at sewing but have been usually been able to find somebody’s auntie or mom to help out in a pinch.
In Ontario, Canada.
So I managed to scramble through it, ended up just pinning them on then hand sewing to the collar, turned out not too bad. After looking closely at some others I felt a lot better about my 1 am sewing job!
There is actually a lady at our club who does sew colours and buttons on and whatever she charges go right back to the hounds. I will give her my coat to do at the end of spring season. I’m 5 months pregnant now and didn’t expect my new mount to be so exceptional so I hadn’t planned on hunting the spring season.
Thank you all for the replies! Wonderful opening meet 
Great to hear that - let us now how it went!
Did you see the Coth advertising to the right of this forum advertising a riding coat company that sews different collars on your show coat? Tredstep - Ireland? Polo Pro?! Has multiple color choices! It’s a lighter weight, stretchy coat (not wool ). I thought prices super! Wonder if they’d do some kinda custom colors for ya! Contact them…I thought this was a GREAT offering!!
I am glad you got it sorted out!
I just whip stitch the colors on, after first pinning them in place. It isn’t hard, just tedious.
Just an FYI, you should always put the colors on directly overtop of the “regular” coat collar instead of deconstructing the entire collar to replace it with the colors, otherwise it will be very hard to sell the coat to someone outside your hunt or someone w/o colors, if you decide to purchase a new coat. It is almost impossible to match the material/color of new material to old, but it is very easy to take a seam-ripper to whip-stitched colors and remove them so they can be placed on a different coat.
SSR speaks wisely. I had to shop around for heavy weight black wool melton to replace collars on some meltons. The seamstresses will tell you the deconstructed sew on colors will lay flatter and look better. I rather agree but it’s at a price. The double layer collars may lay look odd depending on the nature of the materials involved. Heavy wool on wool looks odd. Velvet on wool looks fine IMHO. Lightweight wool/blends on wool looks decent depending on the sewing job. Often your melton will outlive your colors!! or you !!!
Good luck!
