|
|
|
Capelet
|
Hey,
Karline here (aka Niamh’s trusty sidekick who takes care
of a lot of Urban Threads things that are not drawing
pretty pictures). I grew up sewing clothes, but I’m
generally not much of a fashionista. Give me jeans and a
cozy sweater, and I’m a happy camper. Lately, though,
either styles have become much more awesome, or I’ve
been assimilated into the soul-sucking mind-hive of
fashion. There are so many great things out there right
now - and the best has got to be the cape. It’s a cute
alternative to a fall jacket, and it’ll be just as
stylish as the holiday season approaches. Follow along
to make your own - it’s as easy as it is chic!
|
|
|
|
|
|
To make your capelet, you'll need:
-
1 1/4 yards
outer fabric (I suggest wool suiting for breathable
warmth)
-
1 1/4 yards
lining fabric (mine is a printed quilter's cotton -
pick something fun!)
-
2 yards
ribbon or strap for tie
-
Medium weight cutaway stabilizer
-
Temporary
spray adhesive
-
Tape
measure
-
Tailor's
chalk or air-erase pen
-
Embroidery design of your choice
|
|
|
Math
time. This one's easy, I promise. Take a tape measure
and stick the end at the base of your neck, on the side
- about where the top edge of your cape will rest.
Figure out where you want the lower edge of the cape to
fall. Add 4 inches to that measurement. This will be the
radius of the circle you’re going to cut.
My
total is 20 inches, for a cape that ends just above my
elbows. That means I’ll be cutting out a circle that's
40 inches across - which works out nicely, since the
swirly printed fabric I got for the lining is only 44
inches wide. Keep the width of your fabric in mind - if
your desired circle is wider than the fabric, you might
have to modify these instructions by cutting out two
half-circles. You're a smart cookie. You can do it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Take
your outer fabric and fold it in half, so the selvedges
are together. Fold it in half again, the other way, to
bring the raw edges together. You should have four
layers.
|
|
|
Time to
break out your gigantic compass. What, you don’t have a
gigantic compass? No problem.
Take
the end of your tape measure in one hand, and hold it in
place at the corner of the fabric where the folds meet.
In the other hand, take your dressmaker’s pencil or
air-erase pen, and hold it together with the tape
measure at the measurement you figured out earlier (in
my case, 20 inches). Swing the pencil end around to draw
a quarter-circle on the fabric.
Yes, my dressmaker’s pencil is actually a regular old
colored pencil. Eh. It won’t show.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Do the
same thing, holding the pencil at 4 inches, to draw the
neck hole. If you’re making this cape for a young’un,
you might want to make this measurement smaller. If
you’re making this cape for an elephant ... I want to
meet you.
|
|
|
Now, if
you want a nice dramatic circle cloak, go ahead and skip
this step. But I want mine to be a little less than a
full circle. I like capes with a wingspan of about 120 degrees
(aka 1/3 of the pie). So I used a yardstick to mark a
nice straight line from the center to the edge of the
circle, to slice a little off of what will be the
shoulders of my cape.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cut out
along the curves and the straight line. This will give
you your cape front and back.
Do the
same thing with your other fabric to make identical
lining pieces. This is what you’ll have when you’re all
done.
|
|
|
Fold
one of your outer fabric pieces in half, matching the
straight edges. Cut right down the middle. These are the
two halves of your cape front.
Do the
same thing with one of the lining fabric pieces.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Time to
embroider. Figure out where you want your design. Mine’s
on the left chest of my cape, but a big design across
the back would be awesome too. Cut a piece of medium
weight cutaway stabilizer a bit bigger than your hoop,
and stick it on the back of the fabric on the area to be
embroidered. Hoop ‘er up and embroider the design.
|
|
|
Here’s my cape
piece all stitched out.
This
bird skull is the perfect design for it, yes? Thanks, Niamh!
|
|
 |
 |
|
Lay the
two cape front pieces right sides together with the cape
back piece, matching shoulder edges. Pin, stitch, and
press open the shoulder seams.
And
then, you guessed it ... do the same thing with the
lining pieces.
|
|
|
Clear some
floor space and put on your perfectionist hat.
Lay out the
outer fabric and the lining fabric, right sides together. Match
them up and pin - first at the seams, then at inner curve, then
at the outer curve. If the outer curve doesn’t match up exactly,
grab your scissors and trim it until it does. Pin the straight
side edges, too.
|
|
 |
 |
|
Sew all
the way around the perimeter of this shape, leaving a
gap in one of the straight side edges for turning.
|
|
|
After this seam
is stitched, clip across all four corners as shown.
On the lower
edge of the cape, cut little notches in the curve all the way
around. When this seam gets flipped to the inside it will get
scrunched into less space than it has now, so taking out a
little of the bulk will help it lie flat.
|
|
 |
 |
|
On the
neck edge of the cape, snip into the seam allowance as
shown. This seam will cover more space when the cape is
flipped, so the snips allow it to expand.
Be
careful not to cut the stitching when you’re doing all
this snipping, or it’s back to the sewing step for you.
|
|
|
Turn the whole
thing inside out through the gap in the straight edge. Make sure
to poke out the corners nice and neat.
Pin all the way
around the edges, manipulating the fabric so the seam is nice
and flat on the very edge of the cape. Depending on your fabric,
you may find an iron helps with this; I did better without. But
do make sure to press the seam allowance under at the gap so it
looks like it matches the rest of the edge.
|
|
 |
 |
|
Sew
close to the edge, all the way around the shape. This
keeps the edge nice and crisp, and has the handy side
effect of closing up the gap.
|
|
|
Grab your
ribbon, strap, or whatever you’re using as a neck tie. To finish
off the ends, fold under each end 1/4 inch, then 1/4 inch again.
Sew in place.
|
|
 |
 |
|
Pin the
neck tie to the top edge of the cape along the outer
fabric, matching centers. Stitch in place.
|
|
|
Ta daaaa! Your
cape is done. Wear it as a stylish alternative to a fall jacket,
or make it part of a costume. Or both. That’s a good option.
|
|
 |
 |
|
Vary
the length from short like this one to sweeping the
floor. Make it a full circle if you want yet more fabric
billowing around you. Add a drapey collar, cut from
another circle like the cape, or a straight stand-up
collar for that Dracula-chic look, or even a hood. Try
making it out of fleece for a casual winter wrap, or
satin for a special event. Embroider a design on the
front like I did, splash a big one across the back, or
repeat a border along the bottom edge. Choices, choices.
|
|
|
And the best
part? The awesome winged silhouette! Come to think of it, this
might be how I put together my raven outfit for Halloween...
|
|
 |
|
Capes definitely are not just
for costumes. Sewable has a free pattern for a
Cape Dracula
that’s perfect for chic everyday wear. Grosgrain on Burdastyle
has a
kiddie storybook cape
that’s much too adorable to keep for the dress-up box. The
Little Red Hen shows how to make fabulously flowy
hooded play capes
for kids. And though it’s not a tutorial, and not technically a
cape, I can’t not share this one ... an awesome
volcano poncho
for a girl who thinks waaayy outside the box. So many
possibilities – can’t wait to see your creations!
|
|
Suggested designs for this tutorial:
|
|
|
|