How to Make a Basic Cape/

Materials: ● Tailor’s ruler or yarn for measuring ● Fabric (you will need, roughly, twice as much fabric as you are tall) ● Matching thread ● Pins ● Sewing machine ● A fastener to keep the cloak closed (ie: a broach, a pin, a clasp)

Step 1) Place the start of your tailor’s ruler (or a length of yarn) at the nape of your neck, ​ roughly where your starts. Determine how long you want your cape to be and make note of the measurement. Measure it again to be certain.

Add 6 inches to your measurement. This will accomodate for the neck hole and the seam allowance. This new number will be known as H. ​

Step 2) Measure the width of your fabric. Most fabric is either 45 inches or 60 inches wide. ​ The width of your fabric will be known as W.

If W > H, continue onto the next step. This means that you will not need to piece together any ​ ​ of the fabric to create a complete half circle.

If W < H, view the diagram on the next page. This means that you will need to piece together ​ ​ any of the fabric to create a complete half circle. If you were to cut out your cloak pattern now, without altering the fabric, it would look like this:

You will need to use some extra fabric to piece together enough fabric so you can cut out a half-circle with a radius of H. Below are some suggested ways to piece together the fabric to ensure that the cape is long enough.

Step 3) Take you fabric and fold it in half so the wrong side of the fabric is visible. You should ​ now have a single piece of fabric, doubled over, that is roughly your height.

Step 4) Randomly pin the fabric together. This serves the purpose of making sure that the ​ fabric and the bottom fabric are lined up and do not when you are cutting out your pattern. If the fabric slips when you are cutting it out, the edge of your cloak will be uneven.

Step 5) On the side of the fabric with the fold on it, pick one corner to use. This is going to be ​ your neckhole. Pin your tailor’s ruler, or yarn, to the corner. Stretch the tailor’s ruler out and, using a pencil or piece of chalk, mark the fabric with the measurement H. Mark the fabric every few inches until you have marked the entire quarter circle.

Step 6) Connect the dots in a smooth arc. ​

Step 7) One at a time, remove the pins from fabric and repin the fabric roughly one inch from ​ the curved line you drew in steps 5 and 6.

Step 8) Using fabric scissors, cut out your pattern. Unpin the fabric. You should now have a ​ very large half circle.

Step 9) On the straight edge of the half circle, find the middle. Cut out a small half-oval for the ​ neck hole. Try the cape on. If the neck hole is too small, cut out a slightly larger oval. Increase the size of the oval in small increments until you are satisfied with your neck hole.

Step 10) On a piece of drafting paper draw a rectangle that is 16 inches by 18 inches large. ​ This rectangle is the template for your . The sides of the rectangle that are 18 inches tall represent the front and back of the hood. The sides of the rectangle that are 16 inches represent the top and bottom of the hood.

Step 11) Alter the hood template as you see fit to create a desired effect. For instance, the ​ back corner of the rectangle can be smoothed down to create a more fitted hood. Alternatively, the back corner could be elongated to create a dramatic peak. The front corner can be extended to provide a more substantial “brim” to the hood.

Step 12) Using the same techniques in steps 3 through 8, cut out the two sides of your hood. ​

Step 13) Pin the two piece of the hood together. Make sure that the wrong sides of the fabric ​ are visible. Stitch along the seam that will be at the back of the head. If desired, sew bias tape over the raw edges of the fabric.

Step 14) Pin the base of the hood to the neckline of your cape. Depending on the size of both ​ the neckline of the cape and the base of the hood, you may need to gather the fabric or add small pleats to the fabric.

Step 15) Sew the hood to the rest of the cape. If desired, sew bias tape over the raw edges of ​ the fabric.

Step 16) Fold under the edge of your cloak twice and pin to create a hem. Continue for the ​ entire cape, including the hood.

Step 17) Hem the cape. ​

Step 18) Attach a fastener of choice to your cloak at the neck line to close the cape. ​