Monday, November 11, 2013

Hooded Woodland cape in cashmere!

Cashmere, guys!  This super soft and lovely plaid cashmere was one of my many finds at the wool sale from last week.  At $35/ yard, it wasn't a steal, but I certainly couldn't leave it there, especially since I had purchased the Woodland Cape pattern by Liesl & Co a while back and hadn't found the right fabric for the job.  A little Sherlock Holmes, "Where's my magnifying glass",  no? :)
This pattern is super simple--just three pattern pieces--so my plan was to whip it up between some bigger projects I have in the works.  However, I couldn't shake the idea of adding a hood, so with some drafting help from this tutorial and a couple of trial runs, I finally made something hood-like.  I don't love it, but that's okay.  It is just a hood, after all!  I used a self-facing for inside edge of the hood so it the blazing red lining wouldn't show quite so much from the front.


The lining is an orangey-red matte silk.   Cashmere and silk makes quite the high-end cape, no?  The non-slippery texture works well, since I don't want the cape shifting all over the place.  
Not wanting to break the bank on buttons again, I got these from Joann's.  The tag says "genuine leather", so we'll go with that.  The next smaller size secures the side flaps.
The cape is surprisingly lightweight and warm, perfect for this time of year in Northern California, and the colorway is just so Fall!
I have to say, it took a bit of nerve to wear it out of the house.  It's definitely a statement garment (well, maybe just for my quiet wardrobe!).   For those interested in the pattern, get yourself some awesome fabric and make it.  Its fun and easy.  However, the garment has some issues, so I'll give you fair warning:  there's no pockets and you can't sling a bag onto your shoulder. Really.  Makes it fairly impractical, but hey, not all fashion multitasks with cargo pockets. 







12 comments:

  1. I love the fabric and buttons you chose! And who doesn't love Sherlock Holmes? I'm still on the hunt for the perfect fabric to make this pattern...

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  2. This is fabulous- an autumn wardrobe wonder :D A mix of Sherlock Holmes and Red Riding Hood which doubles the awesome!

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  3. You look fabulous!!! Get yourself an overarm bag then you can prance around pretending to be a celebrity with your forearm bag :D

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    1. You and I should go out in our capes and go on a hunt for some overarm bags :) With magnifying glasses!

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  4. I'm curious to know, what size did you make and how much of the main fabric did you use (not including the hood).
    Was $35/yd the sale price!?!

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    1. Goodness, I forgot to mention the size! I went with a Small, instead of my usual XS. I felt like the hip measurement was on the narrower side, and I didn't want a cape to feel tight :) I used about 1 yard of the main fabric and that's with a tiny bit of plaid matching. Yes, $35 on sale--definitely more expensive than I'd like, but... :)

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  5. I love the coat and the hood looks so good.

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  6. Great job! I love your Sherlock Holmes-esq fabric. I have the pattern and fabric ready to go. I really should get on with it or it'll be too cold for cape wearing.

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  7. You forgot to mention it has really poor aerodynamic qualities on the bike! Definitely not wind tunnel tested!
    Yours is gorgeous. I love the hood you added as it gives the neckline that little bit extra it needs. Superb sewing!

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    1. Ha! I haven't even tried it on my bike! I'd probably look like the Wicked Witch of the West. The hood is okay...the cape is very light weight, and the hood kind of pulls it backwards. May have to unpick and replace with a collar--the neckline definitely needs something!

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  8. Love this! I wanted to add a hood to my daughter's forest path cape and this was really helpful.

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