Na na na na na na na na Bat Cape!
May. 24th, 2009 08:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
crafty_packratholli came over this morning, and we made her a short half-circle cape for her costume as Misfit of the Birds of Prey. At first, I looked at Instructables, and while they do have a superhero cape instructable, it's not right for Misfit. Instead, we used the directions from The Medieval Tailor's Assistant for a half-circle cloak, and just made it short -- partly because the fabric was only 45 inches wide, and not much yardage...
First, we pressed the fabric. We didn't wash it, which is generally something you do first, but a) it's a quick costume peice, b) it's probably going to be worn only a handful of times and c) Misfit's cape should look visibly homemade.
Then we laid the two fabrics together and pinned them so that we cut both at the same time. We laid them so that we would turn them inside out after we sewed them together -- this is called 'bagging' and is useful when you are putting a lining into a garment.
Then we marked the neck -- 15 cm along one selvedge -- and used that mark to measure radially around the fabric to mark the edge of the cape.
After marking, we pinned and cut the fabric.
holli sewed the hems using sanj's sewing machine. It is a heavy, nigh-indestructible Singer from the 1960's 
Then I pressed the fabric . Seriously, you spend more time with your iron than at the sewing machine when you're sewing anything.
holli cut notches around the curved hem, and then turned the cape inside out through the neck, which she hadn't sewn shut. Cutting notchess gives the edges a better finish because it reduces bulk.
I pressed the cape again and
holli added some topstitching around the edge -- yellow thread on the dark fabric, and dark thread on the yellow fabric. She didn't finish the neck, but she wants to try making a stand collar for it which she can do at home.
It's a perfectly serviceable cape for Misfit! Very cute!
I kind of want to do another easy project. Maybe another cape, or a Sanuk Jacket from Mekong River Textiles...
We totally have to try something else...
Date: 2009-05-26 02:25 am (UTC)