Na na na na na na na na Bat Cape!

[crafty_packrat]

holli 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...

Comments

[st_aurafina]

I love the Misfit cape! It's perfect!

[nugatorytm]

Reminds me of the days when I had to do sewing duty to costume build for the kids the past couple of years. My son as Jecht (FFX) was the hit of Anime Expo. He loves it when the girls squee over him, you see...

Great job on the cape, I'll remember this if I ever have to make one.

[crafty_packrat]

It was really easy too!

I kind of want to make one out of better materials, though. I need to check if there's a market for half-circle cloaks on Etsy...

[crafty_packrat]

I'm not up to making really complicate pieces yet, but I think I work best with someone to talk to -- that's really what made the work fly by.

cutting

[texasgrandma]

do you have a cutting board?

Re: cutting

[crafty_packrat]

I still have the old cardboard one, but we hardly needed it. It was only a semi-circle that we laid out on my dinner table.

[sanj]

Ooooh! It works, yay! You and holli made a good team, and that's very cute!

We totally have to try something else...

[crafty_packrat]

Like a Sanuk Jacket... or maybe another cloak. Do you think ellen_fremedon could work the Little Red Riding Hood look?

[laughingrat]

That's great! Cool process pics/description, too.

[crafty_packrat]

Thanks. It was fun, and I'm trying use this journal to keep track of all my crafty doings.

I really need to do more sewing.

[laughingrat]

Sewing is pretty intimidating to me--I actually know most of the theory, but my skillz, not so much. That's a process that really drives me up the wall!

[crafty_packrat]

I've had to teach myself what I know about sewing.

My mom's really talented, but she teaches in a way that in pretty much incompatible with how I learn hand/eye skills.

Believe it or not, the first major project I did was make a stuffed dragon for my niece back in 2000. And I've only done a few things since then. I know *how* to sew, but it's hard for me to get the concentration together for a sustained project -- I do much better with a partner like holli around.