Look, I did sew something!

 The good thing about being multicraftual, is that when you get stuck with one, you can still occupy your hands with something else. 

At the beginning of this year, I felt stuck with many things in my life, and sewing was one of them. 

I still got fabrics, and I still had plans, I even bought some patterns, but i just could not get myself to sit down and atually sew. 

(That is why I knitted more than in the last few years, because with knitting - I felt- at least I felt more or less confident I cannot mess it up, if it is ugly, it can always be frogged).

So I thought, I might start back again with something simple. 

A cape. 

Capes are wonderful. Capes are timeless. They make you feel almost instantly transported in time, they make you feel magical. I wish, we could wear capes every day. 

Yes, I already have one, an end-of-the-18th century, red cape (though I did wear it with earlier period clothes), but I always wanted something less bright. Whenever I wore my blue medieval dress, or my green renaissance dress, I felt, I need to borrow Norbert's green dress, so the bright red would not clash.

I had this petrol-ish blue wool fabric for years, I did bought it to make a cape, so I thought, it is high time I actually make it. 

Sewing it is actually not difficult, my fabric was 150 cm wide, I folded it, so I could cut a half circle out of it.

And then cut a (much) smaller half circle for the neck.

Have not photographed, but made two darts for the shoulder, cut the hood from the leftover, made a kind of collar, and added it.

I decorated the edges with a jacquard/brocade ribbon, and the bottom hem was finished with a bias tape.

Now, I love to finish arched hems with bias tapes, and I usually cut more than I use, but I always keep the leftovers.

One of these leftovers were used when I made the musical instrument-holder, and now I planned to use some black one I cut, when I made Norbert's cape...

Only I could not find it, among the others...

However, I found a piece of blue polca dot fabric (I used it to line the blue polka dot bustle dress), which I cut up, and finished the cape. 

Both the brocade ribbon and the bias tape was sewn on my hand, because machine sewing would have... I don't know the right expression, but machine sewing would make a continious line that is pressed into the ribbon and the fabric, while handstitches practically hide. 

I intentionally made this cape with its pointy hood more fairy-tale like, as I am planning to use it with medeival and renaissance clothes too.

Let me tell, you, I just LOVE it. It is so simple, and so magical. 

I feel I should start a movement, "lets make capes everyday outerwear again!"

Fabric: I Love Textile

Photos: Norbert Varga @Bodeszphoto