Welcome to the first part of my mammoth new challenge: sewing and hand tailoring a cape with not instructions! Before I started tackling this bad boy there a few changes that I needed to make to the basic pattern:
1. Lengthen the hem
The little cropped cape is very cute but not particularly practical for the notoriously cold English winter, so I want to lengthen the cape by 4 inches, so that it ends just below waist height. That should help keep me a bit warmer! This will be a pretty simple slash and spread job, no fancy techniques required here :)
2. Move the pockets and make them REAL
The pattern pieces included in this pattern are only enough for faux welt pockets, i.e. there is only one piece (the welt pocket piece) provided. Now I know that these pockets are pretty teeny tiny, but I want then to be real not fake, so I will need to draft my own pattern pieces for the pocket bag and pocket underlay. And I'll also have to relocate these now real pockets 4 inches further down to match the extended hem.
3. Draft facings
So, it makes no sense to me that a gorgeous little cape wouldn't have any facings at all, the creator of this pattern literally wanted pretty much raw edges inside this little number! I know, they must have been insane! It's madness I tell you! Anyway, to appease my rather OCD personality I'm going to draft my own facings for both the front and back pieces of this cape, giving it a much neater, prettier and more professional looking finish (I hope!) This will be pretty simple, I know Gertie did a how to about drafting facings in one of her sewalongs, and how can I go wrong with Gertie as my guide?
4. Add a Lining
Oh, and did I mention that facings alone aren't enough for me? I want to add a lining as well for good measure. Because I'm winging it and that means that I can add whatever I want to the pattern and I want a lining :) Plus it will make my OCDness even happier because all those naughty little raw edges will be hidden away inside said lining. Happy times.
On top of these basic changes I am also going to tackle bound buttonholes, a pad stitched collar and of course go to extreme lengths to match my plaid exactly. It's all very exciting! I'll be back tomorrow with more about the joys of matching plaid (seriously though, it's hard work!) and bound buttonholes.
Bye for now!
Katie xxx
5 comments:
What a beautiful blanket! I wanted to make my good friend a crochet blanket for Christmas and your pattern just sealed the deal!
Blimey! Looking at all this makes my beginners brain hurt, what an incredible challenge, very inspiring. Good luck!! Can't wait to see the finished project. Also LOVE the crochet blanket, definitely makes that sofa look much prettier! x
No other changes? Don't want to throw in more? :-)
Just teasing this, sounds awesome!
I assume you're going to add one or two more buttons to the front since it's being lengthened?
I can't wait to see it finished!!
Wow, you are certainly challenging yourself with this one, but you can so pull it off! The cape is going to look delicious!!!
I just needed to add that I too have been jonsing for a "chug" part pug...so there is the complete triangle ...ripple,cape,pug.
Post a Comment