A Half-Round Cloak for Beginners
Brahm Lyndonset
Pirates of the Lost Cause
Let’s face it; it can get cold and wet at camping events. Without dampness and chill, events would be like pumpkin pie without the whipped cream. I have been approached a few times by people asking for help on how to make a simple half-round cloak. So, to continue my series on garb that requires little time and even less skill, let’s make a cloak.
The first thing you will want to do is collect the materials necessary to construct your new piece of garb. I suggest the following:
-Fabric: In this article, I will show you how to make a lined cloak, so you will need two both exterior and lining material. The secret to an easy cloak lies in the width of the fabric bolt. Find a nice thick wool of your favorite color at a 60” minimum bolt width and buy 4 yards of it. For the lining, it’s up to you. As a beginning tailor, you may want to stick with a medium-weight cotton or linen if you wish to be period. Again, 4 yards of a 60” minimum bolt width is required.
-String: Select a piece of string that does not stretch when you pull on both ends. Make sure it is at least 60” long. You may want to bring a friend along to hold the string down for you.
-Scissors, chalk, thread, sewing machine, pins, etc.
-Clasp: A clasp could be a broach pin, a small length of chain, two hooks, or fabric “frogs” that you can find in the notions department at your local fabric store.
Let’s start by laying out the fabric. Fold the fabric in half, lengthwise. Now, measure the piece of string to 60” in length, and tie the chalk to one end. Having a friend hold down the other end of the string at the top of the fold, trace a quarter circle around the fabric as shown below. The string actually works as a compass for creating a perfect quarter circle:
You now need to trace the neck line. Shorten the string to just a few inches, and trace another quarter circle at the top of the fold. You should start with a small neckline, as you can always increase its size at a later time. While holding the fabric down and preventing it from shifting, cut along the chalk lines. If you are afraid the fabric may shift, try pinning it together before cutting. Unfold and try to fit it over your neck. If the two corners touch just below your collarbone, your neck hole is big enough. If not, lay the fabric back down as you had it before, and widen the neck using the same technique I prescribed above. Trace out and cut the liner the exact same way you made the outer cloak.
Sewing a lined cloak requires 3 steps; sewing it inside out, inverting the fabric, and topstitching the outside. If you are making a single layer cloak, all you need to do is hem the raw edges, sew on the clasp, and you’re done. As this article is for the lined cloak, let’s continue. First, you want to line up the two cut pieces of fabric, with the good sides facing each other. It would be advisable to pin the pieces together, so they do not shift while you are sewing. Sew along the dotted lines as shown in the figure below:
Notice that there is a section that you will not sew along the bottom of the curve. This is intentional; you will need the open seam to turn the cloak right-side out:
after sewing the seams, it is time to invert the cloak. Stick your hand in the gap that you left behind, and pull it right-side out. Make sure that the peaks around the neck are completely turned out. You may want to use the back of a pencil to ensure that they have been inverted. At this point, you will have a rather “poofy” cloak. To bring the liner and outer layers closer together for a more finished look, you will topstitch the seam. To topstitch, pull the seam out, preventing it from puckering under, and pin it. Here are both good and bad examples of topstitch preparation:
Sew the topstitch over the seams, around the entire length of the cloak. When you get to the area that does not have a seam, simply fold a little bit of each side of the fabric in, and topstitch over it. If you have a fastener other than a cloak pin, hand sew each side of it to the corners that join the neck together. That’s it! You have a nice warm cloak for events.