Sewing Pattern Dilemmas

[sepheri]

I am intending to make myself a cloak out of some beautiful orange-red shot two-tone taffeta. I have had a lovely pattern knocking around for ages which I have never actually used (not to completion anyway) and I have found the fabric I am looking for online but I cannot seem to currently locate the bloody pattern. I know it is in my sewing room

Comments

[kashinthegreen]

I am fairly certain I know the one you are talking about, you need 3m if I am right. Actually you are ickle, you could probably get away with 2 1/2 :P
I am guessing it is this one: http://www.bobbinsandbroomsticks.com/Tom32.jpg
not this one: http://www.bobbinsandbroomsticks.com/fullcloak1.jpg
Oh actually it might be, I just looked at the latter pattern and missed the red velvet version on the front http://www.simplicity.com/assets/5794/5794.jpg
For that you will need 5 1/2-6 metres

[sepheri]

The one I am thinking of is 8 pieces, a central back seam and two side pieces on each side creating a shoulder shape. I don't recognise that Simplicity pattern but it may well be the same one but with a different picture. Every pattern I look at needs about 3 metres, I have no idea how I got it in mye head that it was a lot more than that, might have been because I was looking at more expensive fabrics last time I thought of making it.

[kashinthegreen]

Nah, that one is four panels i think, it's just like the less full one, but er, fuller! The panels flare a lot more. A basic cloak will use about 3, however a circle cloak will easily use twice that, from your description I would think that one probably will.
You might want to try a search here http://www.sewingpatterns.com/ as you can pull up lots of patterns from different makes. If you search on "cape" a load come up, but it's no use me checking because I don't know what I am looking for ;)

[sepheri]

That is one very handy website. But I still didn't find the one I am thinking of. I will have to bite the bullet and go find it in the sewing room.

Though, now I am not sure I actually want to make an 8 piece cloak, a 4 piece would be a lot less sewing. Do you have online instructions for a 4 piece with hood that is any good?

[kashinthegreen]

No, but I have a pattern you are welcome to borrow.
The less flared cloak I tend to cut by eye (I've done enough of them now) and my pattern for it is absolutely shagged, but I have a pretty decent pattern for the circle cloak. If you email me your address I can send it to you.

[sepheri]

Thank you, I will see if I can find mine today since the fabric supplier hasn't gotten back to me yet anyway. Annoying people.