I made a cape! I’m not sure if I’ve ever had a cape before, so this is a little out of my comfort zone for modern daywear, but it’s a lot like wearing a big blanket and I appreciate that part. And I love the 1960’s vibe of it. Best of all, everything came from my stash except for the buttons and thread! (and I got a good deal on the buttons!)

I used a modern Vogue pattern, V9288, and made it up as-is without any fit adjustments. I did change some of the construction, though, which probably takes this garment out of the “Very Easy” category. 😂 (I pretty much always manage to make every project more difficult than necessary.) I made the view A length version, but included a belt like in B/C.

My fabric is a lightweight wool check, which was just dreamy to work with. Living in SoCal I don’t get the opportunity to sew with wool nearly as often as I’d like! The fabric drapes beautifully, but is very thin, so I added a rayon satin lining to help keep the wind out. I wanted the pockets (of course!) but I wanted them to blend in as much as possible, so I hand slipstitched them in place instead of topstitching. Oh! And I added lining to the pockets too, to help avoid them stretching out over time.

Initially I made machine-stitched buttonholes, but I didn’t like how they turned out, so I did hand-stitched buttonholes on over the machine work (which actually provided a nice base for the handwork). Pro-tip – always start at the bottom of the garment for work like this, so that your messier first attempts aren’t at eye-level!

As mentioned above, I added a rayon satin lining. I also decided to add an interior belt loop to the CB of the cape, because it’s not attached any other way and I don’t want to risk losing it.

The rayon lining is a tight weave and is stable, but the wool can easily stretch, so I added a stabilizer to the shoulder/sideseam of the wool to help support it.

And finally, a close up shot of the vintage carved belt buckle. It’s been sitting in my stash for years, just waiting for it’s chance to shine!

Do you wear capes? Do you have any tips on how to wear them without feeling terribly awkward? 😂