Capelet Sewalong : Part 6 : Cape Construction

We are almost there!!!  This post won't be as long as the last one, but you will recognise many of the things we did in the last post being done in this one.  First up we have one more tiny little chore to do.  We need to make some hair canvas pieces for the collar.  It will give the collar shape and help it stand up.

First step is to approximate pattern pieces from the cape pattern pieces.

You can see that I have drawn yellow lines on my pattern pieces.  This is where I'm approximating the base of the collar is, and where the hair canvas should finish.  Cut the hair canvas, and trim it down 5/8" on the sides where there will be seams, just like we did earlier.

Then we need to sew bias onto it like we did earlier.

(yes, that is different fabric.  I forgot to take a photo of my gaberdine cape when it was at this stage)

Now we can sew it to our cape pieces like we did with our bodice pieces.  Remember to keep your line of stitching in the seam allowance so it won't be visible in the finished garment.

Pin the cape fronts to the cape back along the side seams, and sew.

Then clip the corner where the collar turns into the shoulder and press the seams.

There is one more thing we need to do to the fashion fabric side of the cape - as suggested by Janet at Decades of Style.  The corner where the cape stops being sewn to the bodice and starts hanging free can have quite a bit of stress on it, so we need to reinforce it

Grab some iron on interfacing, and take out one of those tiny scraps that you were sure you would use at some point (hint: the time is now!) and cut two circles about 1.5" or so in diametre.  Then mark the clip line from the pattern onto the fabric.

Iron the interfacing circle on to the fabric so that the centre of the circle is over the end of the clip mark.  You will then need to remark the clip mark.

Ok, so thats the outside part of the cape together.  Lets do the lining.  Pin the fronts to the back just as you did before, sew the seams and clip the corner.  Then take the facing pieces you made for the cape and sew them together, like we did for the facing pieces for the bodice.

And, as we did for the bodice, sew your bias to the right side of the facing piece, at the top.

Then pin it on to the right side of the cape lining, at the hem.

And sew it to the cape lining, but make sure to do it within the seam allowance, so its not seen in the finished garment.  Then sew another line along the bias tape - but do it neatly, because this line of stitches WILL be seen in the finished garment.

Now we need to pin the lining piece to the outer cape piece.  Put them right sides together, and pin from the interfacing circle, down the side, across the bottom of the cape, and back up to the other interfacing circle.

Our line of stitching needs to start on the end of the clip line, and run around and finish on the end of the other clip line.  Make sure you pivot in the corners.

Clip the clip lines, curves and corners, then turn through so the right sides are out.  Press.

One more thing and the cape construction is finished!  Pin the lining to the cape the rest of the way around the edge.  We are going to sew around that edge to secure the lining to the exterior.  In all other cases when we have done this before, we have sewn within the seam allowance.  We aren't going to do that this time.

The front edges of the cape - from the clip line up to the point of the collar - will be sewn right on the seam line.  The remainder (around the collar) will be sewn within the seam allowance.

Right!  Thats it!!  The cape is made!!!  Guess what that means - the next post will be putting them both together and we will be finished!!!

Beccie
xxx