The Cloak Saga

Yesterday I sat down at the sewing table and opened my new cloak pattern. I was excited to have another one to try since I had not been happy with how the green short cloak was looking. I began reading the directions, and stopped short.

Hand sewing?! Surely not. I did not have the time to do that nor do I have the hands for it due to arthritis. Besides, if sewing the cloak on my sewing machine would be too heavy for the machine, what would the weight of it do to my hands?

And "don't panic"? Too late for that. It looked like I would not have any cloaks to sell at the Feast, which is a shame because preliminary weather reports are calling for temperatures down in the 30s that weekend.

What to do... What to do...

The green short cloak was still hanging where I'd left it a week ago and I decided to take another look at it. Maybe it was still salvageable. Turned out that it was.

After a little trimming in a few areas and the addition of silk ribbon ties, the green short cloak was finished. It was not a loss! And I was really happy with how it had turned out, too.

So happy that I decided I would go ahead and finish the blue short cloak I'd also cut out. It is a knee length cloak as opposed to a hip length like the green one, 

plus it has a hood instead of a double collar,

The hood is silk-lined. 

It's 100% silk, not a blend or an imitation silk. It's the real deal. I love to just smooth my hands over it as it has such a beautiful feel. Hard to describe; if you've ever had something in your hands made of pure silk, you will know what I mean.

Last year I made two silk-lined hooded short cloaks using the same pattern.

Both were hip length, and both sold quickly.

This is the same wool as the one I am currently making.

I also made a silk-lined hooded hip length cloak, and it sold quickly, too. 

I hope to finish the blue cloak today, and then I have two pockets cut out to finish. I will probably call the Feast sewing good after that. 

Stay 'tooned!