How To Make An Easy Cloak!

Well, I posted this on the Mordavia Forum, and some people found it useful, so I thought that the Diatribers would probably use it, too… and everyone needs at least one cloak!

Okay, anyone without sewing skills and/or a sewing machine, run away now! :smiley:

These are the instructions for one hooded cloak.

Materials:

One 250cm x 150cm rectangular tablecloth
Two 40cm x 40cm square serviettes
One frog fastener (you know, the ones on Chinese clothes)
About 1m leather cord
Needle and thread (or sewing machine, if you’re a wuss! :laughing:)

The tablecloth and serviettes need to be of the same cloth: preferably heavy polycotton or somesuch. You know, looks cloak-like: choose what you like, it’s your cloak!

Cloak:

Measure around the back of your neck for the collar measurement. It only needs to be the back, mind: this is where the back of the cloak will sit.

Fold the long side of the tablecloth in half. Mark the halfway point.

Place the collar measurement so that it’s half on each side of the tablecloth fold. Mark it.

Take 10cm of material, and pleat it under the collar section. Pin it.

Measure 2.5cm out, take another 10cm of material, and pleat it under. Pin again.

Repeat for other half of tablecloth. Make sure the pleated material is firmly pinned in place.

Now, hold the cloak up around your shoulders, with the collar section around the back of your neck. You should have two pleats sitting on each shoulder.

Bring the extra (unpleated) material around to the front. Pin it so it sits evenly under your chin. Mark this point (throat mark) on each side of the extra material.

Take the cloak off. Now, measure the distance from the last pleat to the throat mark. Note this measurement.

Now, take the extra material. Measure 2.5cm out from the last pleat, take 5cm of material, and pleat it under. Pin it.

Repeat this pleating until the distance from the last 10cm pleat to the end of the material is approximate to the distance from the last pleat to the throat mark. If you need a smaller pleat to make the distance more exact, pleat under only 2.5cm of material, instead of 5cm. Make sure the pleated material is firmly pinned in place.

Now that you’re sure about the pleats (and feel free to alter the measurements to fit you), take up your needle and thread, and sew the pleats into place.

Hood:

Sew the two serviettes together. Do this by lining the two squares up side-by-side, overlapping them, and sewing along the overlap. This gives a nice flat seam.

Along one of the long sides, fold over 2cm of material. Sew along. This gives a long tube along one side of the material, for the cord to go in later.

Fold the two serviettes together along the first (overlap) seam. They should now be inside out. Sew along other long side, so that the hood is formed.

Attaching The Hood To The Cloak, Completion

Match the open edge of the hood to the ends of the cloak. Pin along each side, until the centre is reached. You will have an extra bit of material sticking out.

Push the extra material down, so that the hood’s centreline matches the halfway point of the cloak. Two pleats will form, one to each side of the centrelines. Pin down.

Sew the hood into place, but make sure that the tube for the cord (on the hood) is not sewn shut.

Thread the cord through the tube, and make sure it can move freely.

Attach the fasteners to the cloak just at the edge of the material, so it will clasp across the throat.

Adjust the hem so it is at a comfortable length for you.

Congratulations! You have a new cloak!

Well, I can say that this method is tried-and-true… I’ve made myself a very pretty-looking blue cloak. Please note: a heavy material is a good idea. My cloak is a little too light, and tends to billow in the most inopportune places!

But really, this is a very, very easy way to make a cloak: it took me about 3-4 hours, and that was because I was hand-stitching! It’s also cheap: This cloak cost me $14.50, with a Warehouse tablecloth and serviettes, and the fastenings and cord from an emporium.

I also have made diagrams to go with the instructions, for anyone who was confused by the large number of pleats required… Reply to this or PM me if you want me to send them to you.

thats not easy, thats like a million pages long

a easy cloak is:

go to your bed. pull a sheet off. go to the washing line and get a peg. peg it at the neck. and go fight people with foam swords.

easy. peasey.

thanks for that great tutorial!
a table cloth!..who would’ve thought^^ just genious.

hmm…pegging a bed sheet to the neck sounds good too…you’d even get bonus peg marks & skin stretching! how authentic~

[quote=“penelope_pittstop”]thats not easy, thats like a million pages long

a easy cloak is:

go to your bed. pull a sheet off. go to the washing line and get a peg. peg it at the neck. and go fight people with foam swords. [/quote]
:laughing: True, it’s a bit long, but hey… it looks good in the end!

And as for the pegged-sheet cloak? Tried it, and it kinda looks odd… but then, I’m fussy with costume… :unamused: