No pattern used Cape Black Cashmere

11/21/05 7:01 AM
Last Updated:	2/8/05 8:39 PM
Pattern Size:	Regular
Project Photo:
Pattern Rating:	Easy to sew
For years I have worn a cape made of black fleece. It has been so useful....I fling it over everything it seems. Incredibly cheap to start with and after much use it is somewhat grungy looking. And yet I still wear it. Last fall I encountered a gorgeous black cashmere cape that was very similar and thought to myself....I should upgrade to this and trash the grungy fleece thing. I wanted it but it was almost $400! So I didn't buy it. Fast forward a few months when FabricMartFabrics had 100% cashmere, blazer weight, at $30/yard....I was ready. I ordered 2 yards and created this. I got out my cape pattern McCall's 8467 which is OOP but identical to the current 3448. However I never did take the tissue out of the envelope. This is so easy to sew you don't need the pattern. I used the entire piece of fabric which was 60 inches wide. You could do this with narrower fabric also, it just would be shorter on the arms. I didn't like the selvedge so I over-edged it with my serger using an almost satin stitch. Then I slashed the center from the cut edge halfway up the length. I edge stitched this also curving around the inner point (which is the neckline). That was the only tricky part as it can be difficult to get the serger to stitch tight up against the turn. Then I fringed the ends by first stitching across at 3 1/2" up the the edge and then cutting 1/4" strips. I started doing this with scissors but found it to be much quicker and more accurate with a rotary cutter. I wanted bold looking fringe so I did this instead of pulling the threads to create fringe. The fabric didn't seem to be inclined to ravel much so this worked out well. I am very pleased with my $60 version of the $400 cape. Not exactly the same but pretty close. The cashmere feels very luxurious.....definitely a step up from fleece! Here is the back.