Chicken Little Sews

The Great Cape Copy

Have you ever seen a garment and knew immediately you wanted one like it? I saw our niece wearing a grey wool cape a while ago and was struck with how great it looked. It fit her really well. It was not loose and baggy, but looked fitted as though it was made especially for her. She offered to loan it to me to use to make a pattern. I decided to give it a try. I know people frequently use a garment to make a pattern, but I have never tried it.

I knew I could not simply trace the cape and add seam allowances. After all, I am not the same size as the owner of the cape! My cape would need to be much larger. I hoped I could accomplish that and yet keep the well-fitted look of the original cape. I just guessed at how much larger to make the cape. I added several inches to it and added the seam allowances. I used muslin to make a mock-up to test the general fit of the cape. I basted a zipper down the front so I could test the fit. My first attempt appeared to be successful.

Next, I took a good look at the original cape to try to figure out how to duplicate some of the special features of the cape. It was made by Guess. The first feature I examined was the epaulets on the shoulders. I think the reason the cape has that “fitted” look is because the epaulets identify the shoulder areas. The close to the body fitting of the cape is partially achieved with elastic insets at the waist in the front and back. It draws the cape in just enough to give it a fitted silhouette. The cape is held together under the arms by attaching tabs with snaps to the back and the fronts where the elastic ends at the sides. It has vertical welt pockets with one wide welt. The cape also has a collar stand and a collar. I decided to incorporate most of these features in my cape.

I decided not to incorporate the hidden zipper on the front. It is covered with a facing that snaps down over the zipper. I decided against this feature and used an exposed zipper instead. My reasoning was simple. The exposed zipper would be easier and less time consuming. Also, if I had used the snaps, they would need to be installed into part of the zipper facing and I don’t have the equipment to make an installation like that look professional. I could have made the facing that covers the zipper wider and avoided the zipper facing, but I chose to just avoid the facing altogether. I also decided not to add the epaulets. I thought the epaulets might draw attention to my sloping shoulders and the cut of the cape provides some shaping at the shoulders.

It took longer than I anticipated to make the cape. After copying the basic shape of the cape, I had to draft a collar and a stand. I turned to Helen Joseph Armstrong’s book, Patternmaking for Fashion Design to learn how to draft both of these items. She also had instructions for drafting the two pieces as one. I went for that option. It was quicker to sew one piece than two. It was also important to make decisions as to the logical order to sew each part of the cape. The order made a big difference. For example, after I sewed the zipper in the front of the cape, I discovered I needed to insert the front facings at the same time I inserted the zipper. So, I had to rip out the zipper and start over.

I realized I would have to insert the elastic casings on the fronts and the back after I added the lining. I struggled with how to do this. I sewed the lining down the front openings and around the outside of the cape. I left openings on both fronts and the sides of the cape to insert elastic. It was not easy, but I got it done only to be extremely disappointed with the outcome. The look was not flattering on my body and, even worse, the elastic was angled downward close to the arms. I ripped the elastic out several times and resewed it. Each time it looked a little better, but in the end, I did not like the look. So, I ripped all the elastic out and decided to finish the cape without that detail!

After sewing the lining around the neckline facing, my cape was finally done. Upon examining my cape, there are two things I wish I had done differently. I wish I had made the welts on the pockets out of a solid black fabric because they blend into the coat and are not seen. Also, I wish I had put the pockets a little higher up on the cape. They are just a little low when I insert my hands. Lessons learned!

I am still pleased with the cape. It is something I will wear in the Spring and Fall. I believe this was a good sewing project for me. It gave me the experience of trying to copy a garment to a different size and trying to decide in which order to sew each piece. I think if I really want to try to insert the elastic again, I could test it by basting the casings to the lining, insert the elastic and then decide if I like it or not. If I don’t, it will be easy to remove.

Below are pictures of the completed cape and pictures of the original Guess cape.