Signless Cloak Tutorial
There are several ways to make a cloak, but a lot of your final result comes down to two things: 1) what shape you choose, and 2) what fabric you use. My Signless cloak was made out of wool, but if you can’t use that I highly recommend using another type of weighty knit fabric such as imitation wool or heavy blend suiting. Basically try to stay away from lightweight fabric like cotton since it won’t drape properly. I used a basic full circle cloak pattern, but the other shapes you may see are:
- Half circle: Think of a half-circle shape with another half-hole for your neck. These and full circle cloaks are the kinds of capes you see most often at renfaires or in fantasy productions.
- Full circle: A half circle cloak, doubled, and thus twice as drapey. Because the circumference on the bottom is so much bigger than the top, this makes a very full, very draped cloak.
- Rectangle or fitted: A cloak made from long rectangles of fabric; not draped and usually very fitted around the shoulders.
A full circle will obviously give you the fullest cloak possible but will also require an insane amount of fabric. My floor-length cloak required nearly 8.5 yards of fabric to complete. If this is too heavy or too much, you’re better off going with a half circle or shortening the length to the hips.
To pattern out the circle cloak, you’ll work on one half of the cloak at a time, combining the halves when you’re done to create a seam up the back. First draw a small half-circle on the edge of your fabric: this will become half of your neckhole. You can make this as big or small as your want by loosely measuring around your collar area and adding an inch on each side for the seam: just remember that this will be half of your total neckhole measurement since we are only working on one half of the cloak at a time. So if you want a 24 inch neckhole, (24 + 2) / 2 = 13 inch circumference for your half circle.
Next, measure from the edge of your neck, over the shoulder, and to wherever you want your cloak to end. Add an inch for your hem, and you now have the radius of your cloak. Lay your ruler down straight out from the edge of your neckhole and mark the length of that radius you just measured. Move the ruler and continue to do this along the whole length of the neckhole until you end up with a big half-circle surrounding your small half-circle. Cut this out and repeat the process for the second half of your cloak. Sew the two half-circles together up one side, and you now have an unhemmed, hoodless cloak! Before you hem, be sure to 1) topstich around the neckhole so that the fabric doesn’t stretch, and 2) let your cloak hang for at least 1-2 days. 8 yards of fabric is heavy, and depending on your fabric the sheer weight may stretch your fabric out some. Afterward, try your cloak on again, trim the bottom to make it even, and then hem the bottom and sides. Add your hood, and you’re ready to embellish!
