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"alternatively sourced" cloak fabric

Started by tigerlilly, August 18, 2008, 08:31:48 PM

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tigerlilly

Has anyone here ever made a cloak from wool army blankets?  How'd it turn out? 

Does it dye well?  Recycling the blankets may be "green", but I don't wanna be olive drab green.  ;)


Mythrin

Yes, we have had several St Louis Cast members who have made cloaks from army blankets.  They are very warm and a when deliberately fulled (shrunk) they become even warmer and become very waterproof when the outside is "hit" with tent waterproofing and had the advantage of not needing a finished edge because fulled wool does not ravel. They are true cold weather cloaks. 

I remember one person using gray blankets and leaving them as is and other used olive green and over dyed them with Rite Navy blue and come out with a green/blue color that did not look like the cloak had been made from arm blankets. 
Chris
Founding member of the Living History Company

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Capt Gabriela Fullpepper

#2
Check out Half Moon cloaks. They are a Colorado company that makes their cloaks and Kapote's out of old Amy Blankets. I have a Kapote(now Toki has it as I gave it to him) that is so warm and it sheds water. he year I got it, it was freezing rain at CoRF. It was the only year I didn't go garbed. I had worn shorts and was ready to freeze. When I got that cloak I was instantly warm and dried off. If it gets really cold I wore a sweat shirt under it, and I could not feel it unless there was a wind chill in the negatives, freezing wind does blow through it which is the only downer, but it's sill the warmest coat in the house.

So yes they can be made of Army Blankets. If your interested here is Half Moons site

http://www.hmoon.com/
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tigerlilly

Ah, thank you.  I was pretty sure it would work, but I wanted confirmation.

Thanks for the link, Lady Delaney.  Those cloaks are beautiful and they look like they're worth every penny, but I sure am glad I can sew!

Kate XXXXXX

Full or felt your blankets in the washer before making up the cloak as the fabric WILL shrink!  Use a warm or hot wash...  Tumble dry if you can to add more 'fulling' shrinkage.  You can also machine dye with the correct dyes.  Contact Dharma trading for dyes and methods: I think this is the right stuff! http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/1344-AA.shtml?lnav=dyes.html

If the blankets are gray, you may need to use a dye remover before dying, to get a better colour: http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/1535-AA.shtml

To increase the waterproofing of your fabric, give it a final wash to remove excess dye with a non-rise out type of wool wash containing lanolin.  There are various makes of this about: look on sites for making/using wool diapers and diaper covers!   ;D

tigerlilly

Thanks Kate!

Funny you should mention the wool diaper covers.  I make them out of recycled sweaters for a childrens shop nearby.  That's what gave me a hankerin' for a wool cloak, I want to lanolinize it so it will be (mostly) waterproof!

Great minds think alike, I guess.  ;D

Jon Foster

Quote from: Lady de Laney on August 19, 2008, 09:40:44 AM
Check out Half Moon cloaks. They are a Colorado company that makes their cloaks and Kapote's out of old Amy Blankets. I have a Kapote(now Toki has it as I gave it to him) that is so warm and it sheds water. he year I got it, it was freezing rain at CoRF. It was the only year I didn't go garbed. I had worn shorts and was ready to freeze. When I got that cloak I was instantly warm and dried off. If it gets really cold I wore a sweat shirt under it, and I could not feel it unless there was a wind chill in the negatives, freezing wind does blow through it which is the only downer, but it's sill the warmest coat in the house.

So yes they can be made of Army Blankets. If your interested here is Half Moons site

http://www.hmoon.com/

I was just looking at the cloaks from Half Moon. Yikes! While they look very nice I can't imagine spending over $400.00 on a cloak. I do like their Travelers Cloak set but wow. Too pricey for me.

Jon.

Amyj

I actually did make 2 cloaks from the gray wool blend army/emergency blankets this year.  It took 2 blankets for each full ankle length hooded cloak.  They work wonderfully!!!  We thankfully had them in time for KCRF when the bottom dropped out of the temps.  I didn't line them initially, and it didn't seem to hurt their warmth, but I think I will line them both for added warmth and asthetic reasons.  The best part?  For a total of $80, I made two cloaks that might retail around $150 each!  Woot!
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Cormac

After my last weekend at KCRF I had the same thought.  Thanks to those that posted tips on dying, fulling, ect...

Found a Pendelton wool blanket on the cheap this weekend that is enough to make 2 cloaks.  Great weight and hand to the material.  No itchy.

Also hitting the start your own army store as they have some really nice cream color blankets.

Treasure cast has some cloak clasp that I liked the looks of.  Anyone have experience with doing buisness with them?

Buying some cheap material to play with and get the pattern right.  Hope to have something done and suitable to post pictures of after the winter holidays.

shadowcat546

Hi. As a re-enactor, I can swear also that the wool capote * (made of a Whitney blanket) keeps me warm even in 10 degree weather. Mine is big enough to go over my wool (everyday) coat when I shovel snow or go pump gasoline, or stand in line on Black Friday.  (my boyfriend at the time way back then, spent the $200.00 plus for the coat as a present to me. I still have it though we're not together.)


If you are dying fabric , remember to add mordant (salt and or vinegar. ) to get the dye to "adhere/take" better.
  I add both to my washing machine dye-baths.


*wool coat,  wording from centuries ago

Best of luck
Shannon, ..The Colonial Peddler --see Webshots shadowcat546 (so.-east Mich.) Goods for Sale

verdant1

 
QuoteTreasure cast has some cloak clasp that I liked the looks of.  Anyone have experience with doing buisness with them?

I recently ordered a pin and cloak clasp from them, very nice items and the delivery was less than a week after placing the order. 
Linda