Here's my deal:
I am needing to make something of warmth for my husband and I to wear in cold/snowy temperatures. I am considering making us some sort of cloak, but need a good H/A pattern for it. I found a few online, but would like everyone's opinion as to which brand to go with..... any suggestions?
Also, I was hoping someone could give me advice on fabric choices. My husband and I are upper-middle class..Merchants, I would say (that's how we're 'garbed', anyway). What would be a good fabric for our class that keeps us warm and is durable? Would wool be acceptable? Thanks for all the help and advice ahead of time. :) :) I greatly appreciate it.
With Love and Blessings,
Amber
Wool in a plain colour would be an excellent choice and very much of the period. Choose a colour to complement your garb. Use something like a gabardine, which is a coat fabric and pretty windproof. Line it with a heavy flannel backed satin lining for extra warmth.
There are several good patterns about. I like this one myself: http://www.patternsoftime.com/proddetail.asp?prod=MRCapes
Wool wool wool, yes in a plain color as Kate sugessted, I personally like to line my clokes with Chamois flannel.
& a note before you hem the bottom edge, let the cloak hang from a padded hanger for 2 weeks or better, so the wool stretches. I did not do this & now the wool bags at the hem it looks a bit funny.
Thank you both for the help! I am extremely excited to make these. :) I just pray I don't muck them up. lol
I'm always freezing cold, so a friend gave me some advice. She said to line between the layers with thinsulate. Of course it's not HA, but you can't see it, and it is super warm. If you can't find thinsulate, maybe you could try fleece or something else for extra warmth if you need it. Just as long as you make sure it doesn't show anywhere if you want HA.
Quote from: ADraeger on October 01, 2008, 10:32:03 AM
Here's my deal:
I am needing to make something of warmth for my husband and I to wear in cold/snowy temperatures. I am considering making us some sort of cloak, but need a good H/A pattern for it. I found a few online, but would like everyone's opinion as to which brand to go with..... any suggestions?
Also, I was hoping someone could give me advice on fabric choices. My husband and I are upper-middle class..Merchants, I would say (that's how we're 'garbed', anyway). What would be a good fabric for our class that keeps us warm and is durable? Would wool be acceptable? Thanks for all the help and advice ahead of time. :) :) I greatly appreciate it.
With Love and Blessings,
Amber
Hi Amber,
Welcome to the madness! Okay so I am going to ask you to look at some other choices if you want something H/A for a covering. Cossaks, Juppes and Gabardines!
Check out this site:
http://www.employees.org/~cathy/cote_body.html (http://www.employees.org/~cathy/cote_body.html)
http://www.faucet.net/costume/period/fur.html (http://www.faucet.net/costume/period/fur.html)
http://www.elizabethanmafia.com/Black%20Silk%20Kirtle%20and%20Blue%20Wool%20Loose%20Gown.htm (http://www.elizabethanmafia.com/Black%20Silk%20Kirtle%20and%20Blue%20Wool%20Loose%20Gown.htm)
And these books:
Janet Arnold Period of Fashion
Patterns:
Reconstructing History www.reconstructinghistory.com
Margo Anderson's Patterns www.MargoPatterns.Com
Fabrics?
Wool is a good thing to use because it allows the rain to shed off
and it wicks sweat in the summer. if you wash and felt the wool it will not shred!
Silk lining will keep the heat inside nice and warm
Also you can use cotton flannel for a lining as well
I love using corduroy because of his durability.
So those are my suggestions ;)
Cilean
Wow- I didn't even think about thinsulate! I'm going to have to go price it... If it's reasonable, I might end up with a quasi-h/a creation. Cilean - thank you very much for the links! They are tremendously helpful and I am now leaning toward attempting a Cassock for Josh and a Juppe for myself. :)
I don't have anything to add about sewing stuff, I just wanted to welcome you to the madness... :D
Thank you for the welcome, opera! Madness is my middle name ;) .
Thanks for all the advice posted here ladies (and to ADraeger, btw welcome welcome) as I also am going to attempt some cloaks for me and the Mr for next year. Great ideas and suggestions by all.
Quote from: ADraeger on October 02, 2008, 08:49:22 AM
Wow- I didn't even think about thinsulate! I'm going to have to go price it... If it's reasonable, I might end up with a quasi-h/a creation. Cilean - thank you very much for the links! They are tremendously helpful and I am now leaning toward attempting a Cassock for Josh and a Juppe for myself. :)
If you put it between 2 layers, no one except you will even know it's there, so I don't think you'll even have to call it quasi-h/a !! Just warm. ;)
Quote from: Lady Renee Buchanan on October 02, 2008, 06:35:42 PM
Quote from: ADraeger on October 02, 2008, 08:49:22 AM
Wow- I didn't even think about thinsulate! I'm going to have to go price it... If it's reasonable, I might end up with a quasi-h/a creation. Cilean - thank you very much for the links! They are tremendously helpful and I am now leaning toward attempting a Cassock for Josh and a Juppe for myself. :)
If you put it between 2 layers, no one except you will even know it's there, so I don't think you'll even have to call it quasi-h/a !! Just warm. ;)
*slaps herself upside head* Of course they wouldn't. (Feel free to say, "Duh, Amber!") lol I'm just having a blonde moment. lol :) :)