I've had my eye on making a cape for a while now. In fact, I bought McCall's M6446 a couple years ago and have been hoping to get around to actually making it. That point finally came this autumn now that I'm actually in need of some looser-fitting winterwear.
Being due in early March in Wisconsin means finding new warm clothes that are hopefully also stylish. This had me pulling out my M6446 pattern, buying some absolutely lovely wool fabric, and starting to plan. And then Seamwork magazine (whose patterns I subscribe to) threw a wrench into the whole works by releasing the Camden cape pattern. All of a sudden, I was faced with the dilemma of which beautiful cape to make (I had enough wool for either).
I ultimately decided to go with Camden because I liked the clean look, the high neckline, and the fact that the cape was lined (meaning I wouldn't have to professionally finish the inside seams). The one detail I did borrow (loosely) from M6446 was the pockets. If you ever decide to make the Camden pattern, it's definitely worth taking the time to add some pockets; not only do they hold things for you but they provide a natural place for your hands to go in compensation for the unnatural armhole placement.
The pockets themselves are welt pockets, which I've never done before. Thankfully, the November issue of Seamwork also had an article on how to install pockets of this type, with several variations. Installing the pockets added several hours of researching, calculating, and sewing to the project but it was totally worth it and made me feel like a sewing genius for pulling off.
Overall, this was a lovely pattern and fairly straightforward to sew (with the exception of the pocket additions which I highly recommend). I especially loved the opportunity to add a pop of color to the project in the form of the red rayon lining. That said, it took me a good amount of time to pull this together - 3 evenings and 2 days, pacing myself manageably - which was well over the stated 3 hour sewing time listed on the pattern. Still, if you are looking for a stylish pattern for spring/autumn outwear pattern (pregnant or not), Camden is a pretty good option.
7 comments:
Very nice! You look sharp in it!
Gma
Fab post, you look lovely in it. Thanks for the tip about the pockets.
Really love your cape! Great job.
I'm also making it at the moment and think I'm also going to go with pockets. I was just wondering how far away from the arm opening you put them? Thanks in advance!
Becca,
I set the pocket 7/8" from the armhole slit. The welt flap is 1" deep. The pocket itself is roughly 6.5" wide and 7" deep (can't be too deep as you run into the button area). The "bottom" of the pocket lines up with the bottom of the armhole slit, with the armhole slit being taller (or "wider", as this compares to with the pocket width) overall.
The fun part is adding all of the seam allowances to these numbers. You have to take into account the 5/8" seam allowance for the armhole slit, the 1/2" seam for the welt (my 1" welt depth divided by 2), and I added a generous 1" seam for the pocket piece which I trimmed down later.
I also ended up switching from the outer wool fabric for the upper part of the pocket to using the lighter lining for the bottom part. This kept my pocket from being too dense and allowed it to move out of the way of the front button area. Another thing to think about.
I hope my numbers help!
Kristin
What a brilliant, thorough answer, thank you! That's very helpful. I thought the article on welts in Seamwork was good, but if you've never sewn one before its a bit of a headache to work out all the measurements.
I hope mine work as well as yours, so excited for the finished cape!
Headache indeed. This was my first welt and it did add considerable time to this project. But the results are definitely worth it.
Good luck with your cape! I hope it turns out beautifully.
Congratulations!!
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