We inherited a 20 year old cape that my mom made for my little brother, and with two boys, one cape just doesn’t cut it. For Gus’s birthday, I made new capes for both boys.
I started out dreading this project because I wasn’t sure how to get just the right cape shape, but I found the solution: a skirt front pattern.
Here’s what you’ll need for the project:
- cape fabric (some kind of costume fabric is perfect. I used polyester satin)
- ribbing for neck band
- skirt front pattern
1. Lay out fabric and cut pattern on the fold. (I took this picture after I fixed the outer angle a little bit, so it looks like I didn’t follow the pattern cutting lines but I did. Keep reading…)
2. I wanted the neck to be quite a bit smaller (remember, this is a skirt pattern) so I cut at an angle up from the bottom of the cape. This way the cape is still as full as possible without being too wide around the neck.
3. Serge or zigzag stitch the sides and the bottom of the cape to finish. You can get fancier and actually finish the edges, but that takes too much work and time!
4. Attach a neck band at the top using ribbing. Cut a piece of ribbing about 16″ long for a toddler.
5. Match up the center of the cape with the center of the ribbing and pin, right sides together.
6. Leave a few inches of excess on the edges and stretch the length of the cape neck along the ribbing.
7. Serge or zigzag the seam together.
8. Sew velcro on the ends of the ribbing to keep it fastened around your child’s neck.
My boys love their new capes. Check out their flying skills!
Please let me know if you have any questions or if anything is unclear – good luck!
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }