So... It all started last Thursday with a trip to the Stitch Festival here in London. I had won a free ticket from an Instagram from @urbanstax but had promised myself I was not to buy anything. Ha!
I was doing OK until I reached the Trend Patterns stall (admittedly that was probably within 10 minutes of arriving. Actually 20 minutes - I stopped for a coffee
first!). I've had my eye on a few of their patterns and they had samples made up (always a great idea).
I was drawn to the cape - of course, who isn't. They had two made up - one smaller one with a zip down the front, one full length with the zip down the back. Both were made in a very sensible wool.
Once the cape was lodged in my mind, in needed fabric. I hunted around the Stitch Festival, not quite sure what I wanted but it had to be fabulous, when I spotted this gold covered cotton from the New Craft House. I knew what had to happen.
Sewing started about 4 pm on Thursday - countdown to the party on Saturday night.
To be honest it was a very easy sew - the pattern is simple, just the large pieces and the zip to deal with. The fabric sewed up a dream. I thought it would be nightmare for pin holes and any mistakes - but it was great.
However, by Friday morning I realised my big mistake. The fabric is one sided, gold on one side - but a boring white cotton backing which then shows through the long inside of the cape. It was not going to work.
A lining was needed, but one that could compete with the gold. A quick trip to old favourite Roya Textiles and this amazing red/gold African wax was on my sewing table. A couple of hours later it was finished (even bearing in mind that I failed to bag out the lining three times! - The zip arrangement made it impossible and so some strange attaching to the facing was the result).
It's not something for the fainthearted - but luckily I'm a complete narcissist and was going to my own birthday party - so I coped! I certainly drew attention. It's probably not going to get a massive amount of wear - but who cares. It's fabulous darling!