What do you wear for a coat when you want to dress up in the winter? Puffer jackets and anything nylon feel decidedly informal to me, and don’t belong over a gown or a costume. A pea-coat is better, but they’re so itchy and I decluttered mine last year.
There is a hole in my wardrobe for formal winter outerwear. I’m trying to fill that need by sewing this oversized wool cape. It’s a woven wool, not felted, so it’s not as warm as you are imagining. More like a wool suit, it’s also not as itchy as felted wool.
Dark green because it’s an eveningwear color that also works for historical garb. The pattern is so simple as to be timeless. Two large square pockets and an attached scarf create several ways-to-wear. I once had a coworker who wore a wool cape to work every day in winter as her outerwear, and while I don’t think I’ll be wearing this to run errands, I see the use in having a piece for when you want to look like a hobbit in the snow.
It took a few hours to make; one chunk on the guestroom floor cutting out the pieces, and another two hours to do the seams and hem. French seams keep with the evening-wear theme.
