Best Fabric for Cloaks

[CelticBombshell]

I want to make a cloak to take with me to TRF this years as the weather is never the same two years in a row. What would be a good medium weight fabric to make a full length circle cloak out of. Not wool am highly allergic. As in i touch it and swell up into a big red thing. :lumpy:

Any help from you sewing goddesses would be appreciated.

Mel

[Bonnie]

well, I made mine out of a heavy cotton twill, with a flannel lining. It's warm enough for about mid fifties....maybe lower. I know I wrapped up in it this past weekend for heavy winds and rains, and temps in the sixties, and was snug snug snug!

I think it would keep the chill off down to low fifties, or high forties.

[CelticBombshell]

What exactly is twill? Do i just ask the people at the fabric store?

Mel

[Bonnie]

It's just a heavy weight cotton. Rather like denim, but not as stiff. Fabric store employees can point you in the right direction. Don't just take a feel of the fabric you're considering....unwrap a yard or so off the bolt and feel how it drapes and such. It'll be heavy, I warn you, but the end result is nice, especially if you DO line it.

[CelticBombshell]

I have a friend who I have just introduced to the wonderful world of garb and she wants a cloak out of velvet. I was thinking velveteen instead to look more period. My question is how hard is it to make the nap go in all the same direction on somthing like this?

[emalia]

I have a friend who I have just introduced to the wonderful world of garb and she wants a cloak out of velvet. I was thinking velveteen instead to look more period. My question is how hard is it to make the nap go in all the same direction on somthing like this?

Velvet is pretty, but don't count on it to help you if it rains. As for the Nap issue, you will have to cut them all out in teh same trection, this uses WAY more fabric, or just make it a circle cloak (which I preffer.

Being allergic to Wool, I would suggest the wool blend look alikes (have someone check contents, as most of teh blends at the Jo-Ann's don't even have wool in them. Another suggestion would be to make it of SuadeCloth, with a shower curtain in the middle, lined with some type of flannel. I am not all into suggesting Fleece as it collects EVERYTHING, whereas flannel will keep you just as warm, is just as snuggly, and won't collect the world of stuffs.

Another option is to CampDry everything several times (this will RUIN VELVET).. Use the whole can, and then some. Just think the more layers the better. Make sure you dry between layers as well. If you are going to go Cotton, I would suggest the Twill as well, or perhaps even Trigger. Duck is a pain in the butt to make a cloak with, that is what I made my first one of.. It sucked, and I vowed never again to do it.

[Mairi the Herbwench]

My cloak is made out of fleece since I'm also allergic to wool, and it's great - machine washable, dmachine dryable, still warm if it gets wet, comes in plaids (which is important if you're being Scottish,) but it's not windproof unless you use the windproof fleece, and if you get to close to an open flame, it melts. Important if you work over an open campfire...

I plan to make another fleece one soon - YMMV.

[Bronya]

...i have made 4 cloaks..........2 out of courduroy, 2 colors and reversing the nap so the "lines" are on the inside of the cloak and also making it reversible..(it wont pass our garb inspection, but warm and durable none the less)...the others out of 2 colors of twill and also reversible and the 4th out of some kind of thin fleece, which i didnt line and dont really like the looks of........too thin............good luck