Sew Along for V8959 a cape and a pattern review

At first glance Vogue 8959 looks somewhat intimidating but I assure you its a great pattern if you are a confident beginner want to take a shot at learning how to work with wool fabrics and how to put a lining in. I used a boiled wool from Minerva and for my lining I used a Rifle and Paper Rayon Challis from Fabric.com

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I loved this pattern, as I was making it I can see how many people could ditch the lining and just use bias tape to finish off the seams.

Does it look like the photos/illustrations on the pattern envelope?
Yes it does.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
The instructions on this are two pages and yes I looked at them. I made some changes to the way I did the hem as I didn’t want to create a lot of bulk in the hem as I’m using a boiled wool. If I make it again I would most likely add 1.5 inches to the fabric and keep the length of the lining the same as the pattern pieces so I can just bag the entire lining and leave a small opening on which to turn the lining and just slip stitch. The two hems are a lot of work! Hence why I only did one.

I also extended the hand openings about 2 inches, so I could move freely.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I took in the shoulders once I had the cape sewn. Most of the other reviews mention to check the shoulders and sure enough it has a weird look that you can’t even see when you do a tissue fitting. You have to use the boiled wool to get an idea on the drape.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes but I would most likely use a completely different fabric like an athletic knit that doesn’t need to be lined and make a lot of changes so its something I can just slip over my head and go about my day. I will say the boiled wool is nice and warm. It will be perfect on a fall day when its not too cold or too warm and I just want something to throw on.

Capes - Inspiration and Patterns to try

So as I finally got my fabric to make a cape for Vogue 8959 a beautiful boiled wool (although I’m waiting on the lining fabric but that’s another story) which I have to get pre-treated before I start working on my sew along. I thought it would be good to talk a little bit about the inspiration for making a cape. I’ve been seeing pictures of capes now for quite some time. I have to say almost a year ago I saw this picture of a red cape by Red Valentino. It has this beautiful Valentino red, and I’ve seen it in different colors… blue, black, etc. But I digress.. the front and hem is scalloped and the inside is equally as fun with an animal print. These pictures really pulled me into the cape trend.

I also saw this casual French Terry capelet from Cynthia Rowley as an ad on Instagram. I’ve told you all that the folks at Instagram serve me with some pretty darn good ads from Cynthia Rowley all the time and I saw this one. It’s a casual look but I think I could self draft this one for sure. They are just about sold out in my size range and it retails for $265. The description states it has ribbing on the neckline and side openings for your arms along with the hem. It is also available in black and I saw a few of them on Farfetch.com with studs on the sides or rhinestones embellishments.

Cynthia Rowley

Capes were also all over the recent runways for Fall 2022. Burberry, Oscar de la Renta and even Carolina Herrera had a few capes on the runway. Talking about Carolina Herrera, look at this beautiful purple cape.

Carolina Herrera

Without a doubt capes have been around for quite some time let’s look at a couple of sewing patterns that you can use besides V8959 to make a cape or perhaps self draft one.

V9288 - Cape with a front button closure along with pockets and a tie belt.

B6603 - Short cape with a placket and buttons and a short collar.

McCall’s M7477 - Mid length capes with different views one featuring a hood and a tie belt.

Kwik Sew K4224 - All Kwik Sew patterns are out of print but you can still get your hands on this Learn to Sew Pattern thru Amazon, or my personal favorite Etsy.

Simplicity S8264 - It has four styles, pockets, button front with stand up collar and a fun fur detachable trim.

New Look N6535 - Longer views and a capelet with sizes ranging from 6 to 24.

Don’t feel like getting a pattern for this? Well you can also download the free pattern from Threads Magazine, they have a great tutorial online for capes without a lining using bias tape. Here is a link to it.