Tessuti New York Cape

Hello again my blogging friends! It's been almost 12 months since my last blog post. As the old saying goes, "how time flies when you're... finishing a PhD". I've sewn a few bits and pieces in the past year, but I finally feel motivated to blog again. This renewed energy is partly inspired by a good friend Jess who has just launched a fantastic blog spotlighting women who cook, create and curate food for a living. I definitely reccomend a look - especially if you're a local (Melbourne, Aus).

Ok, onto my lovely Tessuti New York cape. I bought this pattern and cut out my fabric close to three years ago. It then sat unsewn until I picked it up earlier this month. I was intrigued but not absolutely in love with my fabric choice - hence the delay. But I'm really happy with how it's turned out.

The pattern instructions were detailed and the pattern surprisingly simple to put together. The only change I made was to cut an 1" from the bottom of the cape. Given the lack of shaping, I felt a slightly shorter cape was best for my height and proportions. The pattern was a pleasure to sew and I'd definitely make another in grey/black shades.

To brighten up the insides I used a navy floral tana lawn bought from Spotlight to bind the seams. External edges were bound with a luscious wool binding from Tessuti. This stuff is pricey but worth it. I don't think any other binding would work as well for this pattern. I machined sewed on the wool binding. Other bloggers (1, 2)have recommended hand sewing. I'm sure this would have prevented the slight tension puckering I'm getting in the front of the cape. But it's not bothering me enough to fix it. Another good steam might resolve the issue.

My cape currently lacks buttons. After traipsing around the city and trying to convince myself that several different buttons look "fine", I've decided to just go without. At least temporarily, until the perfect button finds me! In the meantime, I've tacked the undersleeve together. I'm not sure I'd wear the cape closed very often anyway as it's a fairly lightweight coat.

Thanks for reading. It's great to be back!