Do I look like a minstrel?

Bonjour tout le monde !

I am finally back from my trips and back to the sewing machine. I have managed to make a few things during the few days I spent at home but some computer problems and my %&!§$ camera prevented me from posting earlier.

Hopefully the weather and the camera finally agreed to let me have a paparazzi session. Here is the result:

houndstooth cape (not easy to say for a french!)

A cape! I made a cape, I love it, it's so chic. The model is from Burda Style 08/2013 n°122. It's made of wool and lined with black polyester. It's really warm.

Of course I couldn't just follow the pattern as it was, and also I didn't have enough fabric... It's not my fault, you know that I buy fabric in bulk and sometimes I just don't have enough to make what I want because I changed my plans.

Anyway, this case the cape demanded for A LOT of fabric: more than 4 meters. I never buy that much, in fact, I usually buy less than two meters. So it was really a miracle that I purchased three meters of wool.

Ok , so, I had three meters :-), but at the same time the original design was a bit too long for my taste. I shortened  it and omitted the pleats at the back (because I thought they were vents hum hum).

And there you go: enough fabric!!

Fun fact: do you know that houndstooth is said "pied de coq" in French? It means rooster's feet !! What do you think, is it more chicken or dog? Or did the "fabric namers" had a bit too much to drink?

Look at all this light, isn't it better like that Germany? No more Grey skies!

I maybe shouldn't have shortened it that much, maybe a bit longer, at a miniskirt level would have been more chic. What do you think?

 

Here is a view from the back. Oh, I forget, I added a ribbon on the seams, the houndstooth made the cape look too, I don't know, my husband said it hurt his eyes... So I added some black ribbon from my stash with my machine (no hand stitching, no way), and I think is works really good.

I mean, what's the point of having weird rectangular seams if no one can see them, right?

And for your eyes only, the inside:

The construction is rather simple, no back stay, no tailoring technique. Just some interfacing for... the facings, to give some structure. And a rectangle of fabric to  close the "hand passage".

And the final touch: the buttons from Groix! Oddly enough I think they the cape look more modern, and rich. Rich is good no?

How beautiful are they? I am so pleased I have finally the opportunity to use them. I bought them thinking (no, no, no screaming in the shop) MY PRECIOUS!!!! It's gold, shinny, inexpensive, rare, what can I say, it was love at first sight.

But I don't think I can use them for something other than a coat. I don't even know if they would work for a jacket, maybe if I don't wear a coat above it, hum something to think about... And you know what the good news is? I still have some left!

That's all for today, I still have a lot of things to show, if my camera is up for it.

Au revoir.