Lekala Two-Sided Cape #5723

A few years back, Jed purchased me an utterly gorgeous piece of cashmere from Eliza's Fabric, in Sunshine, Melbourne.

From memory, it was around the $30/m, which is quite pricey for Eliza's, and the owner pretty much insisted I take the last 3 metres.

I had great plans of making myself a peacoat, just had to get around to it....
So, I washed it and stored it away in a drawer. Unfortunately I didn't use mothballs and it was nibbled along the fold lines.
Not Happy Jan!

Back to present day, Lidia had two formal evening events and needed something to wear over her evening dresses.
The Twins will also be attending several balls a year.
We decided a cape would be the most practical option after fitting Liddy's yellow lace dress (to be blogged) which was quite firm about the arms.

We found this cape, Lekala #5723 which is designed to be sewn in leather but I couldn't see any reason why it wouldn't work for us.

Image from Pinterest

Lidia perused Pinterest a found a cape she liked, and I realised it was a similar colour to my fabric.
As the pattern was quite short I wondered if I could jiggle it around the nibbles.

I did!
I really wish I had added the epaulettes.
I think the faux tortoiseshell buttons stop it from looking stuffy and I think this garment could transition to daywear as well.

I used my favourite lining choice, stretch satin, in the prettiest of rose gold.
From the remnant bin at Eliza's Fabrics.
The main garment is sewn, setting in the collar in a rather fiddly but awfully rewarding fashion, and then the lining is sewn to the edge of the front facing.

I then bagged the lining, going in through an opening in the side seam which I then sewed up by hand.

The cape is s e r i o u s l y  w i d e.

It's Trixie wide!

But the combination of the decadent cashmere and lush satin means it drapes beautifully.

It looks gorgeous on and makes me a little less sad that I didn't care for it properly, in storage.

~Lidia's Verdict~
This cape was a perfect throw-over for my formal dress.  It had a silky lining so it didn’t itch my bare shoulders or arms. 
The colour is a really nice and a good neutral colour so it works with what ever I wear under it. 

The cape is a really nice piece that I can dress up with a fancy dress or dress down with denim  jeans and a white shirt. It’s a really lovely addition to my wardrobe and I am excited to wear it again. It is also a good size that fits a little like the Travelling Sisterhood Pants, they seem to fit everyone. This cape is a size that comfortably fits Mum, Zara, Elsa and me.

It’s really lovely to wear and I think it looks really nice on.
 When I wear it I feel like a proper young lady. 
Thank you Mum x.

~My Verdict~
I thoroughly enjoyed this sew. Making coats and jackets is my thang. 
I love constructing anything with wool or wool blends and I appreciate the fact it is a garment that will get a lot of wear (usually)
The instructions were okay for this, I have made this style of collar before, where you partially sew it and the attach it to the main and lining so it is hollow and open inside (this does give you the opportunity to 'roll' the garment and get a lovely 'sit')
I chose to top stitch the seams to make it look less formal and I like the lovely 'fat' edging it results in.
A very happy sew.

And it even fits me!

Thank you for reading xx N