Fellowship Cloak Pattern
Up | Fellowship Cloak Pattern | Attaching A Cloak Hood
LOTR Home | Fellowship Cloak | The One Ring | Sting | Mithril Maille Shirt | EvenStar | Gondor Vambraces | Narsil | Pipes

LOTR Home
The Hobbit
News 'n'  Exhibits
Characters
Quick Costumes
Making 'Em
Buy It
Resources
Community
Search Us
Contact Us

 

The Fellowship Cloak Pattern

Ver 2.3 - July 2004

            = = or at least Ann’s idea of it
                 (our best guess)

Observations

(or why the choices where made for the pattern)

The cloak at first glance seems to be a simple semi-circular cloak.  Very much like the Moroccan Burnoose pattern we talked about at first.  However, like many things in this movie—things are not as they seem.

 It’s not a standard semi-circular cloak with a cut-out neckline.  The movie cloaks fit back smoothly over the shoulders—they don’t close in front.

 A semicircular cloak—even if pinned back over the shoulders, would show some folds.   Also—look at the pictures from the back. 

A standard semicircular cloak has the most drape over the shoulders (where the cloth hangs on the bias rather than the straight grain).  These have the draping more concentrated hanging from the shoulder blades.

Here is a mock up from the pattern below.  See how it sits smooth and lays the same way.  Remember, you need to use a thin fabric, preferably loose weave.  This will help shape it over the shoulders

                 .

Want more research info?  Check out the cloak's main page.


Material Requirements

 Here’s what I worked out based on average height. You’ll need about 4 1/2 yards of 54" to 60” wide material (you might get by with 4—but best to be on the safe side - yes, this includes hood.). 

This works best with fabric that is not too thick.  The actually fellowship cloaks are woven thin enough to see though.

Color:  While they do appear green in many scenes, they are described as gray.  The artisan that wove the fabrics states it is gray.

(higher rez detail)

The actual fabric from the cloaks.  See the heavy swirls from the undulating swirl.
Buy the fabric from the Original Artisans <here>
Here is the fabric that Ann has woven from the same wool.  The weave itself is a guess but it's close.  This is done with a 4 harness loom.  Find out more about the fabric here.

 

The Cloak

Standard version.  For Gandalf's pattern, click <here> .

Cut a semicircle with a radius about 10” longer than you want the cloak to be (if you use the full 60” width the straight line will be 120” long).   Remember many of the cloaks are much shorter, stopping at mid calf. 

Add enough around the edges to turn under the hem twice.  So, if it's going to be a 3/4 inch turn, add 1 1/2 inches x 2  or  3" beyond the desired length.

The Neck Hole

The cloak is cut semicircular—but the neck hole is a full circle cut in from the edge.  About two inches in from the center of the front straight edge, cut a hole about 7 inches in diameter (you might need it a little larger—but start small).  Make a cut from the center of the front straight edge to the circle.  Fold the corners of the cut ends up to form a 45 degree angle and cut them off.  You can sew this closed or put in a fastener of some sort—I recommend you reinforce it whichever you do.

Now put it on and decide if you need the center hole for your head to be a bit bigger. 7 inches fit well for me, but rather closely around the neck.  A little trimming goes a long way so take it in small amounts.  You'll also notice that the front of neckline will rise to a point because of the angle of the closure--just trim that to smooth the curve of the neckline.

(If you're really uncomfortable with guessing, make a muslin -- i.e. get an old sheet or another soft cheap piece of fabric, and make it up with the cheap fabric to test your pattern.)

The hood

Making the pattern

The standard hood, consisting of two squares sewn together, just doesn’t hang down far enough. I’ve come up with a pattern that works, even though it looks a little strange.

You’ll need to make a pattern, so get a big sheet of paper or tape together some newspapers.  

  • Measure the neckline hole of your cloak. (Circumference)
  •  Divide this in half, then add 1 inch (for seam allowance). 
  • Draw a horizontal line this long. 
  • Draw a line from one end straight down for about 30”, then connect the bottom of that line to the end of your horizontal line.
  •  You’ve made a tall thin right triangle. 
  • Fold it along the diagonal line and then cut it out—you’ll have a kite-shaped piece. 
  • Cut four of these from your cloth (two for the hood, two for the lining).

 When you cut them out, align one of the straight edges of the “kite” with the grain line of the fabric (see arrow) —otherwise the hood won’t drape correctly.

Putting the hood together

The top is 1/2 the final cloak neck edge measurement plus 1 inch.  The length of the straight side should be about 30 inches (or 3-4 inches longer than you want the finished hood to be).  Cut four pieces—two for the hood, two for the lining.

 Lay one “kite” on top of another, right sides together, and sew together along the long sides.  Repeat for the other two “kites.”

 Now if you take the two points at the top of the kite and pull them apart, the hood will refold into a triangle with the seams running up the center of the front and back.

(Doesn't that shape look familiar?)

You need to check this with a quick muslin to check the hood..  Is this shape wide enough to wear with the hood up.  It is for some, others need to go an extra step.  If the opening is too small... you next to make one more change to your pattern... and follow a slightly different set of sewing instructions.

If you want a wider cloak hood, follow the next section, else skip to Stitching it to the Neck

If you want a wider cloak hood. 

With the pattern as shown, if the distance around the neck hole is small it's not surprising you couldn't get the hood over your head. The length of the front of the hood is the same as the distance around the neck hole, since the kite is symmetrical.

What you need to do is to measure the distance from where the cloak opening (under your chin) will be, loosely up the side of your face, to where you want the hood to rest at the top. If this is very much longer than half the circumference of the neck hole, you will need to draw a kite with a flat curve across the top instead of an angle. The length of the curve should be the sum of half the circumference of the neck hole and the 'hood height' measurement you just took. Be sure it doesn't curve _too_ much.

At this point, as we all know, Muslin Is A Very Good Thing.

Sew the long sides of the kite pairs together and refold the hood as shown in the main instructions. Starting from the seam which will attach to the neck hole, measure one half the neck-hole measurement in each direction.

Machine stitch the lining to the outer hood from one of these points to the _other_ seam and around to the second point you just marked.

Leave the rest of the lining free. Turn the lining to the inside.

Keeping the lining out of the way, now sew the unsewn edge of the outer fabric to the neck hole,  (ie, the seam is at the center-back of the neck). It should match if you measured those two points correctly. Finally, turn in the remaining edge of the lining and hand-stitch it over the neck seam, hiding the seam allowances.

extra notes by Emc^2

The kite pattern modified for more room around the face. What it looks like draped then.

(Thanks to Meaghan for the pics.)

Stitching it to the neck

Now you have to sew the two hoods together.  Time to pick your outer side and your lining side.  (Which you pick shouldn't matter, we just need to refer to them separately. 

Lay the cloak down, right side of the fabric up.  Mark the dead center back of the circle.  This mark will match up with the center seam of the outer hood piece.  Lay the hood down, right side of the fabric, to the right side of the hood.

Pin from the center out to each of the sides.  This will take a little easing since you are matching straight  line of hood to the curve of the neck. (See picture you're pinning the dashed lines together. )  You will need to push the lining piece out of the way as you get near the front edge. (Don't sew the lining piece... leave it free.) 

Leave enough open to turn under the front edge and finish it later.  (It's helpful to mark that point with pins or chalk so you don't sew past it.)

Sew together. 

The hood lining is ready to be tacked down.  Turn under the seam allowance of the second layer and hand stitch it over the raw edges of the seam for a beautifully clean finish.

Note: this does make a very small hood in front... but if you've seen them wearing them up, that's what they look like.

Need more instruction for attaching the hood... see our page Attaching a Hood

Reinforce the Front

(OK, this is a bit weird, but once you have your hooded cloak in front you, and you're ready to finish the front edge it will make sense.)

The front of the cloak where the neck meets the front  should be reinforced with a bit of stabilizing fabric.  (This can be piece of seam binding, a strip of canvas or anything else about about 2-3 inches or so long that will take up the strain of the clasp... so your main fabric will not tear.

When your hood is finished, you're going to not quite have a straight line in front to finish the front of the cloak (because you cut that hold out for the neck).  You are going to have to trim the fabric near the neck so you have that straight line (after you turn the front edge under twice.)

Hand baste that little bit of stabilizing fabric right at the neck so it runs down the front edge (so ya don't loose that scrap of fabric). 

*New* from the ROM exhibit in Toronto:  The front edge of the cloak are raw salvage, i.e. it's the woven edge of the fabric.  It is not turned in or finished any further.  To clarify further... all is raw salvage edge but the first 3" or so.  This is carefully turned under and is only visible under very high resolution pictures because it is finished soooooooo carefully.

Hemming

Put your cloak on a hanger and let it hang for a few days.  Most fabrics will stretch out quite a bit.

If you did not measure the pattern for the length you wanted it, do it now.  Most of the cloak stop about mid-calf on the characters.  Add enough on to the edge to turn it under twice.  (About 1 1/2 inches.)

Lay the cloak back down with  your original pattern (with the length correct)  and trim it up to an even half circle again.

The hem needs to be turned under twice then it is top stitched down.  (About 3/4 inches.)

To do a really clean edge, serge or zig-zag the raw edge.  This is easier if you run a line of machine basting along the hemline--in sections of about 8" . Pull this thread to pucker up the wool slightly, then hit it with a blast of steam. Wool--especially a loosely-woven wool like this, is very malleable and can be shaped a lot with steam and pressing. After the bottom edge has been shrunk a little it will be easier to turn up.

If you're not using wool you can use the same slightly-gathering
trick, but you might have a few puckers on the inside of your
seam line.

If you're not trying to do the cloak exactly and want a quicker finish... trim the cloak to the exact length you want.  Get some double folded bias tape or fold over braid and just stitch it around the bottom edge.  It won't quite look the same, but it's as easy to put on as  just putting the braid around the edge and top stitching it down.

Edge of the cloak from the Legolas standee.  Note the rough turn over and stitch down CU of the edge stitch.

(thanks to Dan G for photos)

The Clasp

The cloak is hooked with a large industrial black hook and eye closure. It is covered by the leaf clasp.

Check it out the only picture we have scene.  It is in the LotR: FotR Visual Companion, page 21.  Pippin is weaning the fellowship cloak without the leaf pin/clasp over the top.  We have not found this pic on line yet.

    

The hook looks like it is attached at the seam line of where the cloak joins the hood (and where we added that reinforcing strip).

If you cannot find one of these giant hook and eyes, you can use various skirt hooks that you can pick up easily at any fabric store.  It really doesn't matter, since this is hidden.

  • Order it: Dritz - 767-66 Covered Hooks & Eyes
     

The leaf "Claps" just pins over top... and no actual stress is put on the leaf pin.

 

OK, you're ready to join the fellowship on their adventures now!

     === Instructions by Ann and Cat, with feedback from the group
  
  === Art by Ann, Firnrothiel, and Naomi


LOTR Home | Fellowship Cloak | The One Ring | Sting | Mithril Maille Shirt | EvenStar | Gondor Vambraces | Narsil | Pipes

LOTR Home | Up | Fellowship Cloak Pattern | Attaching A Cloak Hood


This page was last updated 04/22/08