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Half Circle

(Literally a partial circle of fabric. This style does not close well in front. For warmth, chose one of the other styles.)

Style is used for hobbits and some elves.

Folkwear Moroccan Burnoose - a half circle cloak with rectangular hood.

A suggestion from Ann on making Haldir's (and other elf cloaks)

• Cut a large half-circle for the cloak. Instead of cutting a half-circle or oval in the center of the straight side the way you normally would for a cloak, come in 2-3 inches and then cut a full circle 6 or 7 inches in diameter (depending on the size of your head). Then just stick your head through the hole. That has the right drape.

Cloak patterns and shapes from the internet

• Moroccan burnoose
  •  http://www.indiana.edu/~librcsd/etext/tilke/plate/004.jpg
    • This is a Moroccan burnoose laid flat from Max Tilke. This is quick and easy way to do something like the fellowship cloaks  Shorten it.  The bottom hem is an exact half circle.
• The Roman sagum and paenula cloaks
  • http://www.larp.com/legioxx/cloak.html
• Vogue 7110 - View A is a full circle cape with hood, rated Very Easy.

Rectangle Style

(much fabric gathered into the neck)

McCall's 3448 - This is the type of cloak Gandalf wears, just a rectangle (fingertip to fingertip, and down to the floor on both sides) with a split up the center and a hood. View B (of Simplicity) and View C (of McCall's) of this pattern comes with a hood, but it doesn't drape halfway down the back like Gandalf's. If you need a pattern for this, here it is!

Folkwear Kinsale Cloak - for experienced sewers (this pattern has a number of advanced techniques).

Folkwear-Birchstreet - this is your basic ruana (without the hood). It is what Gandalf, Strider, Legolas' Council and Eowyn's Coronation Cloak are all patterned on.

AlterYears's Kinsale Cloak -   - for experienced sewers (this pattern has a number of advanced techniques).

Shaped pieces

(for a look somewhere between the two)
Note: this is the style of Frodo's first cloak with the tabs. 

Simplicity 5794 - Full cape with variations. View B/C with A's hood could be good for a hobbit Fellowship cloak, using the shoulder capes from View A and lengthening them could help for a Nazgul cloak, View C could be good for Galadriel's satin cape.

Simplicity's 9887 - Yes, it's wizard robes and a Galadriel cloak all at the same time! That weird shoulder seam isn't accurate, but makes up nicely. View D for Galadriel's Farewell cloak; View A for Gandalf's outer cloak. (Has a wizard hat pattern.)  - See picture at top of the page.

Simplicity 2499 - Very full cloak with a wide standing collar.  Extra bonus of pull on trouser, vest, cravat.

McCall's 2810 - has a nice cape with a less voluminous hood. Bonus - empire waist dress , elven sleeve.

McCall's 4139 - flowy cape with full hood

McCall's 4254 - flowy cape with full hood - childs

McCall's 4378 - sheer cape with full hood - comes with an interesting dress pattern, too.

McCall's 4624 -  flowy cape with full hood, View B may be similar to Requiem hood

McCall's 4698 - cloak with extremely full, gathered front hood - similar to Kinsale cloak but easier. although I'd skip the little collar and find a way to gather all that to the neck of the hood instead.

Butterick 3084 - flowy cape with full hood - rated "very easy". View C for Galadriel's Grey Haven's cape.

Butterick 4030 - flowy cape with moderate hood- rated "fast & easy". 

Butterick 4050 - hooded robe/sleeved cloak (whichever way you want to look at it)

Butterick 4377 -  hooded cloak w/gathered neckline

Out of Print:

Simplicity 9335 - Rectangular ruana/aba style cloak

Simplicity 5786 - cloak with hood

Simplicity 9342 - full cape with very full (gathered around the front) hood.

McCall's 8937 - View C has a nice Kinsale-like cape with it.

Butterick 4316 - adult/child lined cloak with contrast hood & facing

 

Quick pattern pieces

Basic Hoods

You don't always have to use a pattern... we're starting to assemble some tips for making your own....

This is not for the long pointy hoods like those on the Lorien cloaks. It's a softer, draping hood like on Galadriel's cloak. The big plus--it doesn't have a center seam. It's simply a half-circle. To judge how big to cut it, measure yourself from your eyebrows across the top of your head and down to the base of your neck. Add 2 or 3 inches to this, and use this as your radius (so that if your final measure is, for example, 23 inches, your half circle will be 46 inches on the straight side).

The straight edge is the one that will be framing your face, so turn that under an inch or two and hem it (or you can line the whole piece if you like). Gather up the curved edge and sew it to the neckline of your cloak.

-Ann

Other styles

Don't forget the check in the character section for breakdowns on how to make a specific cloak.

When making a cloak... always make up and let hang 24-48 hours before you hem. That much fabric will stretch!  

Always make a mockup to check for fitting before you cut your good fabric!!!

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This page was last updated 11/23/09