Winter has arrived, and everyone is thinking of various ways to keep warm. Few people have Hanfu specifically made for all four seasons, so we need to think about how to wear our limited Hanfu in the cold winter?
A cloak is undoubtedly the best choice.
So today, I will talk to you about making a cloak.
First, choose suitable fabric. What kind of fabric is suitable for making a cloak?
To ensure the cloak is warm, you cannot choose thin materials like chiffon, thin cotton, or silk. Thicker fabrics such as jacquard cotton and wool flannel are better for insulation. Of course, this is the first step in selecting the outer fabric. The second step is choosing the lining. If you are sensitive to the cold, you can choose various padded fabrics or faux fur with a fluffy texture or coral fleece.
Here, I will show two fabrics that I chose:
The first one is thick jacquard cotton used as the outer fabric.
With the fabric chosen, it's time to start making the cloak.
Next, understand the components of the cloak. A cloak consists of two parts: 1. The main body of the cloak; 2. The hood.
How do you calculate the measurements for the main body of the cloak?
First, determine the length of your cloak. This length is measured from the shoulder to the desired length, for example, a girl who is 160 cm tall would typically need a length of about 120 cm. Once you have this measurement, you can ensure that the finished cloak will be around 120 cm long. Remember to leave some extra fabric for the seam allowance when cutting.
Next, determine the width of the cloak's hem. If you want a completely enclosed cloak, you will need at least 2 meters of hem. The width of the hem is indicated by the green line in the following diagram. So, the width of the fabric you buy will be the hem of your cloak.
Once you know the required length and width, you can calculate the amount of fabric needed for the main body of the cloak.
For example, a 160 cm tall girl needs a cloak with a hem wider than 2 meters. Through measurement, we find that the length of the main body of the cloak needs to be 120 cm, and the width needs to be more than 200 cm. The fabric we purchase has a width of 120 cm, so to achieve a 2-meter hem, we need to piece together the fabric. Here is a simple diagram to illustrate:
How do you make the hood?
Cut out two pieces according to the pattern shown below and sew them together.
Now, let's talk about pleating.
This is simple.
You can use either a cross-pleat or a straight pleat.
I will show a picture to give you an idea of what the pleats and the sewn hood look like:
The above steps apply to the lining. For the outer fabric, follow the same method to sew it together, then combine the lining and the outer fabric.
Remember to leave an opening to turn the cloak right side out.
After completing the cloak, use a hidden stitch to close the opening, press it flat, and your cloak is done.
Next, let's talk about some decorations.
For example, everyone loves fur trim.
The material options are rabbit fur and bird feathers.
The fur trim in the following picture is rabbit fur.
Bird feathers:
Mostly turkey feathers.
Some people even use peacock feathers… Oh no, my feathers!!!
This is turkey feather, characterized by its long and fluffy appearance, which looks more beautiful than rabbit fur but is prone to breaking and falling out.
The fur strips come as individual pieces.
However, they need to be hand-sewn onto the cloak, which is a meticulous and time-consuming task. The following picture shows a half-done fur strip…
Let's discuss the selection of the lining for the cloak.
We won't repeat the discussion on the outer fabric, as it was covered earlier.
How do you choose the lining to ensure warmth? When selecting the lining, consider the following: 1. Will the cloak be worn on both sides? 2. In what temperature range will the cloak be worn? 3. How thick can your sewing machine handle? 4. What are the options for the lining? 5. Which part of the lining is thicker or warmer?
We need to consider these questions before buying the lining. Let me use my cloak as an example. I live in the Sichuan Basin, where there is no central heating, and the temperature difference between indoors and outdoors is not significant. However, the temperature is generally around 0°C ± 5°C. My sewing machine can handle slightly thicker materials (model 4423). Considering that I don't stuff cotton myself, I had to buy pre-padded fabric. However, such cotton fabric is too thin, and although Sichuan is not extremely cold, the bone-chilling wind is unbearable. Therefore, I decided not to use the padded fabric.
I chose a fluffy fabric that is slightly longer than coral fleece. It feels thick and solid when folded. If I chose something thicker, my sewing machine might struggle. So, I went with this option.
If you are hand-sewing the cloak and live in the north or colder regions, I recommend adding a layer of cotton between the outer and inner fabrics for additional warmth.
Many people don't know how to sew the hood. Here is a diagram to help. First, you need two pieces of fabric for the hood, then overlap them and sew along the white lines. This completes the hood.