I recently found a rather nice pattern for a Northman’s Cloak ala Game of Thrones. You have to excuse the person who made it thinking Ned’s full name is Neddard, but other than that it’s mostly good. I’d just like to add a few notes concerning this tutorial.
- DONT form the semi-circle the first way listed. It might save fabric, but those seems will not only be hideous, but they’ll make it so the cloak doesn’t flow and look good in the pictures your group takes. Just don’t do it. For an extra 1/3rd of a yard, you can make your cloak look that much more awesome.
- They don’t mention it, but get a friend to use a fabric pencil to help you figure out where to fit the straps. These straps will make your cloak so comfortable to wear if you fit them properly.
- For sewng the straps on… If you’re using belts, rivet or use a leather awl and a harness needle. If you’re using a more suitable garment leather use a glover’s needle. The correct tool is always a good thing.
- And finally…
Don’t Use Fun Fur!
Seriously. If you can’t use real fur (Coyote is a good budget option) then don’t get the 4-5$ a yard fun furs. They’re cheap, and look cheap. Just look at the horrid stuff used in that tutorial. Why use that when you can pay (a fair bit) more and get this stuff instead? Sure, it’s spending compared to cheap fun fur, but it’s still cheaper than the same amount of Coyote that’s as dark as that. It might run 25-35$ a yard, but it’s worth it if you don’t want to look like something out of a bad stereotype.
Go no fur before you go Fun Fur. For ruffs and things like that you might even be able to find fur coats at thrift stores that you can pick apart and use for ruffs and other things like that at great prices. Repurposing older items is always a great way to get what you want done! There are no excuses for using fun fur. You’ll look better leaving your shoulders fur-less until you can get decent fur than putting something cheap on your cloak.