Bonjourno!
I am back with a new tutorial on taking in a cape or coat – mainly because when I looked to the internet to provide me with these answers I found hardly anything apart from a lovely ladies video blog but she confused the life out of me be starting with one technique swapping to another before finishing with the original way which didn’t need any of the previous steps! Agh!!
I am back with a new tutorial on taking in a cape or coat – mainly because when I looked to the internet to provide me with these answers I found hardly anything apart from a lovely ladies video blog but she confused the life out of me be starting with one technique swapping to another before finishing with the original way which didn’t need any of the previous steps! Agh!!
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| This is how I start most projects – youtube tutorial video on ipad, pins and iron! I’m in my bedroom tonight as I don’t get wifi in my sewing room! |
So this is how I did it:
TUTORIAL : Taking in a cape/winter coat
You will need
- A cape or coat that needs taking in
- Pins
- Dressmakers chalk/pencils or pens
- Fabric scissors
- Pinking shears or an overlock/serger/zig zag stitch on a sewing machine
- Seam ripper
- Sewing machine / although this is of course possible by hand
- Needle and matching thread (to sew up the lining)
- A derring-do attitude!
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| The cape! |
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| So you can see the starting size. I got it for £12 in a charity shop! |
STEP ONE – Pinning to size…
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| Put the cape/coat on and pin the side seams to look like a better fit. |
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| As this is a straight forward cape I pinned an inch off sides seams and 1.5″ off the back one. (Please excuse the dog hair – Hobbes’ fur is EVERYWHERE in my bedroom!) |
STEP TWO – Chalking the lines…
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| Then using dressmakers chalk, mark along the pins each side of the fold so that if any of them move you know the line you want to follow. |
NB, If you caught the lining in the pinning – it’s best to take out the pins now – as long as you have drawn your lines and the chalk is showing well then you don’t need them there anymore.
STEP THREE – Getting into the lining…
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| Right, now we’ve got to get into the lining.. carefully use the seam ripper to get in and then make a small hole (I couldn’t believe how much I could do inside the lining with this small opening. |
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| When you’ve made a hole turn it inside out as much as you can and make the gap bigger as you need. |
STEP FOUR – Pinning inside…
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| This bit is hard to photograph but basically swap the pins from outside the coat to inside by taking out the pin on the outside and pinching together the inside seam till you are folding the two chalk lines on the outside together. |
STEP FIVE – Chalking the sewing line…
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| Then chalk the inside as this is the line you will follow to sew. |
STEP SIX – The sewing part!
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| Sew along the line alongside the seam INSIDE the coa |
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| Follow the chalk line on all seams inside the lining -making sure you backstitch at the beginning and end |
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| Now finish the seam allowances – I used my pinking shears here but overlocking or zig zag stitch would be just as effective. |
STEP SEVEN – Hand sewing to the finish line!
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| I’m not a fan of hand sewing, well I’m not very good at it that’s for sure but I used a sort of made up ‘slip stitch’ and I’m sure you would all do a much neater/better job. Basically… hand sew up the lining! |
STEP EIGHT – Admire your handy work!
You just took in a coat or cape and you are bloomin amazing!
YAY!!
Hope this is helpful to everyone- just in time for winter to really take hold.
Next up – more sewing, this time making the Megan dress from Love At First Stitch!
Love and messy hand stitches
Xox Gabcape xoX
