I Want Candy

Some ages ago (3 years), I bought a few yards of pink figured shantung from Renaissance Fabrics. I had a cloak or mantle in mind, as I’d seen this one at the MFA (left) and liked how simple it was, making good use of the fabric to achieve its presence.

Three years.

Shantung can be luminous and smooth enough sometimes to pass for an eighteenth-century taffeta/taffety, so I took a gamble, and I’m glad I did. I loved the color, and magically had lightweight pink wool (or magically bought some) that went well with the silk, and could serve as a lining. I don’t remember if I bought the last of the shell-pink shantung, but chances are good that I did.

And promptly did…what? A gown for a museum performer. A quilted winter hood. A quilted silk pelisse. A workshop, a wedding dress, rescued a kitten, got appendicitis–twice– you get the idea. Things happened.

Therefore, I found myself in the midst of writing several final papers last semester and thinking, “Gosh, I really need a pink silk mantle.” A friend had a lovely one in Philadelphia, and while I like my black wool one, I had a hankering for candy floss pink.

First, I wanted a new shape. Using my black mantle/hood short cloak as a basis, I draped a muslin. I had to trim at the neck and reduce some of the volume, but I had a vision of a new, fluffier cloak.

This lovely 1760s cloak is at the Victoria and Albert Museum, T.37-1958, and inspired the shape and trim of the cloak pattern. I failed to document the process, but in about a week I’d gone from muslin pattern to cutting silk.

Irresistible, right? It’s cute, it’s quick. Despite being in the midst of several final papers last fall, I clearly had to make this garment.

I was, in fact, so embroiled in writing that the texts were on top of the fabric as much as the cat. Fortunately, the pale pink silk and bright pink Post-it set off her nose quite nicely. I still haven’t learned to read and sew, but I managed to work on the cloak in the early mornings, after Drunk Tailor had left at the ungodly hour he begins his drive.

One early AM task was testing trim. Yes, I cut all those curves with pinking shears by hand. Once I had an idea of how densely gathered I wanted the trim, I could calculate how much trim I would need to cut, piece, and scallop.

I threw the math away because it was a lot of trim.

To cut the curves, I drew a line parallel to the straight, cut edge of the fabric. Then I marked off one-inch increments as far as I had fabric. Starting at the end, with the scissors at the horizontal line, I freehand cut those arches. They’re probably half to three-quarters of an inch deep.

Is it tedious? Oh my yes, but the trick is to take breaks *and* to be sure you clean the fabric lint from the scissors more often than you think you need to.

Is it identical to the V&A cloak?

No. I didn’t have enough for double trim, but it’s certainly fluffy.

Am I pleased with it? I certainly am. All told, I managed this, three+ final papers, and Thanksgiving dinner in about four weeks (November 10- December 10): as satisfying as cupcakes, but calorie-free.