In one of our previous blogs, we talked about using men’s wool jackets & pants to make the Dresden pillow (IJ943). Our new Casual Cape (IJ948) also has a repurposed version using menswear. So the big question for many of our readers is how do I mix different patterns of wool together to make a pleasing garment, pillow or purse that will look like it was “meant to be” not just a “hodgepodge of fabrics”?
The Casual Cape - IJ948
Jackets and pants come in a beautiful array of colors in a variety of color palettes such as shades of grays, blacks, beiges, browns, camels or a combination of colors. First, decide what color(s) you would like to use to create the cape. I think grays combined with camels or taupe would be a wonderful combination or try combining blacks with taupes or beiges or use just one color.
Begin the process by choosing the first fabric, the focal piece – the fabric print/pattern and color(s) that will tie all the other fabrics together. For example, if you choose a jacket with a medium to large scale plaid or check, the colors in the plaid could become the inspiration for the color palette for the cape. Try combining this plaid with a small or medium size check, a tweed and a herringbone weave pattern. Or try combining a houndstooth check and combine it with a stripe and a beautiful multi-colored or a single color tweed or even a solid. At least two of the fabrics should be smaller scale designs so that they can “act as neutrals” in the overall cape design.
Lay the jackets and or pants, side by side so you can imagine how they will look when they are sewn together. Our recycled cape used two different men’s jackets to cut the front pieces of the cape – a different one for each side of the cape front. These two men’s jackets were also repeated for different sections of the cape. The colors and patterns all blended well together to create a very cohesive overall design – just like it was “meant to be.”
Try making this fashionable cape from recycled fabrics – it will be a great addition to your wardrobe as a light topper to wear with jeans or your favorite cords and sweaters.
Here are a few other projects created using menswear as fabric:
Cinched Patchwork Satchel - IJ909
Classic Cap - IJ928
Classic Vest - IJ868
Click here to browse all of our patterns that include a recycled version.