Cape with Ruffle Hem
Introducing a women's sewing pattern for a chic, mid-length cape featuring distinctive yoked construction, a charming rounded collar, and a playful ruffled hem.
When To Wear
This versatile cape is designed for layering and makes a stylish statement for:
- Autumn & Winter Layering: Provides elegant warmth over sweaters and dresses during cooler seasons.
- Special Occasions: Adds a unique and refined touch to semi-formal or dressy outfits.
- Everyday Chic: Elevates casual ensembles with its fashionable silhouette and distinctive details.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: An a-line cape that flares gracefully from the shoulders to a mid-thigh length.
Collar & Neckline: Features a charming rounded (Peter Pan style) collar with a stand, secured by a hook & eye at the top.
Closure: a center front opening with two visible decorative buttons at the top, transitioning into a neat concealed placket below for a seamless look.
Sleeves: Traditional sleeves are absent, replaced by open armholes characteristic of a cape design, allowing for comfortable layering.
Front & Back: Defined by a distinctive horizontal yoke seam with subtle pleating, dividing the upper and lower sections of the cape.
Hem: a wide, gathered ruffle is attached to the lower edge, creating a feminine and dramatic finish.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Requires skills in constructing a collar with a stand, assembling yoked sections, creating bust darts, managing lining, and attaching a gathered ruffle and concealed button placket.
Fabric Recommendations
Choose fabrics that offer structure while maintaining a graceful drape:
- Lightweight coat fabrics
- Wool blends
- Tweed
- For ruffle & upper collar: a complementary or contrasting medium-weight woven fabric
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric
- Fusible interfacing
- 2 decorative buttons for external fastening
- 3 buttons for concealed fastening
- 1 hook & eye for the collar
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Front – 2 qty
- Front Yoke – 2 qty
- Back – 1 qty
- Back Yoke – 1 qty
- Back Upper sleeve – 2 qty
- Back Lower sleeve – 2 qty
- Front Upper sleeve – 2 qty
- Front Lower sleeve – 2 qty
- Collar – 2 qty
- Collar Stand – 2 qty
- Front Facing – 2 qty
- Back Neck facing – 1 qty
- Flounce – 1 qty (detail dimensions are indicated on the back pattern piece)
- From lining:
- Front – 2 qty
- Back – 2 qty
- Back sleeve – 2 qty
- Front sleeve – 2 qty
- Fly Front Placket lining – 2 qty
- From fusible interfacing:
- Back Neck facing – 1 qty
- Front Facing – 2 qty
- Collar – 1 qty
- Collar Stand – 1 qty
- Fly Front Placket lining – 1 qty
Attention: - The flounce size is indicated on the back pattern piece. The flounce can be assembled from several parts. - Before cutting the lining, join the paper pattern pieces of the upper and lower parts. The front and back lining pieces are cut without considering the width of the front facings and the back neck facing, respectively. The lining should reach the flounce attachment line.
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse fusible interfacing to the collar, collar stand, front facings, back neck facing, and fly front placket lining.
- Stitch the bust dart on the front pieces. Press darts towards the center.
- Press folds along the marked line on the yokes and upper sleeve pieces.
- Fold the back yoke with the back, right sides together, and stitch. Overlock and press the seam. Turn the yoke upwards, forming a fold. Topstitch along the marked line, securing the yoke to the main piece. Similarly, stitch the upper and lower parts of the front and sleeve. Press the pieces.
- Stitch the princess seams of the front, leaving the section between the notches unstitched. Press seams open. Stitch the princess seams of the back. Press seams open.
- Mark the placket opening with three lines on the right front facing's right side: the first line is parallel to the front edge and 1.5 cm from the finished front edge; the second and third lines define the placket length. Place the interfaced facing on the right side of the front facing, right side down, from the front edge, aligning the facing edge with the marked line. Stitch 0.5 cm from the marked line along the placket opening up to the lines defining the placket length. Place the second placket facing butt-to-butt with the stitching of the first facing and stitch 0.5 cm away. Check the facing attachment from the wrong side (stitches should be parallel). Cut the opening. Make diagonal cuts 1-1.5 cm from the end of the placket opening. Turn the facings through the opening to the wrong side, forming a frame from the interfaced facing equal to the width between the stitches. Topstitch in the facing attachment seam. Press the second facing towards the inner edge of the front facing and topstitch 0.1 cm from the facing attachment seam. Mark and overlock buttonholes. Buttonholes are overlock on the front facing together with the interfaced facing. Straighten and secure the ends of the placket from the wrong side with a double backstitch at the base of the corners. Stitch the facing edges. Place bar tacks between each pair of buttonholes, the length of the bar tack equal to the frame width. Press the front facing.
- Place the front facing on the right side of the front, right side down, and stitch along the front edge. Stitching is done from the front side from the hemline to the notch that defines the end of the collar attachment. Trim the seams of the upper front corners. Turn the front edges to the right side, straighten the seams.
- Stitch shoulder seams. Press seams open.
- Fold collar pieces right sides together. Stitch the ends and outer edge of the collar, inserting a hook and loop into the seam. Trim the seam. Turn the collar out and press. Fold collar stand pieces right sides together, insert the finished collar between them, align notches, and stitch, simultaneously stitching the ends of the collar stand. Turn the collar stand out and press.
- Stitch shoulder seams of the back neck facing and front facing. Press seams open.
- Fold the facing with the garment, right sides together, and, inserting the collar between them, stitch the neckline. Turn the front facings and facing to the wrong side and press.
- Stitch the flounce parts into one piece. Overlock the bottom edge, fold up 2 cm and topstitch. Overlock the side edges of the flounce, fold up 1 cm and topstitch. Along the top edge, stitch with loosely tensioned stitches and gather. Attach the flounce to the bottom edge of the cape, first folding back the front facing (the front facing is not included in the seam).
- Stitch the lining pieces similarly to the main fabric pieces, leaving an opening for turning in the left shoulder seam. Fold the lining with the cape, right sides together, and attach to the inner edges of the front facings and the back neck facing. Attach the lining to the front openings. Fold the lining with the cape right sides together and attach n
