Shoryl has always had an uncanny ability to ask for things I have no idea how to sew, and they did so again for this one: a “dragon wing” cape.
…What does a dragon wing cape even look like?
In thinking about this, I decided it needed:
- Something to mimic the wing bones
- A scalloped edge
- To be large enough that they could hold it outstretched like, well, like wings
In researching houppelande construction (which I’ll talk more about when I get to starting that piece), I learned about an interesting circle construction technique that involves putting the point of the circle at the shoulder, so that the fabric drapes down from the shoulder point.
Along with that, I realized that not only were French seams likely to be necessary based on the fabric, they would also provide a certain amount of textural interest, particularly if I essentially made one quarter of a gored circle skirt.
Measurements I took:
- Shoulder from collar to armscye
- Shoulder to waist (though I decided this wasn’t long enough for the drape I wanted)
- Armscye to fingertips (also not long enough)
- Shoulder to knee (the length I decided on)
The shoulder to knee length became the radius of a quarter circle, and the shoulder from collar to armscye became the circumference of the quarter circle removed from the point. I then calculated how many panels I thought would look good (five), added seam allowance, and quickly drafted a muslin.
Thankfully, unlike some of my ideas, it worked exactly as I expected it to (my faltering math ability notwithstanding).
A Twist of Metaphor 