Cruella's Cloak

The cloak I knew would be very straight forward, as it has little shape to it. However, it is all about when the actor moves while wearing the cloak, how it will drag behind and its over-the-top style will give a huge sense of importance and status.

I experimented on the stand with different patterns, and finally decided on using pleats to add a bit of interest to the cloak. I thought that the fabric would look flat and boring if made exactly like the design and pleating the top fabric at the neckline adds a bit of interest and shadows to the fabric.

The main design feature on the cloak is the fur lining, so I felt a bit lost with what to do with the top fabric. I didn't want it plain and flat, yet I have to be careful not to challenge other aspects of my costume with the cloak, as the corset and the collar are the main features.

Once I had the patterns, it was simply a case of cutting out and making. This didn't really challenge me in my making skills as I knew how I was going to construct it. However, the corset and the collar are the areas in which I wanted to be challenged and further my skills, and making the cloak was exciting as I got to start to work in my top fabric and use the faux fur I've ordered online.
Working with the fur did teach me to be careful with cutting out and sewing together, as it was easy for the fur to slip on the machine. I also hadn't appreciated how thick the fur could be when sewn together, and perhaps I should have considered this when I made my fabric choices. However, I did want a thick fur fabric to go with the flamboyant nature of my design, and where the seams get a bit chunky the collar covers it.

I'm really happy with how the cloak looks and working in top fabric really motivated me. I did not do a toile for my cloak as I needed the motivation of top fabric but also because of time. Not making a toile cloak has not really affected the garment as it is not fitted to the body. The length is the only thing that really needed to be considered, so I changed the height of the mannequin to my model's height using the 'nape to ground' measurement.