Quilted capelet in burgundy wovens

I had an idea that’s been brewing for years now. I’ve drawn it out countless times and have done countless research on construction approaches and techniques to consider.

The fabric had been sitting in my ‘to make next’ pile for months and months, and I even pulled it out to get started on several occasions.

So, what stopped me from actually seeing it come to life?

I’m going to assume that fear played a part in the procrastination. I’m normally good about jumping into the unknown, but sometimes I want to jump with a little bit of knowledge so that I’m not going in entirely blind.

The problem with that, is sometimes you stay too long in the research stage before just diving in – ha! You see, it does eventually come back to that need for you to leap.

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Taking a leap of faith

Well, that leap finally came one weekend in August. You see, I’d just been to visit the Twist Fiber Festival, and I was in the mood to play with some thread that I’d just picked up 😉 Nothing like some new notions to get you excited, right?!

In any event, for some reason, it was the cape that I’ve been wanting to make that I got this urge to just finally dive in and make it happen. And so, I did!

Adjusting your vision as you go

On the Saturday, I spent the day quilting up my panel and figuring out how to draft a template. What I quickly realized was that the materials I had planned on using, were going to create a pretty short cape – ha!

Instead of giving up and starting fresh, I decided to forge on for several reasons:

• I was feeling committed. I wanted to see it through and see how it turned out.
• I was curious to see the process through, figuring I could use the experience to refine my next one 😊
• I was enjoying creating the final look of it on the fly.  Case in point, I never planned on using a dark blue denim binding. But it was fun to envision how the capelet was morphing and shaping as I hit each stage of the piecing.

 It was almost destined to be a Christmas tree skirt, but I refused to give up on the project. It was also when I placed the clasps offset that really sold me on the capelet idea.

Capelet Finishing Details

Here are some of the fun details I snuck into this burgundy quilted capelet:

Quilting

When it came time to quilt the panel up, I opted for straight-line quilting because I wanted a linear aspect to the otherwise very curvy shape of the cape. I mulled doing crosshatch quilting but ultimately decided on keeping it simple so I could see the effect.

I used the same 40wt Aurifil thread that I used in this quilted coat. This thread colour has come in handy as I also used it in the Playtime quilt.

Quilted capelet binding

The binding you see was not my first choice – ha! How’s that for honest? I was hoping for something with a little less contrast, but this is what my stash allowed me to proceed with and not get stuck yet again, only this time at the binding stage 😉

So, after visualizing the different options, I kept coming back to this denim.

As is often the case, I actually love how it looks now, and it has sparked lots of ways to wear/pair her with my wardrobe (more on that below).

Quilted capelet closure

It has been months (if not over a year) since I picked up these closures. Proof I’ve been thinking about this project for such a long time.

They’re magnetic, so they clip nicely into place, while also adding a lovely detail to the finished capelet.

How to style a quilted capelet

I’m not normally a capelet person. In fact, I’d say I specifically skip over them thinking “That’s not for me”, and yet, after putting it on, I’m quite smitten!

And spent time going through styling ideas, which got me even more excited.

Here’re some of the combinations I was dreaming about:

• Capelet layered over a chunky knit sweater with jeans and runners (as shown in these photos).
• Capelet layered over my burgundy quilted coat for a coordinated and extra warm option.
• Capelet paired with Collage Gather Top and Peppermint Pocket Skirt with ballet flats
• Capelet paired with a classic blue button-down, skinny jeans, and ballet flats.
• Capelet with a turtleneck, beige pants, and riding boots.

I’m surprising myself with all the ideas of how I could wear her!

What are your thoughts on capelets? Are you here for it, or is it a hard pass? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Happy stitching!

xo

Shannon

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