Are you ready to sew a hooded cape?
This is my Caroling Cape. It has a big gathered hood, arm slits so you can actually use your hands, a high-low hem, and long ties at the neck.
I’ll walk you through every step, from cutting to hemming. The full video is right below if you’d like to sew along with me.
The short version
→ Fabric: I used 4 1/4 yards of 60″ wide wool.
→ Seam allowance: 5/8″ (1.6 cm).
→ Ties: two rectangles cut 37 1/4″ x 3 1/4″, with seam allowance included.
→ Hem: 1 1/2″ total. Press up 1/2″, then press up another inch.
→ The cape has shoulder darts, arm slits in the side front seams, a hood gathered into the neckline, and ties that double as the neckline binding.
What you’ll need
→ The Caroling Cape PDF sewing pattern
→ About 4 1/4 yards of 60″ wide fabric (I used wool)
→ Matching thread
→ Pins, a ruler, and a seam gauge
→ Tracing paper and a tracing wheel
→ A safety pin for turning the ties
→ A serger (optional, for finishing the inside edges)
How to sew a hooded cape, step by step
Step 1: Print, tape, and cut out your pattern
Print your pattern, cut the pages apart, tape them together, and cut out your pattern pieces.
Step 2: Lay out your fabric on grain
I always line my fabric up with the straight of grain along the edge of my cutting mat. You can use the edge of your cutting table too. It just makes it so much easier to keep your pattern on grain.
Lay the pattern on the fabric, check the grain, and pin it down so it doesn’t move.
Step 3: Mark and cut the cape pieces
Mark the dart and the neckline, then pin all the way around so the pattern piece can’t slip while you cut.
In the video, my cape pieces didn’t have seam allowance yet, so I added it as I cut by lining my ruler up with the edge of the pattern. Check your pattern pieces before you cut so you know whether yours already includes it.
Before you move the pattern, mark the arm slit openings. Then cut the second side the same way.
Step 4: Match your fabric’s print (if it has one)
My wool has a small, fine print, so I matched the pattern on every piece.
When you cut the second piece, either mark on your pattern where the fabric design lines up, or lay your first cut piece right on top and use it as your pattern. A friend helps a lot here! It’s one of those steps that makes your cape look so much more professional.
I always transfer my markings with tracing paper and a tracing wheel. I love how exact it is.
Step 5: Cut the ties and the hood
Cut two tie strips. If your fabric has stripes or lines, follow one all the way down so the tie comes out straight.
Then cut the hood. My hood pattern piece already included seam allowance. Flip your fabric so the right sides are together, line up your pattern side to side and top to bottom, and cut.
Wool doesn’t move much. If you’re using something slick, weigh or pin your pattern pieces down so they stay put.
Step 6: Finish the edges
I serge around the edges of every piece. It keeps the inside of the cape clean and crisp, and it helps the cape last a lot longer.
Step 7: Sew the hood seam, side front seams, and darts
I like to sew a bunch, then iron a bunch.
Hood: Pin the hood seam, matching your pattern, and sew it with a backstitch at the start. Check your pattern matching after the first couple of inches. That way, if it’s off, you only redo a little bit instead of the whole seam.
Side front seams: Pin top to bottom. Mark where your arm slit starts and stops with pins going the opposite direction, so you know exactly where to stop sewing. Then stitch from the bottom up to the first marking pin, backstitch, skip the opening, backstitch again at the next pin, and sew up to the neckline.
Always sew from the bottom up when your seam isn’t on the straight of grain. It’s especially important on the bias, because sewing top down can stretch the seam and cause problems later.
Shoulder darts: Fold each dart in half, mark where it should end, line up your tracing lines, and sew it down, backstitching at the top and bottom.
Make sure you’re building a left side and a right side. If your front and back look a lot alike, it’s easy to make two of the same side by accident!
Step 8: Press, finish the front, and stitch the arm slits
Press the hood seam open. Then press the hood facing back 1/2″, and press again at 1″. A seam gauge makes this so much easier.
Press the side front seams open, including the part that stays open for the arm slit. Press the center front facing the same way, 1/2″ and then 1″, and stitch it down.
For the arm slits, stitch the seam allowance down all the way around the opening. I use the edge of my presser foot as a guide. This keeps the seam allowance from flipping to the outside when you reach through.
Stitch the hood facing down, then sew two rows of basting stitches along the bottom of the hood for gathering. Don’t backstitch, and leave long thread tails at both ends.
Step 9: Sew the center back and attach the hood
Pin and sew the center back seam, matching your pattern carefully. The center back is the seam people will see the most. Sew from the bottom up and check your pattern matching early.
Press the seam open, and press the shoulder darts toward the center back.
Pin the hood to the neckline, pull your gathering threads, and spread the gathers evenly from center back to the front. I add extra pins so there are no surprises halfway through. Sew slowly, and pull your pins as you go. With thick fabric, that keeps you from breaking a needle or bending a pin.
Step 10: Add the ties
Line up the center of the tie with the center back of the cape and pin out to each side. Sew the tie on, then fold the seam allowance up toward the cape and fold the tie over it, so all of the neckline seam allowance is fully covered. Topstitch along the edge. This gives you a clean, bound neckline.
For the loose ends of the ties, fold them right sides together and put a safety pin inside, pointing back toward the cape. Stitch the tie closed as close to the cape as you can, clip the corners, and use the safety pin to turn the tie right side out. Press it well, then topstitch to close the small opening where the tie meets the cape.
Step 11: Hem your cape
My pattern has a 1 1/2″ hem. Press up 1/2″ all the way around, then press up another inch, and topstitch.
This is a high-low cape, so it’s shorter in the front and longer in the back. If you want an even hem, or a more dramatic curve, put the cape on before you hem it and have someone mark the length for you.
Some people like a hand-stitched hem better than topstitching. I topstitched mine because I wanted this cape to hold up for years.
And that’s it! You have a finished hooded cape, ready to wear.
Quick answers to common questions
I used 4 1/4 yards of 60″ wide fabric for my Caroling Cape. If your fabric has a pattern you need to match, plan on a little extra.
5/8″ (1.6 cm).
I cut two rectangles, 37 1/4″ x 3 1/4″. That includes the 5/8″ seam allowance. You can make them shorter if you want a different look.
Yes. Put the cape on before you hem it and have someone mark an even length all the way around. You can also use that step to make the curve more dramatic.
I made mine in wool, which is warm and doesn’t shift much while you cut. If you use a slicker fabric, weigh or pin your pattern pieces so they don’t move.
No. I serge the edges to keep the inside clean and help the cape last longer, but any edge finish you like will work.
Get the pattern
If you want to make your own, the Caroling Cape PDF sewing pattern is in my shop. And if you’re dreaming of matching capes for the whole family, the Family Hooded Cape Pattern Bundle has toddler, child, and adult sizes.
Want to draft your own cape instead? My printable circle templates post shows how to get the curve right without any circle math.
Happy sewing,
Christina
