I just finished making my first project of the new year.
My sweet nephew just turned 6 years old and I think he's going to love this.
I was not sure what to get him and with Christmas going on I waited till after his birthday to get started.
I asked him what he got for his birthday and he said, "Just what I wanted! I got a Captain America costume."
Well that was music to my ears, because I'd been wondering if he'd like a personalized super hero cape. Captain America doesn't wear a cape, so this might be a nice addition to his costume. I know he has also had an affection for Batman, so I decided to make it reversible. Here is a tutorial so that you can make one for your little super hero too.
What you will need:
- 1 yard of fabric per side, and 3 scraps of fabric for appliques.
- Thread to match each color of fabric
- 3" of loop and 1.5" of hook
1. The first thing I did was cut a rectangle 30" X 33". Then I folded it in half length wise. I rounded the bottom just a bit cutting 1 3/4 inches off the raw edge side. Then I angled the sides by taking the raw edge and cutting a triangle. 4 1/2 " taken off of the width at the top. Finally I cut the curve of the neck. 6" (across the top) X 4 3/4" (on the fold).
2. Now take this shape (still folded) and place it on top of another color of fabric (folded as well). Cut out your other side of the cape.
3. Now you want to draw and cut your appliques. I drew this Batman emblem directly on my fabric, on the fold, with a pencil. I love using pencil. They are always readily available and they erase quite nicely, in the event of a mishap. My applique turned out to be 8" X 5".
The letter "T" for my nephew's initial is 4" X 7". I also cut it on a fold.
And the background for the "T" to go on I just winged it. I'm sure you can tell. Making sure it was big enough to fit the "T" in, and small enough to fit nicely on the back of the cape.
4. Now it's time to sew the appliques together. First you want to sew the "T" to the explosive looking piece using a satin stitch. If your machine doesn't have a satin stitch then you can use your zig zag stitch on the widest setting and the shortest length setting.
- Now the explosive looking piece is sewn to the cape.
- Next sew the Batman emblem to the back of the black side of the cape.
5. Now you want to place your cape pieces right sides together and sew around the edges. Be sure to leave a gap so that you can turn it right side out. Trim your corners so that they won't be bulky when you turn the cape right side out.
6. Turn your cape right side out, press, and sew up the gap. Continue the stitch as a top stitch all the way around the cape. 1/4" from the edge. When doing this I use one color of thread in the bobbin to match the appropriate side of the cape, and the thread on top to match that side of the cape. So here I have yellow thread on top and black thread in my bobbin.
7. Now attach your hook and loop. I cut the hook a little shorter than the loop because I don't want the risk of my nephew being scratched by the hook if he doesn't need to cover it completely when securing the cape around his neck. I sewed black hook to the black side of the cape and yellow loop to the yellow side of the cape.
And now you are done!
