Simplicity Pattern # 5840

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Pattern # 5840 is described as "Unisex Hooded Capes and Men's Fantasy Costumes". I used View B to make one of the Witch's costumes for the Desert Pointe Production of Into the Woods. This costume is the Witch's Cloak. It is worn during the first act. The material was a black stretchy velvet. Beautiful, but a bit hard to work with. The first problem was that the right side of the fabric was so slippery that when I put the right sides together to cut out the pieces, the material kept shifting. The material also had a good bit of stretch to it, but didn't lay quite evenly. So each piece, although cut at the same time using the same pattern piece, was a slightly different size.

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The cutting problem was remedied by using silverware. Yep. You read that correctly. I dumped all of my knives and spoons onto the pattern top to keep the pattern piece in place while I was cutting. This technique worked marvelously!!! (thanks for the tip Mom!) The knives worked the best because they are flat and so hold things down evenly and firmly. But I didn't have enough knives to cover the entire pattern. Spoons were the next best thing. :)

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Once the pieces were cut I ran into the another problem with the material. It shed!! Fortunately, it only shed from the cut edges. I had little black fuzz all over my clothes and the stuff kept going up my nose and into my mouth when I breathed. Yuck! Fuzz in the airways is not a good thing for my allergy and asthmatic self.

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This costume was super-easy to make. The pattern was clear and easy to follow. There were only about eight pieces to work with. First, I attached the cloak front and back to a yoke at the shoulder seams. Second, I added the one-piece sleeves to either side. Third, I sewed the one side up from the cloak hem to the sleeve cuff. Fourth, I sewed up the other side. Fifth, I added the hood. At that point I could have hemmed the thing and been done. But since this is a fancy costume, I had a few more things to do...

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My sewing buddy. He sat in my lap during the entire process. It takes great skill to sew with a two-year-old on your lap. And I have great skill! Hahahaha! ;)

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Before I get into the extras, I need to clarify one of my sewing deviations. Head Honcho again brought me the pattern and material for this costume. I had a limited amount of fabric to work with. In order to get all the pieces cut from the black velvet, it was necessary to scale down the hood. I don't know if you can tell from the pattern picture, but their hood is quite pointy in the back. My hood has a smaller point and thus used less fabric. The hood is still large enough to cover the entire head and face when pulled down. Which is all I need the hood to do!

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First extra, embroidered ribbon. I lucked out when I found this ribbon. Silver and blue on a black background. Perfect for my witch's cloak. Subtle, yet beautiful. I used the ribbon to line the lower edges of the yoke in the front and back, the sleeve cuffs, and the hood's front edge. I used a small zigzag on top and bottom to attach the ribbon.

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After the ribbon was added, I hemmed all the raw edges. This material did not want to fold. Not at all! So I tossed the cloak into my sewing machine and rolled the raw edges to the inside as I went along, using a straight stitch. This technique worked fine.
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Second extra, snaps. Toward the end of Act One, the Witch changes from an ugly, old hag into a beautiful young woman. She will come onto stage wearing her beautiful red gown (under the cloak) and her ugly mask. The robe needed to completely conceal the gown until the change. Then it needed to come apart quickly for the big reveal. Snaps were the perfect solution. They are sturdy when snapped together, a small tug will pull them apart completely, and there are no loud sounds when they come apart.

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I used twelve black snaps, hand sewn in, down the entire length of the cloak's front. The first two are only an inch apart. The remaining ten are at five inch intervals. They are sewn in using a quadruple thickness of heavy duty polyester thread. Those babies aren't going anywhere!

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Close-up of the top snaps.

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A wider view of the snaps.
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The third, and final, extra was pockets. GIANT pockets. The Witch had pyrotechnics she had to carry. Plus an apple and a few other miscellaneous items. She needed wide, deep pockets. The funky texture of the black velvet came in very handy at this point. I stitched the pockets, made of a black cotton broadcloth, into the inside of the cloak. One of each side. The stitching did not show at all in the front! It just blended right in. Hooray!

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I used two straight lines to join the pockets to the cloak. To figure out the placement of each pocket, I put the cloak on myself and reached my arms into the opposite sides, gauging where it would be most comfortable and most easily accessible.

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Front View of the finished cloak.
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Back View of the finished cloak.
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Close-Up of hood and shoulders.
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I never got a picture of the Witch wearing this cloak. :( If you have one, please send it to me.

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I did get a picture of the costume waiting it's turn backstage. Can you see it peaking out?

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I needed a picture of someone wearing the costume, to show how it hangs. Rose volunteered to help. The sleeves and overall length of the cloak are intentionally too long. The length gives the garment a more mysterious feel and helps to hide more of the Witch's body.

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This costumes turned out so, SO well!!! It was a super-easy pattern and the result is perfect. I would definitely use this pattern again.

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When I saw the play and saw the Witch first come out wearing this cloak, the effect was magnificent. The Witch walked hunched over and this costume hung on her wonderfully! The black velvet gave a haggard appearance and the hang of the garment over her hunched form made her appear quite overweight. And then when she dropped the cloak and stood in her beautiful red gown, the difference was significant and breathtaking! It was complete WOW moment for the audience. I love WOW moments in plays. They make me happy! :)