Right, you lot are better at google than me - help me find ds a green hooded cloak...

[funnypeculiar]

DS (7) is only asking for two things - a bronze oak leaf & a green hooded cloak. But I can't find a green cloak anywhere (oak leaf covered than goodness) - can anyone help or will I be roced to try and make one??

My pattern was cut down to make a cloak for a four year old but the pattern is readily available, I think it was a Simplicity pattern. They are readily available on-line if you google children's costume patterns or go into a good fabric shop.

The pattern only had three pieces, two for the hood and one for the main cape. As I said before, using fleece fabric (or another non-fraying fabric like jersey which is a bit more difficult to sew). I bought toggles and loops to fasten them.

The fleece made them really cozy for winter walks in the woods even if the DS's got a bit embarrassed when passers by went AAAWWW at the sight of two little red-haired hobbits with wooden swords. Shame they grew into truculent teens glued to x-boxes...

I missed out "cuts down on the sewing considerably" after mentioning fleece fabric.

Found some simple patterns here free

diyfashion.about.com/od/costumes/ss/Make_a_Cape_2.htm

indietutes.blogspot.com/2007/07/basic-hooded-cloak.html

www.servantsofthelight.org/knowledge/makingrobes.html

hope that helps

There's this ebay seller, but the image won't load. It might be worth contacting them and asking for an image?

Do you have a local dressmaker/tailor? It would probably only take them about half an hour to run one up and it might work out cheaper

Local dress maker is a fabulous idea - have tried US sites, but postage is looking prohibitive, and they don't want to guarantee it'll be here in time (fair enough). Tried posting in craft but no-one bit!

It does sound easy looking at those patterns, moonmother (thank you for those!) but I am really not a sew-er - plus I can't see myself having time before Christmas at this stage... Although I am hanging onto wiggly's fleece suggestion if I get to that stage!

PS wiggly - I'm ahhhh-ing at the idea of your two little hobbits too! xx

Before a hobbit party I discovered the most easy peasy way to make excellent cloaks, after faffing for hours with a pattern. This one, no pattern required, just a rectangle of fabric.

Take fabric rectangle. Fold lengthways. Sew one end up completely. The same distance down from the sewed end as the end is long, sew a length of ribbon or whatever you want to fasten it with on each side. Job done. Magic cloak made!

So, as my instructions are rubbish, say you have a piece of fabric 120 x 180. Fold it so it is 60 x 180. Sew up one of the 60 ends. 60 down from the sewed bit, on both edges of the fabric, sew a fastener. Does that make sense?

Doesn't have to be those measurements, whatever suits the size of your child will work.

You see loopy, this just shows how rubbish I am - I can't follow those instructions with or without the numbers

That's my instructing, not your sewing! Do this now with a piece of paper to see if we're understanding one another.

1. Get rectangle of fabric.
2. Fold in half lengthways
3. Sew one end. This is the hood.
4. Sew ribbon on the edges a bit down from the top sewed up bit. This is your fastening.
5. Wear.

I need one of those ipad doodle things

pm me your email address.

Oh, oh, I've got it loopy. I think.
Although I can't imagine how the neck bit stays closed. Will pm you

Have sent you a powerpoint that I just made. Hope it makes it a bit clearer!

Wow, loopy thanks so much, that is wonderful - Mners are lovely .

And unbelievably looks simple enough that I think I WILL attempt to do it myself (your cloak photo looks FAB - but I suspect there's a fancy lining or something in yours...?)

Ha! That was from Google image - I think it's Frodo, so can't claim to know what the lining is like or that yours will end up like it! But they are really easy to make and do look good when done. Good luck! :)

I looked at it and thought - wow that really DOES look like a hobbit cloak, this is one impressive pattern

:)

what about a green dressing gown with a hood? cut the arms off and sew up the arm holes. You might get a nice velvet effect one somewhere

I've uploaded a pic of DS2 in one of the cloaks I made.

Oh, lovely photo, wiggly. Your ds-es are GORGEOUS!!!!