Wool Cloak Diagrams and Notes

So I tried a half circle cloak.

Things I learned.

Hood make a rectangle, if any shaping is to be done, snip off the pointy bit at the top like this. Try to round it a bit at the back. It will turn out pointier then expected. Don't add a rounded bit at the tip, it will look like a smurf.

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Even using 60" (here shrunk down to 55 or so) with the neck hole, it becomes shorter, a short cloak hitting only a few inches below my knee.

So piece the bottom like the Medieval extant example
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Or try my brilliant piecing idea
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Or line the bottom like the starry mantle
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(to be expanded)
-Neck binding inside edge so not scratchy
-use lotr neck thing so can pull tight, maybe with couple helpful hook n eyes for tight setting
-new hood dimensions
-make neck cutaway bigger then hood, pleat it onto the hood bottom, maybe even putting in darts to neck...
-face front edge so hangs straight.

Dyeing Wool

I dyed the wool. Things I noticed

Shrinkage. On initial hot ("heavy" setting on washing machine) wash, my nice woven wool went from 7.5 yards to 6.75 yards, and 3.3 yards to 3 yards respectively. Thats shrinkage of around 0.3 per 3.3 yards. After dyeing (at 130 F) each 2 yard increment shrunk by an inch or two. So if buying (nice woven) wool, but 1/2 yard more per 3 yards.

How I dyed them. I cut them into approximately 2-2.5 yard increments of my prewashed fabric. I filled the bucket with around 3 gallons of water 130 F (I acheived this with around 2.5 gallons of hot tap water, and 0.5 gallon of boiling water) and checked it with a meat thermometer. Then I put in a package of RIT dye (dark green) and around 2 T. laundry detergent, mixed it up. Then put in the dry fabric for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. After 5 minutes, I added 1 cup white vinegar, then stirred for 5 more minutes, then cold rinsed over and over. The pieces each only shrunk a couple inches or so. I found putting half a pot of boiling water per bucket was much nicer to the fabric then a full pot (that fabric felted more).

RIT dye errs on the side of being blue. Very blue. So the dark brown had a purple undertone to it (I prefer oranger/tan undertones), and the 'Dark Green' when dyed lightly (10 min) anyway, is kind of a dusky blue green. I want something more like olive. So next time I will always have some 'sunshine orange' (something kind of orangey yellow) to add to my greens and browns. I think I will try redyeing my batch with sunshine yellow, to acheive a warmer brown and olive green.

Goals for 2013

My goals for 2013 are to (surprise!) make my home more like Rivendell, a place of peace and re-filling of strength and LIFE to go out and face Mordor/Smaug/all thats wrong with the world. First off, with myself.I need to be filled with something for my home to be filled with it. I became keenly aware of this when I left home--each home, had a 'feeling' or an 'atmosphere', some felt like mausoleums, some like gardens on a sunny day at 10 in the morning with the sound of birds....
At college I would wilt in the stress-filled dorms, and crave what I could only call 'LIFE', that strength/peace/joy/what-the-singing-elves-had-that-made-the-dark-rider-flee/ what-the-saints-had....that holy joy, that bright peace, the joy of the tallest hickory trees thrashing in the bright wind at 10 in the morning, with the calls of the crows and honey-suckle in the wind....
In short, I think it is the presence of the Creator, the Life-Giver, the Holy Spirit. So for my house to be a place where He dwells, where there is life, Life must dwell in me. So to start, I mean to make an effort, for the first time since I was a teenager, to have real daily time spent with him, reading His words, rejoicing in who He is, listening to His voice. My total lack of discipline prevented this from ever happening on a real basis. No more.
Secondly, Rivendell was not full of dirty dishes, and people stressed by not having forks or a place to put their feet on the floor. There's something about mess that does not invite mental peace. So, on with the discipline part, my house is going to be clean, and my kids are going to follow a routine, to organize their daily life. If I really get my act together we might institute some form of the daily office.
My last resolution is creative goals.

1. Finish Eowyn Shieldmaiden Outfit, 
2. Eowyn's White Wool Dress,
3. Arwen Blood Red Dress,
4. Medieval linen Kirtle,
5. Medieval Wool Kirtle 1& 2
6. Medieval Wool Half Circle Cloak
7. Medieval Linen Smock,
8. Medieval Apron,
9. Medieval Belt,
10. Medieval Linen Cap of St. Birgitta,
11. Regency Hat (for Easter)
12. Regency Bodiced Petticoat
13. Pink Regency Easter Dresses for two of my sisters and I,
14. Regency dresses inspired by 2009 Emma,
15. Regency inspired coat, from refashioned old coats
16. 'Indian' Maternity dress 2.0,
17. Medieval 'Link' inspired outfit for Josh,
18. Faramir Ranger Outfit 2.0 for Josh,
19. Tower Guard Outfit (Like Pippins) for Isaiah
20. Medieval (Link Inspired) outfit for Isaiah,
21. a comfortable yet matching medieval outfit for Jehanne.

And I will update this blog every Monday.