wool for a cloak
Nov. 13th, 2011 03:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
greenwitch posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
sca_attireI've been meaning to make myself a cloak for a while now, but I don't know where to get the fabric. I've seen some great heavy weight wool cloaks for sale at my local faires, but have never seen that weight fabric at my local stores (only suiting). I'm fine with buying online, but have no idea what to look for in terms of numbers. Does anyone have advice on fiber, weights, and/or places to buy online? 100% wool is best, obviously, but if anyone has any experience with blends, that's okay too.
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Date: 2011-11-13 09:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2011-11-13 11:35 pm (UTC)That said, if you've tried cloaks extensively and like them, I wouldn't go heavier than coat-weight. Fabrics.com often has pretty nice coat-weight wool and wool-blends, although their stock is extremely variable.
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Date: 2011-11-14 12:47 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-11-14 01:11 am (UTC)Coatweight/heavyweight (melton, etc.): 18-24oz/yd, approximately (if you're thinking full-circle cloak, you probably want lighter than this or your cloak will weigh several pounds, easily--honestly, because of how thick coatweight wool is, it's better for less bulky garments than cloaks, e.g. coats)
Suiting, flannel, etc.: 10-12oz/yd spring/fall, 14-18oz winter
Bah, Fabric.com has a lousy wool selection right now. The thing is, there's no widely agreed-upon standard for weights & names. Generally speaking, most sellers will suggest uses for the wool--if they're suggesting suits, skirts, etc., and it's at least 12oz but less than 18oz, that's probably the weight you want. Plain twills (and tabby, if you can find wool tabby--it's hard) will drape and flow more than tweeds, hounds-tooth, and other fancy weaves. Boiled wool is shrunken and semi-felted, too stiff for cloaks. Tropical weight is probably too light. I'd avoid crepe.
I'm not sure what online sellers you're looking at, but none of my standbys describe in oz without any verbal description. B. Black & Sons is on the higher end of the price range, but their quality is fantastic and you should be able to use their descriptions to match up oz ranges and uses. This is what I made my full circle cloak out of--it's 10.5-11oz, took almost 7 yards (and I am pretty short), and was irritatingly heavy and bulky. I wouldn't go heavier than that. (It was super-duper soft and lovely, though, and I'm excited about turning it into a dress.)
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Date: 2011-11-14 01:38 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2011-12-28 09:05 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-11-14 02:34 am (UTC)In terms of online stores, my favourite is Handelsgillet, but you may not be in Europe. Have you looked at Renaissance Fabrics?
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Date: 2011-11-14 04:38 am (UTC)