How to cut and sew a 50s style cape, a la Audrey Hepburn.

I should preface this- 
I love 50s clothing- I enjoy 40s and 60s clothes- but the 50s have such lovely shapes!
All of them using a million miles of fabric.
50s seems to be fashionable still- which has made vintage shopping pretty much out. I love my £5 bargain dresses from 3 or 4 years ago- now the same dress will set you back £20! inflation!
I will jsut have to learn to sew.

I have a 50s style coat with a full circle "skirt" and (faux) furry collar but a cape would look really cool on my (early) 60s raleigh caprice. And I could make it out of a fabric which can go in the washing machine!
Bonus. somehow my bike has mudguards all over it and I still end up covered in more mud than I thought I'd ridden though.
I don't even think I have to ride my bike to get covered in mud. I just go near it and somehow I'm filthy.

I  this would be awesome right now, it's not cold enough for a real coat with sleeves yet, but in the evenings you need something to keep you toasty.

This pattern is taken from this incredible website:
http://www.projectrunplay.com/2011/09/audrey-cape-tutorial.html 

If you're wanting for sewing projects this is the place to be looking! I'm always so impressed with their projects- I can barely master sock puppets and these people are making blazers out of old curtains for themselves and 3 children! how?!

These instructions are for a child sized cape- the basic pattern for this is a circle skirt- cut as much fabric as you would need for a full circle skirt and you should have a cape that fits, unless you have either a massive bottom and no bazingas or all the bazingas and a flat bum. if either of those describes you, sorry, you'll just have to guess what size your cape should be!

A cape can be anything from elbow skimming to waist length- so however this turns out it'll still be chic- you just might have cold elbows.
reassured?
good.
lets get started.

One word of advice: This was a thrifting challenge, so I ended up making the linings of these capes from regular cotton fabric. In real life, I WOULD NOT. Take the time to get real lining fabric....it will look much more like a professional coat, and you will be much happier with it.

Also, I made two capes. I will give you the measurements for the Big Girl cape in the tutorial....and will give the Little Girl cape at the bottom. (It was too confusing to put them both in...) If you are looking for sizing, the Big Girl cape was put on a six year old but I am guessing would fit anyone up to about a size 8 or a small 10. The Little Girl cape could go anywhere from about a size 2 to a size 4 or 5.

(If you are worried you could always cut a muslin and then try it on your little one...)

Big Girl Cape Tutorial

*You should work on the folded edges....and not the selveges.

*One thing I forgot to tell you....you need to make to slit on one of the folds to make the circle open.

Now move on to the collar pieces for a minute.

HERE is a pattern for a peter pan collar if you need one.