14th Century Half Cloak: Not Your Average Cape Cult

[@canucknancy4257]

I didn't realize the buttons were sewn right on the edge like that. It's a brilliantly wonderful piece to go adventuring in. Take care, have a great time on your trip, and see you in April

[@rachelboersma-plug9482]

While I love the straightforwardness and non-wastefulness of rectangular construction, I have to admit that clothes were a lot more interesting by the late Middle Ages. I love this in combination with the London hood. And it's nice to see some masculine styled garments too.

[@OpusElenae]

There will be more; I want to make a masc cotehardie for myself and I’m going to be making some more clothes for my partner too. There’s such a dearth of masc clothing videos.

[@GaraksApprentice]

@@OpusElenae I am here for this content.

[@sarar4901]

What a gorgeous cloak. 😍 Capes truly are the skirts of the shoulders. Side note: it didn't impede my enjoyment of the video as a whole, but I think something has gone do-lally in the sound mixing around the 4:45 mark.

[@OpusElenae]

Ughhhh I’m sorry; I was trying out a new way of silencing ambient noise and apparently Premiere just…. Skipped like three minutes.

[@sarar4901]

@@OpusElenae no worries! I figured you'd rather know than not, but as I say I still definitely enjoyed the video. 🙂 Technology is great until it isn't.

[@jeannegreeneyes1319]

"Whee-ed" along with you when you twirled and was thinking, "now she just needs a..." and cheered when you did indeed get out the hood! Yup, another cape cult looming.

[@OpusElenae]

As if I’d ever miss any excuse to wear my hood!

[@Chibihugs]

Love the cape! It is sleek but has a great amount to swish! That being said, it's all your fault that I now have another cape I want to make.

[@OpusElenae]

IM NOT SORRY

[@amandaknowles2998]

14:19 that slow motion shoulder toss tho 👌❤️

[@OpusElenae]

I live for the dramatic

[@FlybyStardancer]

Ooo I love that cloak! I definitely have cloak-envy. lol Also I saw a quick peek of Bran during the dressing up! (Pets for him) Have fun at Gulf War!

[@OpusElenae]

Bran accepts your pets as his due

[@blktauna]

Have fun at Gulf Wars and pleeeeeese maybe vlog a tiny bit. I so miss events.

[@OpusElenae]

I’m gonna vlog a lot bit!

[@blktauna]

@@OpusElenae

[@efronamor1710]

She is awesome! I watched and was in awe.. Seriously Bravo..

[@christinaguzzi747]

Now I want a cloak....and a hood....and so many wintery items that my climate does not necessarily get along with too well😅

[@OpusElenae]

I live in Texas so I sympathize DEEPLY.

[@christinaguzzi747]

@@OpusElenae I lived in TX for a few years for work, I know what it's like. Currently in FL, so the humidity kills me. At least we had a little snow the two winters I was in TX 😂

[@SebastianGrimthwayte]

I can see why you’d want the buttons/closure on the same side as the dominant hand-easier to move that arm and (with a nod to Jill Bearup) grab your weapon.

[@OpusElenae]

Yes exactly!

[@ctq.jenY99]

This could go so well for making a Scar cosplay from Secret Life 😆 Good video

[@ShannonLambert]

Good news, the captions are fine during the sound hiccup.

[@paloma_hill]

oh that black buttonhole twist making the buttonholes themselves into decoration! wow!

[@OpusElenae]

Thank you! I enjoy contrasting details

[@IDoDeclareify]

All the fantastic medieval fop vibes with the good at the end!!! I love it!!!

[@OpusElenae]

I am a FANCY BISH in any era

[@stevezytveld6585]

Beautiful work. Yet another project added to the eventual yellow wool kirtle that's in my future. - Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown/Pimisi

[@OpusElenae]

Pretty soon you’re going to have an entire outfit!

[@stevezytveld6585]

@@OpusElenae Exactly. I just actually have to actually make the stuff. But yes. I will be (eventually) fully kitted out for the (eventual) Canterbury Pilgrimage. Mister Husband did the MA on The Legend of Good Women. So, this has been on the to-do for a while now. In the meantime I'm taking the month off of trying to sew fabric to work on that leathercraft-shaped rabbit hole I fell into over the holidays. Right now I'm playing around with making my tool rolls. It's both harder and easier than it seems.

[@beth_winegarner]

Love how this came out, and I really enjoyed the music you chose. Well done.

[@OpusElenae]

Thank you! I try hard to pick good and relevant music!

[@selkiemorien9006]

Wow O__O The edge of that cloak just looks so clean! Maybe it's the contrast, but I really like it.

[@OpusElenae]

Thank you! Definitely painstaking to achieve, but worth it!

[@DebbieGring]

Love the cloak! Once I get to a point when I can sew, I may have some wool for one!

[@OpusElenae]

Yesssssss make one!

[@paulamiller8386]

That moment when you see someone twirling a cloak and you think you need a new cloak in that style. I have 3 cloacks so far and that is definatley not enough cloaks in my life. Thank you for showing me a new style to make. 🥰

[@OpusElenae]

MOAR CLOAKKKKKK

[@pippaseaspirit4415]

That half-cloak is deliciously swooshy!

[@christenagervais7303]

Some tablet weaving would look gorgeous for trim!

[@OpusElenae]

It would! I haven’t found any real evidence of trims on these cloaks though; the high Middle Ages went in more for expensively cloth rather than excessive trim.

[@catherinejustcatherine1778]

Wonderful cape! Drinking water Hoping you release the video whenever you have spoons again (and not cancel it entirely, like, it doesn't exist). Unless, of course. You didn't film it ,or make anything, or particularly want to make the thing. I hope the event went well.

[@OpusElenae]

Oh I won’t cancel it completely; I’ll just push it back til after war.

[@catherinejustcatherine1778]

@@OpusElenae ah, good! It's bitter cold over here I hope you are all ok Still water And earl grey with milk

[@sigrunibiarka4452]

thank you s much for all you do , I am learning so much !! hope to see you at War !!

[@OpusElenae]

I’ll be in Stargate!

[@fannyduvillage]

Great look and perhaps another garment to sew for my journey into medieval times. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

[@OpusElenae]

It’s so comfy!

[@mandylavida]

I love this cape.

[@OpusElenae]

Thank you!

[@sugarcoatedgoggles]

As someone attracted to the masculine aesthetic, you are rocking my world in this reveal.

[@OpusElenae]

I’m glad! There will be more coming too; I want to make myself another few masculine things and I am planning clothes for my partner as well.

[@lenabreijer1311]

Ooh a lovely swooshing cape! I like how you solved the slippage problem at the shoulders. I am drinking lukewarm water with apple cider vinegar.... at the moment all teas are like a kick in the gut, which is very annoying, I know apple cider vinegar sounds worse but it isn't.

[@OpusElenae]

Totally understand; I sometimes drink similar with lemon water when tea with caffeine is too much

[@Rozewolf]

I was getting my hand sewing out when you started talking, and about got whiplash when you said "...where we are not doing Viking any more." What??? Then you explained the cloak project. As for the rest... Relax, Get ready for Gulf Wars, and have a good time. The video will wait. The cloak was beautiful. The hood... oh my! I don't remember seeing that one before. :)

[@OpusElenae]

I am definitely doing Viking again! In fact I’m taking my viking capsule wardrobe to War, so there will be more Viking stuff so soon.

[@Rozewolf]

@@OpusElenae I look forward to seeing where you go. Right now, I'm helping a few people upgrade their garb, and your channel is one that I recommend.

[@egyptwns89_26]

The half cloak that I cut out is a full circle and it isn't even at the bottom when it is on me (the arm seams stop at my wrists but the front opening and back are lower). I'm thinking that I will have to extend the length on my arms while keeping the length of the front and back spots in order to get the bottom to be a uniform stopping place.

[@OpusElenae]

Did you let it hang before you hemmed it? The parts that are on the bias might be stretching further than the parts that are on grain

[@MrsBifflechips]

Thank you so much for this video! I've been meaning to make a bocksten cloak but haven't gotten off my butt to source some wool here (that I can preferably poke before buying). I will certainly re-watch this before actually making one.

[@OpusElenae]

Where are you located? I have some good sources in the US but fewer elsewhere.

[@MrsBifflechips]

@@OpusElenae I'm in Canada, and cross-border shipping is a pain. I'm making a practice one in fleece first for my Mr to wear at home. And re-watching your video gave me an epiphany about the neck! It's diagonal, instead of just on the fold. It's going to be a *lot* easier than I thought.

[@emilia.s]

Okay I have to make myself one of these! This is so cool!

[@OpusElenae]

It was fairly easy too!

[@coreygilles847]

Do I need a cape? Nope. Will this cape go on my “to create” list…yes it will

[@OpusElenae]

The proper number of capes is (n+1) where n=the number of capes you currently own.

[@coreygilles847]

@@OpusElenae that is fantastic news!

[@anaisabelsantos4661]

What a beautifull cloak. In this cold night it would go cery well with my lemongrass tea.

[@OpusElenae]

Oooo love lemongrass! (Also makes a lovely hot toddy with honey and gin if you are that way inclined)

[@anaisabelsantos4661]

@@OpusElenae That is a great idea. I may make one after my quest of finding fabric for a cape so I can join the cult. (Where did I store it before moving? And where did I put the container? 🙄)

[@christenagervais7303]

Love the pun! (and the cape too) lol!

[@OpusElenae]

I tolerate puns from loved ones but don’t love them myself. This one isn’t terrible though!

[@margaretkaraba8161]

I'm drinking Whittard's Formosa Jade Oolong with a dried rosebud (I bought each seperately loose and put a teaspoon of the oolong and a rosebud in a paper teabag). I steep it a couple minutes longer than the Oolong asks for so the rose had a chance to develop a better flavour. I like to lightly sweeten it with lavander honey.

[@OpusElenae]

Ooooo that sounds so lovely.

[@SnappyDragon]

Ahhh I love it! So dramatic, much swoosh. 💚💚💚

[@OpusElenae]

I’m glad you approve! I have a little bit left so I might make one for tornado too

[@SnappyDragon]

@@OpusElenae Yessss capes for all!

[@1Bibliotech]

Lovely cloak! See you in April, enjoy your event!

[@OpusElenae]

Thank you I will try!

[@octette]

oh delightful delightful!!

[@OpusElenae]

Thank you!

[@jackiejames4551]

Lovely cape, it's so swooshy. Have fun at Gulf Wars and I'll see you in April.😊

[@OpusElenae]

Thank you! I’m gonna bring y’all along to gulf war too! I’ll definitely be vlogging

[@jackiejames4551]

@@OpusElenae yay. It will be my first time going.

[@cynthiadugan858]

Capes and hoods❤️ my favorites.

[@OpusElenae]

SAME

[@BlondLanfear]

That is a very satisfying swish indeed

[@OpusElenae]

Thank you! I made myself dizzy spinning lol

[@Lenna27boef]

3.08 - I'm pretty sure that the Bocksten cloak does indeed have a dart at the shoulder! You were right to put a dart there.

[@depressoespresso5904]

oohhhh this is beautiful i love the swish

[@OpusElenae]

SO MUCH SWISH

[@BrianBurger]

Do you have a photo of the whole cloak spread out flat or a pattern of some sort? I can't quite figure out from the video what you did differently around the neckline - the darts and shaping around the buttonholes. Thanks!

[@NomtheGnome]

That cloak is very A New Hope Luke Skywalker, too.

[@OpusElenae]

OH MY GOD now I have ideas

[@NomtheGnome]

@@OpusElenae You're welcome.

[@bc7138]

It's surprising how clothing from this period looks so similar to fashion from the late Roman/late antiquity era.

[@OpusElenae]

Right? There are trends that carry through for SO long

[@bc7138]

@@OpusElenae Yes, it's fascinating how fashion managed to stay quite similar across a wide gulf of time and across a large geographic space. Funnily enough, according to a book I read by Ian Mortimer last year (or maybe it was Barbara Tuchman...or both) The 14th century was the era that saw a rapid change & growth in fashion in Western Europe. Sadly there wasn't much in the way of pictures in the book, so it's nice to be able to visualize it through videos like yours.

[@FantasticalFolliesCostuming]

Aaah I love it!! Gorgeous! Am I the only one who thinks we need to bring back capes into "normal" modern wear?? Have fun at your event! Sometimes you gotta make that decision and nobody faults you for it. 100%. See you in April!

[@OpusElenae]

I definitely wore it to go pick up a lunch order this week…

[@FantasticalFolliesCostuming]

@@OpusElenae WIN. \o/

[@atariartoria2207]

Very cool

[@OpusElenae]

Thank you!

[@TheVulcanBard]

Have fun at Gulf Wars!

[@OpusElenae]

Thank you!

[@coldhands4799]

I couldn’t hear you over the sewing machine, would you be able to have a transcript for this point in the video?

[@OpusElenae]

I can make one available, but closed captions are available and accurate within the video already.

[@NoviceStitcher]

what is the second set of shoes you put on and what are they for

[@OpusElenae]

They’re called pattens, and they’re basically wooden soles that strap to your feet to keep your leather shoes out of the mud.

[@cherylstraub5970]

I notice that you use the blanket stitch to bind your buttons instead of the buttonhole stitch. Is there a reason for this?

[@OpusElenae]

It’s easier for my hands to do, and for me to remember.

[@ushere5791]

butter peKHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!! lol!!!!!!! XD

[@OpusElenae]

Normally I HATE puns but this one makes me cackle

[@ushere5791]

@@OpusElenae i cackled, too, but i love puns...esp star trek puns :D

[@lindaasu]

The audio from your sewing machine overwhelms your narration.

[@OpusElenae]

I’m aware, and I’m sorry. There are closed captions, so I recommend turning them on for those three minutes.

[@MissPhilomena]

Can I be you when I grow up?

[@OpusElenae]

Nooooo you have to be fabulously you! But you can be fabulously you WITH A HECKIN CAPE

[@MissPhilomena]

@@OpusElenae if I can wiggle it out of the small piece of red wool I have, there will be caping going on here too. I will probably need to do two quarters instead of one half circle