Cissy's Custom Capelet

With all the visits to doctors and sick days my youngest has had recently, (and he's home again sick today; we just can't get that poor baby well), I totally forgot to write about a custom order I completed a couple weeks ago. You can request custom orders through Etsy and I set up a special coupon code just for blog readers: use the code BLOGGER at checkout and take 10% off your order!

My copy of Cissy's capelet

My customer requested I make a replica of the capelet from outfit #2141 of 1957. She had the dress but couldn't find the capelet alone. The whole outfit can be quite difficult to find, and the capelet, which isn't tagged, is particularly likely to be lost nowadays. Many times people who do have it don't know they have it. I restored a doll with the outfit years ago, so I remembered the capelet fairly well, and luckily I took photos from different angles back then.

Capelet #2141, Original of 1957

I started the design process by reviewing the photos and draping pieces of notebook paper to make a pattern. I folded and cut the paper to get the shape I wanted, then added seam allowance.

I made the pattern by draping with paper.

After I was happy with my pattern I looked in my fabric stash to see if I had any material that could work. It's always best to avoid new fabrics to create  replica, especially for an accessory like this that needs to go with an old piece such as the blue #2141 dress. A vintage curtain seemed to be the perfect thing so I used that.

I used a vintage curtain to make the capelet.

The original capelet is made of organdy, and that's stiffer than my curtain, so I ironed some starch into the fabric to stiffen it up. Please ignore my disreputable ironing board. Obviously I need to replace the cover. After I took this photo I thought about it and decided the current cover, which in my mind I think of as the "new" cover, is at least 15 years old!

I starched the pieces.

The capelet turned out quite well. I was glad I didn't choose thicker or stiffer fabric, because in the areas where I had to sew through several layers I could barely get my professional machine through it and broke one needle! Somehow my version ended up with rounded edges when it ought to have straight; I don't know when that happened. Possibly when Another Thin Man was on... I may have been paying a little too much attention to the movie while I was working! I really don't ever like to make exact copies of anything, however; I really prefer people realize what a piece should be without any possibility of anyone passing my piece off as an original. I never know what will happen to these things after the owners pass on or downsize their collections and I don't want new owners to be confused as to exactly what they are buying and its value.

The replica capelet from several angles

In any case, my client is happy with her custom order and sent me a photo of her doll wearing it. I was pleased to see it really captures the look of the original! I absolutely love when people send me pictures of their new dolls and things. Please keep it up!

The capelet's new owner