1. First, sketch a croquis of the cape. Think about what shape, volume and line you’d like to achieve.
2. Choose a fabric – in this case, a heavy taffeta for the outside, and a lighter one for the interior – in pink tones. Lay the fabric on the table with the wrong side facing up.
3. Choose an appropriate interfacing for the cape. Here, we used a light gazar organza. Lay it on the fabric and stitch them together. Set aside.
4. Lay a large piece of muslin onto a table. With a pencil, mark the centre front of the cape along the straight grain of the muslin.
5. Mark the cross-grain of the muslin at an angle of 90 ̊ from the straight grain, then mark the hip, bust, waist and upper chest.
6. Take the muslin and pin it to the manne- quin – aligning the centre front line on the muslin you’ve indicated to the centre front of the mannequin. Check that this aligns with the mannequin’s bust and waist, indicated by the bolduc tape.
7. Begin to work the muslin directly on the mannequin to create the first test toile. Because the cape is symmetrical, mould a right-hand, half-stand toile only. When you achieve the desired shape and volumes, pin the muslin into place.
8. Cut any excess fabric, being sure to leave a little extra muslin margin for adjustments in the following steps.
9. Step back and look at the toile. If you would like to adjust the shape, use a different colour marker to denote any changes and re-pin.
10. Sew seams to maintain shape and volume, if needed.
11. Fit the toile on your preferred model, making further adjustments as above where necessary.
12. When you are happy with the toile, disassemble it carefully unstitching with scissors, as to not cut the muslin.