A few months ago, I had the privilege of working with a beautiful piece from my friend Domina Historia's family archive: a black mourning cape that belonged to her great-great-grandmother. Based on its distinctive Dolman cut—a style that defined the 1880s—I'd date it to that decade. Though it's worth noting that older garments were often reused by elderly people or those from less affluent backgrounds, so it could potentially be later.
Last year, I created a digital pattern from this antique cape and released an Italian tutorial with the pattern and a brief study with photos. Now, I've completely updated and expanded this project into something much more comprehensive.
What's new in the updated version:
- Fully bilingual (Italian and English)
- 23 pages of detailed content
- High-quality photographs
- Step-by-step illustrated tutorial
- Pattern available in multiple formats: A1, A4, A0, and US Letter
- Digital reproduction of the hand-made soutache/cord decorations from the cape's edges and center back
This mourning cape is a beautiful example of 1880s tailoring, and I'm excited to share this expanded resource with anyone interested in historical sewing and pattern making.
Here the link to buy the Pattern with Tutorial: Click Here
