DIY Inverness cape

[piperalpha]

Has anyone tried making their own Inverness cape in a heavy wool? 19 oz or so. I figure I’d be able to use my modern one as a template or pattern and modify it from there. There’s some pretty good Sherlock Holmes tutorials online. I would probably make it in a very dark blue. Thoughts? Experiences?

[jhockin]

Have you looked for the fabric yet? It seems to be hard to find heavyweight 100% wool Melton cloth, nowadays. There used to be at least one mill in Canada that made heavyweight 100% wool Melton cloth, but it doesn’t seem to be around anymore. 😞. It’s getting harder to find any 100% wool cloth.

[Father Bill]

Consider carefully: do you really want to make an Inverness Cape, or would you be happier with a 'Coachman's Cape'? The latter has sleeves to keep your arms warmer, and then a shoulder cape, sometimes even detachable.

I have a lightweight Coachman's cape and just love it. There's a picture here which they childishly (in my mind) call a 'Victorian Detective'. https://www.historicalemporium.com/s...utfit_1072.php

Whichever you want, good luck!

[piperalpha]

Consider carefully: do you really want to make an Inverness Cape, or would you be happier with a 'Coachman's Cape'? The latter has sleeves to keep your arms warmer, and then a shoulder cape, sometimes even detachable.

I have a lightweight Coachman's cape and just love it. There's a picture here which they childishly (in my mind) call a 'Victorian Detective'. https://www.historicalemporium.com/s...utfit_1072.php

Whichever you want, good luck!

It’s for piping. I will look into the coachman’s cape

[Father Bill]

It’s for piping. I will look into the coachman’s cape

For piping, the 'Coachman's' might not work as well. I'm not a piper, but I can imagine the need for flexible arms.

[piperalpha]

Have you looked for the fabric yet? It seems to be hard to find heavyweight 100% wool Melton cloth, nowadays. There used to be at least one mill in Canada that made heavyweight 100% wool Melton cloth, but it doesn’t seem to be around anymore. 😞. It’s getting harder to find any 100% wool cloth.

I found some that‘s 80% wool 20% nylon. I’ll take a better look this evening

[gsmacleod]

Before I found an Inverness Cape for a decent price, I was debating giving it a go.

There are a couple of decent YouTube videos that I watched which made it seem like a not too daunting project. The big thing being not having to worry about making and attaching sleeves.

Good luck if you give it a try!

Shane

[Steve Ashton]

I too prefer a Coachman's Cape made from wool to keep me warm, to an Inverness which is usually thought of as a raincoat.



As an aside - if the cape portion is elbow length it is called an Ulster coat. If the cape portion is as long as the sleeves it is known as a Coachman's Coat or cape. If the cape portion has multiple layers and are mid bicep length it is called a Carrick Cape.
Sherlock Holmes was portrayed as wearing an Ulster coat in the writings of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but in an Inverness of Tweed plaid by the actor Basil Rathbone.

[EagleJCS]

As a piper who has worn an Inverness rain cape (not the 'Bandspec', but a previous iteration with large buttons), I would suggest going with the Inverness cape rather than a Coachman's Cape. Anything restricting arm movement for clean strike-ins and cut-offs could be detrimental to your performance, especially if you're in a competition.

If you do decide for the Coachman's, you may want to consider having your 'bag arm' sleeve adjusted (widen the seam of the arm and open up the gusset in the armpit to allow freer movement). I've known a couple of pipers that have done something like that with their Argyll jackets.

I've heard tell there may be some jackets marketed with just that sort of alteration pre-made. I've not been in the market to look for one and haven't seen any 'in the wild'.