Movie Projects: Jedi Robes

I'm not sure what's going on lately, but since Halloween I've been bombarded with requests for Jedi robes (from the Star Wars movies, obviously). I love making movie reproductions, don't get me wrong, but this is getting nuts. It's common for there to be requests for fully Jedi and Sith costumes right before Halloween, but I'm not usually asked just for robes, and it's never happened in the three months following Halloween. Something is definitely up.

But what's even stranger is that I'm not asked for true movie reproductions. Most people who contact me about Jedi and Sith costumes are wanting something made of a fabric at least somewhat similar to the ones you see in the movies. They also want a cut that looks like the movies. These days it's simply "Make me a standard robe in brown (or black). I'm using it for a Jedi robe."

What happened to all the people wanting deluxe movie reproductions? They're all waiting for the Halloween season, I guess. These simpler robes are actually easier to make, the fabric much easier on all my machines, and they take far less time. So while I charge less, I actually make more money spending a day making this easier robes than I do if I'm only working on the deluxe versions. So I guess I'm all for this version. Even if the timing and sheer number of them strike me as weird.

Wedding Projects: Cloaks

I don't know what it is, but in the last two years I've been asked to make many cloaks for weddings. In the past two years I've made over a hundred cloaks specifically for local weddings, and I think I've shipped more than twice that number. I'm not counting cloaks used for Halloween, LARP, or any other events in this number. That's just wedding cloaks.

Sometimes I've outfitted just the bride. Other times the entire wedding party needed cloaks (and other assorted garments). All of these have been fun, but the most fun I've had has been working with a lovely bride and a sweet little flower girl. The bride had very specific colors in mind, as most brides do, so the cloak had to be a particular shade of navy. Very particular. Luckily this bride was a joy, so we spent several hours choosing just the right fabrics. Eventually we stumbled upon a heavy navy satin that was just the right shade and had the perfect drape.

Next up was the lining. This was easier, but only slightly. It had to be the brightest white and it had to be incredibly light. The navy satin was already heavy enough. The white also had to serve as the shell of the flower girl's cloak. When we found a satin that would work perfectly, the bride was ecstatic.

Now all we had to find was the perfect lining for the flower girl. For this, the bride also had a very specific idea. White with red hearts. Not pink. Red. After a little searching, I did find a lovely white taffeta with red hearts. Perfect.

A few days later the bride and flower girl were twirling, showing off their new cloaks. The bride was impressed, but the flower girl was ecstatic. I don't think I'll ever tire of working with children. She was the cutest thing.

And as far as I know, the wedding went off without a hitch.

Large Cloak for Sale, Turquoise with White Lining

This item has been sold.

This turquoise cloak spent 18 months as a display cloak (floor model). It was never worn, but did spent most of that time on a mannequin. A change in the colors in the shop means this cloak is now for sale. Also, we no longer have these fabrics available, so there won't be any more of these cloaks (in these particular colors) once this last one is gone.

The shell of this medieval cloak is a turquoise damask cotton with an embossed rose print (which is almost impossible to see in the photo). The lining is thick white cotton with an embossed dandelion print. Again, this is hard to see in the photo. Both fabrics are fairly heavy, making this a wonderfully warm cloak. It closes with a pewter clasp and has a lovely drape due to the weight of the fabrics used in its construction.

The cloak itself is large enough to fit most people. I would call it a large cloak, but it can be worn by most adults who wear size large or smaller. It will brush the floor on anyone under 5'6"tall. If you're shorter than that, it will drag on the floor. This gothic cloak is definitely considered full-length. The hood is large and deep (though thrown back in the picture).

Since this is a floor model, there might be some minor markings, especially on the lining. The markings on the lining are not noticeable when the cloak is worn. The shell is in near-perfect condition with no marks that I can see. These cloaks retail for $59.99, but since it's a floor model bidding starts at less than half that price.