I wanted to make something pretty and warm to wear with my Victorian outfits. So I made a capelet and muff.
A while ago, I picked up a nice piece of faux fur from the fabric market. I figured it would surely come in handy somewhere someday. And sure enough, thanks to that piece, a leftover piece of fleece, and a ball of thick silk thread, I was able to sew a cute little fur cape. I even had just enough fur left over for a matching muff!
I had to look up how they fastened their capes back then. It is often difficult to see in photos because the bonnet fastening covers it or because it all disappears between the fluff of the fur. I’ve been told that wide ribbons apparently date from the late 19th century (good, because I find those too frumpy), but you come across these kinds of cords with tassels, among others, over a very long period, so they could work for both my outfits from 1865 and 1888!
The silk yarn I used for the drawstring and tassels doesn’t match the fur perfectly in color, but it was either this or a grey/green shade. I could have made it out of wool too, but I think silk works better because it looks more luxurious.
The fur is actually supposed to continue on the inside of muffs, but unfortunately I didn’t have enough fabric left for that, so I lined my muff with fleece as I did with the cape. Large muffs were mainly fashionable in the early 19th century, and from the middle of the century onwards you mostly see cute little muffs.
Of course, fleece and faux fur is not historically accurate in any way, but my Victorian outfits are mainly made for LARP, not re-enactment, so they don’t necessarily need to be. (I do like to approach historical correctness, but not at the expense of animals). And the result still looks lovely if I may say so myself!
Time spent: 5,5 hours
Costs: 15 euros (For the faux fur coupon. The fleece is a leftover and the silk yarn was a gift.)