I chose this pattern because it was a NL release of a Vogue Pattern that MimiG made popular in about 2010 or so. This is my sewing pattern review of the New Look 6768 cape pattern.
What I liked best – the style of this cape. It’s very distinctive, modeled after a YSL cape that graced the runways about a decade or so ago. The newly released version is “easy” (there’s a star next to that easy on the pattern and for good reason.)
This is NOT a beginner friendly cape pattern, but if you’re an intermediate sewist with some wool or sweatshirting in your stash that you want to make into something dramatic, this is a good choice.
What I liked best: the style! As I mention in my video, this is the kind of cape you can throw over some sweatpants and a long sleeve tee shirt and if someone sees you at the grocery store, they’re gonna say “wow! She looked so fabulous when I saw her the other day!”
Sewing the NL6768 cape
It was not a completely satisfying sew for me. I made it in red fleece, fleece being one of the recommended fabrics. But this pattern has one million darts, panels, openings, etc. that require a ton of pressing, trimming and other such details. You can’t press fleece, it’ll melt. So, aside from that, let’s break it down.
Choose wool, or even a cotton sweatshirting or ponte – something not too stretchy that you can press the heck out of. The upper fronts and center fronts are fully lined, as is the collar, so go for a wool with a flannel back satin lining – the back and the lower sides are not lined. Believe it or not, despite my months of sewing it and my frustrations at it, I would like to make it again, just in something you can PRESS. They recommend tweeds/wools and denim, which is an unusual choice, but I think they’re going for structured fabric for the look.
I used seconds grid fleece from Mill Direct Textiles. The edge of this length of fabric was not cut correctly (the grids) so I got it pretty cheap. In that regard, it was a good choice for my first sew. Otherwise the fleece isn’t craft fleece, it’s the real deal and very nice quality. You can use craft fleece, but please use the best fleece you can find!
It has nice deep pockets, but even with my long arms, I feel that they are a stretch – so check the lengthen/shorten in the upper torso where the panels meet to adjust this length on yourself.
I used mismatched buttons for a reason – I have a MASSIVE stash and a lot is gifted stash. So Patricia (mom of hockey dad friend Jeff), thank you for the buttons. It would be hard to find 8 buttons in a 1.25″ size that matched, in a stash, but I used 8 mixed buttons that were similar in size and color. I also modified the number and where they appear because the fleece was super bulky. They have you making some of the buttonholes in the seams of the neckline and the front panel – which is great if you can press that flat, but I couldn’t.
Buttonholes (the regular zigzag kind) were terribly hard to sew in this fleece. In retrospect, fleece does not ravel, so the right way to do this is how you do boiled wool or leather, you sew a long rectangle box with regular straight stitching, then cut a slit in that box. I tried all manner – using tape to mark them, a chalk marker, a sliver of soap – it was difficult and bulky to sew them in with the tight zigazag and let’s just say, don’t get right up close with them (from three feet, you can’t see how bad they are!) The fleece hides it well;)
In the end though, it’s cozy and cute, it’ll look great with jeans and a cashmere sweater and I will wear it. I’ll just make another in wool with a flannel back satin lining.
Try colorblocking! If you have smaller pieces of wool or sweatshirting, go for colorblocking. EVERYTHING in this is a panel, the back is two panels, the upper fronts each are a panel, the collar, the outer sides, the inner fronts. It would look awesome blocked with some interesting textures or color mixes. I have three wools gifted to me, a heather gray, a camel and a black and cream houndstooth that would be perfect for that. There’s a shorter version of the cape (this one, on 5’3″ me is nearly to my knees) and I’d probably make that one next time.
Other pattern options for sewing capes?
If you are a beginner, here are my takes on easy to sew structured poncho/capes that are highly satisfying to sew, try these patterns:
Free, doesn’t require a pattern, this one has good instructions from blogger Indoor Shannon
Dramatic rectangle shape, easy to sew with professional looking separate bands and an amazing collar that looks hard but is not! Hot Patterns Glamour Poncho shown here on Etsy (below, left, in mint green sweatshirting with navy fleece bands.)
Similar to the structured feel of this NL cape, but for fleece, try the HotPatterns Jetsetter Poncho in fleece (on right) – YES, this one goes together easily and well in fleece! This one is presently out of print, but keep checking the HP Etsy store or look it up, as I’ve seen it on sewing reseller sites quite often.
You can also upcycle an A-line wool skirt into a structured cape quite easy. See my version of this cape including instructions on how to do it! Great for thrifters with limited sewing skills, there are just a few small things to sew. Works with or without a lining. This probably would be the closest to the NL cape, in terms of shape, and if you upcycle an A-line midi skirt, you also save a garment from a landfill.
Totally free poncho pattern from Sew Paradise: Make this no-sew in fleece with no modifications, just a neckline slit, or low-sew in boiled or regular wool. For the more structured look than an open poncho has, make the poncho slightly longer by 3″, and sew a seam 3″ in from each side and 3″ long perpendicular to the hem to secure the sides (similar to how I show you how to make a “sleeve” in the instructions.
Styling a cape
Obviously, dramatic and elegant with trousers and a cozy cashmere turtleneck, this cape ALSO looks fabulous over a turtleneck and jeans (as I have it styled), a pair of boot cut flare pleather pants (as shown on the NL cover – my favorite for stretch pleather for these is the HotPatterns Miracle Pants). But don’t overlook the power of this to elevate your loungewear – a loungewear set like this one from Vogue, or Swimstyle Patterns would be perfect under this cape. I’ve also showed you how to sew basic luxe sweater pants here and with a matching sweatshirt, under this cape would be that “I saw her at the grocery store at 10pm and she looked fabulous!” look that I mentioned earlier.
Another blogger who made it in fleece called this her “my husband is going to take me out to dinner and open doors for me” outfit – and while I would not rock climb or go for a hike in this cape, you can do almost anything in everyday life – the openings aren’t too restrictive.