Wool (Melton)

[tess]

On my quest for a cloak, I've found one source for a Melton wool at Fabrics.net

It is $30 a yd. Does anyone know of anyplace else I should try before I order the swatch card and move ahead with this?

Thanks!

[dawnluckham]

Don’t know if this helps but…

Dollar Fabric has this:

Wool “coating”

dollarfabric.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?

Denver Fabrics

“coating” again:

www.denverfabrics.com/catalog_items.aspx?Query=wool%20coating

Period Fabrics

www.periodfabric.com/Wools.htm

I can’t tell you anything about how reliable any of these companies are to work with. I used to purchase from Denver Fabrics but that was before they were sold. Overall, however, I’ve had good luck purchasing fabrics on line.

Red was huge huge huge for colour choice. The “cardinal cloak” was in style for several decades. There is a difference in the way red was dyed however and it’s worth knowing:

Madder red has slightly orange undertones to it. It was the less expensive red to dye and was used in the “common enlisted men’s” red military coats in the British Army.

Scarlet or crimson is a deeper red with a more purple undertone. This dye is made with the Cochineal insect and was more expensive to make.

[tess]

I found a medium weight at Period Fabrics that is only $10 a yard. I think I'll send for a swatch and make sure it will be heavy enough.

The color I like is a dark plum, that would be period correct, wouldn't it??

There is also a burgundy I like (I know red was popular, but I just don't look good in it....sad, but true).

[dawnluckham]

I think a plum colour would be very 'correct'. In spite of all the white gowns in museum collections, they DID like colour. You just have to consider if the colour could be made with natural dyes.

By no means did I intend to imply that you must make your cloak in red. ;D In fact, I think it was "Time Travelers" that recently sold on eBay a lovely brown cloak with a separate matching hood that would have dated pretty close to this period.