Tutorial: Reversible Super Hero Cape!

Got a super hero in your life? Every good respectable super hero needs a cape, right?

Right!

I figured I had bombarded y'all with tutorials for little girls, so I needed to come up with something for the little men in your life! My son, Bobby, is currently obsessed with super heroes, flying, and jumping off of everything. This is such a fun stage!

I got inspired for this cape by the comic book super heroes. Classics like Batman, Superman, Captain America and Bobby's favorite, Spiderman.

Here's how I did it:

Reversible Super Hero Cape

Supplies:

2-1/2 yards cotton fabric, colors of your choice

Scrap pieces of fabric for accent color

2-8.5"x 11" pieces of black felt (found in the craft section)

iron on interfacing for appliques

3-4"velcro

paper (for stencil)

fabric glue

scissors/pins/iron

Measure your little guy and determine how big you want the cape. Mine was roughly 19"x 21". Cut 2 main panels. (**Note** I cut rectangles. Looking back, I wish I had made the sides angled, more like a triangle. I think the cape would lay better at the neck this way.)

Iron your interfacing onto the back of a scrap piece of fabric. Once you decide on the applique you are happy with, trace it onto the fabric and cut. Other words would work great too! How about: 'Bam!', 'Boom!', 'Zap!', or 'KaPow!'...those would all be fun also!

After you cut out your word and are happy with it, use a little fabric glue and glue it onto a black piece of felt. Then cut the felt so it leaves a little black outline around your word. (You will sew the word into place later, the glue is just to keep it where you want it for now.)

Using your interfacing again, iron it onto the back of the contrasting fabric and cut out a fun shape (A starburst, perhaps?? Not really sure what to call it). Then using a straight stitch, edge stitch all the way around, attaching it to the cape.

Pin your word on top of the starburst, then edge stitch all the way around.

Now do the same for the other side of the cape. Iron on the interfacing, cut out your shape and glue it to the felt. Then cut around the felt leaving some black showing to create an outline. Then cut out another starburst in a contrasting color and edge stitch both into place. You can do what ever you like! I used a lightning bolt.

It should now look like this, after sewing it into place.

After ironing both panels, place them right sides together and pin. Sew a 1/2" seam allowance along the 2 sides and the bottom, leaving the top open . Turn right side out through the top and press with your iron again. Edge stitch around all 3 sides and press.

The top edge should still be unfinished.

Using the fabric you have leftover, cut 2 strips, one of each color. I cut 2"x 23", I think. Sew along the long edge and 2 short edges with 1/4" seam allowance. Along the other long edge, I sewed about 2" from each side, leaving a long area that was left open for turning. (You can see in the picture I marked it with my marking pen.

Turn the strap right side out and press. Make sure the opened area is folded under 1/4" .

Fit the cape into the opened area and pin into place. Then using an edge stitch, stitch all the way around the rectangular strap, sewing it into place.

Almost done! My super hero...patiently waiting for his cape to be finished!

Now, cut 2-3" of velcro and sew it to the ends of the strap, on opposite sides.

'BAM!' You are done!!

Now let his imagination run wild!!