Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn Mistcloak

I am a huge Brandon Sanderson Fan.  Before I read his books, I wouldn't have considered myself a fantasy fan, but after I read the Mistborn series, I was hooked.  Sanderson does such an amazing job developing his characters and settings that it just draws you in.   My husband (he actually introduced me to the books) and son Lucas are also huge fans, and after Lucas read Mistborn, he wanted a Mistcloak.

For Christmas, my mother--in-law made him a Mistborn Mistcloak.
How to make a Mistcloak
Sanderson Mistcloak

My mother--in-law hasn't read Mistborn (but trust me she has heard plenty of conversations about it).  She did a lot of research online, wanting to make something more authentic for Lucas.
Mistborn Mistcloak

I asked her for some tips on how she made the Mistcloak that I could share with you, and this is what she told me

How To Make a MistCloak

Initially she tried to make the tassels from a light woven fabric, sewn to another strip for lining, but they would never lie straight, so she ended up switching to fleece or brushed-nylon.  An advantage to this material is that edges won't fray.

She made three layers, offset by nearly an inch, so that the row underneath would hang in the space where the the two in front of it separated a bit.  She used this many layers so that it felt "enveloping" like the book describes.

After a few trials- she took a large piece of dark grey fleece cut the length she wanted and cut it in 1 1/2- inch strips nearly all the way up, using a rotary cutter.  When she cut the strips, she stopped before reaching the end of the fleece, leaving a 4-inch uncut header at the top.  She used this header section to sew to the lining of the inside of the cape section.

For the top, she used a cape pattern she had, cutting it part way down.  This is where the strips began and were sewn to an inner lining before putting it together.

She did do one cheat, and used a metal clasp, as she did not have time to find a wood one in time for Christmas.  We are just pretending it is made of wood painted to look like metal.  (If you have read the books, you know why the Mistcloak would never have a metal clasp)


Brandon Sanderson Mistcloak

He absolutely loves it, and was so thrilled when he got it Christmas morning.  It often isn't easy figuring out what to give a teenager for Christmas, so this was perfect gift.
Sanderson Mistcloak
Brandon Sanderson Mistcloak
Mistcloak

It truly was a labor of love, but it is a present that he will forever cherish.  

4 comments:

  1. This is the most true to the books mistcloak I think I've seen, what a great gift! Helpful post, I stumbled upon this as I was trying to find the best fabric to make one.

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