Iona Mathers' infrequently updated blog: Make Do and Mend, a practical exercise

The job so far- inside.

While contemplating college projects and getting nowhere, I thought it would help to do something practical, and remembered the cloak i started in 2009 when it was snowy for ages and i was frozen. i had bought a luxury lambskin coat for £2 at a charity sale, absolutely gorgeously soft and warm, but about 3" too short for my etiolated arms, so i decided to make it into a cloak, as i have been wanting one for ages.

The outside, waxed.

We had cloaks at school,and I loved mine, so warm and so useful for a multitude of purposes, but a bit hard to get hold of. This one is made from the lambskin, with the fleece turned inside, combined with two panels cut from a sheepskin coat which I've been cutting up for slippers, and the fringing comes from a suede jacket which I wore for many years until my dear son honked up in the pocket one day on the bus to Whitby (he was only 4).

What needs repairing.

First I unpicked the side seams from hem to cuff, and removed the sleeves. Then two panels of sheepskin coat were put in the space created by opening the seams and removing the sleeves, this makes a nice warm cloak, but took a long time to hand stitch together. It was ok though, as it was a nice warm job, sitting under a pile of skins by the fire. All very stone age!

Should have bound the armholes.

Of course after it was wearable it was worn immediately for walking the dog in the snow, so after a year of use the armholes ripped, leaving me with a repair job, and still not even finished. Hopeless.

It's large, and extremely warm.

So, there it is, warm and furry on the inside, slightly torn and in need of a hood- I have saved the sleeves for that, and shall put the collar in there somewhere too.