Dragon Cloak and New Crochet Costume For Ren Faire 2019

Sometimes, what you’re working on doesn’t turn out how you hoped. I have no one to blame but myself. I wanted to wear my dragon cloak on a return visit to the Renaissance Faire, but I wasn’t sure what to pair it with. I had some leftover yarn from the fringe of the cloak and thought I could work with that on an outfit. The idea being that the outfit would match the cloak. I had a vague idea of how the outfit would look but nothing concrete.

That leftover yarn didn’t last long (it looked so much bigger when I started). I used it on the skirt portion and soon ran out. I honestly didn’t want to  hunt for more on an experiment I wasn’t sure was even going to work. Plus, I bought that yarn ages ago, on sale, and so it might have been discontinued. But honestly, I didn’t look.

However, I had plenty of that same yarn but in a different color (it was a good sale).

So… I kept the experiment going but had to think about the best way to mix the colors. I decided to continue the skirt in the new color and make the top with the new color.

Hmmm…will this work?

This was kinda pretty.

I mixed in some thin yarn I found in one of my bins. It was a pretty cream color and it had belonged to my mom. I definitely wouldn’t be able to get more of that! I had to think real hard on how to use it without running out (I failed miserably on that score).

Having doubts again.

So when I ran out of the cream colored-yarn, some more thinking and scheming was warranted. I found the perfect ball of yarn that matched the lighter part of the skirt, again one that belonged to my mom (and I couldn’t get more,) and used that.

This project from start to finish was very freeform and very experimental. And when I was done?

This might work.

I didn’t like how it looked on me. I wasn’t sure if it was a failed project, doomed from the start, or a valuable learning experience. I wasn’t sure I was going to wear it either. In the end, I did wear it. I spent a week and every hour after work making it, so yeah, I wore it.

Let’s see if we can make this dress look presentable.

After the joust, which we almost missed!

I almost didn’t have the courage to take off the cloak and show the dress on its own.

My sisters liked it and my hubby said it was fine so I wore it. In hindsight, there are a few things I would do differently (learning experience!) but it wasn’t as bad as I’d feared. Although the dragon cloak got the most compliments at the fair, the dress got one too. It was one more than I expected. 🙂

It was a great day out with my hubby and my sisters.

Can’t wait to do it again next year! I’m already thinking up the next outfit or two or three!

 

 

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