This article is adapted from an article in Living Legends #1 By Liz Bates.
Cloaks are an integral part of any LRP costume. Not only do they look nice but they are also great for keeping warm in the winter as they keep the wind off and the rain out (although some of us would argue that billowing romantically in the wind is far more important).
Making cloaks isn't difficult (in fact they are pretty easy). A sewing machine is useful for some of the patterns here as they contain quite a lot of stitching (although its pretty easy straight line stuff so don't be put off).
There are also several patterns that are pretty easy and are available here. None of them are particularly complex and can all be made with little effort.
The best commercially available pattern is by Simplicity (Pattern No. 8010). Its actually a fancy dress pattern for Robin Hood (Yuk!), Vampire etc. but is quite excellent.
The cloak style is 3/4 full circle with a nice shaped hood, and takes about 4 1/2 yards of 60" fabric, with enough left for the hood, pouches and whatever. The tunic and cowl are nice too. Ignore the instructions to buy felt and fuse it with Wundaweb! Use wool or polywool, and Real Stitching.