This garment was designed and created for “Straight from the Heart,” the Fairfield Fashion Show which premiered at Houston, Texas late in October 2000. One of my long-held beliefs is that what those Three Musketeers really needed, instead of that clumsy fellow D'Artagnan, was a capable woman. Someone who could get into places men were not permitted - convents, the Queen's chambers, and the like.

Since Musketeers were expected to travel, she needed a cape. Starting with rayon velvet from J. B. Martin, I dyed the fabric with several shades of blue to get the rich-but-well-worn look. No silly hats for this gal - a hood would do nicely, using a pattern by Butterick. The velvet was quilted in long sinuous lines to a split layer of Fairfield Cotton Classic batting using a variety of metallic threads from Sulky and YLI.

The cape is lined with hand dyed silk habotai, and the fused glass closure was made by my friend, Natalie Hahn of Red Tail Glass Works.