Super Reader Halloween costume

For the first time ever, this Halloween M actually asked for a costume. Although he's into the usual superheroes (he would wear his Spiderman T-shirt every day if he could), he wanted to dress up as an obscure PBS character, "Super Why," a "super reader" from a show for pre-kindergarten kids. I made him a green mask and blue cape. He still wears the cape around for fun, pretending to be a variety of superheros, which of course pleases me no end.

The cape is 20" wide at the bottom, shoulder width across the top, and 24" long from back of neck to bottom edge. I used a single layer of lightweight poly-cotton, so that it would be floaty, and not heavy hanging off his neck.

When I did a mock-up using paper, I started with this pattern in mind, but straighter straps (i.e., parallel to the vertical axis of the cape, rather than inward-curving) lie really nicely around his neck. (The straps on my finished cape do end up curving inward a bit, because of the narrow-hemmed neck edge. Next time I think I'll do a facing at the neck instead of narrow hem.)