Which waterproof fabric is best?

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I have discovered cloaks, and I am going nuts making them. I have bought so much fabric in the past few days alone. They are so warm and so easy to make! However, I would like to make one that suits the purpose for which they were invented, so that I may wear it outside in the rain. Are there any good waterproof fabrics that won’t fuck up my fiancée’s #sewing machine?

Asking here because I don’t know what I am doing.

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  • kersplooshEnglish
    2•11 months ago

    There are lots of options, though I can’t say which is objectively the best. There’s usually a trade-off between waterproofness and breathability. For a cloak you probably also want something with a bit of thickness and weight so it drapes nicely.

    I would start by looking at soft shell fabrics with a DWR treatment. Seattle Fabrics sells sample packs so you can feel them before you buy a lot.

    Tents and rain jackets typically use nylon or polyester fabric coated with silicon, polyurethane, Teflon, or some other waterproof material on the inside face, and a DWR treatment on the outside face. I expect a cloak made with these fabrics will be too light and crinkly to hang nicely when worn. The fabrics also tend to be slippery so you might tear your hair out trying to keep your seams straight.

    You can get great waterproof performance with PVC-coated nylon. Though it will feel like you’re wearing a duffel bag.

    Waxed/oiled cotton looks awesome but I have never liked the feel. It’s also mediocre as far as waterproofness goes.

    • Xilabar the Dice GoblinOP
      3•11 months ago

      one little problem that I just realized is that since this is for a ruana cloak, I may want to use a cloak pin. This would ruin pretty much every waterproofed fabric I’ve looked at so far. Would boiled wool still keep its water resistance after sticking a pin the thickness of a nail through it?

      • kersplooshEnglish
        1•11 months ago

        I suppose it depends how serious a rain are you expecting to encounter, and for how long. For walking a few blocks in a misty Seattle drizzle, boiled wool will do a fine job. The hole made by the pin would be negligible. But if you’re spending an hour outside in a downpour you’ll get soaked.