Football shape cut?

[Mthunter]

I have a cape with a 3" long hole in the neck. I have read a number of times about a football shape cut then sew. I get the concept but how big do you cut it out. 3" long by what? Is there a formula or a method to this?

[timbertrophies]

just cut it out until all the bad (cut) hairs are gone...then you can pull it back together without it ever showing...pay attention to which way you cut it, the more you take out widthwise on the neck, the skinnier it will become

[George Roof]

I don't know of any "formula" but 3 inches is going to be a tough one.  Contrary to the old descriptions, a football cut should NOT be made vertically with the hair but horizontally ACROSS the hair pattern.  You cut on the bottom edge should be along the immediate line of the hole while your top top cut should be bowed far enough that you take out any cut hair patterns that may have been made by the shot/cut/whatever.  When you sew it back together the long top hairs will cover your intire incision so as to make it invisible.  If you cut vertically, you're simply going to expose that line to "part" along the hair direction.  If you make the cut "width wise" you DO NOT EFFECT THE NECK CIRCUMFERENCE.  It's the vertical cut that does that since it actually removes "width skin" where the horizontal cut removes Length skin.

[Mthunter]

Thanks for going in depth George! I will give that a shot, makes sence now.

[timbertrophies]

i agree with that...100%  sorry, my wording was backwards