speaking the truth

Oops, I think I've hijacked this post by accident...

You could put a fur edging around it?

Not fur please. Cleaning this durn thing is complicated enough that I don't want anything near the ground that collects dust/mud like fur would. Especially if we get another Pennsic like last year (all deities forfend!!!). A plain wool edging might work if hemming won't.

Felting/fulling shrinks the fabric, and you don't really want to shrink your hem, and not the rest of the garment.

See, I thought it would be more complicated!

Linen, wool, or silk thread would work fine.

As Evil Kirsten points out, on wool you want to use wool thread if you can, or otherwise silk, or some other protein-based material. Linen is cellulose based and is less good on wool. (I have been known to geek out at the White Wolf and Phoenix booth, discussing the materials science of fabrics with customers *Megan's eyes glaze over*...)

How much shorter is the silk lining?

Cloak is at home, I'm not.

(sounds pretty!)

If you were at Ponte Alto Investiture in 2004, or Pennsic or Atlantian 12th Night in the past year, you may have seen it. Glaring red wool, with this bright white pelican screaming "TARGET! SHOOT HERE!" on the back. (But it really is nice work; Roswitha did a wondrous job.) I have pictures from the day I got my Pelican (and the cloak), and some day I'll get off my tush and post them to a website.