Double-Breasted Lapel Tunic Vest
A women's fully lined, double-breasted tunic-length vest in denim, with lapels on a stand collar, flap pockets set into the front darts and a centre back vent, its seams and front edges finished with double topstitching.
When To Wear
- Over a shirt or a fine knit with trousers or jeans, in spring and autumn.
- Over a short-sleeved top in summer.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted, shaped by princess seams at the front and back (front, side and back pieces) and by front darts.
Length: Tunic length, below the hip.
Collar: Interfaced lapels, cut in two layers, with a stand collar of two parts (stand and stand 2) set between them; the stand continues round the back neck.
Closure: Double-breasted. Five buttons in all: a working button, a hidden inner button and decorative buttons; four buttons show on the drawing.
Pockets: Double-welt pockets with flaps, set into the line of the front darts. Flaps topstitched with two rows at 0.1 cm and 0.7 cm; pocket bags in lining.
Back: Centre back seam with an interfaced vent; princess seams pressed towards the centre and topstitched with two rows at 0.1 cm and 0.7 cm.
Finishing: Front edges, front darts and back seams topstitched in two rows at 0.1 cm and 0.7 cm. Front facings and back neck facing interfaced.
Lining: Full lining cut from the front, side and back pieces minus the facings. The lining is sewn to the facings and hem, and the armholes are finished with the lining in two stages, back first, then front.
Level Of Difficulty
Advanced. Double-welt flap pockets, lapels with a two-part stand collar, a lined vent, and a bagged lining with armholes turned through an opening in the side seam.
Fabric Recommendations
Denim of natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric
- Fusible interfacing (fronts, facings, stand collar, lapels, flaps, pocket facings)
- 5 buttons
Cutter's Must
If the patterns have a double contour, seam allowances are included. If the contour is single, the patterns are without seam allowances. Seam allowances: all seams 1 cm. Hem allowance – 2.5 cm. Attention! First of all, print out the paper patterns and lay them out on the fabric width (fabric width can be from 90 cm to 150 cm) to determine how much material you will need (do not forget to account for paired and symmetrical pieces). When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the designated pieces.
- Interface the vent area on the wrong side of the back pieces. On the right side, mark the center back seam line (vent fold line). Press the left back piece along the vent fold line. Align the pieces along the center back seam. Stitch the center back seam and the vent corner, stopping 1 cm short of the vertical edge of the vent. Clip the seam allowance at the vent corner on the right back piece. Press the center back seam allowances open, press the vent allowances and secure them from the right side with machine stitching.
- Stitch the back princess seams (back to side), press the allowances towards the center. Topstitch along the seam with two rows at 0.1 cm and 0.7 cm.
- Cut the front along the pocket line. Stitch the dart, trim the dart fold to 1 cm and press towards the center. Topstitch along the seam with two rows at 0.1 cm and 0.7 cm. Stabilize the pocket opening with stay tape or basting. Stitch the front princess seams (front to side), press the allowances open.
- Fold each flap in half lengthwise, right sides together, and stitch the short ends. Trim the allowances at the corners, turn right side out and topstitch with two rows at 0.1 cm and 0.7 cm from the edge.
- Mark the pocket placement. Fold the pocket facings in half, wrong sides together, and press. Mark a guide line on each pocket facing parallel to its fold for stitching it on. Mark a guide line on the flap parallel to its upper edge, measuring the flap width along its entire length. Mark guide lines parallel to the pocket opening for attaching the flap and pocket facings. Stitch the pocket bag to the flap. Stitch the pocket facings to the front; the stitching must end exactly at the parallel pocket marking lines. Check from the wrong side that the stitching lines are parallel. Cut the pocket opening, making diagonal cuts into the corners 1–1.5 cm from each end. Turn the pocket facings through the opening to the wrong side, straighten the edges and adjust the ends so that the pressed folds of the facings meet edge to edge. Secure the pocket ends from the wrong side with double back-and-forth stitching across the base of the triangles. Insert the flap into the pocket and stitch it to the upper pocket facing. Stitch the lower pocket bag into the seam of the lower pocket facing, trim and stitch the pocket bags together.
- Stitch the shoulder seams, press the allowances open.
- Stitch the Stand Collar and Stand Collar 2 pieces together, press the allowances open. Place the two joined stand collars right sides together and stitch the ends of the stand collar up to the start of Stand Collar 2. Trim the allowances at the corners, turn the stand collar right side out.
- Place the lapel pieces right sides together, insert the stand collar between them and stitch along the gorge line and outer edge. Trim the allowances at the corners, clip at the curves, turn right side out and straighten. Stitch the lapels and stand collar to the neckline.
- Stitch the shoulder seams of the back neckline facing and center front facings, press the allowances open. Place the facings on the front, right sides together, and stitch along the front edges and neckline (the lapels and stand collar lie between the layers). Clip the allowances at the curves and trim at the corners. Turn the facings to the wrong side and press.
- Stitch the seams of the lining pieces, leaving an opening in the right side seam for turning. Press the allowances. Stitch the lining to the center front facings and back neckline facing, press the allowances. Turn the garment right side out, straighten the seams.
- Stitch the lining to the garment along the hem. Turn right side out through the opening. Stitch the lining to the armholes in two stages: first the back armhole, then the front armhole. Stitch the turning opening closed.
- Topstitch along the front edges with two rows at 0.1 cm and 0.7 cm from the edge.
- Make buttonholes on the front. Sew on the buttons: the working button and the hidden inner button. Sew on the decorative buttons.
