A-Line Bow Collar Button Front Coat

Bow Collar Button-Front Coat with Welt Pockets and Back Half-Belt

A lined women's coat of mid-thigh length with a wide stand-away collar trimmed with a bow, a single-breasted button front and single-welt pockets. The back has a centre box pleat held by a buttoned half-belt.

When To Wear

• In autumn and spring over dresses, skirts and trousers.
• As a town coat with gloves and a small bag; the high collar covers the neck without a scarf.

Key Design Features

Silhouette: Slightly widening towards the hem, with bust darts on the fronts.

Length: Mid-thigh.

Collar: Wide stand-away collar built from doubled upper front and upper back sections, an upper and under collar and a collar placket; a bow with a knot strip is stitched to the right side of the upper collar.

Front: Single-breasted, three buttons with buttonholes on the right front; front edges and collar topstitched 1 cm from the edge.

Pockets: Single-welt pockets on the fronts, welts topstitched 1 cm from the edge and tacked at the corners.

Sleeves: Two-piece set-in sleeves, elbow seam topstitched 1 cm from the seam.

Back: One piece cut on the fold with a box pleat at the centre back; a half-belt with buttonholes buttons onto the back at the waist.

Finishing: Shoulder pads; hem finished by hand with blind stitches.

Lining: Full lining with a centre back pleat, cut from the main pieces minus the facings and hemmed separately.

Level Of Difficulty

Intermediate. Welt pockets, a multi-part collar sewn in layers, a lined coat with set-in two-piece sleeves, buttonholes and continuous edge topstitching.

Fabric Recommendations

Gabardine.

Additional Supplies

• Lining fabric
• Fusible interfacing (fronts, upper fronts, facings, welts, upper collar, bow)
• Shoulder pads
• 5 buttons

Cutter’s Must

From Main Fabric:

1. Back – 1 piece on Fold
2. Upper Back – 2 pieces
3. Front – 2 pieces
4. Upper Front – 4 pieces
5. Center Front Facing – 2 pieces
6. Upper Sleeve – 2 pieces
7. Lower Sleeve – 2 pieces
8. Back Tab (marked on pattern as "Waistband") – 2 pieces
9. Upper Collar – 1 piece on Fold
10. Lower Collar – 1 piece on Fold
11. Collar Placket – 2 pieces
12. Bow – 1 piece
13. Bow Knot (marked on pattern as "Belt loop" (typo)) – 1 piece
14. Welt (marked on pattern as "Off-set Welt")– 2 pieces
15. Big Pocket Bag  – 2 pieces

From Lining Fabric:

1. Smaller Pocket Bag – 2 pieces
2. Back – 1 piece on Fold
3. Front – use Front pattern piece excluding Center Front Facing area, cut 2 pieces
4. Upper Sleeve – 2 pieces
5. Lower Sleeve – 2 pieces

From Fusible Interfacing:

Apply to Center Front Facings, Welts, Upper Collar, Bow, Upper Front, and Front pieces.

Important Information

Before cutting your fabric:

• Print and lay out pattern pieces to determine yardage.
• Check mirrored pieces, notches, and grainlines.
• For patterned fabrics, align carefully for symmetry.

Assembly Instructions

Preparation

Fuse Interfacing

Apply fusible interfacing to all pieces marked for reinforcement: Front, Upper Front, Front Facing, Welt, Collar Placket, Upper Collar, and Bow. Fuse from the wrong side using a hot iron and steam.

Pockets

Single-Welt Front Pocket

1. Fold each Welt piece lengthwise, right sides together, and stitch the short ends. Turn right side out and press. Topstitch 1 cm from the edges.
2. Mark the finished welt width on the welt. Attach the Small Pocket Bag (lining) to the wrong side of the welt, aligning centers.
3. Place the welt right side down on the Front along the marked pocket opening. Stitch the welt in place.
4. Attach the Large Pocket Bag to the second pocket-opening line.
5. Cut the pocket opening between the stitching lines, clipping diagonally into the corners. Turn the pocket bags to the wrong side and press seam allowances flat.
6. Stitch around the pocket bag edges, securing the corners.
7. Mark a fold line 5.5 cm from the welt’s finished edge. Fold along this line outward to form the final welt shape, and tack the welt to the Front with a few small hand stitches at the corners.

Darts & Pleats

1. Stitch the bust darts on the Front and press them upward.
2. Form the center box pleat on the Back as marked and press.

Body Assembly

1. Join Fronts to Back at side and shoulder seams. Press seams open and serge or overlock edges.
2. Join each pair of Upper Front pieces to the corresponding Upper Back pieces at shoulder seams. Press seams open. With right sides together, stitch the neckline seam of the joined upper sections. Clip curves, turn right side out, and press.

Bow & Collar

1. Bow – Fold the Bow piece lengthwise, right sides together. Stitch three sides, leaving a small opening in the long edge for turning. Turn, press, close the opening, and topstitch 1 cm from the long edges.
2. Bow Knot (Belt Loop) – Fold lengthwise, right sides together, and stitch the long edge. Turn right side out, placing the seam at center back, and topstitch 1 cm from both long edges.
3. On the Upper Collar, position the bow on the right side following the markings and topstitch in place. Attach the bow knot over the bow as indicated, matching upper and lower edges. Sew the Upper Collar to the neckline of the Fronts and Back. Clip seam allowances and press open.
4. With right sides together, join the Lower Collar to the Collar Placket. Insert the vertical edge of the Upper Front between these pieces, aligning lower edges, and stitch. Press the seam toward the placket. Secure the lower collar to the upper sections along the lower edge.

Lining

1. Assemble the Lining in the same sequence as the outer garment, including the center box pleat on the Back Lining.
2. Double-turn the hem allowance by 1 cm and topstitch.
3. Attach the lining to the Front Facings, pressing allowances toward the lining and overlocking.
4. Sew the Lower Collar to the lining and facings, pressing the seam toward the lining.

Sleeves

1. Join the Upper Sleeve and Lower Sleeve along the elbow seam; press open and topstitch 1 cm from the seam. Press up the sleeve hem.
2. Stitch and press open the front sleeve seam.
3. Ease the sleeve cap between the notches and baste for shaping.
4. With right sides together, set in the sleeves, matching notches, and stitch.
5. Attach shoulder pads.

Finishing the Body

1. Press up and overlock the coat hem. With right sides together, pin the Front Facings, lining, and lower collar to the Fronts. Stitch the front edges and upper collar seam. Attach the lower edges of the facings to the fronts exactly along the hemline. Trim seam allowances at the lower corners, turn the coat right side out, and press. Stay-stitch along the neckline seam to secure the collar.
2. Topstitch 1 cm from the edge along the front edges and collar: begin at the lower hem, stitch to the upper collar corner, continue across the top edge of the collar, pause under the bow knot, reposition the coat, and continue to the opposite hem. Topstitch the collar 1 cm inside the neckline seam in two passes—stopping and restarting at the upper-front insertion point.
3. Attach the lining to the sleeve hems and turn the coat right side out.
4. Blind-stitch the coat hem. Work buttonholes on the Right Front; sew buttons to the Left Front.

Back Tab

1. With right sides together, stitch the Back Tab (Waistband) pieces around the perimeter, leaving a 10–15 cm opening for turning.
2. Turn right side out, fold in the opening seam allowance, and slipstitch closed. Topstitch 1 cm from all edges.
3. Work buttonholes on the tab and sew buttons to the Back along the marked positions.
4. Fasten the tab in place.