Tailored Zip-Front Coat with Waist Seam and Welt Pockets
A fitted, fully lined women's coat ending just above the knee, with a collarless round neckline, a full-length separating zipper at the centre front, a horizontal waist seam and slanted single-welt pockets.
When To Wear
- In autumn and spring as a light coat over dresses, skirts or trousers.
- For the office and city wear: the collarless neckline sits flat under a scarf.
- With knee-high boots or tights, the hem finishing just above the knee.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted, shaped by curved princess seams from the armholes and a seam at the waist; the lower part is cut in panels that continue the princess lines to the hem.
Length: Just above the knee.
Neckline: Round, collarless, finished with the front facings and a back neck facing.
Sleeves: Two-piece set-in sleeves with an elbow seam, the cap eased in; shoulder pads and sleeve heads.
Closure: Separating zipper along the full length of the centre front edge.
Pockets: Slanted single-welt pockets on the lower side fronts, with lining pocket bags.
Back: Centre back seam, princess seams, a waist seam, and darts on the upper centre back pieces.
Lining: Full lining with sleeves, attached to the facings and to the sleeve hems.
Level Of Difficulty
Advanced. Sixteen main body panels to match at the waist seam, welt pockets cut open on the front, a separating zipper set between the front and the facing, two-piece eased sleeves with shoulder pads and sleeve heads, and a full lining.
Fabric Recommendations
Lightweight coating fabrics of natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric
- Fusible interfacing (centre fronts, front facings, back neck facing, welts, armhole areas, pocket openings, hems)
- Separating zipper, full front length
- Shoulder pads
- Sleeve heads
Cutter's Must
If the patterns have a double contour, seam allowances are included. If the contour is single, seam allowances are not included. Seam allowances: All seams 1 cm. Hem allowance for the bottom of the garment and sleeve hem - 3.0 cm. Attention! First, 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!
- From main fabric:
- Center upper back – 2 pieces
- Side upper back – 2 pieces
- Center lower back – 2 pieces
- Side lower back – 2 pieces
- Center upper front – 2 pieces
- Side upper front – 2 pieces
- Center lower front – 2 pieces
- Side lower front – 2 pieces
- Upper sleeve – 2 pieces
- Lower sleeve – 2 pieces
- Front facing – 2 pieces
- Back neckline facing – 1 piece
- Welt – 2 pieces
- Pocket facing – 2 pieces
- From lining fabric:
- Center back – 2 pieces
- Side back – 2 pieces
- Front – 2 pieces
- Upper sleeve – 2 pieces
- Lower sleeve – 2 pieces
- Large pocket bag — 2 pieces
- Small pocket bag — 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
- Center upper front — 2 pieces
- Center lower front — 2 pieces
- Front facing — 2 pieces
- Back neckline facing — 1 piece
- Welt – 2 pieces
Also, armhole sections on the back and front, pocket opening, garment hem, and sleeve hem are interfaced.
Sewing Instructions
- Interface the pieces with fusible interfacing.
- Stitch darts on the center upper back, press dart allowances towards the center. Stitch the princess seams of the upper and lower back pieces, press seams open. Stitch the upper and lower back pieces together, press seams open. Stitch the center back seam, press seams open.
- Stitch the princess seams of the upper and lower front pieces, press seams open. Stitch the upper and lower front pieces together, press seams open.
- Press the welt lengthwise in half, wrong sides together. Stitch the small pocket bag to the inner side of the welt. Attach the welt to the front along the lower pocket marking line. Stitch the pocket facing to the large pocket bag, folding the long edge inwards. Attach the large pocket bag to the front along the upper pocket marking line. The ends of the stitching should finish at the short marking lines. Cut the pocket opening. Make diagonal cuts 1-1.5 cm from the end of the pocket. Turn the welt and large pocket bag to the wrong side through the opening. Secure the ends of the pocket from the wrong side with a double backstitch at the base of the corners. Stitch and overlock the pocket bag edges.
- Place fronts right sides together and align edges, measure the length of the front edges. Attach the separating zipper to the edge of the front.
- Stitch shoulder and side seams, press seams open.
- Stitch shoulder seams of front facings and neckline facing, press seams open.
- Overlock and press the hem allowance of the garment to the wrong side. Place the front facing on the right side of the front, right side down. Pin the front facing and the top of the garment and stitch along the front edge and neckline. Stitch the lower edge of the front facing to the front strictly along the marked hemline, stopping 1.5 cm before the inner edge of the front facing. Turn the front edges to the right side, straighten the seams.
- Stitch and press open the elbow seam of the sleeve. Press the hem allowance to the wrong side. Stitch and press open the front seam of the sleeve. Stitch along the upper edge of the sleeve cap with a small stitch length. Gather the sleeve cap and ease the fullness. Set the sleeves into the armholes, matching notches. Insert shoulder pads and sleeve heads.
- On the lining pieces, stitch darts and seams, set in sleeves. Overlock, fold, and topstitch the lower edge of the lining. Attach the lining to the inner edges of the front facings and the back neckline facing. Attach the lining to the sleeve hem.
