Raglan Swing Coat with Zipper
A women's A-line coat with two-piece raglan sleeves and turned-up cuffs, a separating zipper at the centre front and zipped pockets set into the front princess seams. Fully lined, with topstitching along every main seam.
When To Wear
- In spring and autumn over dresses, skirts and trousers: the A-line flares from the shoulders and leaves room underneath.
- As an everyday coat when a zip front is more practical than buttons.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: A-line, widening from the raglan seams to the hem.
Collar: Turn-down collar sewn between the coat and the facings, topstitched 1 cm from the edge.
Sleeves: Raglan, cut in two parts (front and back sleeve) with an upper sleeve seam; raglan and upper sleeve seams topstitched 1 cm. Long sleeves finished with a double-layer cuff, topstitched along the fold.
Front: Each front cut in two parts (centre front and side front) joined by a princess seam running from the raglan seam to the hem, topstitched 1 cm.
Closure: Separating zipper stitched into the front edges, with the facings turned to the inside; front edges topstitched 1 cm.
Pockets: Pocket openings left in the princess seams, each closed with a zipper basted under the opening edges so the teeth are hidden; lining pocket bags.
Back: Centre back seam, no darts.
Finishing: Shoulder pads; hem allowance interfaced and sewn by hand.
Lining: Full lining with 1 cm extra ease at the centre back, sewn to the cuffs, the front facings and the back neck facing.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Zipped pockets in a seam, a separating zipper in the front edge, a collar set between coat and facings, cuffs and a full lining.
Fabric Recommendations
Medium-weight coating or wool and wool blends with enough body to hold the A-line shape and the topstitching.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric
- Fusible interfacing (front facings, back neck facing, under collar, cuffs, hem allowances)
- 1 separating zipper for the centre front
- 2 zippers for the pockets
- Raglan shoulder pads
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Back – 2 pieces
- Back Neckline Facing – 1 piece (on fold)
- Center Front Facing – 2 pieces
- Collar – 2 pieces
- Center Front – 2 pieces
- Side Front – 2 pieces
- Back Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Front Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Cuff – 4 pieces
- From lining:
- Back – 2 pieces (minus the Back Neckline Facing, plus 1 cm ease at center back)
- Front – 2 pieces (Center Front and Side Front joined, minus the Center Front Facing)
- Back Sleeve – 2 pieces (minus the facing areas)
- Front Sleeve – 2 pieces (minus the facing areas)
- Pocket Bags – 4 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
- Center Front Facing – 2 pieces
- Back Neckline Facing – 1 piece (on fold)
- Collar (under collar) – 1 piece
- Cuff – 2 pieces
- Strips for the hem allowances
Sewing Instructions
- Interface the center front facings, under collar, cuffs and back neckline facing (fuse the interfacing to the wrong side with a hot iron).
- Stitch the center back seam. Press seam allowances open.
- Stitch the front princess seams, leaving the pocket openings unstitched. Press the seam allowances open, including along the pocket openings.
- Baste a pocket zipper under the edges of each pocket opening so that the teeth are not visible.
- Topstitch the fronts along the princess seams and along the front edges of the pocket openings at a distance of 1 cm.
- Stitch one lining pocket bag to the seam allowance along the front edge of the pocket opening and the second to the seam allowance along the back edge. Turn the pocket bags forward, trim them even and stitch them together.
- Stitch the raglan seams on the back and front, topstitch at a distance of 1.0 cm.
- Stitch the shoulder seams of the sleeves (front sleeve to back sleeve), topstitch at a distance of 1.0 cm.
- Stitch the underarm sleeve seams and the side seams of the coat.
- Attach shoulder pads.
- Open the separating zipper and turn under the upper ends of the tapes. Place each half of the zipper face down on the right side of the front along the front edge, with the teeth on the front and the tape on the seam allowance, and stitch it to the front edge, starting at the neckline.
- Stitch the under collar into the neckline. Stitch the shoulder seams of the back neckline facing and center front facings, and stitch the upper collar into the neckline of the facings. Press the seam allowances open and clip the curves.
- Place the upper collar with the attached facings on the coat, right sides together, and stitch the front edges and collar; turn right side out and press. Hand-stitch the neckline allowance of the upper collar to the neckline seam.
- From the right side, roll the front edges and collar into position and baste.
- Lower edge: fold the center front facings forward. Turn the hem allowance to the wrong side and sew it in place. Turn the facings back to the wrong side.
- Topstitch the front openings and collar at a distance of 1.0 cm.
- Place the cuff pieces right sides together in pairs and stitch along the upper edges. Lay each cuff flat and stitch the short edges. Fold the cuff in half, wrong side to wrong side, topstitch along the fold at a distance of 1.0 cm.
- Stitch one layer of the cuff to the lower edge of the sleeve, right sides together, and press the seam allowances open. Press the open allowance of the other cuff layer to the wrong side.
- Stitch the lining pieces together.
- Stitch the lining to the cuff edges, the inner edges of the center front facings and the back neckline facing. Hem the lining.
