Princess Seam Long Sleeve Jacket with Center Loops Closure
A long, fully lined women's jacket with princess seams from the armholes at front and back, a small collar with lapels, a front closed edge to edge with thread loops and buttons, pockets hidden in the front princess seams and a centre back vent.
When To Wear
- For work and business wear over dresses, skirts and trousers in spring and autumn.
- As a light coat over a fitted dress.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Shaped to the body by princess seams on the front and back, widening slightly to the hem; front darts in addition to the princess seams.
Length: Mid-thigh.
Collar: Small collar with lapels; under collar set into the jacket neckline, upper collar into the neckline of the facings.
Closure: The fronts meet edge to edge and fasten on the upper front, with buttons on the left front and thread loops set into the right front edge.
Pockets: In-seam pockets in the front princess seams, with two pocket bags each; the centre front is topstitched along the princess seam, skipping the pocket openings.
Sleeves: Two-piece set-in sleeves with a vent in the elbow seam closed with small buttons. Cap eased into the armhole, with a strip of batting about 4 cm wide under the cap seam; shoulder pads.
Back: Centre back seam with a vent; side back panels in princess seams from the armhole.
Lining: Full lining including the sleeves, with a 2 cm ease pleat at the centre back; turned through a 20 cm opening in a lining sleeve seam.
Level Of Difficulty
Advanced. Princess seams with in-seam pockets, a collar set between the jacket and the facings, a back vent and sleeve vents, and a bagged lining finished around both vents.
Fabric Recommendations
Light suiting fabrics; lining fabric in a matching colour.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric in a matching colour
- Fusible interfacing (front facings, back neck facing, collar, vents, centre front panels)
- 12 buttons (front and sleeve vents)
- Shoulder pads
- A strip of synthetic batting for the sleeve caps
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Center Front – 2 pieces
- Side Front – 2 pieces
- Center Back – 2 pieces
- Side Back – 2 pieces
- Upper Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Lower Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Collar – 2 pieces on fold
- Back Neckline Facing – 1 piece on fold
- Pocket (pocket bag) – 4 pieces
- Center Front Facing – 2 pieces
- From lining fabric: Center Front minus the width of the Center Front Facing; Center Back minus the width of the Back Neckline Facing, without the vent allowance and with a 2 cm deep pleat along the center line; Side Front; Side Back; Upper Sleeve; Lower Sleeve; Vent Lining.
- From fusible interfacing: Center Front Facings, Back Neckline Facing, Collar, vent area, Center Front pieces.
Sewing Instructions
- Reinforce the Center Front Facings, Back Neckline Facing, Collar, vent area and Center Front pieces with fusible interfacing.
- Stitch the center seams of the back up to the vent notch. Clip the seam allowance of the right back piece diagonally at the corner. Press the seam allowances open, press the one-piece vent facing and the vent seam allowance towards the left back piece.
- Stitch the princess seams on the back. Press the seam allowances towards the center back.
- Stitch the princess seams and darts on the front, leaving the pocket opening unstitched. Press the seam allowances and dart depths towards the center.
- Attach one Pocket bag to the pocket opening seam allowance of the Center Front piece, right sides together. Attach the second Pocket bag to the pocket opening seam allowance of the Side Front piece, right sides together. Stitch the pocket bag edges. Topstitch the center front piece along the princess seam, skipping the pocket openings.
- Stitch the side and shoulder seams.
- Stitch the Back Neckline Facing to the Center Front Facings.
- Place the joined facings on the jacket, right sides together, and pin, inserting the thread loops between the right Center Front Facing and the right front edge according to the markings. Stitch the facings to the front edges and lapels up to the cross notch.
- Stitch the two Collar pieces along the outer contour, turn out and press. Insert the collar between the jacket and the joined facings. Stitch the under collar to the jacket neckline and the upper collar to the neckline of the facings. Press open the seam allowances of the upper and undercollar, clip at curves. Turn the facings to the wrong side. Pin the stitching lines of the upper and undercollars. Stitch the seam allowances of the upper and undercollars close to the seams. Press the jacket hem allowance to the wrong side.
- Press the one-piece vent facings and vent seam allowance to the wrong side along the fold lines, topstitch the left back piece diagonally at the upper end of the vent, catching the vent seam allowance.
- Stitch the longitudinal seams of the sleeves, leaving the vent open in the elbow seam. Hem the sleeve. Press the vent edges. From the wrong side of the sleeve, stitch the longitudinal and upper short transverse edges of the one-piece vent facing and vent seam allowance. Sew small buttons onto the sleeve, catching the vent seam allowance. Set in the sleeves, easing the sleeve caps. Sew a strip of synthetic batting approx. 4 cm wide under the seam allowances of each sleeve setting seam in the sleeve cap area. Sew on shoulder pads.
- Stitch the ease pleat on the lining back. Press the pleat depth to the left. Stitch the lining pieces similarly to the main garment, leaving a 20 cm section unstitched in the sleeve side seam. Place the lining with the main garment, right sides facing in, pin along the center back line and shoulder seams. Stitch the lining to the Center Front Facings and Back Neckline Facing. Fold the lining with the jacket, wrong sides together. Above the back vent, turn under the lining and pin to the vent seam allowance facing (right edge). Pull the pinned edges out through the open bottom and stitch. At the upper end of the vent, turn under the lining and hand stitch to the vent seam allowance. Press the jacket hem allowance to the wrong side and stitch. Attach the lining to the bottom of the sleeves. Attach the lining to the hem allowance edge. Turn the garment right side out through the remaining unstitched sleeve section, stitch this section.
- Sew the buttons onto the left front to match the loops.
