Double-Breasted Belted Semi-Raglan Coat
A long women's coat with semi-raglan sleeves cut in front and back halves, a double-breasted front with a notched collar, vertical single-welt pockets and a separate self-fabric belt. Fully lined, with a centre back vent.
When To Wear
- As an outer layer in autumn and spring, and on mild winter days.
- Belted over dresses, or over knitwear and trousers.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Straight, semi-fitted body; the belt draws it in at the waist.
Length: Below the knee.
Collar: Notched collar with wide lapels; the under collar is set into the coat neckline, the upper collar into the facings.
Sleeves: Semi-raglan, each made of a front and a back sleeve piece joined by an upper sleeve seam. A rounded, topstitched tab is caught into the upper seam near the hem and fastened with a button.
Front: Double-breasted, with buttonholes on the right front. Facings are cut in two parts (upper and lower).
Pockets: Vertical single-welt pockets below the waist, welts edge-stitched and stitched down at the short ends, pocket bags in lining.
Back: Centre back seam ending in a vent; princess seams on the front and back.
Waist: Separate straight belt, stitched closed and topstitched all round 0.5 cm from the edge.
Finishing: Topstitching along the front edges, collar, coat hem and sleeve hems; raglan shoulder pads.
Lining: Full lining, its hem finishing 2 cm above the coat hem, with a separate vent lining piece.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Single-welt pockets, a collar set between coat and facings, a lined centre back vent and bagging out a full lining.
Fabric Recommendations
Coating fabrics.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric
- Fusible interfacing (front facings, back neckline facing, collar, welts, sleeve tabs, hem and vent allowances)
- Raglan shoulder pads
- 9 buttons
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Back – 2 pieces
- Front – 2 pieces
- Back Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Front Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Upper Center Front Facing – 2 pieces
- Lower Center Front Facing – 2 pieces
- Upper Collar – 1 piece
- Lower Collar – 1 piece
- Back Neckline Facing – 1 piece on fold
- Pocket Off-Set Welt – 2 pieces
- Pocket Underlay Piece – 2 pieces
- Waistband (belt) – 1 piece
- Sleeve Decorative Tab – 4 pieces
- From lining fabric:
- Back – 2 pieces
- Front – 2 pieces
- Back Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Front Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Pocket Bags – 4 pieces
- Back Vent Lining
- From fusible interfacing: front facings, Back Neckline Facing, collar, welts and Sleeve Decorative Tabs. Additionally, press interfacing onto the hem allowances and the vent.
Sewing Instructions
- Reinforce the Upper and Lower Center Front Facings, Back Neckline Facing, collar, welts and Sleeve Decorative Tabs with fusible interfacing. Additionally, press the interfacing to the seam allowances for the hem and vent. (Heat-adhesive interfacings are pressed from the wrong side of the piece with a strongly heated iron).
- On the fronts, make single-welt pockets: cleanly stitch the welts along the short sides, turn out and press. Topstitch the fold close to the edge.
- On the wrong side of the front, press a strip of interfacing approximately 4 cm wide over the pocket marking.
- Turn under one long edge of the Pocket Underlay Piece and topstitch it onto the upper pocket bag.
- Place the pocket welt and upper pocket bag with the front right sides together, pin along the pocket opening marking and stitch, ensuring that the longitudinal edges of the welt and pocket bag align with the center line of the pocket marking.
- Cut the front along between the stitching lines, diagonally towards the ends of the stitching lines. Be careful not to damage the welts and pocket bags!
- Press the seam allowances open.
- Turn the welts and pocket bags through the opening to the wrong side and baste.
- On the wrong side of the front, place the lower pocket bag on the welt, directing the pocket bag upwards, and from the right side, topstitch the welt into the attachment seam, catching the pocket bag. Press the pocket bag downwards.
- Turn the small triangles at the ends of the opening to the wrong side and topstitch exactly from the ends of the upper stitching line to the ends of the lower stitching line.
- Trim the pocket bags, evening them out, and stitch.
- Topstitch the welt along the short sides to the front.
- Stitch the center back seam up to the vent. Press the seam, along with the vent seam allowances, towards the left side seam.
- Stitch the princess seams on the front and back, press open.
- Place the front and back sleeve parts with the front and back respectively, stitch, press towards the sleeve.
- Place the Sleeve Decorative Tabs in pairs, right sides together, and stitch along the rounded sides. Turn out, press, and topstitch.
- Stitch the upper sleeve seams, inserting the tabs according to the markings.
- Stitch the lower sleeve seams and the coat side seams in one continuous line.
- Attach the lower collar to the neckline.
- Stitch the shoulder seams of the Back Neckline Facing and the front facings, then stitch the Upper Collar to the neckline of the facings. Press the seam allowances open, clip at curves.
- Place the Upper Collar, joined with the front facings, onto the main garment right sides together and stitch the fronts and collar, turn out and press.
- Secure the collar attachment seams together. Baste the front and collar.
- Bottom edge: lay the front facings forward. Turn the hem seam allowances to the wrong side and stitch. Turn the front facings to the wrong side.
- Attach shoulder pads.
- Stitch the lining pieces. Turn up the lining hem so that it ends 2 cm above the coat hem.
- Place the lining with the coat right sides together and stitch to the inner edges of the front facings and the Back Neckline Facing, folding back the coat hem allowance.
- Turn the coat right side out.
- Smooth the lining, pin the side seams to the coat side seams and carefully cut along the vent edges, shifting 1 cm towards the center seam. 1 cm before the top of the vent, make diagonal cuts of 1 cm on both sides.
- Turn the cuts inwards and pin to the vent edges. Reach your hand between the coat and lining, grasp the pinned edges and pull them out one by one. Stitch the edges, fold the hem allowance down. Straighten the vent edges.
- At the upper edge of the vent, turn under the lining corner and stitch to the vent allowance. From the right side of the coat, make a diagonal topstitch, catching the vent allowances.
- Stitch the lining at the bottom of the garment and sleeves to the hem allowances.
- On the right front, make buttonholes; sew on the buttons according to the markings.
- Topstitch along the front edge, collar, bottom of the garment and sleeves.
- Fold the Waistband (belt) in half lengthwise, right sides together, and stitch along the long side and one short side, turn out and press the folds. Turning under the open edge, stitch around the perimeter of the belt at a distance of 0.5 cm.
