Princess Seam Coat with Flap Pockets
A women's knee-length single-breasted coat with a notched collar, princess seams front and back, flap pockets set into a horizontal seam of the side front and two-piece sleeves with a buttoned vent. Fully lined.
When To Wear
- In autumn and spring, over dresses, suits and trousers.
- For the office and city wear.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted through the body by princess seams, widening slightly towards the hem.
Length: Around the knee.
Collar: Notched collar with lapels; the under collar is set into the neckline, the upper collar into the facings and back neck facing.
Sleeves: Two-piece set-in sleeves with an eased cap and a vent in the elbow seam with a small button.
Closure: Single-breasted, four large buttons with buttonholes on the right front.
Pockets: Edgestitched flaps set into the horizontal seam between the upper and lower side front pieces, with the pocket opening in that seam.
Back: Centre back seam and princess seams separating centre and side back panels.
Finishing: Facings, centre fronts, upper side fronts, back neck facing, one collar piece, upper flaps, coat hem and sleeve hems and vents are fused. Shoulder pads.
Lining: Full lining with lined sleeves, sewn to the facings, back neck facing, coat hem and sleeve hems.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Princess seams, in-seam flap pockets, a notched collar set between coat and facings, sleeve vents and a full lining.
Fabric Recommendations
Coating fabrics.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric
- Fusible interfacing
- Shoulder pads
- 4 large buttons
- 2 smaller buttons (sleeve vents)
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Center Back – 2 pieces
- Side Back – 2 pieces
- Center Front – 2 pieces
- Upper Side Front – 2 pieces
- Lower Side Front – 2 pieces
- Center Front Facing – 2 pieces
- Upper Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Lower Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Upper Collar – 1 piece
- Lower Collar – 1 piece
- Back Neckline Facing – 1 piece on fold
- Pocket Flap – 4 pieces
- From lining fabric:
- Center Back – 2 pieces
- Side Back – 2 pieces
- Front – 2 pieces
- Upper Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Lower Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Pocket Bag – 4 pieces
- From fusible interfacing: Center Front Facings, Center Front and Upper Side Front pieces, Back Neckline Facing, one collar piece, upper Pocket Flaps. Additionally, fuse interfacing to the hem allowances of the coat and to the sleeve hem allowances and vents.
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the Center Front Facings, the Center Front and Upper Side Front pieces, the upper Pocket Flaps, one collar piece and the Back Neckline Facing (heat-activated interfacing is pressed onto the wrong side of the piece with a hot iron).
- Stitch the center back seam and the back princess seams. Press the seams open.
- Pockets: stitch the Pocket Flap pieces together along the sides and lower edge, turn and press. Edgestitch the edges. Place the flap on the right side of the Upper Side Front, matching the open edges of the flap with the lower edge of the Upper Side Front. Place a Pocket Bag on top of the flap and baste all layers. Stitch on the flap and pocket bag and turn them down. Stitch the second Pocket Bag to the upper edge of the Lower Side Front and press it to the wrong side. Baste the pocket opening closed (Upper Side Front to Lower Side Front) with cross stitches. Stitch the pocket bags together.
- Stitch the front princess seams (Center Front to the side front pieces).
- Stitch the shoulder and side seams.
- Stitch the Lower Collar into the neckline.
- Stitch the shoulder seams of the Back Neckline Facing and Center Front Facings, then stitch the Upper Collar into the neckline of the facings; press the seam allowances open and clip the curves.
- Place the Upper Collar joined with the facings on the coat, right sides together, and stitch along the front edges, lapels and collar; turn right side out and press. Tack the collar neckline seams together.
- From the right side, roll and adjust the lapels and collar into position and baste.
- Lower edge: fold the facings forward (onto the right side of the coat). Turn the hem allowance to the wrong side and stitch it in place. Turn the facings to the inside.
- Fuse interfacing to the sleeve hem allowance and vent. Stitch the sleeve seams, leaving the vents open at the elbow seams. Clip the seam allowance of the Lower Sleeve above the vent mark and press the seam allowances open above the vent. Hem the sleeves. Press the vent edges of the Upper Sleeve to the wrong side. Pin the vents closed and, from the inside, stitch the vent edges to each other.
- Ease the sleeve cap with small running stitches and pull the thread until it matches the corresponding length of the armhole. Dampen the fabric and shrink out the fullness with the tip of a hot iron. Pin the sleeve to the coat, matching the notches, and stitch from the sleeve side. Attach the shoulder pads.
- Assemble the lining pieces. Stitch the lining to the lower edges of the sleeves, the inner edges of the Center Front Facings, the Back Neckline Facing and the coat hem.
- Work buttonholes on the right front and sew the buttons on the left front. Also sew a button on each sleeve vent.
