Empire Waist Coat with Wide Notched Lapels
A women's lined coat below the knee, with a horizontal seam under the bust and panel seams running from the armholes to the hem, front and back. Wide notched lapels, a single-button front and flap pockets set into the front panel seams.
When To Wear
- In autumn, winter and early spring, over dresses, skirts and trousers.
- For the office and for city wear.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted to the high waist, widening from the empire seam to the hem.
Length: Below the knee.
Collar: Notched collar with wide lapels; the under collar is set into the neckline and the upper collar joined to the facings.
Front: Single-breasted, fastened with one button just above the empire seam. Each front is cut as upper and lower centre front and upper and lower side front; the empire and panel seams are topstitched 0.5 cm from the seam, and the front edges 0.5 cm from the edge.
Sleeves: Long one-piece set-in sleeves with shoulder pads and sleeve heads.
Pockets: Flap pockets with a folded welt, set into the panel seam of the lower front: the flap is attached to the side front and the welt to the centre front, with lining pocket bags.
Back: Panel seams from the armholes to the hem, crossed by the empire seam, all topstitched 0.5 cm; no centre back seam.
Lining: Full lining cut in panels, joined to the facings, upper collar and hem.
Level Of Difficulty
Advanced. Flap-and-welt pockets set into a panel seam, a notched collar between coat and facings, matching empire and panel seams, a full lining.
Fabric Recommendations
Pure wool or wool blend coating fabrics.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric
- Fusible interfacing (facings, under collar, upper fronts, upper centre back, armhole areas, hem allowances)
- Straight-grain stay tape for the pocket openings
- 1 button
- Shoulder pads and sleeve heads
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Upper Center Back – 1 piece
- Lower Center Back – 1 piece
- Upper Side Back – 2 pieces
- Lower Side Back – 2 pieces
- Lower Collar – 1 piece
- Upper Collar – 1 piece
- Upper Side Front – 2 pieces
- Lower Side Front – 2 pieces
- Upper Center Front – 2 pieces
- Lower Center Front – 2 pieces
- Center Front Facing – 2 pieces
- Flap – 4 pieces
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- From lining fabric:
- Center Back – 1 piece
- Side Back – 2 pieces
- Side Front – 2 pieces
- Center Front – 2 pieces
- Pocket Bag – 4 pieces
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing: Center Front Facing, Lower Collar, Upper Center Front, armhole area of the Upper Side Front, Upper Center Back, armhole area of the Upper Side Back, straight-grain stay tape for the pockets; hem allowances of the Lower Center Front, Sleeve, Lower Side Back and Lower Center Back.
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the Center Front Facing, Lower Collar, Upper Center Front, Lower Center Front, the armhole area of the Upper Side Front, the Upper Center Back and the armhole area of the Upper Side Back; and to the hem allowances of the Lower Center Front, Sleeve, Lower Side Back and Lower Center Back.
- Place the Upper Collar and Lower Collar right sides together and stitch along the outer edges. Trim the corners and turn the collar right side out.
- Place two Flap pieces (flap and under flap) right sides together, align the edges and stitch. Trim the seam allowances at the corners and turn right side out. Baste and press from the under-flap side so that the flap rolls 0.1–0.2 cm to the underside.
- Stitch the Upper Center Front to the Lower Center Front and the Upper Side Front to the Lower Side Front. Press the seams downwards and topstitch 0.5 cm from the seam.
- Stitch the panel seams of the front and press them towards the center of the front. Topstitch 0.5 cm from the seam.
- Reinforce the pocket opening with straight-grain stay tape or baste it. Fold the pocket welt in half wrong sides together and press. Mark a guideline on the welt parallel to its fold for attachment. Mark a guideline on the flap for attachment parallel to the upper edge of the flap, measuring the flap width along its entire length. Mark guidelines parallel to the pocket opening for attaching the flap and the welt. Stitch a Pocket Bag to the flap. Stitch the flap with the pocket bag to the Lower Side Front. Stitch the welt to the Lower Center Front. The ends of the stitches should finish at the parallel pocket marking lines. Check the welt and flap stitching from the wrong side (stitches should be parallel). Cut open the pocket opening. Make diagonal cuts 1-1.5 cm from the end of the pocket. Through the resulting opening, turn the welt and the flap seam allowance to the wrong side, straighten the edges, and adjust the welt so that its pressed fold meets the flap seam. Secure the pocket ends from the wrong side with a double backstitch at the base of the corners. Stitch the pocket bags together.
- Place the Center Front Facing on the front, right sides together, pin and stitch along the front edge, stitching from the front side up to the notch that marks the end of the collar seam. Stitch the lower edges of the facing to the front exactly along the marked hemline. Trim the seam allowances at the upper and lower corners, turn right side out and topstitch 0.5 cm from the front edge.
- Stitch the Upper Side Back to the Lower Side Back and the Upper Center Back to the Lower Center Back. Press the seams downwards and topstitch 0.5 cm from the seam.
- Stitch the panel seams of the back, press towards the center of the back and topstitch 0.5 cm from the seam.
- Stitch the shoulder and side seams of the coat. Press open the shoulder and side seams of the coat.
- Stitch the Lower Collar to the neckline of the coat and the Upper Collar to the neckline of the facings.
- Set the sleeves into the armholes, matching the notches. Attach the shoulder pads and sleeve heads.
- On the lining pieces, stitch the seams and set in the sleeves, leaving an opening in the right sleeve seam. Stitch the lining to the inner edges of the facings and the Upper Collar. Press open the collar insertion seam allowances and secure close to the seams. Stitch the lining to the bottom of the coat. Turn the coat right side out through the opening in the sleeve and stitch the opening in the sleeve.
- Make a buttonhole on the right front and sew the button on the left front.
