Fitted Tailcoat Jacket with Flounced Hem

Women’s Tailcoat with Cascading Flounce

A women's fitted denim tailcoat with a notched collar, a one-button cutaway front, princess seams front and back and two-piece set-in sleeves. A flounce is attached to the whole lower edge, rising high at the front and falling into a long rounded tail at the back.

When To Wear

• Over a fitted top with slim trousers, jeans or a short skirt.
• In spring and autumn as a light jacket; for parties and stage wear.

Key Design Features

Silhouette: Fitted through the waist, with princess seams on the front and back running from the armholes.

Length: Short at the front, below the knee at the back.

Collar: Notched collar with lapels; interfaced under collar and upper collar stitched together and set into the neckline.

Sleeves: Long, two-piece set-in sleeves with an elbow seam; 3 cm hem allowance.

Front: Single-breasted, one button and buttonhole at the waist; interfaced front facings, understitched 0.2 cm from the seam (to the facing along the closure, to the front along the lapels).

Back: Centre back seam and princess seams; interfaced back neck facing.

Skirt: Two flounce pieces joined at the centre and sewn to the lower edge of the jacket from one front edge around the back to the other; the lower ends of the front facings are fixed to the flounce seam.

Finishing: Seams overlocked; shoulder and side seams pressed towards the back.

Level Of Difficulty

Intermediate. Princess seams, a notched collar with lapels and facings, two-piece sleeves and a long shaped flounce joined to a curved edge.

Fabric Recommendations

Denim.

Additional Supplies

• Fusible interfacing (front facings, back neck facing, under collar)
• 1 button

Cutter’s Must

From Main Fabric:

• Center Back – 2 pieces
• Side Back – 2 pieces
• Front Side – 2 pieces
• Back Neckline Facing – 1 piece
• Center Front – 2 pieces
• Center Front Facing – 2 pieces
• Upper Collar – 1 piece
• Lower Collar – 1 piece
• Flounce – 2 pieces
• Upper Sleeve – 2 pieces
• Lower Sleeve – 2 pieces

From Fusible Interfacing:

All interfacing pieces are cut using the corresponding main pattern pieces.

• Center Front Facing
• Back Neckline Facing
• Lower Collar

Important Information

Before cutting your fabric:

• Print and lay out pattern pieces to determine yardage.
• Check mirrored pieces, notches, and grainlines.
• For patterned fabrics, align carefully for symmetry.

Assembly Instructions

1. Interfacing Preparation

Apply fusible interfacing to the Center Front Facing, Back Neckline Facing, and Lower Collar.

2. Collar Assembly

Place the Upper Collar and Lower Collar right sides together.
Stitch the Lower Collar with the Upper Collar along the outer edges.

Trim the seam allowances at the corners, turn the collar right side out, and carefully shape the corners.

3. Princess Seams – Front and Back

Stitch and overlock the princess seams:
– Center Front with Front Side
– Center Back with Side Back

Press the seam allowances on the front toward the center front, and on the back toward the center back.

4. Facings – Edge Finishing

Overlock the outer edges of the Center Front Facing and the Back Neckline Facing.

5. Center Front Facing Attachment

Place the Center Front Facing on the right side of the Center Front, right sides together, and pin.

Stitch along the front edge, working from the Center Front side up to the notch indicating the end of the collar attachment.

Trim the seam allowances at the upper corners of the front edge.

Understitch the seam allowance:
– along the closure area, to the Center Front Facing
– along the lapel area, to the Center Front

Position the understitching 0.2 cm from the seam.

Turn the front edges right side out and carefully shape the edges.

6. Center Back Seam

Stitch and overlock the center back seam of the Center Back pieces.

Press the seam allowances to one side.

7. Shoulder and Side Seams

Stitch and overlock the shoulder and side seams.

Press the seam allowances toward the back.

8. Facing Assembly

Stitch the shoulder seams of the Back Neckline Facing and Center Front Facing.

Press the seam allowances open.

9. Sleeve – Elbow Seam

Stitch and overlock the elbow seam of the sleeve (Upper Sleeve to Lower Sleeve).

Press the seam allowances open.

10. Sleeve – Front Seam

Stitch the front seam of the sleeve and overlock the seam allowances.

Press the seam allowances toward the front (Upper Sleeve).

Press the 3 cm sleeve hem allowance to the wrong side.

11. Sleeve Insertion

Set the sleeves into the armholes, aligning all notches.

Overlock the armhole seam allowances.

12. Collar Attachment

Attach the assembled collar to the neckline of the jacket.

13. Flounce Assembly and Attachment

Stitch and overlock the center seam of the Flounce pieces.

Press the seam allowances toward the right Flounce piece.

Attach the Flounce to the lower edge of the jacket and overlock the seam allowances.

Turn under the lower edge of the Center Front Facing and secure it to the flounce attachment seam.

14. Buttonhole and Button

Work the buttonhole on the right Center Front.

Sew the button on the left Center Front.