Empire-Seam Double-Breasted Spring Jacket
A hip-length women's double-breasted jacket in raincoat fabric with a notched collar, a horizontal yoke seam across the front above the waist, princess seams below it, and two-piece sleeves with an insert and a cuff band. Fully lined.
When To Wear
- As a light outer layer in spring and early autumn.
- Over blouses and fine knits with trousers or skirts, for work and town wear.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted through princess seams on the front and back, hip length.
Collar: Notched collar with lapels; the lower collar is interfaced and set into the jacket neckline, the upper collar into the facings and back neck facing.
Front: Front yoke with darts, joined to the body by a horizontal seam above the waist; princess seams run from this seam to the hem. Front edges understitched 0.2 cm from the seam.
Closure: Double-breasted with buttonholes and 6 visible buttons in three pairs, plus a hidden inside button.
Back: Back yoke, centre back seam and princess seams.
Sleeves: Two-piece set-in sleeves; above the hem an insert and a cuff are joined across the sleeve as horizontal bands.
Lining: Full lining including the sleeves and back yoke, bagged and turned through an opening in the right lining sleeve, and tacked to the body at the waist seams.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. A notched collar set between the jacket and the facings, a double-breasted closure with buttonholes, princess seams and a bagged full lining.
Fabric Recommendations
Raincoat fabric.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric
- Fusible interfacing (front facings, centre front panels, lower collar, front yokes, back neck facing)
- 7 buttons
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Back neck facing – 1 piece
- Back yoke – 1 piece
- Back center – 2 pieces
- Back side – 2 pieces
- Lower collar – 1 piece
- Upper collar – 1 piece
- Front side – 2 pieces
- Front yoke – 2 pieces
- Front center – 2 pieces
- Front facing – 2 pieces
- Upper sleeve – 2 pieces
- Lower sleeve – 2 pieces
- Sleeve insert – 2 pieces
- Cuff – 2 pieces
- From lining fabric:
- Back yoke – 1 piece
- Back center – 2 pieces
- Back side – 2 pieces
- Front side – 2 pieces
- Front center – 2 pieces
- Upper sleeve – 2 pieces
- Lower sleeve – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing: front facing, front center, lower collar, front yoke, back neck facing.
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse fusible interfacing to the front facing, front center, lower collar, front yoke, and back neck facing.
- Place the upper collar and lower collar right sides together and stitch the lower collar to the upper collar. Trim, turn out the collar corners. Press the collar.
- Stitch and press open the princess seams on the front and back. Stitch and press open the center back seam. Mark and stitch the darts on the front yoke. Press the darts towards the center of the front yoke. Attach the yoke to the front and press open the seam. Attach the yoke to the back and press open the seam.
- Place the front facing on the right side of the front, right side down, pin, and stitch along the marked line. Stitch from the front side upwards to the notch, which indicates the end of the collar insertion. Stitch the lower edges of the front facing to the front strictly along the marked hemline. Trim the seams of the upper and lower corners of the front edge. Topstitch the seam allowance of the front edge: in the fastener area – to the front facing, in the lapel area – to the front. The stitching should be 0.2 cm from the seam. Remove pins. Turn the front edges to the right side, straighten the seams, and press.
- Stitch the shoulder and side seams of the jacket. Press open the shoulder and side seams.
- Insert the lower collar into the jacket neckline, and the upper collar into the neckline of the front facing and back neck facing. Press open the collar insertion seam allowances and secure them close to the seams.
- Stitch and press open the elbow seam of the sleeve. Attach the sleeve insert to the sleeve. Press open the attachment seam. Attach the cuff to the lower edge of the sleeve. Press open the attachment seam. Stitch and press open the front seam of the sleeve. Press up the sleeve hem. Insert the sleeves into the armholes according to the notches.
- On the lining fabric pieces, stitch the seams and insert the sleeves, leaving an opening in the right front sleeve seam. Press up the lining allowances. Attach the lining to the inner edges of the front facing and neckline facing.
- Mark and press up the jacket hem. Finish the sleeve and jacket hem with the lining. Secure the lining to the garment at the waist seams. Turn the jacket to the right side through the opening in the sleeve. Stitch the opening in the sleeve.
- Mark and make buttonholes on the front panels. Sew on buttons. Mark and sew on a hidden button.
