Hooded Straight Utility Coat
A women's straight-cut hooded raincoat of knee length, with a separating zipper covered by a buttoned placket, slanted single-welt chest pockets and pleated patch pockets with flaps. Fully lined.
When To Wear
- In spring and autumn rain and wind, with the hood up and drawn in by the cord.
- Over jumpers, jeans and trousers for everyday wear and walks.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Straight, with a dart on each front and on each back panel.
Length: Knee length.
Hood: Two-layer hood with a centre seam, set into the neckline; the zipper continues up the hood extensions. A decorative cord runs through the hood edge, exits through buttonholes and is finished with cord ends.
Sleeves: One-piece set-in sleeves with deep cuffs folded in half.
Closure: Separating zipper along the front edge and hood, covered by a placket on the right front. The placket fastens with eight buttons and fabric loops sewn into its edge.
Pockets: Slanted single-welt pockets at chest level, where the front darts end. Lower patch pockets with pleats, topstitched 0.2 cm from the edge, under flaps topstitched 0.5 cm from the edge.
Back: Centre back seam and two shoulder darts.
Finishing: Front edges and facings topstitched 0.5 cm from the edge; placket topstitched to the front.
Lining: Full lining of fronts, back and sleeves, sewn to the facings and attached to the cuffs.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Welt pockets, a placket with inserted loops, a separating zipper running into a lined hood, and a lining bagged out through the sleeve.
Fabric Recommendations
Raincoat fabrics.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric
- Fusible interfacing (front facings, cuffs, back neck facing, placket, stabilizer strips for the welt pockets)
- 8 buttons
- Separating zipper
- Decorative cord
- 2 cord ends
Cutting Plan
From main fabric:
- 1. Back – 2 pieces
- 2. Front – 2 pieces
- 3. Zipper Placket – 2 pieces
- 4. Back Neckline Facing – 1 piece on fold
- 5. Center Front Facing – 2 pieces
- 6. Hood – 4 pieces
- 7. Cuff – 2 pieces
- 8. Sleeve – 2 pieces
- 9. Patch Pocket – 2 pieces
- 10. Flap – 4 pieces
- 11. Off-Set Welt – 2 pieces
From lining fabric:
- 1. Breast Pocket Lining – 4 pieces
- 2. Back – 2 pieces
- 3. Front – 2 pieces
- 4. Sleeve – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing: Center Front Facing, Cuff, Back Neckline Facing, Zipper Placket; stay strips for the welt pockets (4 cm wide, 2–3 cm longer than the pocket opening).
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the Center Front Facing, Cuff, Back Neckline Facing and Zipper Placket.
- Mark and stitch the dart on the Front. Slash the dart and press it open. Mark and stitch the dart on the Back. Press the back dart towards the center back.
- Cut a 3 cm wide strip of main fabric for the loops. Fold the strip lengthwise and stitch 0.5 cm from the fold, closing one end. Turn the strip right side out and press. Cut the loops from the strip: each loop is twice the button diameter plus 4 cm long.
- Mark the loop positions on the Zipper Placket. Fold each loop in half across, forming a triangle at the fold. Secure the triangle at its base.
- Place the Zipper Placket pieces right sides together and stitch the two short edges and the long outer edge, catching the loops in the seam. Trim the corners, turn the placket right side out and press.
- Mark the position of the Off-Set Welt. Fold the welt in half lengthwise, right sides together, and press. Stitch across the ends, trim the excess fabric at the corners and turn the welt right side out. Press the finished welt.
- Reinforce the pocket position on the Front with a fusible stay strip. Mark the stitching line on the welt, measuring its width. Place the welt on the right side of one Breast Pocket Lining piece, welt right side up and folded edge down, with the raw edges even and the lining extending equally beyond both ends of the welt. Place the welt on the front, matching the marked lines. Stitch the welt to the front; the welt lies between the front and the pocket lining. Press the seam allowances of the welt and lining towards the welt. Place the second Breast Pocket Lining piece on the front, right sides together, butting it against the welt seam. Baste and stitch 0.8–1 cm from the welt seam. Check from the wrong side that the stitching lines are parallel. Remove the basting. Cut the pocket opening, making diagonal cuts into the corners 1–1.5 cm from each end. Turn the pocket lining through the opening to the wrong side and straighten the edges. Secure the pocket ends on the wrong side with a double row of backstitching across the base of the corner triangles. Stitch the pocket lining pieces together and overlock the edges. Baste the welt in place on the front and press. Topstitch the ends of the welt. Remove the basting.
- Place the Flap pieces right sides together and stitch around. Trim the seam allowances at the corners and turn the flaps right side out. Topstitch around the outer edge of the flaps 0.5 cm from the edge and overlock the upper edge of each flap.
- Mark and stitch the pleats on the Patch Pocket. Overlock the outer edge of the pocket and press the allowances to the wrong side following the pattern. Turn the upper edge onto the pocket and topstitch it, mark the pocket position and stitch the pocket on around the edge, 0.2 cm from the edge. Place the flap on its marking and stitch it on. Turn the flap down and topstitch 0.5 cm from the seam.
- Mark the placket position. Stitch the Zipper Placket to the right front, fold it over and topstitch it to the front.
- Stitch the center back seam and press it open. Stitch the shoulder seams of the coat and press them open.
- Set the sleeves into the open armholes. Stitch the sleeve seam and the side seam of the coat in one continuous seam. Press the side and sleeve seams open.
- Mark and work the buttonholes on the Hood. Stitch the center seam of the hood and press it open. Stitch the hood into the neckline. Stitch the separating zipper to the hood extensions and the front edges. Turn under the front edges along the zipper and press.
- Place the outer and inner Hood together and stitch around the edge, leaving the neck edge and the extensions open. Press the hood.
- Stitch the inner hood to the Center Front Facing, stopping 4 cm from the end.
- Place the Center Front Facing on the front, right sides together. Stitch along the hood extensions and the front edge on the marked line, with the front uppermost. Stitch the lower edges of the facings to the front exactly along the marked hemline. Trim the seam allowances at the upper and lower corners of the front edge. Turn the front edges right side out and ease out the seams. Topstitch 0.5 cm from the edge.
- Mark the topstitching line along the hood edge. Thread the decorative cord through the hood. Topstitch along the hood edge. Put the cord ends on the cord.
- Stitch the shoulder seams between the Back Neckline Facing and the Center Front Facings and press them open. Stitch the inner hood into the neckline of the facings.
- Press the Cuff in half lengthwise. Unfold the cuff and stitch its side seam. Press the seam open. Fold the cuff in half lengthwise again, with the seam at the side, and press.
- Stitch the cuff to the lower edge of the sleeve.
- Stitch the seams of the lining pieces, leaving an opening in the right sleeve seam, and set in the lining sleeves. Press the lining seams. Stitch the lining to the inner edges of the Center Front Facings and the Back Neckline Facing. Press the hood seam allowances open and tack them together close to the seams. Topstitch 0.5 cm from the front edge.
- Turn under the lining sleeve hems and stitch them to the cuffs. Turn the coat right side out through the opening in the sleeve lining. Stitch the opening closed.
- Mark the positions and sew on the buttons.
