Asymmetrical Button Front Cape
A hip-length women's cape in coating, with a curved asymmetric six-button closure, princess seams running from the neckline to the hem, two single-welt pockets and a round neck finished with a narrow band. Fully lined.
When To Wear
- As outerwear in autumn and spring, over a sweater, shirt or dress.
- With narrow trousers or a straight skirt, which keep the wide shape in balance.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Flared from the shoulders, with no sleeves or armholes; the arms come out at the sides.
Length: Around the hip.
Neckline: Round neck finished with a narrow band made of two interfaced facing layers, joined to the cape and to the lining.
Front: Right and left fronts are cut differently: the right front crosses over, closing along a curved line on the left with six buttons and buttonholes. Princess seams on both fronts, pressed open; front facings understitched 0.2 cm from the seam.
Pockets: Single-welt pockets on the fronts with interfaced welts, the ends of the welts topstitched.
Back: Princess seams, pressed open.
Lining: Full lining, bagged out through an opening in the lining shoulder seam and held at the hem with fusible web. The lining can be left free at the hem instead; the seams are then overlocked first.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Single-welt pockets, an asymmetric front with facings, a two-layer neckband and a bagged lining.
Fabric Recommendations
Coat fabrics, drap (dense wool coating).
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric
- Fusible interfacing (welts, neckline facings, front facings)
- Fusible web
- 6 buttons
Cutting Plan
From main fabric:
- 1. Right Front - 1 piece
- 2. Left Front – 1 piece
- 3. Back - 1 piece
- 4. Side Front - 2 pieces
- 5. Side Back - 2 pieces
- 6. Welt – 2 pieces
- 7. Back Neckline Facing - 2 pieces
- 8. Right Neckline Facing - 2 pieces
- 9. Left Neckline Facing – 2 pieces
- 10. Front Facing – 2 pieces
From lining fabric:
- 1. Right Front - 1 piece (minus the width of the front facing on one side)
- 2. Back - 1 piece
- 3. Side Front - 2 pieces
- 4. Side Back - 2 pieces
- 5. Large Pocket Lining – 2 pieces
- 6. Small Pocket Lining - 2 pieces
- 7. Left Front - 1 piece (minus the width of the front facing on one side)
From fusible interfacing:
- welt, back neckline facing, right front neckline facing, left front neckline facing, front facing.
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the welts and the upper parts of the neckline facings.
- Fold the welt in half lengthwise, right sides together, and stitch the short edges. Trim seam allowances at corners, turn the welt right side out, shape, and press.
- On the front piece, mark the welt placement. On the welt, mark the stitching line to the coat, measuring the width. Place the welt on the right side of the small pocket lining, right side up, with the finished edge facing down, aligning the raw edges and extending the lining edges beyond the welt by an equal amount. Place the welt on the front piece and align the marked lines. Stitch the welt to the front piece. The welt will be sandwiched between the front piece and the small pocket lining. Press the seam allowances of the welt and lining towards the welt. Place the large pocket lining on the right side of the front piece, right side down, butt it against the welt stitching line. Baste and stitch at a distance of 0.8-1 cm from the welt stitching line. Check the accuracy of the welt and pocket lining attachment from the wrong side (stitches should be parallel). Remove temporary basting threads. Cut open the pocket opening. At a distance of 1-1.5 cm from the end of the pocket, make diagonal cuts. Turn the welt and pocket lining through the opening to the wrong side, and straighten the edges. Secure the pocket ends from the wrong side with a double backstitch at the base of the corners. Stitch and overlock the pocket lining. Baste the welt to the front piece and press. Topstitch the ends of the welt. Remove temporary basting threads.
- Stitch and press open the princess seam on the left front. Stitch and press open the princess seam on the right front. Stitch and press open the princess seam on the back. Stitch and press open the shoulder seam on the front and back.
- Stitch the lining seams, overlock, and press (leaving an opening in the shoulder seam).
- Place the front facing on the right side of the front piece, right side down, pin, and stitch along the front edge. Stitching is done from the front piece upwards. Stitch the lower edges of the front facing to the front piece strictly along the marked hemline. Trim the seam allowances of the lower front corners. Understitch the front facing seam allowances to the front facing. The stitching should be 0.2 cm from the seam, stopping 3 cm before the neckline edge and the bottom of the poncho.
- Stitch the shoulder seams of the back neckline facing, left and right front neckline facings. Press seams open. Fold the upper and lower facings right sides together and stitch. Trim the seam allowances of the facing corners and turn out. Press the facings. Attach the upper facing to the coat neckline. Stitch the lining to the inner edges of the front facings.
- Attach the lower facing to the neckline edge of the lining and front facing. Secure the facing attachment allowances to the neckline. Stitch the lining to the bottom of the garment. At the bottom of the coat, attach the lining to the garment with fusible web.
- Turn the coat right side out through the opening. Stitch the opening closed.
- On the right front and facing, mark the placement and make the buttonholes, and sew buttons onto the left front.
