Cape with Slit Openings
A women's flared cape ending at the upper thigh, with a rounded collar on a stand, a three-button front and vertical arm slits in the front seams. Fully lined.
When To Wear
- In autumn and spring over dresses, blouses and fine knitwear.
- Over slim trousers or straight skirts, with the arms passed through the front slits.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: A-line cape widening from the shoulders to the hem, built from a front, a back and front and back sleeve panels joined by long vertical seams.
Length: Upper thigh, curved hem finished by hand with blind stitches.
Collar: Collar with rounded ends set on a separate stand; collar topstitched 1 cm from the edge.
Front: Single-breasted with three buttons, buttonholes on the right front, the top button on the stand. Bust darts pressed upwards. Separate front facings; front edges topstitched 1 cm from the edge.
Sleeves: No sleeves: vertical arm slits left open in the seams joining the fronts to the front sleeve panels; the lining is stitched to the slit edges.
Back: One piece with no centre back seam, joined to the back sleeve panels by vertical seams.
Finishing: The sleeve panels are topstitched 1 cm from the vertical seams front and back.
Lining: Full lining sewn like the outer cape, attached to the facings and the slits; its hem is turned up twice and topstitched separately from the cape hem.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. A collar on a stand set between the cape and the facings, lined arm slits and a full lining with a free hem.
Fabric Recommendations
Lightweight coating.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric
- Fusible interfacing (collar, stand, front facings, back neck facing)
- 3 buttons
- Fusible web or hand stitching for the slit allowances
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Front – 2 pieces
- Back – 1 piece
- Back Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Lower Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Collar – 2 pieces
- Stand Collar – 2 pieces
- Center Front Facing – 2 pieces
- Back Neckline Facing – 1 piece
- From lining:
- Front – 2 pieces
- Back – 1 piece
- Back Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Lower Sleeve – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
- Back Neckline Facing – 1 piece
- Center Front Facing – 2 pieces
- Collar – 1 piece
- Stand Collar – 1 piece
Attention: front and back lining pieces are cut without the width of the Center Front Facings and the Back Neckline Facing, respectively.
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the Collar, Stand Collar, Center Front Facings and Back Neckline Facing.
- Stitch the bust dart on the front pieces. Press darts upwards.
- Stitch the vertical seams joining the Front to the Lower Sleeve, leaving the section between the marks unstitched for the arm slit. Overlock and press the seams open. Stitch the vertical seams joining the Back to the Back Sleeve. Overlock and press seams open.
- Place the Center Front Facing on the right side of the Front, right side down, and stitch along the front edge, working from the front side up to the notch that marks the end of the collar seam. Stitch the lower edges of the front facings to the front strictly along the marked hemline. Trim the seams of the upper and lower corners of the front edge. Turn the front edges to the right side and straighten the seams.
- Stitch the shoulder seams. Overlock and press seams open. Topstitch the sleeve panels 1 cm from the vertical seams of the back and front.
- Place the Collar pieces right sides together. Stitch the ends and the outer edge of the collar. Trim the seam. Turn the collar right side out and press. Place the Stand Collar pieces right sides together, insert the finished collar between them, match the notches and stitch, stitching the ends of the stand at the same time. Turn the stand right side out and press.
- Stitch the shoulder seams of the Back Neckline Facing and the Center Front Facings. Overlock and press seams open.
- Place the facings and the cape right sides together with the stand collar between them. Stitch the neckline, attaching the stand at the same time. Turn the facings to the inside and press.
- Overlock and press up the hem of the garment. Hand stitch the hem with blind stitches.
- Sew the lining pieces in the same way as the outer pieces. Fold the lining with the garment right sides together and stitch to the inner edges of the front facings and back neck facing, stopping 10 cm from the hemline. Stitch the lining to the edges of the arm slits. Align the lining hemline with the garment hemline. Turn up the lining hem twice and topstitch. Stitch the remaining section of the lining to the front facing. Overlock the seam. Secure the slit allowances to the main pieces with hand stitches or fusible web.
- Topstitch 1 cm from the edge along the front edges and the collar.
- On the right front, make buttonholes, on the left front, sew on buttons.
