High Collar Cape with Welt Pockets
A women's lined cape with no sleeves, a stand collar, a concealed four-button fly front and slanted single-welt pockets. The hem is rounded and the back has a centre seam.
When To Wear
- As a light coat in spring and autumn, over dresses, knitwear or a fitted jacket.
- With slim trousers or a pencil skirt, so the volume stays at the top.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Wide cape shape falling from the shoulders; the shoulder seams run out over the arms.
Collar: Two-piece stand collar; the upper collar is set into the cape neckline and the under collar into the neckline of the facings.
Sleeves: None; the arms stay under the cape.
Closure: Concealed fly front with 4 buttons. The buttonholes are worked in a framed fly facing set into the right front facing, with bar tacks between the buttonholes; the front edge is topstitched parallel to the edge along the fly line.
Pockets: Slanted single-welt pockets on the fronts. Each pocket bag is held by a 2 x 15 cm fabric strip stitched to the front edge.
Back: Centre back seam, back neckline facing.
Finishing: Rounded hem with a 3 cm hem allowance, clipped on the curves; front facings cut separately.
Lining: Full lining, attached to the facings and to the hem and turned through an opening left in a lining seam.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Welt pockets, a framed concealed fly with buttonholes, a collar set between the cape and the facings, and bagging out a full lining.
Fabric Recommendations
Thin, softly draping coating fabric.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric
- Fusible interfacing (front facings, back neckline facing, fly facing, welts, pocket area)
- 4 buttons
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Front – 2 pieces
- Back – 2 pieces
- Collar – 2 pieces
- Welt – 2 pieces
- Large pocket bag – 2 pieces
- Front facing – 2 pieces
- Back neckline facing – 1 piece
- Lining pieces:
- Back - 2 pieces
- Front - 2 pieces
- Fly facing – 2 pieces
- Small pocket bag – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
- Welt – 2 pieces
- Front facing – 2 pieces
- Back neckline facing – 1 piece
- Fly facing – 1 piece
Attention: The front and back lining pieces are cut without considering the width of the front facings and the back neckline facing, respectively.
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse fusible interfacing to the front facings, back neckline facing, fly facing, and welts.
- Fuse fusible interfacing to the pocket area. Fold the welt in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press. Mark a line on the welt indicating the finished width of the welt. Stitch the small pocket bag to the inner side of the welt. Place the welt with the pocket bag onto the right side of the front, with the outer side facing down, aligning the pocket marking line and the line on the welt. Stitch the welt. Stitch the large pocket bag to the upper pocket marking line. Cut the pocket opening in the middle between the marking lines, making diagonal cuts towards the corners of the pocket marking. Turn the pocket pieces to the wrong side. Straighten and press the seam allowances. Stitch the pocket bag edges, securing the pocket corners. Cut 2 fabric trim strips for the pocket bag holder, measuring 2*15cm. Sew one end to the edge of the pocket bag. Lay the front flat and align the other end of the holder with the front edge. Sew the end of the holder to the front edge. Trim any excess holder.
- Stitch the center back seam. Overlock the seam and press it to the left side.
- Stitch the shoulder seams. Overlock the seams and press them towards the back.
- Fold the collar pieces right sides together. Stitch the ends and the outer edge of the collar, starting and ending the stitching strictly at the marked collar attachment seam line. Turn the collar right side out and press.
- Mark the fly opening with three lines on the right side of the front facing: the first line is parallel to the edge line and runs 1.5 cm from the finished edge; the second and third lines define the length of the opening. Place the fused fly facing onto the right side of the front facing, right side down, pointing away from the front edge, aligning the edge of the fly facing with the marked line. Stitch 0.5 cm from the marked line along the opening cut to the lines defining the length of the opening. Place the second fly facing flush against the stitching of the first facing and stitch 0.5 cm away. Check the accuracy of the facing attachment from the wrong side (the stitching lines should be parallel). Cut the opening. Make diagonal cuts 1-1.5 cm from the end of the opening. Turn the facings through the opening to the wrong side, forming a frame from the fused facing equal to the width between the stitching lines. Stitch a securing stitch in the facing attachment seam. Press the second facing towards the inner edge of the front facing and stitch a securing stitch 0.1 cm from the facing attachment seam. Mark and work the buttonholes. The buttonholes are worked through the front facing together with the fused fly facing. Straighten and secure the ends of the opening from the wrong side with a double backstitch at the base of the corners. Stitch the edges of the fly facings together. Place bar tacks between each pair of buttonholes, the length of the bar tack equal to the width of the frame. Press the front facing.
- Place the front facing onto the right side of the front, right side down, and stitch along the edge. Stitch from the front piece side, from the hem to the notch marking the end of the collar seam. Trim the seams of the upper edge corners. Turn the edges right side out, straighten the seams.
- Stitch the shoulder seams of the back neckline facing and the front facing. Press the seams open.
- Insert the collar between the cape and the front facings and back neckline facing. Stitch the upper collar into the cape neckline, and the under collar into the neckline of the front facings and back neckline facing. Press the seam allowances open. Turn the front facings and back neckline facing to the wrong side and stitch the collar attachment seam allowances close to the seams.
- Stitch the lining pieces, leaving an opening for turning 15-20 cm long in one of the seams. Place the lining and the cape right sides together and stitch to the inner edges of the front facings and the back neckline facing. Stitch the bottom corner of the edge. Trim the seams of the bottom edge corners.
- Press the bottom hem. At the rounded areas of the bottom line, clip the hem allowance. Stitch the lining to the bottom of the garment. Turn the cape right side out and press. Stitch the opening in the seam. Topstitch parallel to the front edge along the marked line. Sew on buttons.
