Wool Cape with Concealed Button Placket and Neck Tab
A women's cape-style jacket with a collarless round neckline, wide cape sleeves joined to the front and back with curved topstitched seams, and a concealed button fly. A flap cut in one with the left facing and left sleeve buttons at the neckline.
When To Wear
- As a light outer layer in spring and autumn, over dresses, blouses and fine knitwear.
- With slim trousers or a straight skirt, so the volume stays at the shoulders and arms.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Wide cape shape; the sleeve is one large piece set between the front and the back with curved seams.
Neckline: Round, collarless, finished with the front facings and a back neckline facing and topstitched.
Sleeves: Wide cape sleeves; the sleeve seams are pressed towards the sleeve, overlocked and topstitched.
Closure: Concealed fly on the right front: buttonholes worked through a welted fly lining in the right facing, with bar tacks between them. A flap cut in one with the left facing and left sleeve has its own buttonhole; 5 buttons in total.
Back: Centre back seam, pressed to the left, overlocked and topstitched.
Finishing: The facings are stitched to the front edge, neckline and hem; the left edge, neckline and flap are topstitched, and the right front is topstitched along the fly line down to the hem. Hem turned and topstitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. A welted concealed fly with buttonholes and bar tacks, a cut-on flap, and long curved sleeve seams that must be topstitched evenly.
Fabric Recommendations
Fine wool fabrics.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric (fly linings)
- Fusible interfacing (facings, back neckline facing, one fly lining)
- 5 buttons
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Back - 2 pieces
- Front - 2 pieces
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Facing – 2 pieces
- Back neckline facing – 1 piece
- From lining fabric:
- Fly front fastening lining – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing: facing, back neckline facing, fly front fastening lining.
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse fusible interfacing to the facing pieces, back neckline facing, and one fly front fastening lining.
- Trim the one-piece flap along the marked line from the left facing and left sleeve.
- Stitch the sleeve to the back. Press the seam allowance towards the sleeve, serge and topstitch.
- Stitch the center back seam of the back. Press the seam allowance to the left side, serge and topstitch.
- Stitch the sleeve to the front. Press the seam allowance towards the sleeve, serge and topstitch.
- Serge the bottom edge of the garment.
- Mark the buttonhole opening on the right facing with three lines: the first line is parallel to the edge and is 1.5 cm from the finished edge; the second and third lines define the length of the buttonhole. Fuse one of the buttonhole lining pieces with fusible interfacing and place it on the right side of the facing, face down, moving from the edge, aligning the LINING's cut edge with the marked line. Stitch 0.5 cm from the marked line along the buttonhole opening up to the lines defining its length. Place the second buttonhole lining piece butt-to-butt with the stitching of the first lining and stitch 0.5 cm away. Check the accuracy of the lining attachment from the wrong side (stitches should be parallel). Cut open the buttonhole. Make diagonal cuts 1-1.5 cm from the end of the buttonhole opening. Turn the lining through the opening to the wrong side, forming a welt equal to the width between the stitches. Stitch a securing seam into the lining attachment seam. Press the second lining towards the inner edge of the facing and stitch a securing seam 0.1 cm from the attachment seam. Mark and serge buttonholes on the facing, catching the fused lining. Straighten and secure the ends of the buttonhole from the wrong side with a double backstitch at the base of the corners. Stitch the short edges of the linings. Place bar tacks between each pair of buttonholes, the length of the bar tack being equal to the width of the welt. Press the facing.
- Stitch the shoulder edges of the facings and the back neckline facing. Serge the inner edge. Place the facing on the right side of the front, face down, and stitch the edge, neckline, and bottom. Trim the seams of the upper and lower corners of the edge. Turn the edges to the right side, straighten the seams and press. Topstitch along the left edge, neckline, and one-piece flap.
- Press the bottom edge of the garment to the wrong side and topstitch. On the right side of the right front, topstitch according to the markings and continue it to the bottom.
- Serge the buttonhole on the one-piece flap. Sew on buttons according to the markings.
