Glad to see you’re starting with our pattern Alex!
We hope you’re up for a slightly challenging, but really cool sewing project! A coat always starts with the mandatory cutting process, but Alex is just so much fun to sew!
Here you can find the sewing instructions for Alex with pictures!
Stitch the bottom of the pocket piece to the top of the bottom side piece, right sides together. Press the seam open. Make sure to stitch the correct pocket piece to the correct bottom side piece.
Stitch the pocket lining to the pocket piece. The top of the pocket piece and pocket lining lay together, right sides together.
Press the seams towards the pocket lining. Stitch the seam allowances to the pocket lining through all layers, at 2 mm from the stitching line.
Fold the pocket lining to the inside and press.
Pin the bottom of the pocket lining to the bottom of the top side piece, right sides together. The markings on the bottom side piece correspond with the bottom of the pocket and top side piece. Stitch in place at 1,5 cm seam allowance. Fold the bottom side piece to the side, so it doesn’t get caught in your stitching.
At the top of the pocket, stitch all layers together at 1 cm parallel to the edge. You have now created the entire side piece. Check if the side seam matches the side seam of the back.
Pin the front and the side piece with the right sides together and stitch. First check if both pieces have the same length.
Press the seam allowance towards the front. If you prefer, you can add a decorative stitching line at 1 cm from the seam. Make sure to stitch all seam allowances together. Press nicely flat. You have now created the entire front.
Pin and stitch the back pieces right sides together, from the neckline to the marking of the vent. Press the seam open.
Now stitch the top of the vent. The right part covers the left part of the vent, looking at it from the right side of the fabric. Turn the fabric to the wrong side to stitch the vent. Snip into the seam allowance at the middle back just above the vent, so you can fold the left part of the vent to the other side. Pin both parts of the vent together. It’s easier to first mark the stitching line with chalk. Start stitching at the marking that indicates the beginning of the vent (the point where your middle back stitching ends), and stitch all layers together. Stop at 1,5 cm from the edge of the vent.
Pin and stitch the side and shoulder seams. Press the seams open.
The under collar is the piece without interfacing. The longest side is the outside of the collar. Trim 0,5 cm of this long side as well as of both short sides next to it. The under collar is now slightly smaller than the upper collar.
Pin the under collar to the lapel of the front, right sides together. The markings of the collar and lapel need to match exactly. Start stitching in the first marking, at 1,5 cm from the edge of the collar, until the next marking at the corner of the collar.
Leave your needle in the fabric and raise your presser foot. Snip into the seam allowance of the front just until the end of your stitching (where your needle is). You basically snip the corner of the front where the lapel passes into the neckline.
Turn the piece and pin the neckline until the next basting thread. Make sure that the markings at the shoulder seams and middle back match. The first basting thread on the other side of the collar corresponds with that one of the lapel. Lower your presser foot and stitch the neckline to the next basting thread.
Leave your needle in the fabric again, raise the presser foot and snip into the seam allowance of the front just until your stitching (where your needle is). Turn the piece under your sewing machine. Pin the last part of the collar to the lapel. Lower your presser foot and stitch until the last basting thread (at 1,5 cm from the edge of the under collar).
Press the seam allowance open. Snip into the seam allowance of the front and cut notches in the seam allowance of the under collar.
Stitch the shoulder seams of the front and back facing, right sides together. Press open.
Stitch the upper collar to the facing in the same way you stitched the under collar to the coat.
Pin the facing and the upper collar to the coat and the under collar, right sides together. Start at the hem of the coat and stitch around the corner until the first marking of the collar and lapel (this is the first corner of lapel and collar). Make sure that the seam allowance of the collar is out of the way so you don’t stitch in it.
Now stitch the under collar to the upper collar. We made the under collar a bit smaller before, so that it would pull the seam allowance under the collar to make it less visible. Make sure that the two collars are well aligned, even though they have different sizes. Start where you ended in the previous step and make sure again that the seam allowances are out of the way. Stitch the collar all around to the next marking at the next corner. Make sure you always begin and end in the markings.
Fold the seam allowance out of the way and stitch the last part of the front to the facing until the hem.
Snip into the seam allowance of the long side of the collar and trim the corners of the collar, lapel and hem. Also, give a little snip into the seam allowance of the corners at the hem.
Stitch the seam allowance of the front facing to the facing at 2 mm from the seam. Start as close as possible to the hem and stitch until the marking of the button. Make sure to stitch all seam allowances together. Press nicely flat.
Pin top and bottom sleeve, right sides together, and stitch. Press the seam open.
Pin the sleeve into the armhole, right sides of the fabric together. Make sure the markings match. The single marking indicates the front, the double one the back. Divide the fabric evenly between the markings of the cap of the sleeve. Baste to avoid false pleats and stitch in place.
The lining
Cut the part from the vent at the right back lining, as indicated on the pattern piece. Left and right looked at the right side of the fabric.
Pin both back lining pieces right sides together, and stitch the middle back seam until the marking of the vent. There is a kink in the middle back seam: just stitch around at the 1,5 cm seam allowance.
Now work on the right side of the lining fabric. Fold the facing to the left at the neckline, so both markings match. Press the middle back seam nicely flat, all seam allowances are now at the right side (of left side when looking at the wrong side like in the picture). You’ll notice we have created extra space in the back lining. Stitch the little pleat at the neckline at 1 cm from the edge.
Pin and stitch the shoulder and side seams of front and back lining, right sides of the fabric together. Press the seams open.
Stitch the sleeve linings the same way as the sleeves of the coat, but leave an opening of about 25cm in one of the seams. We’ll turn the coat later through this opening. Now stitch the sleeves lining to the coat lining.
Pin the lining to the facing of the coat, right sides together and stitch.
Work on the wrong side of the lining. Slip the end of the sleeve lining into the coat sleeve to line up the hems, right sides of the fabric facing each other. Pin the hems together. Make sure the side seams of both sleeves match. Stitch all around at 1,5 cm.
The vent:
In our instructions, we refer to the right and left part of the vent. Right and left when you’re wearing the coat. The right part of the lining is the part where you cut the piece off the vent. You can mark both sides to make it easier.
The vent extensions have 2 markings. Pin the left part of the vent lining to the left coat vent, right sides together and markings matching. Stitch from the lowest marking to the seam of the jacket vent, this is until 1,5 cm of the top of the vent.
Now pin the right part of the vent lining on the right part of the coat vent. The lining is a bit shorter than the coat. Stitch the lining in place over the whole length. At the top, stitch again until the seam of the vent. Make sure to pin the lining nicely flat to the coat, because the fabric tends to pull.
Snip into the seam allowance of the right part, in the corner between the vent extension and the top. The top part of the lining vent is still open and you can only stitch this part when you snip it.
Also snip into the seam allowance of the left vent extension, in the corner where the top of the vent continues into the middle back seam. You can now put both top parts of the vent together.
Pin and baste the top of the vent in place, this is the little flap that is still open. Stitch in place at 1,5 cm seam allowance. For more heavy-weight fabrics, you won’t get to the end with your presser foot. You can close this with a few hand stitches.
The hem:
The left part of the vent: align the hem of the lining with the hem of the coat. The lining is shorter and pulls at the fabric but that’s the point. Stitch the lining hem at the hem of the coat, right sides together, from the vent to the center front at 1,5 cm seam allowance.
Fold the hem in the corner of the vent (still at the left part), right sides together, at the 4,5 cm marking of the hem. Fold the lining in between. Stitch the bottom part of the vent extension, the part that is still open. Trim the corner. Because the right side of the seam is still open, you can already turn the left corner inside out and push it out nicely.
Fold the right part of the vent extension at the long side, right sides together, at the marking on the hem that indicates the width of the vent. Pin in place and make sure both layers of the vent are nicely together.
Pin the seam of the lining at the seam of the coat. The lining is a bit shorter at the beginning of the vent, but it must be pinned at maximum 1,5 cm from the edge of the hem, so you can still stitch it along. As soon as you can, align the lining to the hem of the coat.
Start at the vent to stitch the hem. Stitch at 4,5 cm parallel to the hem just until your stitching line. Turn your piece without removing your needle of the fabric, so you can continue in the stitching line of the vent extension, until 1,5 cm of the hem. Leave your needle in the fabric again and turn your piece. Stitch the hem at 1,5 cm seam allowance until the center front.
Make sure that you stitch in the lining where the lining is a little shorter. Trim the corner of the vent.
Turn the coat to the right side through the opening in the sleeve lining. Carefully push out all corners at the collar and hem.
Close the opening in the lining sleeve.
Handstitch the neckline of upper and under collar together, from shoulder to shoulder. Handstitch the shoulder seams of the front to the shoulder seams of the facing.
Attach the sleeve lining to the coat with a few stitches at the sleeve head and bottom of the armhole.
Handstitch the sleeve hem with a few stitches at the side seams.
Handstitch the coat hem with a few stitches at the side seam and the front seam. You can also attach the hem with a few stitches at the middle front and the vent. Make sure your stitches don’t show at the right side of the coat.
Make the buttonhole at the right front. Sew the button at the left front.
Enjoy your new coat!