Linen Frock Coat

Working from the outside of the coat, baste the facing to the forepart, about 1 inch from the inner edge of the facing. By working from the outside, you can ensure that the tension between the coat and the facing below are neutral, which will avoid any pulling or stress when the coat is finished.  …

Since this coat will not have any of the pad stitching used normally to ensure a good roll of the lapel, we must take extra care in the basting of the lapel. Begin by trimming off some of the excess material at the tip of the lapel. Try to keep at least 3/8″, as linen …

It’s now time to attach the facing to the coat, which will give us a firm, crisp edge and help the lapel roll properly. To start off with, lay the facing onto the right side of the coat, right sides together. The outside edges should line up, and the bottom of the facing should extend …

Drafting a pattern for the forepart facings is quite simple to do and relies more on your coat size and artistic skill than on specific numbers and measurements. At the shoulder, about 2 – 2 1/2 inches from the neck point, begin drawing your facing, following the general shape shown, and ending at the waistline, …

Before attaching the facing, it’s a good idea to finish the hem of the coat before things get covered up. First, lay both halves of the coat on the table, with the back seams next to each other, and ensure that the back skirts are of equal length. Mark any adjustments, if necessary. Then take …

Now we will apply stay tape along the center front of the coat, and the top of the lapel. This has a couple of purposes: it gives strength to the area and prevents the front from stretching out of shape, and it also provides a crisp and firm edge to the coat. Beginning about 5/8 …

The top of the lapel dart is a weak point, especially during construction of the facing, so it should be reinforced with a couple of stitches in place, right at the seam allowance. The stitches should ideally go through just the seam allowance of the dart, and be hidden in the crease underneath, but if …

Before we start the facings, it is a good idea to once more do a quick fitting, by merely sewing the shoulder and center back seams together, and of course putting the stay tape on the armscyes and around the neck. The purpose of this fitting is to check that the center front of the …

Trim the seam allowance of the side body to 1/4″, starting at the armscye. Stop just above the waist seam, and avoid trimming through any of the stitches. Trim off the excess at a slight angle, as shown. Press the seam back towards the side body. You’ll be folding this seam over to finish it, …

Now we’ll finish up the pockets and enclose the seams, as they will be visible on the finished coat. Begin by basting the two halves of the pockets together. Sew the pockets closed around the outside edges, making sure that the ‘right’ side of the stitching is on the same side as the back of …