Linen Frock Coat

It’s time to attach the back of the coat to the forepart assembly. Begin by laying the back piece right sides together to the forepart. Pin together with a single pin at the top of the pleats. The pockets should align at the top. I’m not sure why they don’t in this photo, but apparently …

Having drafted and cut out the pockets, we are ready to begin the construction and installation process. It is somewhat involved, as the pockets are integrated into the back seam and have to be installed at the same time. To begin, the darts must first be sewn into the pockets. These darts help the coat …

Begin by drawing a vertical line 14 inches long. On the right, or bottom of the pocket, square out another line 6 to 7 inches wide. These numbers are both variable according to how long your skirt is, and how large your coat is, but this is a good starting point. Also include the seam …

Before starting on the skirt seam, you’ll want to trim off any unused inlays from the bottom of the forepart and side-body. This makes it a little easier to line things up properly. On the right side of the skirt piece, lightly draw the seam allowance and a line 7/8″ (or whichever distance you used) …

The first thing to do is complete the side seam. Begin by basting 5/8″ from the edge, right sides together, and sewing with a back and fore stitch, with the right side of the stitches being on the side-body. Trim off the unused inlay from the forepart. You can do this before basting if you …

Before assembling the coat permanently, it’s a good idea to baste together all of the pieces to ensure that everything fits properly. In this particular fitting, we’ll be most concerned about checking the side seam, and the height of the waist seam. Normally, the muslin sleeves would also be fitted here, but we will leave …

The right side of the skirt is even easier to construct. This time, no diagonal cut is made at the top of the step. Begin by marking out your lines 1/4″ and 7/8 or 1″ from the edge. Lay out the stay tape from the top (it can extend off the edge here), to 1/2″ …

Begin by marking about an inch or two of the back seam allowance, at the waist, and also mark the seam allowance across the ‘step’ at the center waist, as shown. This will give you the positioning for making a small cut, later on. Along the edge of the skirt, at what will be the …

The center back of the coat, where the two halves meet at the back vent, is probably the weakest part of the entire coat. The forces pulling on this area while sitting or walking can be quite a strain on the fabric, particularly when it’s very thin. To help with this problem, we add a …

Before moving on to the construction of the back skirt, this is a good opportunity to check that the back plait buttons are at the proper location, by basting up the coat as you did for the full muslin. The buttons should be about one inch below the natural waist, or small of the back, …