Materials

Wool (Chap. I, Par. 50).

Amount of novelty coat cloth called for in the commercial pattern.

Binding ribbon.

Silk thread to match material.

Buttons (large).

Introductory Statement

In summer or winter some kind of outside wrap is necessary. A suit coat, as a rule, does not look well with a dress of different color or material, so the separate coat is almost a necessity. As it is worn over a dress it is made comparatively loose. The materials and styles used in making the coat seem better suited to the ability of the inexperienced seamstress than those used for a suit. For this reason a girl who might find a coat suit too great an undertaking may be able to make a very attractive looking coat.

In making the coat a very simple style should be selected. The rough finished or wooly materials which are heavy enough so as not to require a lining will be found most satisfactory for this coat.

The coat in this lesson is an easy coat model for a girl to make, but any similar model can be made as satisfactorily, if sufficient care is taken with every step.

References:

The American System of Dressmaking, Kansas City, Mo. Practical Dressmaking. Macmillan Co.

Working Directions For Coat

The Pattern

Tailoring is considered one of the most difficult branches of garment making. Light weight materials which require interlinings, padding, and linings call for skill which the young seamstress, as a rule, has not acquired. For this reason, in making an outside garment you should select material which will not require lining. A loose fitting, unlined coat may be made very satisfactorily. Use a commercial pattern, but be careful to select a simple style.

Cutting Out The Garment

Study the guide chart and directions accompanying the pattern and follow the directions in cutting out the coat. Notice whether the nap of the goods lies in one direction; if it does, be careful to have the nap running down on all the parts of the coat. Great care will be necessary in cutting out this garment as it is rather difficult to cut straight even edges on heavy material.

Seams

If the material does not show a tendency to ravel, the coat may be finished with felled seams finished on the right side without turning in the raw edges of the material. If the material ravels, turn the seams toward the wrong side and bind the raw edges with binding ribbon; then stitch them in place (the seams should be about 3/8" wide.)

To bind the seams. Fold the binding ribbon so one edge extends a little beyond the other. Crease it with a warm iron. Lay the wider part of the binding ribbon on the under side of the seam and with the crease lying over the edge of the seam, sew through the two edges of the binding ribbon at the same time, with running stitches.

Fitting The Coat

Baste the body of the coat together at the shoulders and under arms, then baste in one sleeve. Try on the coat and fit it according to general directions for fitting a waist (Chap. IV). Remember that a coat is an outside garment and should be fitted over the dress, or waist, and should be made very loose. If the sleeve is not set in so the top part hangs straight from the shoulder to the back of the hand, readjust it so it will.

The Collar And Front Facing

The collar is one of the most difficult parts to make successfully. Baste the under side of the collar to the neck of the coat, being careful not to stretch it. This coat, like most other unlined coats, is finished with a facing on the front edges. This must be joined to the collar. To do this, lay the right side of the facing on the right side of the coat; baste it on the bottom edge and front of the coat and to the edge of the upper side of the collar then stitch it as basted. Turn the facing and the collar to the wrong side; baste it along the edge, being very careful to make a straight seam down the front; baste it in place along the center and the outside edge (the raw edge should be bound with binding ribbon, as suggested for the under-arm seams). The raw edges of the collar should be turned in and hemmed in place. Sew the facing to the coat with long hemming stitches, invisible on both sides of the coat.

The Sleeves

The sleeves should be joined the same as the under-arm seam; the sleeves may be sewed into the armhole with the same kind of seam used on the shoulder and under the arm. After they are set in, bind the raw edges at the bottom and turn back a hem to the wrong side. Stitch the hem 1/2" from the bottom of the sleeve.

The Bottom Of The Coat

The bottom of the coat should be finished with a hem about 1/2" wide, stitched in place. This stitching should be continued around the edges of the front of the coat and collar.

The Pocket

A pocket may be stitched on the left side of the coat, or if desired, a pocket may be provided on each side. It should be made the same size as directed in your pattern. The pockets in the coat shown in this lesson were stitched close to the edge; these edges were left unfinished. A second row of stitching 1/2" inside of the first row was added to correspond with the stitching on the collar and the front of the coat.

Fastenings

The buttonholes in a coat of this kind are difficult to make. They should be worked with buttonhole twist. You should not try to make the buttonholes in your coat until you have succeeded in working two or three excellent ones in a scrap piece of your material (doubled). If desired, you may have a tailor make the button-holes. Sew on buttons to correspond with the buttonholes; be very careful to have them exactly even with the buttonholes so the material will not wrinkle between them.

Review Questions And Problems