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Coat sewing pattern

Sew an effortlessly chic long coat pattern with this free project from Portia Lawrie

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Portia Lawrie

Published: August 30, 2022 at 6:00 am

Looking for a new winter coat pattern to make? This beautiful long coat pattern designed by Portia Lawrie has a stylish waterfall shape.

This is a great garment to sew when the weather starts to turn colder! You can make it in your favourite colour too.

There are also lots of ways that you can adapt this pattern to suit your personal style. Add patch pockets, in-seam pockets or a long tie belt so you can cinch in the waist of your jacket if desired.

You can also vary the depth of the waterfall by changing the 45cm point marked in step six of Marking the Pattern.

Make this waterfall jacket in a stable knit like a ponte, scuba or thick sweatshirting fabric for a staple that can see you through many seasons.

Not a fan of long coat patterns? You can make this winter coat sewing pattern as a midi or crop jacket by removing some of the length from the pattern as you mark it out onto your fabric. You can also alter the length of the sleeves to turn it into a summer jacket.

This winter coat sewing pattern was first published in Simply Sewing Magazine. Simply Sewing is a practical magazine for those who sew or want to learn. It's full of beautiful sewing projects and expert tutorials to help you improve your sewing skills.

Looking for more coats to sew? Take a look at our best coat sewing patterns to find lots of inspiration. You might also enjoy our quilted jacket pattern and our bomber jacket pattern.

Read on to make our long coat pattern using our step-by-step guide.

Winter coat sewing pattern

Notes

There's no template to use for this pattern, so you'll need to use a pattern you already have in your stash to get the fit. Select any pattern for wovens comprising of basic back, front and sleeve pieces. It could be a shift dress, a shirt, or a jacket – ours is based on a loose-fitting pyjama top! Just ensure your pattern is simple and has adequate wearing ease.

Choose a fabric such as a felted wool where the cut edge will not fray; this will save finishing the interior seams.

Fabric used

Mouflon wool from Minerva (minerva.com).

You will need:

Medium-weight coating fabric (3mx150cm)
Basic pattern to use as a block ((see notes))
Matching thread
Basic sewing kit

Before you start

Step 1

As we mentioned in the notes, you’ll need to use a pattern you already have as a template to get the right fit for your build. Measure the back neckline curve of your pattern and make a note of this number (N).

Step 2

Fold out the seam allowance along the shoulder of your front pattern piece for now.

Marking the pattern

Step 1

With your fabric folded right sides (RS) together, position your front pattern piece so the side seam is orientated to the edge of the fabric, and there is at least 23cm of space above the shoulder point. Trace around it in chalk.

Step 2

Draw a diagonal line (A) straight across the width of your fabric. The line needs to touch the shoulder point and be at a 45-degree angle to the shoulder slope.

Draw a diagonal line (A) straight across the width of your fabric

Step 3

Approximately 15cm above this, draw a second straight line (B) parallel to the first line (A).

Step 4

From the shoulder point measure away from the neckline along line A a distance equal to the measurement you dotted down before you started (N), then square up to line (B) and add a 1cm seam allowance to the short edge as pictured. This is the collar extension and that short edge will form the centre back collar seam.

Measure out the collar extension

Step 5

Mark the seam allowance on the neckline edge of your collar extension and your shoulder to give you your cutting line. Mark the junction between the neck/shoulder point of the collar extension with a tailor tack through both layers of your fabric.

Step 6

Starting from the shoulder point, mark a point 45cm along line A. With a diagonal line, join this point to the centre front corner of the hem below and line B above. This large triangular section is what will create the waterfall effect at the front of your jacket.

Measure a triangular section to create the waterfall effect

Cutting out

Step 1

Cut out the Front section along the marked cutting lines through both layers. You should have two sections which will make up the Front sides. The image should give you an idea of what your pattern piece should look like.

Cut out the Front section along the marked cutting lines through both layers

Step 2

Cut out the Back pattern piece (adding length as needed) and Sleeve pattern pieces as per the instructions in your chosen pattern.

long-coat-pattern-step-5

Assembling the jacket

Step 1

Lay your Back piece on top of one of your Front pieces, RS together, with side and visible shoulder seams aligned. Establish on your Back piece where the back shoulder point corresponds to the front shoulder point you marked with a tailor tack on your front pattern piece earlier.

Lay your Back piece on top of one of your Front pieces, RS together, with side and visible shoulder seams aligned

Step 2

With your Back piece folded along the centre back, mark this point through both layers with a tailor tack.

Step 3

With RS together pin the back shoulders to the front shoulders, taking care to align your tailor tacked neck/shoulder points on the front and back sections.

With RS together pin the back shoulders to the front shoulders, taking care to align your tailor tacked neck/shoulder points on the front and back sections

Step 4

Starting from the marked shoulder/neck point, sew shoulder seams with the marked seam allowance. Backstitch at the beginning and the end of the seam.

Starting from the marked shoulder/neck point, sew shoulder seams with the marked seam allowance. Backstitch at the beginning and the end of the seam

Step 5

On the front section only, clip the seam allowance diagonally between the shoulder and the collar extension up to the marked shoulder/neck point. This releases the collar extension pieces for pinning in the next step.

On the front section only, clip the seam allowance diagonally between the shoulder and the collar extension up to the marked shoulder/neck point

Step 6

Sew the centre back of the collar extension together along the marked seam allowance (note that this can be sewn WS or RS together depending on whether you want a finished or exposed seam visible on the back of the collar).

Step 7

Pin the bottom edge of the collar extension to the back neckline RS together, as shown in the picture.

Pin the bottom edge of the collar extension to the back neckline RS together

Step 8

Sew the back neckline and the collar extension together between your two marked dots (starting at one and finishing at the other) using the marked seam allowance. Backstitch at beginning and end.

Step 9

In the image you can see a close up of the neck/shoulder point shown from the front. The aim is for the neckline stitching to meet the shoulder stitching at your tailor tacked neck/ shoulder point and just catch the edge of the collar extension fabric in that corner.

The aim is for the neckline stitching to meet the shoulder stitching at your tailor tacked neck/ shoulder point and just catch the edge of the collar extension fabric in that corner

Step 10

Press the shoulder and neckline seams open and flat and topstitch in place from the outside. Trim away excess seam allowance.

Press the shoulder and neckline seams open and flat and topstitch in place from the outside. Trim away excess seam allowance

Step 11

Pin and then sew the sides according to your pattern instructions.

Step 12

Sew and insert the Sleeves as per the pattern instructions. We hemmed our sleeves but all other edges are left raw.

You’ve finished! We hope you enjoyed making this long coat pattern.

Long coat pattern

Sewing designer

Essex maker, blogger and creator of The Refashioners, Portia sews, knits and has been a regular contributor to Simply Sewing magazine since it launched in 20015. She’s been writing her blog Makery (formerly Miss P) since 2009 and founded The Refashioners challenge, calling on bloggers to refashion a garment to highlight how cool, creative and ecologically sound refashioning old garments actually is. Portia’s sewing super power is creating easy-to-sew, accessible-for-all garments for Simply Sewing magazine, often with no pattern needed so the maker can draft them to their own measurements. She lists family, hazelnut lattes, Indian food and singing into hairbrushes as her loves. Find her on Instagram @portialawrie.