I’ve been planning to make myself another trench coat for ages. The previous version has become my favorite coat, so now I included this project to my #makenine grid and decided to make it a spring coat. As it happens, since last week it’s already been a trench coat weather here in Milan. Perfect timing, I’d say!
The last coat was kind of a print trench, so this time I wanted a monochrome version. I also wanted to pick a new color. Something I hadn’t used before and definitely not black. The final candidates were this military green and a pastel mint green. I ended up with the military green because I figured I’d be afraid to sit anywhere outside with a coat in a color that was almost as fragile as white. Spring coat needs to go with park benches and picnics. 😀
The lining is golden yellow but I didn’t manage to capture it’s shade in the picture because it was too shiny.
Pattern Changes
Have a look at the original post I wrote about drafting the trench pattern. The graphics are quite terrible, but the tutorial is quite old, too. You can use the women’s fitted jacket block as a base. If you need instructions, I have a Patternmaking Guide on the shop page.
I kept the pattern almost as it is, but made a few small modifications. Basically I enlarged the lapel, lowered the break point, and made the lapel point rounded, as shown here. As a consequence I also made the collar points rounded and lowered the buttons slightly.
I must confess I was a bit tempted to make the sleeves similar to the trench by Simone Rocha for H&M, elbow length and puffed, but then decided normal sleeves were more practical, spring coat or not.
Cutting the Trench Coat Pieces
The trench is made of a pretty impressive amount of pieces, counting both the main layer and the lining. This coat has princess seams and two-piece sleeves, but also a back flap, various straps and loops, pockets, belt, and even the collar is made of 3 pattern pieces. Several of these are interfaced.
It takes a long time to cut them all and seeing them like this feels quite overwhelming! Like you don’t even know where to start. But then again, you want that coat.
I interfaced the collar pieces, the facing, and the top layer of pocket flaps, belt, and (sleeve & shoulder) straps. Plus the areas around the pockets and buttons.
Preparing Bits and Pieces
I started by preparing all the various small parts: the belt, sleeve & shoulder straps, collar, and loops.
The belt is made of two pieces sewn together and then top stitched near the edge. I found this belt buckle at a fabric shop. It was in a box containing random leftover belt buckles! 😀
Also the straps are made of two layers and top stitched. As an example, here’s how I attached the sleeve straps. They are stitched into the inseam of the sleeves. Leave the right side up.
The shoulder straps will be sewn into the sleeve seam centered at the shoulder seam.
The loops are tiny tubes, so to make it easier to turn the right side out you place the threads inside the tube before you start sewing. Then you pull the right side out using the threads. I know there are also tools for this.
The collar consists of upper and undercollar layers, but they both also have a partial collar stand. After having sewn the c-back seam of the undercollar, attach the collar stand to both layers and press the seams open.
Then sew the upper and undercollar pieces together along the outer edge, trim the seam allowance, clip notches around the collar points, and turn the right side out. After pressing, you should have something like this:
The Lapel
The lapel calls for a stay tape that’s hand stitched along the roll line of the facing. You take the measurement of the roll line from your pattern piece and then cut the stay tape 0.5cm shorter. This will make the lapel turn where intended.
Do catch stitches. Obviously the stitches are not meant to show on the right side.
After this you can attach the facing to the bodice front piece, starting from the collar notch. Then make a cut in the seam allowance where the collar notch is, clip notches around the lapel point, and trim the corner at the hemline before turning the right side out and pressing.
As usual, the upper collar and lapel facing are slightly larger to hide the seams, so take this into account when pressing.
Trench Back Flap
The back flap has a lining, so I first sewed the lining to the main layer along the hemline of the back flap.
To create a box pleat vent in the center I pinned and stitched the folds near the edge keeping both layers together. This helps the box pleat to remain folded.
There’s also a loop and a button to hold the vent closed. I cut the loop on the bias this time. It’s hand-stitched in place.
After having sewn the bodice back pieces together I attached the back flap to it along the shoulder seams, neckline, armholes, and side seams by stitching near the edge.
Lining Back Pleat
Speaking of vents and pleats, also the bodice lining has a little pleat at the c-back to allow more space at the upper section of the bodice back. Here’s how I sewed it:
When pressing the seam allowance all in one direction the pleat will form.
The Pocket
You’ll find more info about sewing the pocket in the original trench post, but I took a few pics anyways.
This is a single welt pocket with a faux pocket flap integrated to the welt.
So, first I prepared the pocket flap pieces and top stitched around the edge. Then I sewed the pocket flap piece right side up, together with the large pocket bag (wrong side up) onto the right side of the jacket bodice piece where I had marked the pocket placement.
After this I slashed in the center and pulled the pocket bag piece to the wrong side through the hole and attached the small pocket bag piece to the seam allowance of the already-attached pocket flap.
Having stitched the pocket bags together and secured the short ends, I folded the pocket flap on itself and stitched the sides as shown in the pictures above.
It’s a good idea to always finish the pockets before the jacket bodice pieces have been sewn together.
The Sleeves
Also the sleeves need to be prepared before attaching them to the jacket. I prepared the main layer and the lining layer by sewing the upper and undersleeve pieces together. Then I stitched two rows of gathering stitches to the sleeve cap between the armhole notches.
For the main layer I also basted the hems and attached the straps’ loops and buttons because they are easier to handle when the rest of the coat isn’t involved yet.
Putting the Pieces Together
That was a lot of pieces, but now they could finally be put together!
I had already completed the bodice back pieces at this point, so now I only had to attach the front side panel pieces, and close the side seams and shoulder seams. Then I basted the bodice hemline.
The collar and the sleeves both need the rest of the bodice to be ready before they can be attached.
This is what I meant by saying it’s easier to prepare as much as possible while the whole coat isn’t involved, yet. I mean, look at this mess!
Anyways, here go the sleeves.
After having attached both lining and main layer sleeves, I sewed them together at the hemline. Then I hand-stitched the hem in place before removing the basting.
I decided I wanted to insert sleeve heads even though this coat doesn’t have shoulder pads. Just to make the sleeve seams look nicer. These are hand-stitched to the seam allowance.
Next up was the collar. The undercollar is sewn to the main bodice layer, and the upper collar to the facing/lining layer. In this case there were then two parts to be top stitched to attach the two collar layers together: along the collar stand seam and along the neckline seam (see the arrows). You can use the sewing machine or hand-stitch.
The Buttons
I managed to find two different sizes of the same button which allowed me to use bigger buttons for the front and smaller buttons for the sleeves and shoulders.
My trench has three rows of buttons at the front and it’s double breasted, which means a total of 6 buttons. The buttonholes and faux buttons go to the right, the 3 functional buttons to the left.
After this I finally closed the hem by sewing the main layer and lining layer together and hand-stitching the hemline before removing the basting stitches.
This was a sewing project that lasted several days, but well worth the effort.
My Spring Coat
Here’s the new trench! My first reaction was that now I want it in all different colors. 😀
And details:
And this is me wearing the coat.
I’m very pleased that I managed to make the spring coat in time. My last trench was ready in June and then it was already too late to wear it for spring.
22 Comments
It’s beautiful, and what an impressive accomplishment!
Thank you! 🙂 I’m glad I finally got it done.
My oh my, that’s a really beautiful coat. And exactly my favourite color!
Great piece of work, kudo’s 🙂
And thank you so much for the helpful blog of the process, I’ll save it for future reference!
Thanks so much! 🙂 We’ll see if I make it some other color as well. 😀 But it was so much work that maybe that won’t happen very soon.
That’s a gorgeous version of a classic trench coat.
Thank you. 🙂 I really like the flared styles.
Beautifully made coat! I really like the color.
Thank you. 🙂 In the end I picked a pretty “safe” color.
Can’t wait to make the trench coat.
It’s a really rewarding project, although it might take some time to finish. 🙂
As always, excellent attention to detail. It looks great too.
Thank you.
Helen.
Thanks! 🙂 Details are important. 😀
Ohhh, your trench is gorgeous!! From fabric choices to style and details! I love it!!!
Thanks so much! 🙂 I was very pleased to find these buttons and the belt buckle in the first shop I went to.
This is so beautiful and the colour is stunning. I love the precision sewing so much #sewinggoals. Can’t wait to see you wearing it.
Thanks! 🙂 I need to organize myself a little photoshoot this week. I’ve got the previous jacket to photograph, too!
Trench coat looks fantastic! I love the silhouette and all the details you added. Also, what a great blog post to show important details. I’ll definitely use these tips in my next coat project 🥰
Thank you. 🙂 Trench is probably my favorite spring/autumn coat. I tried to complete the information I had added in the previous trench coat posts. So check those out, too.
Fantastic and very clean work…I am a beginner and so inspired by your works. Looking forward to when I will be able to understand the instructions and execute the work.
Thanks. 🙂 You’ll get there. I started from simple projects, too. I’m always glad to inspire.
So inspiring! As always 😉
Thanks so much! 🙂