[the cape coat] this is the teach me fashion cape coat! i have made this cape without a lining and have chosen to bind all the visible seams instead. fist, clip all your seam allowances and notches. make sure you notch the center back neck as well. this is an example of how we are going to finish the seams i have already bound some of the seams to speed up the videoing process. i have purchased an acetate binding that is 12mm wide or 3/4 inch wide this is similar to an ordinary bias binding except it is a bit wider and has a satin finish.
if you go to your local sewing store you will find something suitable on the wrong side of your seam allowance open the folded edge of the binding out and stitch through this fold matching the cut edge of the binding to the edge of your seam allowance now fold the tape over the seam allowance edge to the right side of the fabric and stitch on the folded edge of the binding. the binding should cover the first row of stitching don't worry if you can see the stitching on the wrong side of the fabric, because you won't see it once the garment is sewn together use this method to bind the side seams, the side back seams, the side front seams that have the opening for your hands and the curved seams at the center of the hood
once you have bound all these seams, pin the front panels to the side front panels pinning up to the hand opening. make sure you have the right sides together stitch these seams, making sure you reverse at the beginning and the end of all the seams. you do not want the seam coming apart when you put your hands through the openings. stitch your center back panel to your side back panels and then your completed back to your finished front at the side seams. go to the iron and press all these seams open. now return to your sewing machine and bind the hem using the same process as you have already used. you can turn the edges of the tape in, as i have, but it is not necessary,
we will be trimming this part of the seam away later. now with right sides together sew the hood together through the center back seam. pin the facing of the hood to the facing of the cape. go to the machine and stitch on the seam allowance line but only as far as the seam allowance at the neck edge. pin the hood neck edge to the cape neck edge, matching the center back of the cape to the seam on the center back of the hood make sure all your seam allowances are open, including the seam that connects the facing of the hood to the facnig of the cape this seam should match the fold line for the facing on the cape. stitch this seam on the seam allowance line.
mark your center front at the hem and fold the facing back on itself with wrong sides together. press lightly to mark the fold line. press the rest of your seams open, if you have not already done so press the beginning of the facing seam open up to the seam line and clip in to release the seam allowance so you can press the rest of the neck seam together. pin and sew together at the front with right sides together you can see that i have already started to bind the facing from the front hem edge to speed things up you now need to bind the facing edges from the hem right through the hood to the other side of the hem. place the hood facing right sides together onto the right side of the hood, pin into position. stitch, then trim this seam allowance on the facing edge to help grade the bulk of the seam allowance
now turn the facing through to the right side press these seams out first to flatten the seams and then press into position. trim the neck edge seam allowance to even up any crooked sewing now to bind this neck edge seam open out the end of the binding and fold it back on itself so you don't have a raw edge. start the binding under the facing where you have the seam allowance together. go to the facing at the top of the hood and machine as i am doing here, to hold the facing back onto the seam allowance. now go to the ironing board and measure up the hem. fold the facing back on itself and pin on the hem line.
press lightly to hold the hem in position go back to the machine and bag the facings out at the hem. check that both sides of the cape are the same length at the center front. trim the bulk of the hem away inside the facing as i am demonstrating here. now put your cape on the stand and pin together, matching your center front. mark where you would like your fastenings to go this is a personal choice so place them where you think they look best. you just need to remember that they need to hold your center fronts fairly securely in position. now all you need to do is hand sew up your hem as i demonstrate here
and you won't see any stitching on the outside of the garment. well done!