Flatiron Coat Sew Along Part Four: Sleeves, Side Hem and Finishing

Welcome back to the Flatiron Coat Sew Along! This is our fourth and final post of the Sew Along. Today we will attach the sleeves and side hems, finish the raw edges and sew on the snaps. Let's get sewing! 

Finish the underarm edges of the sleeves, as well as the side seam edges of the Front and Back. 

With right sides together, matching notches, end dots and center dot to the shoulder seam, sew the Sleeve to the garment. Be sure to start and end your stitching precisely at the underarm dot. Press the seam open. 

With the right sides together and matching the notch and dots, sew the Front to the Back along the underarm and side seams. If you are making the jacket version of the Flatiron, you will end your stitching precisely at the lower dot. The coat version does not have a vent opening, so for those of us making the coat, we stitch all the way to the bottom. 

To hem the flatiron, the instructions recommend creating a double fold hem. To do this, you begin by staystitching  ⅜″ from the outer edges of the Sleeve, Collar, center front and bottom of the Front and Back. Press the ⅜″ to the wrong side along the staystitching line. Then, beginning at the Front and Back bottom hems, turn the pressed edge to the wrong side again and topstitch. There is no need to turn and press this second hem fold, you can do it while stitching. Repeat this process for the Collar edge, Front edges and Sleeve hems, in this order.

I chose not to use a double fold hem, because I felt the weight of the double fold knit would pull on the drape of my coat. So I finished the edges of the Sleeve, Collar, center front and bottom of the Front and Back with a three-thread serge. Then, I turned the hem ¾″ to the wrong side and stitched. 

Now all you have to do is sew your snaps on. Because you will be able to see the stitching from the right side of the coat, take care to stitch in a decorative manner. Linda suggests using a heavy duty thread like Coats Button Craft Dual Duty thread, which is sturdy enough to hold the snap, but also thick enough to create a visual impact.  

And that's it, your Flatiron Coat is ready to wear! We hope you enjoyed this Sew Along. If you are just tuning in, be sure to go back and read through the previous posts.

The Flatiron Coat Sew Along Part Two: Making the Pocket

The Flatiron Coat Sew Along Part Three; Sewing the Front and Back