How to make a kids' coat

1. Materials & tools

Materials (size 110 cm)

• Main fabric (wool, quilted cotton or heavy twill) — about 110 cm wide × 130 cm (44 × 51 in)
• Fusible interfacing — for the collar and front bands
• Buttons — 4–5
• Optional: lining fabric

Tools

• Sewing machine (or needle and thread)
• Fabric marker or pencil
• Ruler and scissors
• Iron
• Pins or clips

2. Make the pattern (auto-generated in Katagami)

With the Katagami pattern tool, you just enter the finished size and it drafts a seam-allowance-included pattern, tiled to print at actual size on Letter or A4.

1. Open the tool
   Open the pattern tool and choose “Kids' clothes” → “Kids' coat” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter chest, length, shoulder width, sleeve length, cuff width, front overlap, neck width and ease. Presets cover 90–130 cm.
3. Set the seam allowance
   Use the slider at the bottom (beginners: 1.0–1.5 cm / about 3/8–5/8 in).
4. Print
   Press “Print (actual size)”, then in the print dialog set Scale = 100% and turn “Fit to page” OFF. Check the 50 mm calibration box on the first guide sheet with a ruler.

3. Cutting the fabric

1. Trace the pattern
   Trace the back (on the fold), the fronts, the sleeves and the collar.
2. Cut
   Cut one back, two fronts, two sleeves and two collar pieces, then fuse interfacing to one collar piece and the front bands.
3. Finish the edges
   Serge or zigzag the shoulder, side and underarm allowances — thick fabric frays badly.

4. Sewing

4-1. Finish the front edges

1. Turn each front edge under twice and stitch, pressing hard first so both sides match.

4-2. Shoulders and sleeves

1. Sew both shoulder seams and press the allowances open.
2. Match the center of each sleeve head to the shoulder seam and sew the sleeve in while everything is flat.

4-3. Make and attach the collar

1. Sew the collar pieces right sides together, leaving the lower edge open. Trim the corners, turn and press.
2. Sandwich the neckline between the collar layers and sew all the way around, then clip the neckline curve.

4-4. Sides, hem and buttons

1. Sew from the cuff along the underarm and down to the hem in one line.
2. Turn the cuffs and hem under twice and stitch. In thick fabric, slipstitching by hand handles the bulk better.
3. Work buttonholes and sew on the buttons — large ones are easier for small hands.

✏️ Thick fabric needs a bigger needle. A size 14 or 16 will get through wool and quilted cotton; a universal 11 will snap where the seams cross.

5. Tips & variations

• Big buttons: 2 cm (¾ in) or more, so a child can do the coat up without help.
• Add a lining: cut the same pattern in lining and it slides on over a jumper instead of sticking.
• Add a hood: borrow the hood from the kids' hoodie and attach it to the neckline instead of a collar.