Well, I'm sewing again, and it feels really good. It's been quite awhile, and it's nice to be making something again. The Alice dresses have little white collars, and I thought I'd share my new-fangled technique for making collars easier. In the past I've always had such trouble getting the two separate collar pieces to line up nicely at the neckline in front. Perfection was rare. So when I made Bonnie's purple dress last month, I redesigned the collar pattern so it was just one piece. It worked much better, and so now I'm doing it again with a larger dress.
First I took an individual collar pattern piece and traced it onto some white paper. Then flipped it over and traced the the mirror image leaving a little space between. I like to use my patterns as templates, tracing around them, but in order to hold both sides of the collar together, I had to add the neckline seam allowance.
First I took an individual collar pattern piece and traced it onto some white paper. Then flipped it over and traced the the mirror image leaving a little space between. I like to use my patterns as templates, tracing around them, but in order to hold both sides of the collar together, I had to add the neckline seam allowance.
I then traced the pattern onto a double layer of fabric, cut it out adding the seam allowance everywhere but at the neck. Then stitched along the tracing line, making sure to have at least one or two stitches at the top of the indent between the two halves. FrayCheck the tight turn. Clip curves
Turn right side out and baste edges. Press.
Baste collar between bodice fabric and lining, and stitch.
Machine stitch, then clip neckline and turn right side out.
Machine stitch, then clip neckline and turn right side out.
This technique works really well for a simple unadorned collar, although I think there's still room enough here to add a picot beaded edge. If you wanted a lace-edged collar, the pattern would have to be drawn so there was more space between the two sides.
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