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Transcript:

Helen: We are recording today on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, including Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, Musqueam, and K’ómoks first nations.

Caroline: Hello, and welcome to Love to Sew. I’m Caroline, the owner of Blackbird Fabrics.

Helen: And I’m Helen, the designer behind Helen’s Closet Patterns.

Caroline: We’re two sewing buds who love to sew our own clothes and want to encourage you on your sewing journey, too.

Helen: Join us for today’s topic: collars. Yeah!

Caroline: Hello, Helen.

Helen: Hi, Caroline.

Caroline: How are you?

Helen: I’m good. How are you?

Caroline: I’m really good. Just chillin’ here. Staring at your beautiful face over Google Hangouts.

Helen: You’re wearing a collared shirt today. Is that on purpose?

Caroline: I am. It’s a colorful collar, too.

Helen: What color is your collared shirt?

Caroline: My collared shirt is the color magenta. No. What would you call this?

Helen: Um…

Caroline: Purpley-pink?

Helen: Yeah, like a li-, like a lilac?

Caroline: Lilac-y but, like, more, it has some pink undertones to it.

Helen: Yeah. It’s, like, a bright lilac, like a cartoon lilac.

Caroline: Yeah. I like it.

Helen: You should totally call a fabric at Blackbird cartoon lilac.

Caroline: I’ll pitch it. I’ll pitch it on your behalf.

Helen: Thank you.

Caroline: We’ll see what happens there. But today we’re going to talk all about collars.

Helen: Yeah!

Caroline: Are you excited?

Helen: I am excited. I’m working on a button up shirt pattern, so I’ve been working with collars lately, so this is well-timed.

Caroline: Ooh! Spoiler alert. Love it.

Helen: But we have a question before we get started. And today’s question comes from Karen.

“Dear Helen and Caroline,

I love your podcast, and I hope you can help me figure out how to make more clothing items that I like and will wear. I know that many sewists are hesitant to purge their closets of ‘me made’ items. I have the opposite problem. I hate about 80% of what I make. The most recent disaster was a pair of silky, flowing pants that turned into clown pants as soon as I put them on. I tried taking them in, but they still looked frumpy. I decided to scrap the project rather than inflicting my poor fashion and fabric choices on humanity.

The ironic part is that I really like about 20% of what I sew. I have two pairs of Yanta Overalls–a long pair in navy blue corduroy and a short pair in soft denim–and I love them both. I also have a York Pinafore that I feel great wearing. I have some t-shirts made from the Montlake Pattern by Straight Stitch Designs which has become a favorite TnT pattern.

Am I destined to make overalls, t-shirts, and pinafores for the rest of my sewing life? What can I learn from making the items I love? And how can I use those lessons to prevent me from making so many items I dislike?

Thanks for all you do to connect the sewing community.”

Caroline: Aw, well, thank you for your question, Karen. I’m sure you’re not alone here. Clothing has a lot of emotions tied to it, especially since people are often made to feel bad about their bodies. And we have a few ideas for you that we think might help you to make more clothes that you are going to love.

So our first idea is to define your style. There are a lot of ways to do this. You can use our Create Your Dream Wardrobe Worksheet. We also recommend The Curated Closet by Anuschka Rees. Having a strong idea of what you want your style to be will help you make more projects that are more in line with what you really want to wear.

Helen: Yes. And our second idea is to make your own croquis. We had Erica Schmitz from MyBodyModel on the podcast awhile back. They offer custom croquis based on your body. However, there are also tutorials out there on creating your own croquis with Photoshop or by hand, sketching over your figure. Making a croquis and sketching out your ideas before you make them can help you visualize how the finished garment is going to look with your proportions, maybe your skin tone, your hairstyle, if you want to sketch that stuff in there, too. And if you don’t like how the sketch looks, then you can make some more sketches to test out other things.

Caroline: Yes. And our third idea is to just be kind to yourself. Act like you are a dear friend when you look at yourself in the mirror. A lot of the time we’re so much harsher and more judgmental to ourselves than we would ever dream of being to others.

Helen: Yes. You can get second opinions, too. And I often find that for some reason, that moment when I finish a project and put it on for the first time, that’s, like, the moment I like it, the least. Sometimes, like, I’ll put it on and I’m just so, it’s like all this pent up emotion and buildup of, like, making the project and, like, anticipating what it’s going to be like, and then when you finally put it on, you’re like, oh, I don’t know. Do I like this? I’m not sure. And it can actually take me, like, a day or two to fall back in love with that project, especially if I had a somewhat frustrating sewing experience. So being kind to yourself in that regard as well, I think is really important.

Our fourth idea is to count up the lessons that you learn. Every learning process comes with mistakes and failures, and sewing is a lifelong learning process. So it might feel like a total loss when you make a garment that you don’t love, it doesn’t work out, but in those moments you can count up all that you learned from making that garment. Think about whether you learned new techniques or you worked with a new fabrie, maybe keep a sewing notebook so you can write down those accomplishments. You are moving forward, even though it might not feel like it. And it’s worth it to take those design risks sometimes. Yes. Maybe they turned out like clown pants. Maybe you can wear them as pajamas. But you can’t win them all, and it’s worth it when you do win one, and you actually end up with something you’re really excited about.

Caroline: Yeah. And our last suggestion is to try refashioning the clothes that you don’t like. So maybe there are some changes you could make that would make that garment much more wearable or maybe you could just use the fabric to make something completely different. In the end, you’re doing amazing by making any garments that you love. So being able to make multiple garments you love is, kind of, a superpower. Just remember that.

Helen: Yes, and it sounds like you’re Helen’s Closet fan. So just keep making Helen’s Closet patterns.

Caroline: Yeah, that sounds like a great suggestion.

Helen: Alright, so collars are having a major moment right now. I’m sure you’ve seen them around. Of course, they’re a classic design element, too, but they’re definitely trending right now in fashion. Collared button up shirts and shirt dresses that are buttoned right up to the top. We’ve seen giant pilgrim collars with ruffles around them, even pie crust collars. They’re everywhere, and they’re so much fun.

Caroline: Can we just talk about what a pie crust collar is for a second? Cause I had to Google it.

Helen: Sure. Do you want to describe it?

Caroline: Yeah. It’s like a stand color, like a simple standard color, but then it has a ruffle or, like, pleated piece of fabric, kind of, all around the collar which sticks up, so it sort of looks like the edge of a pie crust.

Helen: Yeah. It’s almost like your head is inside, like, a muffin holder.

Caroline: I love that visual.

Helen: It’s cute. I mean, if ruffles aren’t for you, that’s fine. But it’s a style. It’s a statement. We’re into it.

Caroline: I love it. I love it. And I’m seeing a lot of those, like, detached collars with just, like, a bow tie in the front that you can just throw on with, like, a t-shirt or something.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: They’re totally having a moment, like you said, and in this episode, we’re going to discuss different types of collars, the different parts of a collar, how to sew a collar, and some cool collared patterns to get your creativity flowing. And we’ll even talk about how to remove a collar from a collared pattern which is, kind of, sacrilege considering the topic we’re talking about today, but we’re going to cover it.

Helen: Sometimes. You want collars, sometimes you don’t. Yeah. Okay. So back to basics, a collar is a band of fabric that goes around the neck of a garment. Sometimes it stands up, and sometimes it’s folded over. And before we start with all the technical info about collars, we have some interesting historical notes to share.

Caroline: Yeah. So in Western Europe, standing collars appeared on men’s clothing in the 15th century. And by the 16th century, collars had reached their peak size with the large, starched ruffs worn by elites. You’ve probably seen them on portraits of Queen Elizabeth I of England or William Shakespeare. Collars became softer as Enlightenment ideals spread through Europe. A popular style in the 18th and early 19th century was a cravat tied around a standup collar. The cravat is the precursor to the tie.

Helen: Bring back the cravat, I say.

Caroline: Right? Love a cravat. In the 19th century, removable collars were invented and became super popular because they could be laundered separately. Laundry took a lot of time and effort back then, and being able to wash and starch the part of the shirt or dress that shows dirt the most was really handy. People could also refashion old clothing to new styles by switching out the collars and trims, or they could keep using an heirloom lace collar even if a dress was worn out. Collars softened again in the 1930s when sportswear and lighter fabrics became fashionable. And this is where the polo shirt was invented, and knitwear was all the rage.

Helen: Oh yes. Okay, but Western fashion is definitely not the only source of iconic collars. The color that is commonly known in English as the Mandarin collar, a standing collar seen on many traditional Chinese garments, has its origin in the Ming Dynasty. In the early years of the Ming Dynasty, collars were low and crossed over at the front. By the late years of the dynasty, collars grew in height and fastened at the front. These collars are now usually associated with garments developed during the Qing Dynasty: the cheongsam and quipao.

Caroline: And another example might be the camp collar, like the one on Helen’s Closet Gilbert Top. It comes from Guayabera or Camisa de Yucatán. Guayaberas are summer shirts that are popular in Cuba, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America. They have a flat spread, notched collar and neat tucks going down the front of the shirt. Guayaberas were probably derived from the Filipino barong Tagalog through galleon trade in the 16th to 19th century. We’d love to continue with this history lesson, but we need to get to some sewing content at some point here.

Helen: Yes. There’s a lot to look into when it comes to collars, especially visually, so if you’re interested in the history of collars, we’ll put some links in the show notes and you can check some things out there.

So in order to even start talking about collars, we need to go over some terms for the different parts of the collar. The part of a collar that stands up off the shoulders of the garment is called a stand or a band. Collar stands are there to allow space for a tie. They also raise up the collar on the neck for a more formal look. When you think of a classic button up shirt, chances are, it has a collar stand.

Caroline: Mhm, and the part of a collar that folds over is called the collar leaf. The pointed or curved ends of a collar are called collar points. And the length from where the collar leaf meets the band to the point of the collar is called the point length

Helen: Yes, and the distance between the collar points is called the point spread. The whole thing together is called the collar. And we’re going to post an image from Mood Fabrics. They have a blog post that illustrates all these different parts, and we’ll put that in the show notes. Um, but of course you see lots of different proportions of collars, and that’s why it’s fun to understand the terminology so that we can talk about them.

Caroline: Yeah, and here’s another tidbit about collars that we’ve brought up on the show before, but if you haven’t heard this before, button down shirts have buttons that attach the color points to the shirt. So if you’ve ever wondered about the difference between button down and button up, this is it.

Button down shirts have collars that button down while button up just means that the shirt closes down the front with a row of buttons. See, even if all you did today was chill and listen to this podcast, you still learn something.

Helen: Yes! I was so into calling button up shirts, button down shirts just by default, always button down shirts. And I didn’t know that button down shirts just have buttons on the color points, but now I’ve switched because mostly, I only wear button up shirts. I don’t think I’ve ever owned a button down shirt, so…

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: It’s all semantics. It’s fine.

Caroline: Totally.

Helen: And there are a lot of different styles of collars. They all fall into basic types. There’s the stand collar which is a collar that points straight up and doesn’t fold over. Stand collar styles include the Mandarin collar, the Nehru collar, and the funnel neck collar.

Caroline: Then there’s the flat collar which has no collar stand. So the collar leaves lay flat over the fabric. Flat collar styles include the camp collar, the Pilgrim collar and the Chelsea collar. Because collar stands can be a bit tricky to sew, it’s a good idea for beginners to start with a flat collar.

Helen: Yes, and finally, there’s the roll collar which has the stand and the leaves that fold over it. This is the type of collar usually found on dress shirts.

Caroline: All of these collar types can be made into many different styles by changing up the size and shape of the leaves and the width of the point spread. You can also add details like ruffles and notches for different looks.

Helen: Yes. Uh, I love the idea of nailing the fit on a shirt pattern, and then just experimenting with different collars to get different looks.

Caroline: Yeah, me too, especially, if you have a TnT pattern, and you don’t want to keep making different patterns. You can just change the collar size or the collar shape.

Helen: Absolutely.

Caroline: Okay, so sewing collars can be tricky. You’re working with a bunch of small fiddly pieces, and often, they are worked with a smaller seam allowance than the rest of the garment. And this means that there’s a little less of a margin for error. There are also contrasting curves that you’ll be working with. You may be sewing a straight stand into a curved neckline, or even harder, you might be sewing a curved collar leaf onto a neckline curved the opposite way.

Helen: Yes. Petro from Easy Peasy Creative has a great article about how to sew concave and convex curves together that could be helpful for sewing collars, so we recommend you check it out. Here are some of the tips. One: pin the heck out of it. Use a pin every quarter inch, if you need to. I mean, I think this is definitely true if you want to have that extra control, you can pin the heck out of it. Um, but I also find that fewer pins sometimes is easier because there’s more room for me to get my fingers in there and, like, pinch things together where needed. So you do you.

Caroline: Yeah, definitely. And if your machine has variable speed, you can slow it down so that you can make the curve smooth and readjust as needed.

Helen: Yes, and curved pieces should be pressed with an up and down motion, not a back and forth motion. You can actually stretch out the fabric along the bias if you’re pulling the fabric taut and running your iron over it, so be careful with the direction that you’re ironing. I also find having things like a ham can be helpful when I’m pressing collars because of the curves, so you have something that’s actually curved to lay the garment on top of. Can come in really handy.

Caroline: Yeah, absolutely. And you should be comfortable with interfacing fabric if you want to make a nice collar. Collars are usually stiffer than the garment fabric so that they can hold their shape. And if you need some help with this one, you can listen to our Interfacing 101 Episode for lots of advice.

Helen: You will also probably do some topstitching when you’re doing collars. Topstitching is often done on collars so that it holds a really nice, neat shape. An edge stitch foot will help with this, but you can also learn to do it with a regular sewing machine foot and some practice. It’s often done, like, an eighth to a quarter of an inch from the edge. And then you’re going to pivot in those corners, and you pivot by putting your needle in the down position and turning your project.

Caroline: And pressing is not skippable when you’re making a collar. Again, the whole thing about collars is their shapes, so you’ll need to press all those pieces to get it to look right. And for a really sharp looking collar, you can level up your pressing skills. We’ll link our Pressing Episode in the show notes, too, but definitely don’t skip this because if you want that beautiful, crisp, accurate looking collar, you want to use your iron.

Helen: Yes. So sewing a collar is on the more difficult side of sewing skills, but you can absolutely learn to do it well. And like anything else in sewing, it’s a series of skills that you can build up to get a great result. I don’t think that collars are off the table for beginner sewists. I think you can do them. I think camp style collars are a good place to get started. Um, we have the Gilbert Top and the Pona Jacket. They both have really nice, easy beginner collars in them.

Caroline: Nice. Okay. So we have some tips for sewing a great collar. Collars are pretty much just there for how they look, so make sure they look the way you want. Take the collar piece and hold it up to yourself to quote unquote, try it on. If you wish it looks different, now’s the time to change the shape of the collar. So you can trace out your original piece, make changes, cut out, and try it on again until you find the right look. Just make sure not to change the part that attaches to the neckline or collar stand. I mean, you can, but you’ll need to make changes to the neckline or stand as well.

Helen: Yeah. I’ve even seen people sew the collar stand and the collar out of muslin fabric so that they can properly try it on their neck, not only to check if they like the shape of the points and things like that, but to check and make sure they like the fit around the neck. If you prefer to button your shirts all the way to the top, that could be something that you want to consider.

And your choice of interfacing can make a big difference in how your collar looks as well. So for a really crisp collar, interface the upper and lower pieces. That’s, like, the part that’s showing on the top, plus the underside, um, or use several layers of organza in there to get that nice crisp look.

Caroline: And if you want a medium crisp style, you can interface the upper collar only with an interfacing the same weight as your fashion fabric.

Helen: Yes, and for a softer collar, interface only the lower pieces or use a cotton batiste sew-in interfacing. You can also try not interfacing at all, but I think with collars, it really helps to have some stabilizer in there, especially just to make the sewing process a bit easier. Uh, so I do recommend at least interfacing the upper or the lower, one of the two.

Caroline: Mhm, and interfacing small collar pieces is hard, so you can definitely save yourself some effort and block fuse a piece of your fabric with a piece of interfacing and cut out the pieces as one.

Helen: Yeah, block fusing.

Caroline: I just did this recently for a facing, and I don’t often do block fusing, but it really helps so much. It’s, like, such a game changer. It makes the process of interfacing just, like, so much less daunting.

Helen: It’s fun cause after you block fuse, you can cut your pieces out with scissors, too. And I find cutting interfacing with a rotary cutter very frustrating. So..

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: It’s nice to use scissors sometimes.

Caroline: Okay. When you’re cutting out a collar, here’s a few things that you wan-, might want to think about. First of all, it’s a good idea to cut flat, not on the fold. This is going to give you a more accurate shape which will make putting the collar together a better experience because it sucks when the pieces don’t match up and some button up shirt patterns, or collared shirt patterns, will have the collar pattern piece on the fold. And if that’s the case, then you can still cut it flat. You just need to, like, trace around one side and then flip the piece over.

And I find that if I try to cut pieces that have, like, a really narrow fold, like, a collar or collar stand, and you try to put that on the fold of your fabric, it’s really hard to make sure that you get it straight and then after you unfold it there’s, like, a little, like, angle in it or something. Like, it’s just hard to get that perfect. So I think that’s a benefit to cutting flat is that you can make sure that that part right at the center back is really nice and smooth.

Caroline: And even harder to get it perfect because you’re cutting, like, the upper collar and the under collar. And so if you have them sitting at, like, even slightly different angles, then they’re not going to match, so cutting flat is definitely a good call.

Um, you also want to keep in mind the way that prints and stripes will be distorted on collars. Because collars are typically curved in shape and the points of the collar will point down towards your chest, you want to cut your fabric accordingly. So if you’re working with a directional or a novelty print, think about what’s going on the collar points and what direction it will be facing on the final garment.

Helen: Yes. I put this tip in here because I have done this before with printed fabrics where you cut everything out, according to the grainline. And then when you actually go to sew it together, there’s like an upside down bird on the collar point or something like that because it ends up facing the other way. Um, so just something to think about.

And you can also choose a contrasting fabric for the underside of the collar or the inside of the collar stand. This is a good place to use scraps of the amazing fabrics that you’ve been saving. And it’s a nice little highlight when you’re wearing your button up shirt, like, a little open at the top, you can just catch a glimpse of that fabric on the collar stand and, and then maybe you use that same fabric on, like, the inside of the yoke or the wrong side of the cuffs, so you’re, kind of, tying it all together.

Caroline: I love that. So cute. Okay. Another tip that we have is to trim down your under collar by a small amount so that the top edge rolls over the under piece. So this is happening before the sewing part, right? So when you’re cutting out your pieces, and it makes it look a lot neater if you trim by an eighth of an inch around the sides and the top of the lower piece of the collar leaf, tapering to nothing at the points. This is going to really make a difference and have that, kind of, edge roll over, like we said. You can also trim about an eighth of an inch off just the curves of the lower piece of the collar stand to give that same, kind of, clean effect where you’re not seeing the backside coming through.

Helen: Yes. I love this tip. It’s one of those, like, level up your sewing game things that is really not that complicated, just a simple trim down. And then when you sew it together, you have to stretch it to the edge, but when you turn it all right-side out, it’s like magic. Just slightly scrunches the outer fabric towards the wrong side. It looks super cool.

Caroline: Mhm. Yeah. Really slick and crisp.

Helen: If your collar has pointy points, technical term, like, if the points of your collar are actually pointed and not rounded, like a Peter Pan collar or something, we have some tips to get them nice and pointy. There’s a few different ways to tackle that point. You can make a sharp angle of stitches at the collar point by sewing to the seam allowance, pivoting, and sewing the rest. This is just, like, a classic way that you would sew around a corner.

But some sewists swear by allowing a couple of diagonal stitches at the collar point. I personally love doing this. So to do this, you would sew almost to your seam allowance point, pivot, you sew two to three stitches at a 45 degree angle to the point, and then pivot again, and sew the rest. And this just gives you a little bit of extra room in the corner for the bulk of the fabric to sit when you turn it right side out.

Caroline: Mhm, and another way to do the diagonal stitches is to sew a sharp point and then go back and sew a line of stitches at a 45 degree angle to the point, allowing one or two stitches to go in the tip of the point. And that’s just another way to do it that maybe will work better for you and your sewing practice. And there doesn’t seem to be a consensus on which of these methods is best. We’ve seen home and professional sewists use both. So try both out and see what you think.

Helen: Yeah. Some people also like to clip the seam allowance at the collar point and some don’t, so clipping the seam allowance can make it easier to get a good point because there’s less fabric there to bunch up into that corner. So to do this, you’ll snip off the seams at a 45 degree angle, about an eighth of an inch away from the stitches.

Caroline: And the late David Page Coffin, our past guest, used a hemostat to fold his seam allowance. A hemostat is a surgical tool that looks like scissors but the ends clamp instead of cut. He folded the seam allowance in a particular way, held it with the hemostat, and then turned the collar out while the hemostat was clamping the folded parts. We’re going to link the article he wrote for Seamwork called “How to Make a Perfect Point” in the show notes.

Helen: Caroline, what’s your preference when it comes to collar points?

Caroline: I have not tried the hemostat method. I usually just clip. What about you?

Helen: I tend to clip collars. But I will say that, I don’t have a hemostat, but since talking to David Page Coffin, I have, I tried that method and used it many times just using my fingers, like, folding the fabric together and then pushing it inside out, like, at the top of, like, a patch pocket, for example. I used to always clip those areas, but it really isn’t necessary if you get everything folded in the right way, you can just, sort of, tuck it all in there and then sew over it and put your bar tacks or whatever, and you can’t even tell.

Caroline: Yeah, and I think David’s method is maybe a little bit better for longevity, especially depending on the fabric that you’re working with because when you clip into, like, those corners, if you go just a little bit too far and your fabric frays just a little bit too much, you can end up with some almost fraying coming through the corner and just having to do mending, and it can end up being a bit of a nightmare, so it’s good to test different methods.

Helen: Yeah, totally. Okay. Turning out the points is the magical part. Your collar starts to really look like a collar at this stage. And again, there are several methods to choose from. You can use a point turner to get a sharp collar point. A point turner is a flat wooden or plastic stick with a pointy end that you can use to situate your collar before you press it.

I’ve seen people use, like, a chopstick instead of a point turner or some other pointy object. But don’t be too rough when you turn your points. You don’t want to push through. Don’t use your scissors. It’s very tempting to use your scissors, but they’re sharp at the end, and it’s just a bit too risky. You’re going to push through. I would say also don’t push too far and stretch out the fabric cause then you almost get, like, a little bottleneck point happening. You want to be gentle and not push too much in this case.

Caroline: Oh yeah. I’ve been there. That’s so frustrating. That’s where that, like, couple stitches at a 45 degree angle really helps to create that perfect point because you’re not ending up with, like, a really skinny bit at the end that, kind of, turns into, like, I don’t know, a weird, what did you call that?

Helen: A little bloop.

Caroline: Bottleneck?

Helen: I called it a bottleneck because I didn’t want to say condom, but I mean, we’re all thinking it, right?

Caroline: And there’s another method that Pamela Erny calls a Shirtmaker’s “Secret” Technique. You basically sew a folded thread into the point of your collar and then pull the thread to turn it out into a perfect point. It’s hard to explain the technique over audio, but we’ll definitely link that article in our show notes.

Helen: Yes! I haven’t tried this, but I’ve heard it many times. And it seems like fun, like a little secret thread that you get to pull at the end.

Caroline: You just have to remember to put the thread in when you’re sewing.

Helen: Yeah, exactly. Okay. Attaching the collar to the neckline is another somewhat fiddly part of sewing collars. Many patterns will call for you to make the collar leaf, then attach it to the collar stand, and then attach the whole thing to the neckline. But there’s another method that I’ve seen in patterns and Sarah of Sew Sarah Smith outlines this in a great article from her blog, and we got some tips for this episode from this article, so we’ll link that in the show notes.

But basically, you baste the outer collar stand to the neckline, then you sandwich the finished collar leaf between that and the inner collar stand, and then you flip everything right side out and attach it to the shirt. Um, so there’s lots of pictures in this article that we can link to. Obviously, it’s a little tricky to explain over audio.

Caroline: Mhm. Yeah, it seems like there’s just so many different methods for doing this. Speaking of which, I’m going to outline a whole other option. And this is something that you’ll find on a lot of vintage and antique garments. You can finish the neckline of your garment and then make a detachable flat collar, and you can either wear your collar on top without attaching it, or you can whip stitch it to the finished neckline. And then if you want a different look later on, you can just take out those whip stitches and you still have a wearable garment. This could be a good idea for a trendy collar that might go out of fashion in a couple of years.

Helen: Oh, I love this idea. It makes me want to, like, sew some Ashton Tops with, like, some statement collars.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: That are, like, detachable or maybe you just lay them on top so you can just, like, wear them optionally.

Caroline: Yeah. I’m so into that look. Very cool.

Helen: Alright, well, no matter which method you choose, it’s a good idea to draw the seam allowance onto the collar stand so that you have a curved line to follow when you sew. It makes sewing those small curved pieces a lot easier. This is that area at the front of the shirt that’s, like, a little curved, like, semicircle, and when you go to stitch that, it can be quite tight to turn that on your machine. So having those stitching lines to follow will just give you a lot of confidence.

Caroline: Yeah, and you don’t want to over trim your seam allowances on your collar stand especially. You’re going to want a slightly longer seam allowance to support the structure of the collar leaf. And you also want your topstitching to grab onto the seam allowance below it. So grade your seams to prevent bulk, but don’t trim them super short. A quarter of an inch to three-eighths of an inch is a good length to trim the shorter side of your seam allowances.

Helen: Yes, and when you’re sewing a collar, hand sewing is your friend. We’ve talked about this many times, but taking the time to hand baste the pieces will give you the control that you need to sew the pieces together precisely. And for finishing, a slip stitch done by hand will look great. It’s invisible from both sides, and it saves you from having to wrangle the collar and collar stand through the machine to do that final pass of topstitching.

Caroline: Ooh, and if you don’t want to slip stitch to finish the collar, Closet Core recommends using a fabric glue stick or wonder tape to baste the lower collar stand instead of pins. And this is going to help you to align your collar correctly without puckers when you’re going to topstitch.

Helen: Yes. It’s like, it’s all tucked in there and perfectly flat and ready to go. And then all you have to do is topstitch around.

Caroline: Love it. Okay. Let’s talk about collar design and embellishment. This is such a fun part, and I’m excited to chat about, like, ideas because I’m getting really inspired to sew myself some collars. Shirts, but also collars.

Helen: Pie crust collar, perhaps?

Caroline: Imagine a detachable pie crust collar.

Helen: Yes. I love it.

Caroline: I don’t know. I don’t know if that would work. It would be a very specific look, maybe one that, like, peeks out from under, like, a sweater so that you don’t have to wear, like, a whole… Is this totally kooky? Like, you don’t have to wear a whole shirt, but if you want that layered look, you can have, like, a sweater and then just a pie crust collar that you, like, attach.

Helen: I love it.

Caroline: Come on.

Helen: Or, like, a Wilder Gown. I mean the Wilder Gown already has some, like, neck ruffles, but you can put, like, a pie crust collar underneath. It’s like ruffle on ruffle.

Caroline: Oh my gosh. So kooky. I love it. Okay. So we’ve talked about changing the shape of your collar. If you keep the neckline side the same, you can make changes to the collar pattern pieces, and you won’t have to alter the neckline of the garment. There are so many places to get ideas for collar shapes. You can window shop at ready-to-wear stores. You can make a board on Pinterest. You can flip through an art history book. There are tons of variations of collars out there.

Helen: Yes. For example, you could scallop the edge of your collar. So to do this, you would trace off the collar pattern, draw in the seam allowance, if necessary, draw another line at the depth that you want your scallops to be, and then take a round object that has the curve you want for your scallop, and draw your scallops on the pattern. Scallops would be like, sort of, a bumpy edge. Um, and the bottom of each scallop should just touch the same line and the top should touch the depth line and then you can add your seam allowance back in. You have your new pattern piece. After you stitch your collar leaves together, either pink close to the edge or make a lot of little notches before you turn it out and press. You’re going to need those little notches in order to actually get that scalloped edge. This sounds hard, but cool.

Caroline: I have to say, like, have you ever done a scalloped edged anything in sewing?

Helen: No, I have to admit that I haven’t, but it’s been on my bucket list since I started sewing because I have, like, a Singer Sewing Book that detailed how to make a scallop edge, and I probably read that section of that book, like, a hundred times because I was just, like, this is so cool. Like, it looks so amazing, and it seems so detailed and interesting, and I’ve always wanted to try it, so maybe now’s my chance.

Caroline: It is really cool. I, I’ve definitely seen patterns out there with the scalloped edge. And every time I look at them, I’m like, that looks like a lot of work. And, like, it would be really hard to get precise and perfect, but I totally respect anyone who is willing to go through that to get a perfectly scallop edged collar. I want to see it.

Helen: Somebody did a scallop edged mark-, March Top hack, um, that was really beautiful. And I definitely put that on my list of things to copy.

Caroline: So cool. One cool way to embellish collars is to add ruffles, those big statement collars with ruffles all around them are so fun. So to do this, you can make a super long strip of fabric. The width should be twice the width you want your finished ruffled to be plus double your seam allowance, and the length should be one and a half to two times the length of the outside edge of your collar. So press that in half lengthwise with wrong sides together and gather it. And then when you’re ready to sew your collar leaves together, you need to sandwich the ruffle in between the upper and lower collar pieces with the raw edges aligned with the raw edges of the collar leaves. Sew it, trim it, notch it, turn it out. I feel like that needs to be a song. Sew it, trim it, notch it, turn it out. Sew it, trim it, notch it, turn it out. Sew it, trim it, notch it, turn it out.

Helen: It’d be, like, a Todrick Hall song.

Caroline: Needs, like, dance moves to go with it.

Helen: Yeah, exactly. I feel like this would work best on a rounded, oversized collar because I’m imagining doing this on a pointed smaller collar, and you’re not going to be able to cram all those ruffles in there in order to, like, then turn it inside out. It’s just going to be really hard, so a larger rounded collar, statement collar, I think would be the way to go if you want to put some ruffles on there.

Caroline: I think, like, it depends on how intricate you want to be. I agree on the point, like, I wouldn’t do it with a pointed collar, but I think, like, a small, curved, like, Peter Pan style collar with a little, teeny, tiny ruffle, like, wouldn’t that be adorable?

Helen: It would be so cute, Caroline. Just, like, let me know how it goes.

Caroline: ‘kay, ‘kay, ‘kay.

Helen: And you can let me know how your scallops go.

Caroline: Cool. Deal.

Helen: Okay. Embroidery and beading also look amazing on collars. The easiest way to do this is probably to embroider the fabric before you sew it or even cut it out. You can chalk out or baste out your collar shape and then embroider before you cut. You can mark out the fabric with the shape of the pattern piece and then embroider it and then fuse the interfacing and cut it out.

Um, or you could even fuse the interfacing before you embroider for a little extra stability. Beading’s a little bit more complicated. If the beading doesn’t go too far out to the edge, then you can bead before you sew it, um, but you could also do all your embroidery and beading after it’s finished. But keep in mind that a hand stitching onto a stiff collar will be a little bit more difficult than hand stitching into a soft one.

And also on the underside of the collar, you might see the wrong side of the stitches or that beading, um, so that’s something to keep in mind as well, but I’ve seen so many examples of this on Pinterest, just beautiful artwork. And you don’t have to do the whole collar. You can just do something at the points of the collar. It’s just a really nice place to put a little bit of detail.

Caroline: Yeah. Oh my gosh. I love embroidery on button up shirts. It is so beautiful.

Helen: Yes.

Caroline: Okay, Helen, what if you want to sew a pattern that includes a collar but eliminate the collar.

Helen: Um, #youcanhackit, obviously.

Caroline: Yeah. This is definitely a pretty straightforward hack as well. If it’s a two-piece collar, you can leave off the collar leaves to make a standing collar. You would just skip the steps where you sew and attach the leaves, and you would sew the collar stand pieces right sides together and attach it to the neckline. But if you want to take off the whole thing, you’re going to need another way to finish the neckline, so you can either draft a neckline facing, or you can finish it with bias binding. It’s a pretty easy heck.

Helen: Yeah, totally and very legit. Don’t feel bad if you want to take off the collar. It’s fine.

Caroline: No, exactly.

Helen: Okay. Before we wrap up, let’s talk about some great sewing patterns for collared garments. I sure wish my pattern was out right now, but it’s not, so it’s fine. We’re letting it go.

Caroline: Are we? Are we?

Helen: Yes. Okay. There are so many good ones for a button up shirt with bust shaping, the Harrison Shirt by Cashmerette is a great option. It has princess seams and a neat collar, and they have so many cup sizes with that pattern. There’s also the Tarawi Shirt by Muna and Broad. It’s a more relaxed button down, and it has options for bust shaping or no bust shaping. And then the Fairfield Button Up by Thread Theory is a classic shirt with a slim collar and no bust shaping. So those are three, kind of, standard button up shirts that you can choose from.

Caroline: Yeah, all very classic. And then, like we said before, the Helen’s Closet Gilbert Top is a good option for a camp collar style. It’s also real cute. Love that pattern. It has a little tie in the front if you want. The Bakerloo Dress and Top by Nina Lee has one of those big pilgrim collars with ruffles we’ve been talking about. Super cute with puffy sleeves, too. And also Make by The Fabric Store has the Bloom Shirt and Dress. It’s, like, a classic button up shirt or dress, and it has a few different collar options. You can do a pointed collar, a half penny collar which is, sort of, has that curve to it, and they even have a box pleated collar which is unlike anything I’ve seen before. It is very cool and very, like, pilgrim chic vibes.

Helen: And speaking of those big frilly collars, Tilly and the Buttons has a free pattern for one. It ties in the center with a bow. It’s so cute. Super trendy. Would look great over a fall sweater or a dress. Um, and you can make it detachable and wear it with anything.

Caroline: Yeah, it is. It’s just the collar this pattern. It’s just a free pattern for only the collar. It’s so cool.

Helen: There’s also the Mary White dress by Merchant and Mills. That one has a sailor collar. It’s a knee-length sack dress, and it looks traditional and modern at the same time.

Caroline: And the Tilda Dress and Shirt by Fibre Mood has a Chelsea collar. It’s a v neck with a flat pointed collar.

Helen: Those are just a few. We’re scratching the surface. It’s, like, endless. There’s so many good collared patterns out there, so let us know your favorites. If you’re really, really wanting to share, hit us up on Instagram. Uh, what collared garments have you made recently, Caroline?

Caroline: Yeah, I recently made a Gilbert Top that I love. I did it without the tie in the front, so I can, like, tuck it into jeans, in one of our, um, like, yarn dyed cottons from Blackbird. It’s, like, a cream background with, like, a purple and red window pane checked design to it. I love that shirt so much. It’s, like, really lightweight and breathable and lovely. I also still have in wardrobe rotation my Rita Shirt Dress from years ago. We made matching ones, and I still wear my black one all the time. I love it. I always get compliments on it when I wear it. And that again is, like, a camp style collar. I have made the Elbe Textiles’ Cornell Shirt which is technically just the collar stand. It doesn’t actually have a leaf in the collar. It’s just the collar stand. Um, but I love that pattern so much. It’s one of my favorites for sure. And then Closet Core Kalle Shirt in a stripe linen, definitely a fav as well. So I’ve made a good number of shirts in my day. What about you, Helen?

Helen: Oh, my gosh, I can’t even count. Like I said, I’ve been working on a button up, so I’ve been sewing a lot of collars for that recently. Um, this button up that we’ve been working on is going to be, kind of, a classic button up shirt. And, you know, we’re just going to go all out with these instructions for the placket and the collar, so I’m really excited to share more about that. Um, of course, lots of Gilbert Tops. This summer, I made a Gilbert Shirt Dress hack, and I absolutely love the way the collar turned out on that because I did the facing for the Gilbert on the cross, uh, so the stripe was oriented differently, so that turned out, uh, looking really cool.

Um, the Ilford Jacket, I’ve made a few of those. That’s a great beginner collar as well if anyone’s looking for, like, more of a chore coat style and wanting a simple collar that they can tackle. Kalle Shirt, Archer Button Up from Grainline Studio, I mean, just so many, I definitely don’t shy away from collars. I don’t make that many statement collars. I’m intrigued by this removable pilgrim collar style. Like I said, I think that would be really fun to try over an Ashton Top or something like that, so I’m going to give it a go. I’ll get back to you.

Caroline: Yeah. I wonder if we’re going to make even more collared garments or maybe just some detachable standalone collars that we can use to accessorize after we’ve done this episode and talked all about collars.

Helen: Only time will tell.

Caroline: I also will report back.

And that’s it for today’s episode of Love to Sew. You can find me Caroline at blackbirdfabrics.com and Helen at helensclosetpatterns.com. We’re recording in beautiful British Columbia, Canada.

Helen: Go to lovetosewpodcast.com to find our show notes and see all the beautiful collars. They’re filled with links and pictures from this episode. And if you’d like to get in touch with us, send us an email at hello@lovetosewpodcast.com.

Caroline: And if you love Love to Sew and you want more, you can sign up for our Patreon. For $5 a month, you get a full length bonus episode and weekly behind the scenes pics. For $10 a month, you get all that plus a mini episode focused on sewing techniques and 15% codes for Helen’s Closet and Blackbird Fabrics. Patreon is the best way to support us so that we can keep making this quality sewing content. Go to patreon.com/lovetosew for more info.

Helen: And we have Love to Sew swag. You can visit our shop to get tees, pins, and tote bags with art by Josie Adams of Hey Miss Designs. Tell the world that you’re a stitch witch, that you can make anything, or that you are a Love to Sew listener. Go to lovetosewshop.com to get yours.

Caroline: And thanks to our amazing podcast team. Lisa Ruiz is our creative assistant. Jordan Moore is our editor. And Margaret Wakelee is our transcriber. And thank you for listening. See you next week.

Helen: Buh-bye.

Caroline: Bye.

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