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Collar
Construction. – Londa’s Favorite Technique
This isn't completely original, by any means - but
just the technique I have refined after doing so
many of these collars, and reading so many different
techniques.
Take note which is the edge that joins to the
neckline: it is the notched edge. Often, I find
students tend to join the opposite edge to the
neckline – yielding a rounded collar and really
messing everything up…don’t do this!!
• Decide which of the 2 collars you’ve cut will be
the UPPER Collar – if a print fabric, the print may
determine this for you…selecting the piece on which
you like the placement of the motifs the best.
Interface the UPPER Collar.
o Fuse if using a fusible – remembering to turn it
over and press with the right side of the collar up
as well. Many people using Fusible Interfacings skip
the step of turning the piece over and pressing
AGAIN.
o Stitch-in Interfacing: press together and you’ll
find that doing so will create a ‘static’ that holds
them together with very few pins. I stitch 1/8” shy
of the allotted seam allowance. Then, trim the
interfacing away from the seam allowance with an
appliqué scissors.
• Fold the other Collar piece – now the UNDER Collar
in half on the back fold line, and trim the short
end and top edge a scant 1/8”. The heavier the
fabric, the more generous your trimming can be. You
are doing this to allow for the ‘turn of the cloth’
principle: the under layer doesn’t need as much size
as the upper layer. NOW: when you stitch the collar
together as in Step 11 of the Guide Sheet, you will
ignore the fact that you just did this trimming –
matching the edges, and easing the Upper Collar to
fit the Under Collar along the ends and the long
upper edge. I never do the Understitching as she
directs in Step 12 because this trimming turn of the
cloth trick makes sure that my collars don’t have
what I call “Under Collar Peek-A-Boo”.
• Press seam allowances OPEN with a point presser
(if you’re lucky enough to have one – they are hard
to find these days), and then trim – grading seam
allowances so that the seam allowance of the Upper
Collar remains longer (unless you adhere to Japanese
Tailoring principles, when you do the opposite).
THEN, press the collar as it should be with wrong
sides together. Do compare the ends as Loes suggests
in the next-to-the-last paragraph to make sure they
are the same depth.
• On Upper Collar only, reinforce stitch for about
1” on either side of the clips that mark where the
shoulder seams will attach.
• Wrong side of Collar (which is right side of Under
Collar), to right side of garment, match up and pin,
clipping body of blouse to stay stitching as
necessary to allow this curved edge to ‘work’ with
the straight collar neckline edge.
o Both layers of finished Collar ends to clip at
Fronts
Shoulder clips of both layers to shoulder seam
line
o Only Under Collar layer of finished Collar to:
Center back clip of Under Collar to center back
clip of back
Keep the Upper Collar layer loose and free between
the shoulder clips.
• Stitch only Under Collar to Blouse front along
Back from shoulder seam to shoulder seam. I do this
with the collar side up so that I can see exactly
where I stop and start.
• Stitch both Upper Collar and Under Collar to
Fronts from shoulder seam to dot (collar termination
point). I do this with blouse side up so that I can
be sure to stitch right over the stay stitching, or
a tad further in towards the body of the blouse – so
that I won’t have to later rip out the stay
stitching.
• NOW, Lay the right side of the Front Facing to the
right side of the Fronts, pin, and stitch the center
front edges, (use taut sewing technique here, left
hand in back, right hand in front and with a gentle
tug as you feed through the machine as you are
stitching on the straight grain and as it is strong,
it will tend to pucker), and then the collar edge
neckline – having the same side up so that you
stitch directly over the stitching you just did
while attaching the Collar. At very top of the Front
Facing – that short shoulder edge – turn the seam
allowance under towards you so that it will be a
fold finish at the shoulder to be tacked down later.
• Trim and grade these seams as appropriate.
o At the front upper point, I find what Claire
Shaeffer teaches to be very true, leave one of the
seam allowances of the 90 degree angle here intact
so that the seam allowance supports that point ---
especially true if you did not cut off the fold back
Front Facing, and you have a fold at the front of
the blouse. There is no need to cut this corner at
an angle as we’ve always been directed to do.
• Clip through all seam allowances at the Shoulder
seams. This will allow the neckline seam allowance
to be pressed up into the (open) Collar between the
shoulder seams. The neckline edge of the Upper
Collar then presses in as the fabric in the collar
will determine for you as you fold the collar into
place the way it will be when on a body. Pin, and
slipstitch this edge closed.
This isn't completely original, by any means - but
what I have refined after doing so many of these
collars, and reading so many different techniques.
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