A detachable collar gives you the freedom of having a collar that you can attach with a variety of tops. These are suitable for crewneck t-shits and close neck tops. You can make it in a glittery fabric for a party vibe, in a lace fabric for an ethereal vibe, in a pretty color for a vibrant vibe.
Related posts: How to draft and sew Peterpan collar; Make a faux dur collar; Names of different CollarsÂ
How to sew the detachable collar
Step 1. Make pattern and cut fabric
To make this collar first, take a thin interfacing fabric. The kind you attach to give stiffness to fabric. Mark your collar design in this ( or better, mark on a scrap and test the pattern first)
Fold a piece of interfacing and mark as in the following pattern picture.
When you open the collar pattern you get this.
Now mark this pattern on the main fabric and lining as well. Cut all of them out. Attach the interfacing on the back of your front piece.
I have my two pieces ready.
You can give a small dart on the back to make sure that the final collar will lie flat on your body. You can skip this dart, but the collar may stay a little detached and away from the body at the back.
Step 2. Sew collar pieces together
Keep them (fabric and lining pieces) together rightsides to the inside. ie their good faces facing and touching each other.
Sew along the edges – the full round edge is sewn shut, leaving a two inch somewhere unstitched – leave it open for turning the collar right side out.
At this point, you can add a loop for the button opening ( or you can stitch it later); Or add ribbon to use as a tie.
You can keep a small elastic thread piece as a loop for the button as in the picture below.
When you have finished sewing, Clip the seam allowance very generously – every 1/2 inch would do. The curves need to be smooth when you turn the collar rightside out.
And then bring the collar rightside out through the opening.
Slip stitch the opening closed (hand stitch) or top stitch with the sewing machine
You need elastic thread and a button to keep the collar closed.
Sew the elastic thread to the back of your collar (if you have’nt sewn the elastic thread to the inside already) ; sew the button also to the back. You can sew the button to the front – this is your choice.
Make a detachable collar that looks like a sailor collar
Related post : Sailor collar tutorial
Cut out 2 pieces of the pattern.
Place the two pieces, rightsides to the inside. Keep ribbon or cord (to act as ties) inside, so that the cord is pinned to appear in the corner where you will be tying. As you sew along the outer edges ensure that the cord is not being stitched. Better to pin the whole thing thoroughly in the middle.
Sew along the outside edge and inside edge. Leave 2 inches unstitched. Turn the collar rightside out through this unstitched part. Point the corners of the collar with something sharp like a chopstick or pencil.
