Ruffled Collar

Sew a Ruffled Collar

Posted by Lena Santana

About

This ruffled collar is versatile and great fun to wear: tie it over a plain round or V-necked T-shirt, or use it to add a flourish to a strapless evening dress. It is deceptively simple to make – just three gathered strips of fabric bound at the neckline – but the effect is dramatic. You can make it in about an hour on a Saturday morning, then swan off to impress your friends. Just wait for the compliments.

One Piece of Fabric:

Buy a copy for only £8.00 including free UK p&p. Call 0870 787 1724 and quote reference CH1358.

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You Will Need (6 things)

  • Tape Measure/ Ruler
  • Needle And Pins
  • Bias Binding Tape :1m 50cm (1⅝yd) x 25mm (1in)
  • Matching Thread
  • 1 m 50cm (1⅝yd) x 112cm (44in) Fabric – soft, lightweight cotton, e.g. lawn, voile:
  • Sewing Machine

Steps (5 steps, 240 minutes)

  1. 1

    Cut three strips of fabric for the top collar, middle collar and under collar.

  2. 2

    Finish three edges of each strip: make a simple narrow hem on the two short edges.

  3. 3

    Do the same on one long edge.

  4. 4

    Place the three strips on top of each other, with right sides uppermost and raw edges even. The widest strip, the under collar, is at the bottom; the middle collar lies on top of this; and the narrowest strip, the top collar, is on top.

    Tack the three pieces together along the raw upper edges. Now gather this neck edge. Pull up the gathering stitches until the neck measures 56cm (22in); secure the gathering threads by winding them around a pin.

  5. 5

    Cut a single piece of bias binding that will bind the neck edge and form the ties. I have used a piece 1m 25cm (1⅜yd) long, but if you prefer longer ties, increase the length.

    Apply the binding to the neck edge using Method 1, centring the collar on the binding, but tack instead of topstitching. Pin together the open edges of the binding that form the two ties, turning in the ends. Tack. Now topstitch the entire length of the binding. Slipstitch the ends.