Is it just my imagination or is the fashion just so much more creative these days? I guess with the DIY / refashioning craze, we collectively have sprung out of the box. And look what we’ve come up with today: a very cool detachable collar.
Different models, variations on a theme: take an old shirt from your hubby when he is not looking and cut off the collar. Never mind if it’s frayed. We’re going to cover it.
Next: take some sassy lace from your stash, cut up a doily, take out your jewelry beads, and/or your crochet needle with some thread, and EMBELLISH that collar. Go as wild and crazy as you wish.
I quite dig this execution. It’s classy and elegant! The glittering spider winks to Halloween, but the blob of glitter there is just right. Finish the collar off in a fashion and color, in a way that suits your wardrobe and your style.
Detachable Collar DIY Tutorial
Materials
What you’ll need:
- A piece of cotton fabric, approx. 25 x 60 cm (10 x 24 ins).
- A piece of lace fabric, 15 x 60 cm (6 x 24 ins).
- Fusible interfacing.
- 1 button.
- 1 brooch.
- Sewing thread.
Step 1
Cut the collar off an old shirt, and include that upright section that has that shirt top button in the neck.
Step 2
To round the point of the collar, place a glass or cup over the edge of the collar, and mark the curve with a fabric marker or pencil. Also mark the mid section of your collar.
STEP 3
Transfer the collar pattern onto paper, and add a 1 cm seam allowance. Note: the straight edge you see in the picture is the middle back of the collar.
STEP 4
Use the paper pattern to cut your collar piece 2 times, on a fold. Iron interfacing to wrong side of one piece. Lay collar pieces together, right sides facing.
STEP 5
Sew it together like so:
- Stitch edges together, at seam allowance width from edges, leaving approx. 5 cm (2 ins) open on inner edge of attached band, for turning.
- Trim seam allowances, trimming diagonally across corners.
- Turn collar right side out and press.
- Sew seam opening closed.
- Topstitch inner edge at width of band (approx. 3 cm/ 11/4 in from edge).
- Fold attached band onto collar and press.
- Work buttonhole in one end of band and sew button to opposite end.
- Pin lace fabric to collar so that lace extends past front curves and past outer edge.
- On these edges, trim lace along edges of lace pattern.
- Fold lace over fold edge of collar and pin to attached band.
- Sew lace to collar.
- Attach brooch to right end of band.
Credit photos and instructions: Image credit: Burda. This site has removed this pattern. As a result, we added some detail to our original article. ref. burdastyle.com/techniques/detachable-collar
Article updated 8/2021; original 1/2013.
