DIY Fri: Detachable Collar Tutorial

Removable collars are all the rage, and I have made a tutorial that teaches you how to make your very own! I've seen one other tutorial for this, which simply tells you to cut the collar off an existing shirt and that's it. To me that seams awfully wasteful of the rest of the shirt, not to mention it won't have beautiful finished edges. I think my tutorial came out very nice and I'm super excited to make more!

MATERIALS:
-Collared Shirt
-Sewing Machine
-Paper
-Pencil
-Fabric
-Thread
-Snap Buttons
-Fusible Interfacing
-Scissors
-Ruler
-Optional: Things For Decorating

Grab a collared shirt that you already own (I used my boyfriends'). Fold the collar in half and mark the middle/halfway point with pins.

Place your paper on top of the collar, and with your pencil roughly trace around the collar edges. If you can't see through your paper feel with your fingers and mark as best you can. Only trace up to the halfway point where you placed the pins (the halfway point will be your Center Back.) *You will want to do this for the top collar (part that folds down) and the bottom collar (what connects folding part to the shirt.) Make sure to mark where the top collar ends on the bottom collar. 

Now with your ruler connect the lines smoothly. For the rounded parts, just connect with a steady hand or you can use a rounded ruler. Add 1/2 inch seam allowance like above.Then cut out your pattern from the paper. You'll want to make sure they align properly, and adjust if they don't.

Fold your fabric in half and pin the pattern pieces on top, aligning the Center Back of your pattern to the fabric fold (remember that center back was the halfway point of your collar.) You will need two fabric pieces of the top collar, two fabric pieces of the bottom collar, and on of each cut in the interfacing. 

Iron the interfacing onto on of the top collars and one of the bottom collars. 

Take the two pieces of the top collar and place fashion fabric to fashion fabric. Sew the collar around the edges at 1/2 inch seam allowance. Then notch (to but not through the stitch line) around the edges, and cut the seam allowance to 1/4 to 1/8 of an inch. 

Flip right side out and press with an iron. The piece with the interfacing will be the bottom of the collar when its flipped down. 

Now sandwich the top collar between the two bottom collar pieces. The fashion fabric should be on the inside. Pin the edges and sew at 1/2 inch seam allowance. When done sewing, notch and trim seam allowance like you did previously with the top collar.

Flip the bottom collar down and press. 

Press the bottom edges of the bottom collar inward at 1/2 inch. Then cut the seam allowance a tiny bit to reduce bulk. After you are done cutting press again leaving the bottom edges flipped up/inwards at original crease line. 

Pin and sew the bottom at 1/4 inch seam allowance. 

Now the basic structure of your detachable collar is finished. Try on the collar to find how you would like it to fit around your neck. Mark with a pin where you want to place the snap buttons. Then sew on the snap buttons. At this point you're all done! You can add embellishments if you want; I ended up gluing some lace flowers onto mine. 

I'd love to know what you think, and if you end up making one of these. If you make one I'd love to see pictures! I just added the option for my followers to post photos on my Tumblr, so you can post pictures there of this project or any other pictures of you wearing my garments. This project is very fun and fashionable and is perfect for summer. 

Happy Making!