Stafford Jacket Sew Along Part Six: Sewing the Collar

Welcome back to the Stafford Sew Along! In this post we will walk through how to attach the collar. If you are just joining us, be sure to check out Part One: Cutting and Marking, Part Two: Topstitching Tips, Part Three: Sewing the Front, Part Four: Sewing the Pocket, and Part Five: Sewing the Back. Now let's get sewing! 

 With right sides together, sew the Front to the Back at the shoulder seam. Finish the seam and press towards the back. Topstitch. 

I chose to add fusible interfacing to both collar stands and only one collar piece (the undercollar). For fusible interfacing, we recommend using this soft, lightweight, sheer Japanese interfacing. It is a tricot knit, so it has a little bit of stretch. Because this interfacing is so lightweight, when fused, it doesn't alter the body of the fabric, it just adds a little bit of needed support. Choose an interfacing color that best matches your project. My chambray is dark so I chose black, though it is also available in white, beige, and nude..

Instead of cutting out separate pattern pieces and fusing them together, an easier way to apply your interfacing is to fuse designated sections of your fabric before you cut out the patterns. So, in this instance, I pulled a fabric piece from which I would cut my collar pieces and went ahead and fused the interfacing to the larger piece. Then, I cut the pattern out. These pieces are now pre-fused - no chance for any distortion.

Navigating your way through the different applications of interfacing can be complicated - there are so many on the market! If you want to learn more about matching the right interfacing and fabric, check out LInda's Craftsy class, Underneath it All: Guide to Interfacings, Linings and Facings.

 Staystitch the neck edge of your Collar. Clip through the fabric to the staystitching, but take care not to cut through! Though you can only barely see it in the image below, I clipped roughly every inch along the neckline. 

With right sides together, sew one Stand to one Collar, marching the end dots and notches. Trim and press towards stand. Press this curved seam over a tailor's ham to help retain the built-in shape of the curve.

Edgestitch around the collar stand. 

With right sides together, sew the Collar/Stand together along the outer edges. To achieve crisp edges and corners in your collar, I am going to share Linda's collar and stand technique, as shown in the April 2013 Sew Confident. 

Use appliqué scissors positioned flat to trim and grade the seam allowance to 3/8".

Place the collar over a point presser or thin rail on a tailor board and press the seams open.

 At the corners, press each seam allowance to the interfaced side along the seamline, stacking the seam allowances on top of one another for about 1".

Turn the collar to the right side and press. Use a point turner to neaten the corner, if necessary.

Fold seam allowance of loose Collar/Stand to the wrong side. I find it helpful to press the seam allowance to the wrong side to keep it in place. Pin to the wrong side of the garment, covering the previous seam allowance. If you are using Fusi-Web, fuse a line along the folded seam allowance and then adhere it to the garment. This will keep it secure as you edgestitch along the neckline. If you aren't using Fusi-web but would still like to secure the seam allowance before edgestitching, you can first slipstitch the piece in place. 

​Topstitch the outer edges of the collar. 

Join us next time for the Stafford Sew Along Part 7: Sewing the Sleeves.