[BeckyinFL]

I want to draft a Peter Pan collar for the apple picking dress. (I love that dress as is, but this is a special project.) The collar will lie flat against the dress. What I’m wondering is if I can simply duplicate the neckline of the bodice or if I need to make the neck of the collar piece a little larger in diameter. If dresses were made of paper, the same size would be just right, but fabric layers have a bit of thickness, so I’m thinking I might need to compensate for that. I know this is a technical question, but I’m hoping someone will be able to advise. I will also be moving the buttons to the back of the bodice, so the collar will curve inward in the middle of both the back and front — two bean-shaped pieces. It’s just an idea, but I’d like to try it. Many thanks.

[Sarvi]

Have you already made the apple-picking dress? The opening of the button placket is off-center, so the back of the collar would be asymmetrical — just something to bear in mind (I have a very pretty blouse with an asymmetrical collar, it can look very nice). Afraid I’ve never done a collar from scratch so no other suggestions, but will watch this thread with interest!

[Masha Richart]

I have not made the Apple Picking Dress but I did add a Peter Pan collar to the Family Reunion dress. I did not need to add any length to the collar to accommodate for thicker fabric, but there was some tricky math. I wrote a tutorial for the Oliver+S blog which you can find here: http://oliverands.com/community/blog/2013/09/family-reunion-peter-pan-collar-tutorial.html.

[Lightning McStitch]

If I’m mixing patterns I try to keep collars with their matching necklines and sleeves with their armholes.
So here’s how I’d do it…
Pick a collar from another pattern. Music Class, Jump Rope, Fairy Tale etc.
Trace the Apple Picking pattern with the modifications you want.
Lay your tracing over the bodice part of the pattern you’ve chosen the collar from. You may need to overlap your traced pieces such that you have ONE front pattern piece and ONE back pattern piece for the bodice. Then draw in the neckline of the pattern with the collar.
Now your neckline will match the collar that you’ve chosen just as the pattern intended.
Sarvi’s right in that you’re adding complexity with an off centered closure in the Apple Picking dress.
Good luck.

[BeckyinFL]

Oh! Oh! Oh! Such a wealth of knowledge and ideas! Thank you! Thank you! I’m going to digest them, then will reply 🙂

[BeckyinFL]

Okay, both turkey and your posts are well digested now! (Well, maybe not the turkey, yet. Who doesn’t eat too much on Thanksgiving?)

Sarvi, yes, I have made the Apple Picking dress. I had forgotten about the opening being off-center. That kind of nixes it, although I know I could work that out if I wanted to. Actually, my entire plan, which was — well, never mind now — has been scrapped since I saw Masha’s Family Reunion with the PP collar and the 3/4 sleeves. I am in love! I read her excellent tutorial on how she made the collar, and I can so do that! Even better, she has already done the math. Yea! And actually, that answers my original question about collars anyway. Same size should work fine. If I wanted the collar to stand up a little bit, I would straighten its neck curve. However, all that is moot now that I’ve fallen in love with another.

Roundtheworldgirl/Masha I adore your Family Reunion dress with the Peter Pan collar and 3/4 sleeves. Oh my!! I have to make it! Now! Just finshed a FR dress this morning, and I haven’t even cleaned up yet. Pattern not back in its envelope, tools in perfect disarray. Your tutorial is excellent, and I understood it exactly (either very clearly written or you speak my language), and I’m confident that I can draft that collar like you did. Seriously, thank you for going to the trouble to put that tutorial together. It’s great.

If you’re reading this, I do have a question about the sleeves: Did you draft the 3/4 sleeves or did you borrow them from another pattern? I can do either, but wondering what you did. I do hope you don’t mind if I copy your lovely modification!

Lightning, that’s great advice to keep like with like if you’re borrowing parts, and I follow your “here’s how I’d do it.” Many thanks. I’ll be referring to that again.

My original idea was to make a blouse/slip combo with a PP collar and 3/4 sleeves to be worn under the Music Box jumper. I’m still going to do that, but it’s been bumped back now that I’ve seen Masha’s darling FR mod.

So many dresses! So little time!

Thank you all for your posts. I’m off to sew now.

• This reply was modified 10 years ago by BeckyinFL. Reason: spelling error, of course

[with love Heidi]

I borrowed them from another pattern. I added the sleeves from the school photo Dress to the family reunion dress. I used the sleeve cap of the family reunion and the bottom part of the school photo sleeve.

[Masha Richart]

Becky, I just lengthened the existing sleeves, tapering them a bit at the bottom since my daughter is very thin. Glad to be of service!

[BeckyinFL]

Thanks, Masha. That’s what I guessed was most likely. And Heidi, that is a beautiful version! I love how you used piping. My red dress would have been better if I’d put piping at the hem like that. I see lots more piping in my future.

About the sleeves, I did exactly what you said, though I used the sleeve for the Apple Picking dress rather than the School Photo dress. It was easy to merge the top of the given sleeve with the bottom part of the other. In fact, I just pinned one over the other on my fabric. The width was almost the same. I just needed the 3/4 length and a cuff.

I decided to make a blouse version of Masha’s dress with the collar and it is half done now. The collar turned out great. I’ll post it when done.

Isn’t this fun?!

[BeckyinFL]

The collar I drafted turned out to be a little large for the neckline, and so I discovered an advantage to attaching the collar with a bias strip, for I simply moved the collar a bit outward from the neck opening, then trimmed the neck opening (making a slightly larger neck hole) to match it. I then basted it in place, then sewed on the bias strip:

(Note, these photos are out of order. The first one in the series is last!)

• This reply was modified 10 years ago by BeckyinFL.
• This reply was modified 10 years ago by BeckyinFL.

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[BeckyinFL]

Done! Thanks so much for the help and inspiration. Attaching picture of the bias collar attachment, too.

(I accidentally attached the front backwards, so I topstitched the reversed tucks to make it look intentional. Hee hee.)

• This reply was modified 10 years ago by BeckyinFL.

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[Lightning McStitch]

It’s beautiful Becky. What lovely fabric.

[Masha Richart]

It is lovely. You drafted the collar’s curves perfectly!

[BeckyinFL]

Thanks for the nice comments!

I wanted to add here that I found a blog post about how to draft a flat collar as well as a collar that stands up a little big. It’s good: http://www.myinnocentia.com/2010/12/technique-tuesday-drafting-your-own.html

Here’s another link with some tips and a free collar pattern: http://www.sewinglikemad.com/2013/03/free-printable-loose-peter-pan-collar.html

• This reply was modified 10 years ago by BeckyinFL. Reason: To add the second link