Sick of flimsy neckline facings? I know I am! So I decided to try to make a neat neckline instead on my new Burdastyle dress. I feel a little embarrassed admitting that this is the first time I do this, even though I’ve been sewing for over 30 years. I guess it is because I learned sewing the old school way, where the facings were attached by hand using blind stitches. But it is never to late trying out new things and hopefully my tutorial can be useful for others too.
I decided to use the stitch, fold and press method which I use all the time for making narrow hems on thin fabrics and it worked surprisingly well for facings too. But since this was a facing I only needed to fold the fabric one time.
1. Interface the facing and the neckline
Always super important, especially since the v-neck creates a bias, thus the neckline will grow just by looking at it. Not shown is that I also reinforced the v-neck with staystitching, just as an extra measure.
2. Stitch and fold
Folding using a seam as a guide is such a simple way of creating an even hem. Here the seam is 5 mm wide (approx 0.2 inches). All you need to do is folding at the seam line and press.
3. Attach the facing
Again I used a 5 mm wide seam to attach the facing. This is my preferred width for all neckline sewing as it shapes easily and is doesn’t create any unsightly bulk.
4. Baste and topstitch
I always baste before I topstitch delicate fabrics. Also when sewing on the machine it is important to not stretch the fabric and make sure the feed is even to avoid wrinkles. Hence why I think basting is so important as it eliminates much of these issues.
The finished neckline and a sneak peak of the dress that is almost done. Just have a few more things to do.
8 Comments
Jane
January 1, 2016 at 9:52 amGreat tips and a lovely finish! A great reminder of the value of hand-basting.
Johanna
January 1, 2016 at 2:42 pmThank you! Yes I hope basting never goes out of style, such a great way to prevent a lot of headache and having to rip apart wonky seams. I actually think of it as time saver 🙂
HospiceNP
January 3, 2016 at 3:38 amWhat fabric are you using for the dress? I love this method, also have been sewing all my life but this is a great change from the usual facing.
Johanna
January 3, 2016 at 9:12 amA soft woven rayon fabric and I agree it is nice to change things up sometimes, even though we been sewing for ages 🙂
Anonymous
January 3, 2016 at 12:57 pmHello! My name is Katie and I'm a freelance writer for various craft magazines. I'd love to get in touch with you – could you let me know your email address? Or do drop me a line katievictoriaallen@yahoo.co.uk.
Best wishes, Katie
Leslie Hanes
September 7, 2019 at 7:46 pmThanks again for a great tutorial. I will share on my @specialtyfabrics Facebook page. We always get lots of comments of appreciation for your tips.
Johanna Lundström
September 8, 2019 at 8:05 pmThank you so much Leslie, I’m so grateful for your support!
Burdastyle Jersey Top 02-2021-103 - The Last Stitch
September 24, 2021 at 11:12 am[…] neckline is sewn using the techniques I described in my in-depth tutorial for sewing neckline bands on knits, which can be kinda tricky, especially if you are using self-fabric and not rib […]