Top-Toberfest: Peter Pan Collar Tutorial with Erin of Sutton Grace

It surprises me how many people I know that have craft blogs. I know people from high school, people from college, and people from church.

Our guest poster today is someone that I know through family, but didn't meet in person until after I'd found her blog.  I'm pretty lucky to share a sister in law with her, and was thrilled when I got to meet her in person this past summer.  Erin, of Sutton Grace, is not only extremely talented, but she's a doll as well.  She has a Top-toberfest tutorial that I  am eager to try out.  It is for a Peter Pan Collar embellished top.  Hold onto your socks because this is too cute. Make sure to stop by her blog, she has adorable projects waiting for you to explore.

Hi! My name is Erin and I blog at Sutton Grace. I am so excited to be guest blogging for Tricia. She is one of the few people I first "met" via blogging and have met in real life. She is just as sweet and kind as she appears on her blog! I am not a very fashionable or trendy girl. I am a stay at home mom (of four!) and a t-shirt and jeans or a t-shirt and a skirt is my daily uniform. But sometimes I get bored with plain old tees! I have embellished t-shirts with all sorts of different ruffles and I love them but I was craving something a little different... enter the peter pan collar!

I loved it so much I added peter pan collars to matching store bought dresses for my daughters. How cute are they?

Peter Pan Collar Tutorial supplies: scoop neck t-shirt (I got mine at Wal-mart for $4) or dress. coordinating fabric about a 1/4 to 2/3 of a yard depending on the size of collar you are making. matching or contrasting bias tape- make your own or use store bought basic sewing supplies 1- Trace the curve of the back neckline. 2- Place a piece of paper inside the shirt and trace the curve of the front neckline. 3- Draw a second line 2.5" from the original lines. 4- Cut on the lines leaving a few inches of excess paper on each end.

5- Find the center of the front piece. Fold in half draw and cut the center curve (I just free handed it). 6- You now have one back pattern piece and two front pattern pieces.

7- Find the center front and center back of your shirt and pin the pattern pieces to the shirt leaving the excess paper extending passed the shoulders. 8- Fold the excess paper of the back pattern piece over the front piece so it lines up with the neckline (doesn't make the shirt buckle & fold and there is no gap between the paper and the shirt). Pin the paper together (do not pin the paper to the shirt).

9- Remove all the pins except the two holding the front and back pattern pieces together at the shoulder seam. Tape and trim the pattern. Remove pins. Now you have one pattern piece.

10- Pin and cut out your pattern piece on fabric that is folded on the bias. Cutting fabric on the bias helps it to lay flat around curves. (I forgot to take a picture of this step that is why the fabric is different in this picture!)

11- With your two fabric pieces right side together sew along the bottom edge. Clip the seam around the curves. Turn right side out and press.

12- Find the center front of your shirt. Start at the center and pin the collar to the shirt. Baste.

13- Sandwich the bias tape around the raw edge with the longer side of the tape on the inside of the collar. Pin and sew.

Finished!

I did the collars on my daughters dresses the exact same way except one thing. To make it easier to get the dresses over their heads I cut a slit on the center back, reinforced the bottom of the slit with a few stitches, folded and sewed the collar around the slit and added a hook and eye.

Thank you Tricia for having me be part of Toptoberfest!


Thanks Erin for the great tutorial.  I love this project, and am so glad that you were willing to share it with us.