Neckline hem tutorial type thing w/pics

[CurvesMayBeIcy]

I posted this once, but I think it got lost, or maybe I didn't follow through somewhere. 

I have been making these t-shirt dresses and have had a difficult time trying to figure out the necklines.  I don't like to do the fold, and fold again and put the raw edges in the center of the 2nd fold cause I can't sew straight enough for that lol.  I had seen a video tutorial, which I haven't been able to find yet, of sewing "binding" onto a long sleeved shirt, and it appeared to work on the video, but not for me.  So I took it a step further. 

The tutorial essentially said to take the raw edges of a strip, attach the right side edges together and sew, and the strip would in turn be your neck band. 

Here is the dress, finished except the neck line:



And here's the tutorial that I followed for the most part:


Cut and measure a strip.  I used a t-shirt I wasn't going to be able to use for anything else.  You can use anything - ribbon, contrasting colors, etc.  I used a loopy ribbon type on one of the other dresses.  I measured the strip in this photo to be an inch wide.  This, again, can be any size. 

I fold the strip and then pin the raw edges together. 




I always start at the center back because I don't use tags.  Course, the design will tell you where the front is going to be, BUT...stick with my thought process here!


Once I get all the way back around, I remove the first pin, cut so the ends will overlap, fold one end and tuck the other end inside then pin.  Like so:







I sew over the pins even though I don't like to, otherwise, I'm sewing air.  Which sucks for me. 



This is after the first initial attachment - which is what the video tutorial instructed.  Once you take the pins out (as per the video tutorial) the piece sewn on turns up to where it belongs, falling in line with the dress.  However, that does not work for me. 



It juts out, and it may lay where it belongs after it's washed, but I'm impatient and I want it to work now, so this is what I do:

After removing the pins, I turn the dress inside out and then sew the raw edge down against the neck like, which makes it lay the way it should. 


So this is what you get in the end.  Which is what I want.  I wash it afterward to make it all pull together after stretching the strip fabric out lol. 

Hope this helps - and hope it shows up this time!!!

[craftADDchick]

So, I bookmarked this ages ago with every intention of A) Using your tutorial and B) Commenting on your tutorial. I still haven't done A, but at least I've accomplished B!

I have a bunch of shirts that need some refashioning, and this will be just what I need for the necklines of them. I like the suggestion of using ribbon, too, and may try that on a couple of them. If I ever learn how to use a serger, I may use that to stitch them together before I do the topstitching part, especially if I cut the strip from an old t-shirt.

Thanks for posting this tutorial!

[klnelson11]

SEW ON THE OTHER SIDE.  SOUND WAY TOO EASY RIGHT?  IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE TENSION OF THE TOP THREAD versus the tension of the bobbin. sorry about the all caps.  quilters do it all the time.  or you could topstitch the neckline so it lies flat