How to Make a Pleated Collar
From Beth: Kayleen from FlourClothing makes absolutely beautiful, classic clothing. She specializes in unique clothing for children but also makes wonderful clothes for herself, in addition to bags and more. Enjoy her blog and Kayleen’s Pleated Collar Tutorial below. A fun collar is a great way to add variety to a favorite top pattern.
Creating a pattern for your collar
This particular collar looks best when attached to a blouse or dress that contains a placket.
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Step 1: After you have the basic neckline of your piece constructed, you’ll need to measure from one end of the placket to the other. *Note: You’ll get a more accurate measurement if you stand your measuring tape up and let it curve. |
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Step 2: Add the neckline amount + 4 inches + seam allowances = your collar length. (example: 25in. + 4in. + 5/8in(2) = 30 1/4in.) Trace and cut out the pattern for your collar with a 3in. width. (the example’s final measurement would be 30 1/4in. X 3in.) |
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Step 3: Place the collar’s pattern on the fold of the fabric’s bias and cut out. Cut out the collar’s interfacing. |
Constructing the collar
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Step 4: Apply interfacing to one half of the collar. This will be the topside and the other half of the collar will be the underside. Turn down the topside’s edge 5/8 of an inch. Press. |
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Step 5: Fold collar in half where the interfacing ends. Press. |
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Step 6: With right sides together, sew the ends of the collar closed. |
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Start with a 5/8 in seam and curve the fabric as you get to the end to create a rounded corner. Trim seam allowance, turn right side out and press. |
Attaching the collar
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Step 7: Mark with a pin 3-4 inches from the shoulder seam to the front on both sides of the garment and mark the very middle of the back. |
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Step 8: Pin the collar’s underside to the garment, right sides together. Create a ½in. pleat at the 4in. mark and a 1in. pleat at the middle of the back. Baste and sew. Trim and press seam allowance towards collar. |
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Step 9: Pin the topside of collar in place, creating pleats on top of underside’s pleats. Baste and stitch in the ditch, making sure the topside catches. |
All Done!
*The middle collar was created with a 4 ½ in. width on the fold, for a more dramatic neckline.
182 Responses to “How to Make a Pleated Collar”
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How pretty! I just browsed Kayleen’s blog and flickr, and I wish, oh I wish, I could create such lovely clothes.
Oh that is just so cool! Thanks so much for posting this — I can’t wait to try it myself!!
This is a beautiful collar tutoruial – thank you for sharing it! May I ask -What type of interfacing do you use? And how do you measure the piece for your interfacing? Thanks very much!
That is a gorgeous collar. Thanks so much for your hard work on this tutorial. It was very well done!
looks great!
what valuable information to share! thanks for taking the time to do this.
thank you!
INTERFACING:
i use the pellon fusible — woven (lightest weight).
to cut the interfacing: i use the same pattern i used to cut the collar, but i don’t cut in on the fold…making it just as long as the collar, but half as wide.
She’s sewn such beautiful things! Thanks for the tutorial.
I’m kind of in awe of this design. The grey linen one is just gorgeous.
Thank you for these directions!
That is so neat. I am a beginner trying to make clothes for myself. I found some great patterns from Joann Fabrics and hope to make some cute shirts like the one shown here. Great turtorial and very clear to understand.
How adorable is that?! I love the middle collar. Tres chic!
GREAT!!!! tutorial!! I love that it is so easy to read and follow. I also love that you are self taught! I see you also teach classes in Mesa, AZ~ Way to go!!
You make it look so easy. I love your instructions. Thanks!!
I LOVE that red & white fabric! So perfect as that shirt!
SO beautiful. Can’t wait to try this!
Thank you for sharing this.
I want that plaid shirt! V. cute.
i wonder if i can give this a try…. we’ll see this weekend. thanks so much for the wonderful pics and directions.
sue
I love the fabric for these! (And would love to win some free fabric!)
I think I might try this this weekend. I have a shirt in the works that would look great with this collar. Thank you.
This is really helpful! I’ll definitely try it soon.
Thanks for a wonderful tutorial and informative month. Sad to see it end
I really love this! Out of all the clothing I’ve made, I don’t think I;ve ever done one of these. I’ll have to try it soon.
I have never even hear of pleated collars! I’m sure I’ve seen them before, but I’ve never really thought about it before. What an interesting concept.
This is such a lovely shirt. You make it look so easy!
What great instructions, the pictures are a wonderful. Thanks so much.
I love the middle collar shown. Very dramatic indeed. I look forward to trying it myself. Thank you for such a clear and helpful tutorial.
Thanks for the great instructions, can’t wait to try them!
She makes this look a lot easier than I manage sometimes. I have really enjoyed all the tutorials and am especially looking forward to sewing up some pants according to that lesson. Thanks.
I love the tutorials especially the photos as like most of us that sew i’m sure i learn by seeing and doing,this is a really funky collar!
The red and while collared shirt it SO cute! It looks so summery. Thanks for the great tutorial, the pictures are SO helpful.
This is such a great tutorial!
Collars have always been a real challenge for me. I’m going to have to try collars again following your instructions in your tutorial.
Thanks for the great pictures and clear instructions!
Very nice. I haven’t worked up to collars yet, but I will look at this again when I do!
What an interesting look! Thanks for the directions
Your tutorials are so cool! I can’t wait to try that one. Thanks!
It looks sooo simple! Thanks for the directions!
That collar is HOT! such a professional look.
these are all things I never knew could be done without a pattern! I guess I never thought about the person smart enough to write a pattern! Thanks for sharing your patterns!
Thanks for the useful explanation.
Such a helpful tutorial!! And a CUTE pattern… Thanks!
thank you so much for this tutorial. i love the red plaid!
I love that red and white shirt. Major cute!
These look really classy–I’m definitely going to have to try one!
It looks so ’60′s’ – how wonderful! Great idea and great tutorial. Thank you!
Beautiful work!!
Great tutorial – I’ll have to put it on my list of things to try!
nice! I love that red plaid fabric…
What a pretty collar. I would buy that red shirt if it were for sale! Better get sewing!
Love the red plaid. The pleated collar is perfect for a little cropped jacket,
This is something I really needed to learn. Thanks for making it look simple.
So beautiful! Thanks!! -Amy
Awesome! You guys are so helpfull!
I’m not very good with collars, so thanks for the very helpful tutorial.
Great tutorial! I can’t wait to try it out!
Those are adorable. I hope I can do it!
That collar is so gorgeous, I’ll have to give it a try!
THANKS!
I can’t believe the endless possibilities. Thank you so much for sharing!!
Thanks for a great tutorial. I can’t wait to try this on a dress. Great tips and info as always.
Thanks for sharing the tutorial. I just love the finished product.
Wonderful tutorial and love that sassy red plaid! –Stephanie
What a great 4 1/2 inch collar! Good inspiration and hopefully my lucky ticket to a free yard of fabric?
How cute! Such a sweet little collar!
I’d love to try this collar sometime. Thanks for the tutorial.
Those shirts are gorgeous!
Great tut. Can’t wait to use it!
That is a really cute collar style, one that I wouldn’t have thought of on my own. I have not actually attached a collar before so this is a great tutorial as I start to think about a summer wardrobe. Great feature this month!
I will have to try this soon. Thanks!
Very cute collar! Also, the little cap sleeves on the plaid outfit are truly inspiring. Makes me want to sew… NOW! I wish I were not at work
Great tutorial with helpful photos! And what gorgeous tops! Ah! I want the grey one..
Thanks for a great tutorial! I think I like the look of the 4 1/2″ collar on the gray top the best, but they are all cute.
Thanks! You make this look very easy…and cute too.
Wow. That looks lovely. Great instruction that I just might be able to pull it off.
Kayleen, you make beautiful clothes! Thanks for sharing your expertise
Nice detail.
thanks, this is a great resource to have !
wow! This tutorial makes it seem possible I may actually make a collar at some point. I’m still working on my hems right now. Thanks for the clear photos!
Thanks for a great tutorial! I’m loving that red and white material.
Yet another great tutorial! Thanks
Very easy to follow tutorial. Thanks for sharing this with us.
VERY cute!
The plaid shirt is very cute–kind of Japanese-inspired.
Those instructions are really neat and helpful. I really would like to make such a cute shirt now.
Thanks!
Anne-Marie
I love the look! Gives me the confidence to try it!
awesome, easy-to-understand photos. thanks!
thanks for the clear instructions – you make it sound easy!
LOVE the colors. Clothing is so intimidating to me, but with good instructions, I think I might actually give it a try.
Thanks!
I love the collar and how she incorporated the plaid. beautiful. inspiring
Pleated collars are so awesome. I have to find a pattern and start sewing. Thanks for the great tutorial.
Great tutorial! I can’t wait to give it a try before long. I love the fabric you used too.
very cute collar. thanks for the tutorial.
wow! thanks for this great tutorial…i can’t wait to try!
You make these seem so easy, and in the past they have seemed down right impossible!
Thank you!
I’m still learning how to sew a straight line without getting the yarn all snarled up in the back. One day, I will be able to make pretty collars like this one!
This is so Audrey Hepburn! Adorable
Wow. Those necklines are awesome! I had no idea how to make those! Thanks for the post!
Your instructions are thorough easy to understand, but I cannot say I care for the collar style.
What a great tutorial! Thanks Kayleen!
I am yet again thankful that I look into the sew mama sew blog.. such great ideas. This collar is adorable! I hope I will be able to replicate it!
I saw a beautiful wool coat with a pleated collar [completely out of my price range, of course] several months ago and have always remembered it, and this tutorial gives me hope that I can now use the concept in my own sewing! [At this point I doubt I could sew a coat, but hm, maybe i could refashion the collar on one]
great tutorial!
Pretty neat. And pretty and neat. Great tutorial.
This looks so great! I would love to try this out–thanks for the awesome tutorial.
Cute, but I find clothing projects…scary.
How inspiring! With tutorials like these I feel like it may not be so hard to take the plunge into making my own clothes. Thanks for the great info.
Looks so easy! Thanks for the tutorial.
Beautiful! New, enthusiastic sewer, hopefully someday will be able to make such wonderful things!! Lovely new fabrics:)
Thanks for the tutorial. I will hopefully be attempting this in the near future.
great tut and seems to make me less nervous about collars! Thanks for the info! I can’t wait to try it out!
I’m inspired! Someday I will begin sewing my own clothing!
This is a great alternative to a basic collar – I might try it on a shirt pattern I’ve been wanting to make. Thanks!
wow! thanks so much for the information. one of these days i will work up the courage to tackle it
Thanks for the tutorial, the collar looks great.
Looks very effective – something I will have to try!
Love this! Sure to spice up a pattern!
Looks great! I think I *might* even be able to do that.
awesome tutorial. all of these this month have been so informative and great! and I absolutely love the new folklore fabric!
What a great variation to use! This will look great on a dress for my daughter (or me…)_!
OMG! so cute. I love how vintage it looks. I must use it in my next project.
This is a really cute collar and the great tutorial gives me hope I might be able to actually make one like it.
Thank you for an awesome tutorial
Super cute! TFS!
Pretty! Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks for the great tutorial. I’m going to have to bookmark this one for when I get good enough to start making my own garments.
gorgeous. i can’t wait to try this…
thank you.
Great tutorial! I have never seen such a unique collar before! I’ll have to give it a try.
Beautiful! Not sure I am ready to try something so advanced though!
Many blessings!
Beautiful. This is a great tutorial.
I am super excited to try this…love this vintag look…thanks as always!
That is the cutest shirt! Love the red and white fabric.
Nicely done!
You make it look so easy! What great pictures!! Thanks!
I have honestly never seen a pleated collar before! I love the look of them though. May have to try it out.
It looks very pretty. I still have a lot to learn.
Oh dear, I’m not ready for that yet.
Thanks for teaching us!
Great tutorial & brave of you, too. I avoid plaids…too frustrating. You did a beautiful job, Kayleen.
This is brilliant! Thank you so much for sharing the technique.
This might be a stupid question, but I’m not sure what a pleated collar is and I can’t figure it out from the photos…What makes it different than a regular collar?
Just stumbled upon your blog. Your tutorials are so easy to understand. I love it! This is definitely on its way to being my new favorite place to waste time
What a great way to make a basic shirt more feminine! Sweet like a peter pan collar, but more sophisticated! thanks
Love it! Thanks for the step-by-step directions and photos!
This has me dreaming of a while new wardrobe!
So pretty! Can’t wait to try it!
Oh, I’m gonna have to try this one! I LOVE that style of collar and have never gotten the hang of it.
Thank you!
wow…. this tutorial is really detailed. Recently just start learning to sew for my girl, and now I’m thinking of sewing some clothes for myself, especially after seeing so much stuffs on women’s clothing.
i don’t usually like collars but this one intrigues me enough to try it.
I never saw a collar like that before, but i love it. And I am already trying to do one on an old blouse I just happened to have in my closet… Beautiful!
Great tutorial. I like the casual look of this collar – the linen version is beautiful.
Thanks for sharing.
Great tutorial, thanks!
Great tutorial!! I can just imagine making one now.
Thank you so much for the great tutorials.
this is great info for a newbie like myself. makes it seem a little less scary! thanks!
great tute! thanks for the great photos, since I’m a visual person
These collars are amazing. Thanks for sharing the tutorial.
Thanks for the tutorial!
Gorgeous – I wish I could get away with something like that.
The collars are adorable – thanks so much for sharing this tutorial.
I love these collars. I don’t know if I’ll ever be good enough to attempt them, but I’m pleased that someone knows how. Someday, someday, maybe my sewing fairy godmother will come along and get me going on these.
Thanks for the info!
I love the red and white shirt. It looks like the top of a dress to me. I hope to put this tutorial to good use one of these days. Thanks again for great inspiration, and the info to get it done.
That may just be my favorite collar ever. LOVE it!
really neat tutorial. i’ve also read through your (old) blog – you are a very talented and creative person! i look forward to following it.
Cute collar – thanks for the great tutorial.
Thank you – can’t wait to try this out.
yay, collars!
I always wondered how that was done! Great tutorial!
this is adorable! I can’t wait to try it.
Wow! All of these posts are really making me want to start sewing clothes rather than just quilting!
how lovely! you’ve inspired me to get my new (used) sewing machine up and running…
Those collars are so cute, can’t wait to try it out. Thanks for sharing the tutorial!
Very VERY cute! Thank you so much!
Very interesting…I’m not sure I would wear a collar like that though… It’s a different look.
Thanks a ton for all of the useful info this past month! Love the red plaid fabric!
the grey one looks nice. I’ll have to give it a try sometime.
Thanks for that.
Very nice tutorial!!! Thank you so much.
Very nice Tutorial! Thank you so much for sharing!
Wow! So cute, great tutorial. Thanks!!!
How do you even make the shirt? I would love to see how you make the grey one. I’m dyeing to learn how to sew. Does anyone know where i could go to learn, like how to set up work a sewing machine? I’m clueless, but I badly want to know!
I just found these instructions, they are so simple. I am making oven dresses, and did not want to use lace, but a real contrasting collar. Thanks to this, I should be able to with no problem. I am so glad this was still up and came up on my google search.