Fancy making some design changes? Learn how to alter a Peter Pan collar pattern to your liking in this handy workshop...
In this month’s workshop, Simply Sewing’s Senior Technical Editor, Roisin, shows us how to design our own Peter Pan collars.
Peter Pan collars have been design staples since the early 1900s, and with the recent return of oversized statement collars, there’s never been a better time to experiment with the shape and style that best suits you! In this workshop, we walk you through altering Peter Pan collar pattern pieces to match your style. If the collar on your pattern is too small – make it bigger. Too curved? Make it angular. You get the gist! Get creative and have fun experimenting...
WHAT IS A PETER PAN COLLAR?
Peter Pan collars are flat collars (without a stand) that follow the neckline of a garment. The collars usually have rounded corners, and sometimes have embellishments such as frills or piping added. This style of collar can be seen in high-street fashions, couture shows, traditional dress and stage costumes all around the world, and is a popular style in modern dressmaking.
Pattern wise, each side of the collar is made up of two pattern pieces, the top (or upper) collar and the under collar. These pieces are usually exactly the same, but you will sometimes find that the under collar is a few millimetres smaller along the outer edge so that the seam gets pulled underneath slightly when the garment is sewn. This gives a nice neat finish, but if your top and under collar pieces are the same, don't worry – the seam will just sit at the edge of the collar. There are often differences in notches on the upper collar as well, which can help you to tell them apart. Often, one of the pieces will be interfaced as well to give the collar some structure.
ALTERING A PETER PAN COLLAR
While some people can’t get enough of this style, if it’s not your cup of tea, it’s very simple to change a Peter Pan collar into any other shape (if you can imagine it, you can probably sew it!). In the steps on the opposite page, you’ll be guided through the tools and techniques to adapt a curved Peter Pan collar into a larger or more angular shape.
YOU WILL NEED
■ Scrap fabric such as calico
■ Mechanical pencil
■ Eraser
■ Pattern paper (or 2+ A4 sheets)
TRACING THE PATTERN
Step one Trace your pattern pieces on to a large sheet of paper using a mechanical pencil (in the step photo, this is shown in black pen just for clarity). Don’t cut them out at this stage. 01
Step two Mark the seam allowances on your traced pieces. Read through the instructions as seam allowances can vary
