sewing a knit neckband - Tuesday tutorial

Hi readers,

I am trying to get into the habit of doing a Tuesday Tips and Tutorials post.  I need to put it on my calendar to remind me.

I do both sewing and quilting. Today's tutorial is for sewing. I love to sew clothing. It may not be less expensive,  but I can be creative with what I sew.

Today I am going to share how to do a knit neckband.

Your pattern will usually tell you what size to cut the neckband. If it doesn't then it is usually about 15% of the neckline measurement of your t-shirt, so if you calculate it you would take the neck circumference x .85.

I usually use a cotton lycra. You want to make sure you have something with good stretch and recovery. I have bought ribbing, but at .45 an inch, that gets expensive, so I usually look for a solid cotton lycra that matches the t shirt.

This is very important.  When you cut your neckband, make sure you are cutting the length going with the greatest stretch of the fabric.  You don't know how many neckbands, sleeve bands, and bottom bands I have messed up because of this. Usually the greatest stretch is the width of the fabric.

Once I have my neckband cut, then I serge or zigzag the short ends together to form a loop. Mark halfway points and then quarter points. I sometimes make a small notch, not too big, just within the seam allowance. I have also used marking pencils.

Now, mark your t-shirt. Fold the back in half and make your mark. Do the same with the front.  Now mark quarter points. When I first tried to make the shirts I used the shoulder seams for my quarter points. NO. They are not the half way point. You will end up with gathering at the front if you do this.  I match my center front and center back together  to find my quarter points. Make your marks.

Now take your neckband and pin or clip to your neckline. You will have your neckband folded in half, wrong sides together. Put the seam at the center back. Match your markings. You will have an even stretch on your neckband.  I sew from mark to mark. I usually use a serger, but you can also use a stretch stitch on your machine.  Now, on my Viking Lily 550, I can use a regular straight stitch and the stitches don't pop.

When you follow these instructions you will have a great looking neckband. I like to steam it just a bit, let it cool and then topstitch. For top stitching you can use a single needle or a twin needle.  I have fallen in love with twin needles.

The neckband on this dress was used following this technique. It turned out perfect.  This dress is the baby Savannah pattern from Pickle Toes Patterns.   You can use my affiliate link to order the pattern and I do earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. www.pickletoespatterns.com?aff=71
I would love to hear from you as to what kind of tutorials you would like to see. With 44 years of sewing I have learned a lot.

Thanks for joining me today.