Dear readers,
I love shirt making. There is something incredibly satisfying about it. Crisp cotton. Clean lines. A well-pressed seam on a neatly prepared piece is one of the most rewarding things in sewing, in my opinion.
One thing many people do not expect when they learn to sew is how much of their time they will spend at the ironing table. You imagine the sewing machine will be the star of the show. The iron does just as much work. Nowhere is that more true than when you are sewing collars and cuffs.
The goal: a seam that disappears
On a well-made collar, the edge seam is not visible from the outside. The seam line sits underneath, slightly rolled away, and what you see is a smooth, clean edge. This effect is called turn of cloth, and it is not an accident. It is created by how you press before turning the collar right side out.
The technique
After stitching the collar pieces together around the outer edge, before you turn it right side out, press the seam allowance toward the undercollar (the inner layer, the one that will sit against the neckline). Then trim, grade, and clip as needed before turning.
When you turn the collar and press the edge from the right side, the outer collar naturally rolls slightly over the seam line. The seam disappears underneath. This is turn of cloth doing exactly what it is supposed to do.
The same rule applies to cuffs and lapels
Press seam allowances toward the inner side of the cuff (the side that will touch the wrist). Press lapel seam allowances toward the facing. In every case, the principle is the same: the outer layer will roll slightly toward the edge, hiding the seam, as long as the seam allowance has been directed inward first.
This is one of those tiny adjustments that makes a garment look professionally made rather than home-sewn. The seam does not announce itself. It just quietly sits where it belongs.
Should turn of cloth also be built into the pattern pieces themselves at the drafting stage? Almost always, yes. But that is a Tiny Tip for another Tuesday.
Happy sewing,
Delphine