Sweater into Peter Pan collar top makeover

Sweater into Peter Pan collar top makeover

• 4.22.2013

It's been a while since I did a sweater makeover... I did this one on a whim and pulled this sweater out of my Goodwill pile, but it's a super nice one--100% wool!--and I'm glad I found a new use for it.

I went a little bias tape crazy since Kollabora sent me some for my book and I had a few extra colors... this 1/2" double fold bias tape in bright, almost neon red was almost perfect for the sweater! So I figured it was meant to be, and used it on the armholes and on the separate collar... photos below. I also used lightweight Heat N Bond iron-on from Kollabora to interface the outer piece of the collar.

Here's the "before" and materials--turned these into a fun shell sweater with a sort of Peter Pan collar!

Before/after!

Want a tutorial?

First I trimmed off the sleeves carefully and used the double fold bias tape to finish the armhole edges, sewing once to the narrower side and then "stitching in the ditch."

For the collar (which is not quite a Peter Pan collar, actually, my bad... I guess I gave it just some subtle points.), I used the sweater as a pattern and cut out the shape I wanted on the fold (tutorial for that process here), and cut two of the collar fabric. Then cut one of the fusible interfacing and ironed it on to attach it.

Trick for making the collar lay flat is to TRIM a tiny wedge off the center back of the collar when you press it flat after sewing wrong sides together--since it's hard to understitch such a tiny item, you have to just press really well and clip so that the bottom piece is actually narrower than the top. This way it won't roll out from the bottom and show at the seam edge.

I used the bright bias tape as a super quick and easy binding for the collar.

Then I hand-sewed it in the inside neck edge of the sweater! And gave it some serious stitches at the center front where the bias ends overlap--to keep it from separating as the neckline stretches. Luckily it does still fit over my head!

I like the cute collar look, and adding it to the garment makes it easy to wear! (I also did a tutorial for a detachable Peter Pan collar here, very fun too if you want to switch it out with different garments!)