Sewing Lesson: Notched Collar

The Book says, “A Notched Collar is a separate collar with a back neck stand which fall smoothly around to the front of the neckline.” 

Start by preparing all of your pattern pieces.  You’ll need the back, the sleeves, two collar pieces, two front pieces, and two front facing pieces.  Attach interfacing, add darts, pockets and whatever other stylistic things you want on the finished jacket.

Right sides facing, sew shoulder seams and side seams of front and back pieces

Press and turn

Right sides together, pin and sew the sides and top of the collar.  Leave the bottom (the side that attaches to the jacket) unsewn

Clip corners, grade seam allowances, turn and press

Pin collar with right side of the raw/unfinished opening to the right side of jacket neckline.  Things won’t lay flat here, which is why pinning is so important.  You’ll need to match center back, shoulder seams, and finally the edge of the collar to the notch of the jacket

Clip the open edge of the collar at the shoulder seams, remove the pins from the top piece of the collar.  So now you have a little flap/opening.

Pin your front jacket facings to the jacket, right sides together

Sew from the lower hem line of the facing, up and around the lapel, across the shoulder seams, across the LOWER LAYER of the collar at the flap (leave the top layer unsewn, so the opening is intact, and then back down around the lapel to the other hem.


Turn the facing

Tuck the open flap of the collar under and edgestitch in place

So now you have this:

Finish the jacket.  Hem

Tack the facing to the side seams

As you set the sleeves, you’ll catch the sleeve opening of the facing, securing that in place

And then you’ll have an awesome notched collar jacket…

I know it’s ratty. But this thing has been l.o.v.e.d. for five years

that just so happens to fit your son’s favorite stuffed toy perfectly.

I’m thinking a matching jacket for my son as my next assignment.