Detachable Collar Ideas for You to Make

I put together a few detachable collar designs. Well, seven of them, to be exact. Detachable collars, faux shirts, and neckpieces. These are more like accessories you can add to your outfit. They are also great scrap-busting sewing projects!

As it happens, I just gave away a large part of my fabric scraps, so I had to get creative with these. There are all kinds of interesting materials, such as a perma-wrinkled poplin I had originally bought to make a shirt but never ended up using due to the wrinkles I couldn’t get out after washing the fabric. And fake leather that doesn’t forgive any errors made.

Layered Collar

Let’s start with a layered collar that is a variation of the one I included in Quirky Collars. Only this time, the layers go in the opposite direction for a completely different look.

The Pattern

Here’s how to draft the pattern. If you’re new to layering, check out the basic tutorial here.

1. The starting point is a basic shirt collar. I made it slightly higher (the c-back measurement refers to the final height) and changed the inclination of the collar tip to move the tips further apart. As I raised the collar pattern, also the collar stand piece needed to become higher.
2. Then, I drew the layers on top of the collar pattern. Layer 2 is narrower, as I wanted to create a stripe.

3. After this, you copy each layer piece:

-The outermost section is layer 1. You won’t need a separate facing piece because it’s already quite narrow. Just use the same piece for the facing.

-Layer 2 starts at the base of the previous layer’s facing, which in this case means the outer edge of the collar. For the facing piece, you can use the existing line.

-Layer 3 starts at the base of facing 2 and covers the remaining area. It won’t have a facing of its own.

The undercollar piece won’t have layers.

Cut all pieces on the fold at the c-back. Don’t add seam allowance to the outside edge of facing 1 and layer 2 to avoid creating bulk at the collar’s edge.

Interface one collar stand piece and at least layer 3 piece for the upper collar.

Want to see the same in video format? Here’s a quick demo.

Sewing

Start by sewing the facing pieces in place along the inner edge of layers 1 and 2. Cut the corners and trim the seam allowance before turning the right sides out and pressing the pieces flat.

Then, sew the layers together. Layer 2 ends up underneath layer 1, the outer edge of layer 2 aligned with the outer edge of facing 1. And layer 3 underneath layer 2, the outer edge aligned with the outer edge of facing 2.

Finally, stitch the layers in place along the lower edge of the collar.

Now that the upper collar is ready, you can attach the undercollar. After turning the right sides out and pressing the collar nice and flat, sandwich it between the collar stand pieces, matching the notches. Pin and sew. You’ll find more detailed collar sewing instructions here.

Here’s the layered collar before I attached it to a faux shirt. (More on that later.)

Triple Collar

Here’s a fun design! It looks like three collars in one, when in reality, it’s one collar with three layers. Having three actual collars would create a lot of bulk. So, I needed to invent a solution.

The Pattern

This is the same shirt collar base we used with the previous design. Here’s how I did.

1. I started by drawing the final collar shape with the three layers, all three collar tips parallel to one another. As a result, the collar became higher. So, I needed to make the collar stand higher, too. Also, the collar tip’s inclination moved slightly inward.
2. Next, I added a separate facing piece for layers 2 and 3. For layer 1, I was going to use the same piece to cut the main layer and its facing. At this point, you can extend the layers 1 and 2 so that they reach the base of the following layer’s facing. Add notches.

3. Then, I traced the pieces. In the illustration, I have colored the various layer pieces for you. The separate facing pieces are darker.

The undercollar piece covers a strategic area to cover all the seam allowances.

In this case, you can either interface all the main layer pieces or the undercollar piece, depending on the type of fabric you’re using. The idea is to avoid excess bulk.

I put together a little video drafting this pattern, too.

Sewing

As is usually the case with layering, you start by sewing the facing pieces to each layer. Trim the tips and make little cuts where the facing seam ends (see the blue arrows) before turning the right sides out and pressing.

In the second picture, you can see the layers ready to be united: layer 1 remains underneath layer 2, attached to the base of its facing, and layer 2, underneath layer 3, attached to the base of facing 3.

Here you can better see how the layers are sewn together. Notice where the layer 2-facing 3 seam ends? This will allow you to attach the undercollar.

Which is what you will do next. It’s a bit of a tricky seam with three corners at both ends. When you’re done, turn the right sides out and press flat.

In the bottom left picture, the arrows point at the finished (tricky) corner seam of the undercollar and at the stitches along the lower edge of the collar that keep the layers in place. Sew them after having attached the undercollar.

Finally, attach the collar stand as usual.

I used this design to make a bib collar, but here it is before that:

Faux Shirts and Bib Collars

Want to make a fake collar shirt to wear underneath a sweater? You can sew any shirt collar and attach it to these. I used the previous two collars for the examples. Just ensure that the collar matches with the neckline size.

The basic pattern block here is the dartless bodice. You can enlarge the neckline if you don’t want the collar to be very snug. Add a button placket at the c-front.

For example, for a 3cm wide button placket you add 1,5cm+3cm+ 2,5cm. This placket will be folded twice.

Decide on the length and shape of the “shirt”. The version above even has armholes so that it won’t move around, while the version below only covers the area around the neckline. It’s longer at the front so that you can wear it with V-neck sweaters, too.

I finished the armholes of the first version, and the curved hem of the second with a bias facing. Unsure how to sew the button placket and attach a collar? See this tutorial.

Detachable Collar with Tapered Tucks

Here’s the first actual detachable collar. I decorated it with tapered tucks.

The Pattern

1. Take your basic bodice block and trace the area around the neckline onto a piece of paper, aligning the front and back pieces along the shoulder line. Then, draw the detachable collar shape on top. I added the measurements of mine in the illustration for reference.
2. Trace the collar piece before adding the tuck allowance so that you get the undercollar pattern. Then, plan the tuck placement, distributing the lines evenly around the neckline. To avoid the tucks overlapping at the neckline, measure how much space you have for each.

Slash & spread at each line to add tuck allowance. Add double the final tuck width. Also, half a tuck at the c-back (the piece will be cut on the fold). Leave extra paper at the neckline.

3. Fold the tapered tucks like box pleats, bringing the two edges together and folding the tuck allowance flat evenly on both sides of the tuck’s center line. You can use a pin to hold the two sides together while flattening.

Add seam allowance and cut while the tucks are folded to get the correct tuck allowance shape.

Interface the undercollar piece.

Sewing

Clip little notches on both sides of each tuck allowance so you know where to stitch. Clip the whole seam allowance at the bottom of the tucks to make it easier to sew.

Pin the tapered tucks and stitch like darts, ending just before the seam allowance where you clipped.

Flatten the tucks and add pins so that you can stitch them in place around the neckline. I made mine in silk shantung, so it was pretty easy. The fabric was almost like paper!

Add a closure at the c-front. Mine is organza ribbon.

Then, stitch the upper and undercollar right sides together, leaving one short edge open so that you can turn the right sides out. Pay attention to the ribbons while sewing, so that they won’t get caught into the seam! Press flat and close the hole with hand stitches.

Here’s the detachable collar with tapered tucks:

Detachable Panel Collar

While we are at it, here’s another detachable collar. This time I added a texture using panels.

The Pattern

1. The starting point is the same as in the previous collar. Trace the area around the neckline using your basic bodice block pieces. Draw the collar shape on top. I made mine rounded to go with the panels.
2. I needed a lot of panels for the effect I was looking for there. Therefore, I wanted the initial lines to be only about 1cm apart along the neckline. I spread them more or less evenly at the bottom. The total amount of panels was 18.
3. Then, I drew the curved panel shapes, moving the position of the highest point towards the hem and then back again, while at the same time increasing the size of the panels and decreasing it again towards the c-back. I only drew one edge of each panel to make it easier to see where to trace.

Then, I traced the pieces. The colored areas show you panels 1 and 8 as an example. Panel 1 only has a curved shape on one edge. The rest of the pieces have the shape on both edges.

The seams that will be sewn together need to have an identical shape, which in this case is easy because you only drew one edge. This means that you need to flip the pattern piece around to trace the opposite edge. So it automatically becomes identical. Mark notches or lines where the curved shapes start and end.

Use the original draft as your undercollar pattern. Interface it.

Sewing

Cut each panel piece twice and keep the pattern pieces intact so you won’t mix up the order. Cut notches at the start and end points of the curved shapes.

Start pinning the pieces together from the c-back, adding panels on both sides as you go. Pin the areas between the notches.

Then, sew where you pinned. Yes, it’s a lot of seams!

Trim the seam allowances to make it easier to turn the right sides out and get smooth curves as you press. Make a cut to the seam allowance at both ends of the seams, all the way to the stitches (see the blue arrows). This will help the panels to stay upright after having sewn the undercollar in place.

Press each panel flat. Attach ribbons at the c-front.

Then, sew the upper collar and the undercollar together, leaving a hole around the lower edge of the c-back so that you can turn the right sides out. Warning: Pinning these two together is a bit of a hassle because of all the panels.

Trim the seam allowance, turn the right sides out, press flat, and close the hole with hand stitches.

The result (had to try this one!):

Detachable Flower Collar

We are on the roll! Let’s use the same technique to make a layered flower collar.

The pattern

1. Again starting with the basic bodice block, but this time the collar consists of petal shapes distributed around the neckline.
2. There will be three layers of petals that become smaller towards the neckline.

3. Let’s start tracing the uppermost layer pieces. Each of these is a separate piece. Name them with letters or numbers so that you’ll know which is which.

The layers will need a facing piece of course, so draw a facing for each and trace the pieces.

4. Then, trace layer 2 pieces, starting at the base of the previous layer’s facing.

Draw facing pieces for layer 2 and trace them as well. Notice that I left out the layer 1 facing from the illustration on the right to avoid confusion.

5. Trace the last layer 3 pieces, starting at the base of the previous layer’s facing.

Mark notches where the layer 3 pieces meet: there will be seams in between. Use the original draft as your undercollar piece. Cut all the layer pieces twice and the undercollar piece on the fold at the c-back.

Sewing

Here are all the pieces cut. I took a separate picture of the undercollar to show the pins I placed to mark where the scallops end.

In this case, I was working in the opposite order to make it easier to sew the inner curves. So, I started by sewing the layer 3 pieces together between the notch and the upper edge.

Then, I sewed the layer 2 facing pieces in place along the inner edge of the layer 3 pieces.

After this, I sewed the layer 2 main pieces to the facings, right sides together. This might look tricky, but it wasn’t. The only thing is that you only manage to pin half of the petals initially.

Trim and notch the seam allowance before turning the right sides out. Press.

Then, sew the layer 1 facing pieces in place.

And finally, sew the layer 1 main pieces to their facing, right sides together, with the same technique as layer 2.

Sew the undercollar in place to finish the layer 3 petals’ edge. Match the points you marked with pins with the points where the layer 3 seams end. The entire seam can be done in one go.

Trim the seam allowance and cut the corners before turning the right sides out. Here above you can see a closeup. Press.

For this collar I decided to add a bias binding to finish the neckline edge. It turns into ties at the c-front.

But first, I did a row of stitches along the neckline to flatten the petals and fix all the layers in place.

And here’s the finished detachable flower collar. The green fabric is linen and the black one is cotton. It’s incredible, but I really couldn’t find any other cotton fabric scraps in my stash except black and white. Hence the linen.

Polyhedron Neckpiece

Of course I needed to include polyhedrons in the mix!

I happened to have a piece of green faux leather that was perfect for this one.

The Pattern

1. I drew the triangular shapes directly around the neckline. There are two rows.

2. Then, I picked the highest point and drew lines from each corner to it. Pieces 2, 4, and 6 are polygons, so they have four corners. Now I’m going to direct you to my polyhedron video and tutorial that will show you how to turn these flat shapes into 3D shapes. You won’t necessarily need a separate pattern for each if they are identical.

The only difference to what is shown in the tutorial, is that I added about 4-5mm between each section (and half of that next to the seams) while tracing them because of the way I was going to sew these. See below.

Use the entire initial shape as your undercollar piece.

Sewing

These are the pieces. As some of the polyhedrons were identical, I didn’t draw a separate pattern for each. Piece number 7 is at the c-back so there’s only one.

The sewing sequence is as follows:

Close the seams, trim the seam allowance, turn the right sides out.

Then, top stitch near the edge to create a fold at each corner. The one around the seam is quite bulky so I used a piece of cardboard to balance the presser foot. Trim the corners off. I use this technique only with the kind of materials that can’t be pressed.

Once you have all the pieces, organize them in the correct order and stitch together.

Here’s what the collar looks from the inside and outside after sewing. Trim the seam allowances and cut where the seams end (see the picture below).

The easiest way to finish the edge was to use a material that wouldn’t fray for the undercollar. I used thin faux leather and cut it without seam allowance so that I could simply stitch the polyhedron piece on top.

This wasn’t the easiest thing to sew but in the end I made it. I kept folding the polyhedron seam allowances under as I went, one edge at a time, and stitched the piece on top of the undercollar. I found the piece of cardboard useful again near the tips to balance the backside of the presser foot when turning.

For this neckpiece I handstitched a little hook closure.

And so the piece was done! Pretty cool, huh?

Spike Collar/Neckpiece

The last one is a detachable stand-up collar, adorned with spikes. It’s more like a neckpiece as I used faux leather again. And a giant snap to close it! I had decided to find all the materials at home, not buy anything. This was the only size of snaps I had. 😀 So, let’s make it intentional.

The Pattern

1. You’ll need a stand-up collar pattern. Mine is 3cm high. The spikes will make the collar look higher anyways. There’s a 1cm wide overlap at the c-front to close the collar.
2. Start by drawing the first row of spikes, dividing the collar length evenly between them. Start at the c-front line.
3. Draw the facing for each, as shown.

4. Then, draw the second row, starting at the base of the previous spikes’ facing. Draw a facing to these as well.

5. Trace the section that remains between the base of the spike facings and the upper edge of the collar (see the colored area).

6. Then, number the spike pieces and trace each. Here you can see pieces 1 and 4 as examples:

First, trace the main triangular shape, then mirror the two sides of the facing so that the facing can become part of the same pattern piece. Mark notches onto pieces 1, 3, 5, and 7 to mark where the second row of spikes will be attached.

These are the final pattern pieces. The undercollar pattern is basically the original stand-up collar before adding the spikes.

Sewing

As mentioned, I used faux leather. Black and white alternated. To start, close the spike tips.

Fold the pieces in half and sew the tips, stopping 0,5cm (=seam allowance width) from the edge.

Trim the seam allowance at the tip and turn the right sides out.

Then, unite the pieces in the correct order, as you drew them. Use the notches and the edge shapes as your guide. There are many little seams.

But the most difficult part comes next: you need to sew the remaining section above the spikes. I wasn’t too happy about my fabric choice at this point. Faux leather means no room for error, as the stitches leave holes! Also in this case, you can’t sew the seam in one go, but rather in many little steps.

Next, I cut my undercollar piece in taffeta. And then attached the side of the snap that was only going to be visible on one side of the collar. That’s my snap press. The white bits under the button are non-fusible interfacing.

Then, I sewed the two collar pieces together along the lower edge and around the c-front, and trimmed the seam allowance before turning the right sides out.

I noticed that I needed to top stitch the lower collar edge to keep it flat. And then, I pinned and stitched the top edge as well to close. The final thing was to attach the remaining side of the snap.

Here’s the detachable spike collar/neckpiece. I noticed that the snap allowed the collar to take on a V-shape! But yeah, it’s quite a weird collar. 😀 I’m going to treat it as a necklace.

And that was it. I hope you got some ideas for scrap-busting sewing projects. 🙂