Add a Ruffled Collar

 Hello Readers. Let's make a men's button-up shirt by adding a ruffle at the collar. It adds a fun new shape and detail at the neckline. This was quick and easy to do. It didn't require any extra fabric. You just need a men's shirt. 

Before and after. 

Our first step is to use a seam ripper to open the collar and remove it. I unpicked stitch after stitch until the collar could be open.This wasn't difficult at all. 

 

The band around the top of the shirt is open now and I could remove that collar. It came right out and I don't need it anymore. It can be tossed out or saved for scrap fabric.

 

I cut the bottom edge off my shirt. I wanted a 2 inch wide piece along the entire hemline of the shirt. I also cut off 2 extra inches just to shorten my shirt. It was a men's shirt so it was long on me, you don't need to make your shirt even shorter. That is just what I wanted. You can leave the length intact. The only piece you need is the 2 inches of the  hemmed edge of the shirt. 

 

I inserted the piece from the bottom of the shirt that I cut off, into that neckband. The raw cut edge goes into the band like filling into a taco. The finished hemline is sticking out at the top. I gathered the long piece so that it made a ruffle around the neck. 

 

The pins and clips hold the ruffle in place. It needs to be pinned and/or clipped or it will fall out. The pins will really help keep the ruffle gathered while I sew it in. It was a simple straight stitch along the collar band to hold it in place.

 

Stitch slowly and remove the pins one by one as you sew along. 
 

 I stitched the new collar in place and it looks so cute. You can see the finished collar here. I stitched along the line of stitches that I had picked out in the beginning so the collar looks nice and neat.  

 

I needed to hem the bottom of the shirt since I had cut it. I turned the edge in twice and ironed a sharp fold. I wanted it to be smooth and the hot iron really helps.

 

I used my sewing machine to sew the new hemline with a straight stitch. This only took a few minutes but it really makes the shirt look well finished. 

 

My new collar is finished and I like the feminine ruffle. It is a fun change without a lot of time, work, or extra supplies. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.