How to Stitch a Costume Neck Opening

Neck openings are often finished by adding a facing (a piece of fabric that flips to the inside of the garment) or a collar, but you can also finish a costume by simply hemming the neck opening. You can also use the neckline as a place to add extra details to the costume, such as a green, leafy collar for a pumpkin outfit or a lacy collar for a princess.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Costume
• Thread
• Sewing machine
• Iron
• Straight pins
• Scissors
• Fabric (optional)
• Fusible interfacing (optional)

How to Hem a Neckline

1. Cut the neck opening about 1/2 inch smaller than you want the finished costume.

2. Set the sewing machine stitch style to a zig-zag stitch if available.

3. Zig-zag stitch along the edge of the neck opening to keep the fabric from raveling. (For a very simple costume, you can stop here and just leave the neckline as it is.)

4. Turn the edge of the neck opening over about 1/4 to 1/2 inch. You may need to cut small slits in the fabric to get it to lie flat.

5. Press the edge of the neck opening and pin it if needed to hold it in place.

6. Set the sewing machine to a straight stitch. Stitch along the edge of the neck opening.

7. Clip off the ends of any threads.

How to Add a Facing

8. Cut front and back facings for the neckline using the facing patterns. If you don’t have patterns, cut pieces of fabric about 3 inches tall and about 1/2 inch wider than the costume that match the curves of the neck opening. Cut the front or back facing in half if the costume has an opening in the front or back, such as a zipper or buttons.

9. Optional: Cut the same pieces from fusible interfacing if the fabric is thin. Fuse the interfacing to the fabric facing pieces following the manufacturer’s directions.

10. Sew the front and back facings together at the shoulder seams.

11. Set the sewing machine stitch style to a zig-zag stitch if you have one. Zig-zag stitch along the lower edge of the facings to keep the fabric from raveling.

12. Pin the right side of the facings to the right side of the costume neck opening.

13. Stitch the facings to the neck opening using 1/4 seam allowance, or the seam allowance recommended by the pattern.

14. Turn the facings to the inside of the costume and iron along the neckline.

15. Stitch the ends of the facing to the costume along the front or back opening in the costume, if any.

16. Clip off the ends of any threads.

How to Add a Collar

17. Make the collar according to the pattern directions, or use a pre-made collar or a piece of wide lace or trim.

18. Place the collar inside the neck opening of the costume, with the right side of the collar toward the wrong side of the fabric. Line up the opening in the collar with the opening in the front or back of the costume, if any.

19. Pin the upper edge of the collar to the inside of the neck opening.

20. Stitch the upper edge of the collar to the neck opening.

21. Turn the collar to the outside of the costume. Press the seam flat.

22. Clip off the ends of any threads.

Tips & Warnings

• For non-raveling fabrics such as polar fleece, you can skip the zig-zag stitching.
• Use caution when working with sewing machines, irons, scissors and pins.