Sewing A Perfect V-Neck: A Guide To T-Shirt Customization

Sewing a V-neck T-shirt is a simple process that can be done by hand or with a sewing machine. The first step is to find a well-fitting T-shirt and use it as a guide for creating a pattern. This involves folding the shirt in half vertically and tracing the outline, adding seam allowances, and cutting out the pattern pieces. Next, choose a suitable fabric, such as a knit fabric with low stretch, and cut out the front and back body pieces, as well as the sleeves. To create the V-neck collar, measure the neckline and cut a piece of ribbing to the desired length. Fold and press the ribbing, then stitch it closed. With the right sides of the fabric facing in, pin the body pieces together at the shoulders and sew them together. Open up the shirt and pin the ribbing to the neckline, sewing it in place with a zigzag stitch. Pin the sleeves to the armholes and sew them in place, then sew down both sides of the shirt. Finally, add hems to the bottom and sleeves, and your V-neck T-shirt is complete!

Cutting the fabric

To cut a t-shirt into a V-neck, start by using a V-neck shirt you already have as a guide for where to mark the "V" on the t-shirt. Lay your t-shirt face down on a table and fold one side over to the other. The front of the collar should now be on the outside of the fold. Make sure that the neckline, the shoulders, and the arms match up exactly. Then, smooth down all the edges until the shirt is free of wrinkles.

Now, you can trace the outline of the V-neck with a fabric marker. Make a diagonal line with your ruler, placing it where the shoulder seam meets the collar down to the middle of the chest. Using the measurements you took earlier, mark off the point of the V with a fabric marker. Then, draw a line between the mark and the point where the shoulder seam meets the collar. Flip the shirt over and repeat this step on the other side.

Unfold your t-shirt and lay it flat on the table with the front side facing you. Use a pair of sharp fabric scissors to cut down the centre of the collar to the tip of the V point. Cut along the marked diagonal lines, stopping when you reach each shoulder seam. Be careful to only cut through the front side of the shirt.

Lay your t-shirt flat with the front side facing you and measure the length of the collar with your ruler. Use your fabric marker to place a dot in the middle. Then, cut through the collar at this point. To get your collar to reach your new neckline, you have to stretch it out a little. Most crew neck t-shirt collars are made out of a ribbed fabric that stretches easily. Just tug and pull each side of the collar down to the V point to lengthen the collar.

Hold your shirt as flat and taut as you can. Then, stretch one side of the collar along the length of the V, placing a pin between the collar and shirt to hold them together. Continue to stretch the collar along the edge of the V, inserting 1 pin about every 1 inch (2.5 cm). When you get to the point of the V, do the same thing on the other side.

Sewing the shoulder seams

To sew the shoulder seams, you will first need to cut out your t-shirt and prepare the V neckline on the front shirt piece. Sew a straight stitch about 4-5 inches on either side of the V, ensuring that the neckline keeps its shape. Cut straight from the inside corner of the V to almost where your stitching ends.

Now, place the front shirt piece on top of the back shirt piece, with the right sides of the fabric facing each other, and sew across the shoulders.

At this point, you can set the shirt pieces aside and prepare the neck binding. However, before you attach the neck binding, you will need to sew the shoulder seams. Place the front and back shirt pieces right sides together, matching the shoulder seams, and sew them together using a serger or a stretch stitch on your sewing machine. This will ensure that your stitches don't pop when you stretch the fabric over your body.

If you don't have a serger or a sewing machine, you can also sew the shoulder seams by hand using a "double-stitched seam" technique. Simply sew your normal straight stitch, and then sew again 1/8" inside of the first stitching. Then, trim the seam allowance.

It is important to use the right sewing machine needle when sewing knit fabrics. A ballpoint needle is recommended to prevent skipped stitches. Additionally, if you are using a slinkier knit fabric, you can attach a walking foot to your machine to help feed the fabric through without stretching it out of proportion.

Measuring the neckline

To measure the neckline of your T-shirt, start by laying the T-shirt flat on a hard surface, ensuring the front side is facing up. Smooth out any wrinkles.

Then, measure around the neckline, subtracting about 0.5–1 inch, depending on the type of fabric you are using for the binding. If you are using jersey, you will not need to stretch the binding much, so subtract 1 inch. If you are using a fabric with more stretch, such as interlock or rib knit, subtract 0.5 inches.

Next, cut a strip of fabric to the length you just measured, and 2.25 inches wide for an adult-sized T-shirt. For children's T-shirts, you can cut the strip slightly narrower. Make sure the strip of fabric stretches lengthwise. Fold the strip in half, with the right sides of the fabric facing out, and press it flat.

Now, you can start sewing the V-neckline. Using a straight stitch, sew exactly 0.5 inches from the edge, about 4–5 inches on either side of the V. This will ensure that the neckline doesn't stretch out of shape. Cut straight from the inside corner of the V towards your stitching, but be careful not to cut through it.

Attaching the neck binding

Now that you have your V-neck t-shirt pattern cut out, it's time to attach the neck binding. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you through the process:

Step 1: Sew the shoulder seams

Start by sewing one of the shoulder seams with right sides together. You can use a serger or a knit stitch on your sewing machine for this step. The stretch stitch will do just fine.

Step 2: Measure the neckline

Open up the neckline, with the shoulder seam in the middle. Measure the open neckline with a soft measuring tape and record this measurement.

Step 3: Calculate the neckband length

The key to a great-looking neckband is getting the proper length. The general rule of thumb for knit neckbands is that they should be 80-90% of the length of the neckline. For example, if your neckline measures 18 inches, then a 90% band should be cut to 17.3 inches, and an 80% band would be 15.4 inches. You can also opt for 85% if neither of these seems right.

Step 4: Cut the neckband fabric

Cut the neckband fabric with the most stretch going side to side. The width of your neckband is a matter of personal preference, but typically it should be between 1.5 and 2 inches.

Step 5: Fold and pin the neckband

After cutting the neckband, fold it in half with the long sides touching and the wrong side of the fabric together. Pin or clip one side of the open neckline. Then, stretch to find the middle and pin or clip it in place. Continue stretching and pinning to match up the fabric, ensuring that the band is stretched evenly over the neckline.

Step 6: Sew the neckband

Sew these three layers of fabric together (one shirt layer and two band layers). Use a narrow zigzag stitch on your regular sewing machine or a serger to stitch them together.

Step 7: Topstitch the neckline (optional)

At this point, you may choose to topstitch your neckline. You can use a coverstitch or a twin needle on your regular sewing machine for this step.

Step 8: Press the seam allowance

Press the seam allowance down towards the shirt. You can use an iron to press the seam, but be sure to test the fabric first to ensure it can tolerate the heat.

Step 9: Stitch the seam allowance

To create a flatter and more professional-looking finish, you can stitch down the seam allowance. Use a straight stitch to sew the seam allowance to the shirt about 1/8 inch away from the seam.

And that's it! You've successfully attached the neck binding for your V-neck t-shirt. Now you can continue with the rest of the construction, including attaching the sleeves, sewing the side seams, and hemming the shirt and sleeves.

Stitching the V-neck

Now that you have cut out your t-shirt and sewn the shoulder seams, it's time to create the V-neck. First, measure around the neckline and cut a strip of fabric for the binding. The strip should be 2 1/4" wide for adults and stretch lengthways. Fold this strip in half, right sides out, and press flat.

Next, stay-stitch the V of the shirt on your seam allowance. Use a long, straight stitch and don't stretch the fabric as you stitch. Overlap and stay-stitch the edges of the neck binding to form a V.

Use a pin to line up the band through the point of the stay stitching on the collar and the shirt. Then, place a couple more pins on one side of the V front. Match the centre of the binding to the centre back of the shirt and pin around the neck edge, matching the raw edges and stretching the binding gently if needed.

Stitch around the neckband, starting and finishing about 1 inch away from the point of the V. Remove the pins. Flip the seam to the inside of the shirt and press on your stay-stitching lines.

Topstitch close to the seam so that it lies flat and the binding won't roll outward. Pull the threads to the inside of the shirt and tie them off before cutting.

Tips and Tricks

• When measuring the V-neck, mark where you want the point of the V-neck to rest, then fold the shirt in half vertically and draw a diagonal line from the point to each shoulder seam.
• If you are sewing the existing collar to your shirt, the V has to be no longer than 2 inches from the bottom of the collar. If it's deeper, the collar won't fit.
• When cutting the V-neck, cut through the middle of the collar and along the V-neck outline.
• Stretch the rough side of each collar piece along the rough side of the neckline and sew the pieces together.

Frequently asked questions