Sewing An Av Neck T-Shirt: A Step-By-Step Guide

Sewing a V-neck T-shirt is a great way to upcycle your old crew-neck T-shirts. It's a simple process that can be done by hand or with a sewing machine. You'll need a T-shirt, a ruler or measuring tape, stick pins, a fabric marker, fabric scissors, and a seam ripper. If you want to sew the collar, you'll also need thread that matches the colour of your T-shirt. First, measure how deep you want the V-neck to be. Then, cut the collar and stretch it along the length of the V-neck, pinning it in place. Finally, sew the collar, starting at the top and placing the stitch about a quarter of an inch from the edge.

Cutting the fabric

To cut a V-neck T-shirt, you will need a crew-neck shirt, a ruler or measuring tape, stick pins, a fabric marker, fabric scissors, and a seam ripper. If you plan to sew the collar back onto your shirt, you will also need thread that matches the colour of your shirt, as well as a sewing machine or sewing needle.

Firstly, measure how deep you want the V-neck to be. Lay a V-neck shirt that you like over your T-shirt as a guide. Mark the spot where you want the point of the V to go with a pin, then fold the shirt vertically in half. Lay it flat on a table and line up the shoulders. Then, use a ruler to measure the distance from the point where the collar meets the shoulder seam to the point of the V. Write down this measurement. Remember, if you’re sewing the existing collar to your shirt, the V has to be no longer than 2 inches (5 cm) from the bottom of the collar.

Now, fold your T-shirt in half vertically. Lay your T-shirt face down on the table, then 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.

Next, 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 previously, 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.

Now, turn the shirt inside out and remove the stitches around the front collar. Unfold your T-shirt, flip it inside out, and lay it flat on the table with the front side facing you. Using a seam ripper, push the tip of the tool under the stitch sewn between the collar and the shirt at the shoulder seam. Pull the seam ripper up to cut through the thread. Continue to cut through the threads until you get to the other shoulder seam. Make sure to leave the collar attached to the back of the shirt.

Turn your shirt back to the correct side and smooth it on the table. Unfold your T-shirt and flip it back the right way around. Lay it on your table and press it down to remove any wrinkles. Then, fold the front of the collar backwards so it is away from the front of the shirt. This will help you make a smoother and straighter cut, free from mistakes.

Now, cut along the V-neck outline. Starting on one side of the V-neck outline, use a pair of sharp fabric scissors to cut along the marked line. Be careful to only cut through the front side of the shirt. Stop cutting when you reach the point. Then, repeat this process on the other side.

Finally, cut the front of the detached collar in the centre. Lay your T-shirt flat with the front side facing you. Measure the length of the collar with your ruler and use your fabric marker to place a dot in the middle. Then, cut through the collar at this point.

Sewing the shoulder seams

Before you start sewing the shoulder seams of your V-neck T-shirt, cut out your T-shirt and sew or serge the shoulder seams. Now, you need to measure around the neckline. Subtract about 0.5"-1" depending on the type of fabric you are using for the binding. You don't want to have to stretch the binding much for this kind of neck.

Cut a strip of fabric to length and 2 1/4" wide for adults—you can go narrower for kids' or babies' T-shirts, making sure this strip stretches lengthwise. Fold the strip in half, right sides out, matching the long sides, and press flat.

Now, you can start sewing the shoulder seams. Lay the front shirt piece on top of the back shirt piece, right sides together, and sew across the shoulders.

Preparing the V-neckline

To start preparing the V-neckline, you will need to focus on the front shirt piece. Using a straight stitch, sew exactly half an inch from the edge, about 4-5 inches on either side of the V. This will ensure that the neckline keeps its shape. Next, cut straight from the inside corner of the V almost up to your stitching, being careful not to cut through it.

Now, lay the front piece on top of the back piece, with the right sides together, and sew across the shoulders. At this point, you can set the shirt pieces aside and move on to preparing the neckbinding. Fold the neckbinding piece, with the right sides together, matching up the "V"s on each short end. Sew the V together, using a half-inch seam allowance, and pivoting the fabric at the corner to create a sharp corner.

You can then trim the seam allowance to a quarter of an inch, and cut from the corner almost up to your stitches. Press the seam allowance open, folding the neckbinding in half lengthwise as you do so. You should now have a V-neck binding. On the binding, measure half an inch up from the lower point of the V and mark it with a pin. Do the same on the shirt, measuring half an inch down from the point of the V, and placing the pin just below the cut you have made.

Now, flip the binding upside down and match the two pins. Place another pin at this point to mark the exact centre of your V. Pin the neckbinding to the neckline about 3 inches to the left of the pin. Sew this portion together, using a half-inch seam allowance, and remember to backstitch.

Finally, pivot the right side of the shirt down so you can match it up with the neckbinding on the other side of the V. Imagine your shirt is like a clock; in the photo above, the left side of the shirt points to 10 and the right side points to 2. Now, open up the shirt at the V and pivot the right side down to 7, so you can match it up with the other half of the neckbinding.

Attaching the neckband

Now that you have the V-shaped neckline ready, it's time to attach the neckband. This will give your t-shirt a clean and polished look. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you attach the neckband perfectly:

• Place the two neckband pieces with their right sides together. This will ensure that the seam is on the inside of the shirt when it's finished.
• Fold the neckband pieces lengthwise, matching the raw edges. This will create a neat fold that will be sewn onto the neckline.
• Stitch along the slanted short edge of the neckband. You can use a serger or a stretch stitch on your sewing machine, such as a zigzag or mock overlock stitch. Even a straight stitch will work here, as the seam won't need much elasticity.
• Open up the neckband and fold it along the seam line with the wrong sides together. You should now see a prominent V-shape at the centre front of the neckband.
• Finger press the seam flat to create a crisp edge. This will make it easier to attach the neckband to the shirt.
• Baste along the bottom raw edge of the V-shape to temporarily hold the band in place. This will make it easier to sew the band to the neckline.
• Now, you're ready to attach the neckband to the shirt. Start at the centre back of the shirt and stitch towards the centre front. Then, remove the work, turn it over, and sew the other side from the centre front to the centre back.
• Continue stitching the remainder of the neckband into the neckline. If your neckband is one continuous piece, you can sew it in a circle. If it's in two pieces, close the centre back of the neckband along with the centre back seam of the shirt.
• Press the binding and seam allowance. Use a straight stitch to sew the seam allowance to the shirt, about 1/8 inch away from the seam.

By following these steps, you'll have a neatly attached neckband that accentuates the V-neckline of your t-shirt.

Finishing the shirt

Now that you've sewn the V-neck, it's time to finish up your shirt. Here are the steps you need to follow:

Attaching the sleeves

Firstly, you'll need to attach the sleeves to the shirt. Place the sleeve and the shirt right sides together, matching the front and back notches, and sew. Finish the seam with a serger or a zig-zag stitch. Repeat for the other sleeve.

Sewing the side seams

With the sleeves attached, it's time to sew the side seams of the shirt. Place the shirt with the right sides together and sew from the sleeve all the way down to the bottom hem. Finish the seam with a serger or a zig-zag stitch.

Hemming the shirt and sleeves

Finally, you'll need to hem the bottom of the shirt and the sleeves. Fold the hem up by 1/4 inch and sew using a twin needle or a zig-zag stitch. Repeat for the sleeves, and you're done!

Your V-neck T-shirt is now ready to wear!

Frequently asked questions