Tutorial--The "Knotted" Cowl
A funny thing happened on the way to making my newest "hide the neck scars" Cowl tunic....I scooped the neckline way too low! Uh-oh! I had to think of a way to "fill it up" with the collar, because I didn't have enough fabric to cut another front. In fact, by the time I discovered that the neckline was too low, almost the entire garment was sewn...sigh :(
Luckily, I remembered a cowl variation that I used to teach years ago, when my family owned a fabric store...The "Knotted" Cowl.
Luckily, I remembered a cowl variation that I used to teach years ago, when my family owned a fabric store...The "Knotted" Cowl.
Here is a close-up of the collar--
What looks like a "knot" at Center Front is actually a manipulated pleat, and here is how it's done....
(click on any photo to enlarge it)
From the wrong side of the garment, I located the CF of the cowl collar by folding the tunic in half. Then as shown below, I stitched a 2-inch deep pleat from the top edge of the collar (through all thicknesses) , stopping about 2" from the neckline seam. Leaving that last 2" of the pleat unsewn will mean something later on in the process--
Next, I made a quick trip to my ironing surface and gently pressed the pleat flat...yes, making a simple box pleat :) And that is just about all there is to it!
Except for some very simple folding. Below is the tunic on my form, right sides out (photo lightened for clarity).
The Cowl Collar has been folded down one time, all the way around. You can clearly see the box pleat that was made. The pin that you see is only there so I could photograph this first fold....
...because, without the pin holding the first fold of the collar up, the weight of the pleat almost "automagically" makes the Cowl Collar fold itself again at CF...giving the illusion of a "knot" as shown below--
Now, with just a little bit of tucking-under of the CF into the "dimple" (made when the bottom part of the pleat was left unsewn), there it is...a "knot" that's not a knot !
SEWING NOTES-- Fabric is a poly/lycra knit from Gorgeous Fabrics (purchased quite a while ago). Shoulder Seams and Hems are stabilized with poly/lycra Pro-Tricot Fusible Interfacing from Fashion Sewing Supply.
Labels: More Sewing Tutorials, My Wardrobe
22 Comments:
Sweet, Pam!
Lovely!
Fabulous!! I am going to try this out. If I ever have time to sew again, that is.
Excellent! Nice variation to a basic wardrobe staple. This is on my list to do.
Nice tutorial Pam. I do hope you neck scars fade, to the point of not really being visible.
So unique! I'm bookmarking these in hopes I get to copy them one day!
Now that is just so cool! thanks for sharing; I'm definitely going to try this one right after the twisted version!
This is so cool!!! Thank you so much for sharing recently these great options for cowl neck garments. By the way I have this same fabric from Gorgeous Fabrics and was going to make a dress a year ago from it and never did. I may have to make a cowl neck top but maybe use one of your other techniques!
It looks really cool, but I can't imagine which side to which side, how many layers, etc., to get it to work. Please elaborate?
Brilliant!
This is great Pam. I look at a lot of cowl neck patterns and think they're too low for me to wear, but it looks as though this trick is a really neat way to raise that neckline. I'm going to try it.
Hi MarySews...umm...I am not sure how much more I can elaborate. The cowl collar is attached to the neckline as usual. It is then folded in half as shown in the first photo, to find the CF of the collar. A pleat is then sewn though all four layers of the collar 2" -in- from the CF fold, as shown in the corresponding photo.... etc, etc, as shown.
I sincerely apologize if my tutorials are not good enough...I try my best to be a clear as possible while trying to write within the confines of a blog post. If I ever decide to make any of my tutorials as PDFs for sale, rather than for free on my blog...I will have more "spacial freedom" to go into much more detail.
Thanks for writing this up. I'm definitely going to try a variety of the cowls you have developed and shared with us.
So simple, yet so effective. Thank-you!
Clever! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the collar tutorials, Pam. I really love the cowl collars, and how to raise them up higher. I have some of the same issues you do, but have gotten away from cowls because they are usually too low. So I appreciate these ideas.
Cheryl B.
So clever. Almost an origami trick. Thanks.
Pam, I love this one, can't wait to try it. I tried your other tut on the cowl and it worked perfect and looks great. Thanks so much for these, they are a lot of fun to try.
Great idea, Pam! Thanks!
Thank you! I am really enjoying the recent tips and tricks. Off to my sewing room to use this idea right now.
Another great tutorial; thanks, Pam.
For MarySews, I am always puzzled when I read instructions and look at the pictures. My mind seems to need my hands "doing" right along as part of how I learn. I often have to try a technique in order to understand it. I tried this technique with a scrap of fabric and I know I am going to incorporate it into a top pattern that I think is a little more revealing than I'd like.
Pam, another gold star! Thanks again!
I love this! I'm going to try it on Burda 8291--a basic cowl neck top that fits. Do you think it's likely to work well with the existing neckline or did you scoop yours lower than the usual pattern neckline?
I just finished a "twisted" cowl as per your instructions. Love that one too. Thanks.
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