Choose your poison - three collar methods to choose from

Right now I am working on Hot Patterns' Boxy Blouse.

Yes, I know I announced recently that I don't look good in things without shape, but what can I do? You can see what I am up against here.


Someone asked me recently what the purpose was in sewing so many white shirts, particularly when some may not be hits, as in misses.


Well there are many reasons, prime being because I feel like it, but in a sense they can be viewed as a series of muslins. I mean if I can come out of this with a couple of excellent shirt or blouse patterns and have nailed some techniques through practice, trail and error and more error, well I am ahead.


I have lots of nice fabric that would make nice shirts if I just had a pattern ...


Now not everything I wear will be to work, in fact with my work going to go part-time as in 2 days a week come the spring (that doesn't count prep which will still be done at the dining room table) my life is going to be more home-based. So clothes I will wear everyday are going to be just as much in my mind as those I wear in the classroom.


The Boxy Blouse looked to me as a good casual blouse. It has a dart and if I keep it as short as the style I will avoid the pillow case look of Tom Jones version 1.


Also the only real detail of any effort in it is the collar and I want to concentrate on that.


As far as I can see there are three shirt collar methods out there, if you exclude the hand-sewn down method most patterns suggest. Each method has it's variations but basically each keeps to the same approach.


It seems to me that in deciding what method works for you, you need to come to terms with the kind of sewer you are and where your own personal points of tension are.


The truth is not every sewer likes, or succeeds, with the same approach.


There is no one best method for anything.


So what you have to do is zero in on which tricky area you are best dispositioned to deal with.


Here are the choices:


1. The roll-it-out-of-the-way, all the action is in the curved edge of the band seam a.k.a. Burrito method: this works best with thin shirting fabrics because you want a tiny roll not a sausage roll, and IMO good hand-eye coordination.  Gigi favours this method which speaks for itself. Here is Gigi's version. I have used this method on men's shirts in the past and it worked well.


2. The slot-it-on method, all the action is depends on that front bump where the band meets the front: Used by Pam from Off the Cuff, and beautifully described and detailed here for us by Lisa here. This is the easiest method to conceptualize and depends on real precision sewing. Good one if you have a strong  left side to your brain. I used this method on my first white shirt.


3. The drop-in-the-collar method, a la Debbie and Belinda: in some ways a relative of the Burrito method but you just push the front out of the way for the curve sewing which is just for the short seam of the band curve,rather than making a tight roll or sewing a bit on the neckline seam too as you do in method one.  What distinguishes this approach is that the last thing you do is drop the collar into the band which diverts some of the action there. Since this is a method I haven't tried I am going to try that one with the Boxy Shirt.


Results in later.