Outer Tunic Collar-at my wicks end

[Ky-Wan Zann]

Hi there folks

Ok so I'm about ready to drop the robes and grab some Mando armor here heh. My outer tunic, size is good, length is good, shoulder tuck is good but....that pesky collar is going to make turn to the dark side I swear.

I adjusted the necklike and all but my collar still seems to stand up or to far away from my neck, in other words it doesn't lay curved around my neck. Now I've had two online seamstress' make me tunics and they fit perfect in the neck. But they have a seam in the back and the ones I'm making now do not and part of me thinks that may be the problem but in the films there isn't a seam on the collar either so does anyone cut their collar(the band that gerts sewn to the neckline) on a curve or anything?. Is there something I am missing?

[Ani-Chay Pinn]

If I make a collar from a straight, long, rectangular piece of fabric, it will stand up away from my neck. That's just the way they go. The only way I know to get it to lay flat is to cut it with a curve, but then you have a seam along the edge.

If the collar is made from a stretchy fabric, you can try stretching the collar piece along the un-stretched edge of the tunic that it is sewn to. That can make it fit better to the neck, but try basting it to the tunic that way and make sure it helps before sewing it on for real.

[Ky-Wan Zann]

The other thing I noticed is that on some bands there is a vertical seam up the back of the band at the back of the neck....why is that there? does that effect how it's done? also someone has told me they simply sew one side to the outside of the tunic fold and sew the other to the inside

this make sense to anyone?

[Nova Darklighter]

Three things to try, 1. before you attach the collar band, make a couple of small darts in the back neckline just to either side of where the centerback would be, this will curve the neckline in toward you a little. 2. Cut your neckband strip on the bias, which will help it curve as you sew it nd it will lay flatter. 3. Sew the neckband to the neckline rightsides together, then fold and handstich the underside to the inside of the neckline seam.
What is the fabric you are working with? It can make a difference to several things.

[Jauhzmynn Enz]

Ky-Wan, my neckban has the seam at my nap, that's because I took 2 peices of fabric and sewed 'em together since I hadn't any long enough for the band.

A good pattern to use for the band is one out of a kimono pattern. Kimono necks lay flat on the unless purposly yanked down in the back.

[Ky-Wan Zann]

does anyone have a kimono pattern they know of from simplicity or such?

[Ani-Chay Pinn]

I don't know of any specific patterns, but for the regular sewing patterns that you can find in a fabric store, look in the backs of the catalogs for their Halloween costumes. That is where they would have a kimono/Japanese costume. The major pattern makers have gotten much better lines of costumes than they used to have.

There are historical pattern makers who have kimono patterns, but those tend to be expensive - $10-20 a pattern

[JediKai]

I modified mine from a gee (spelling?) pattern, which also includes a kimono:

McCall's 2940
mccallpattern.mccall.com/m2940-products-976.php?page_id=915&search_control=display&list=search

[Ky-Wan Zann]

Ok well I have a pattern that works well, now the problem is the fabric which is suiting seems very good but it still pulls back a tad from my neck which is just the nature of thre material where as my old raw silk tunic didn't cause it was softer and the homespun outfit I had made for to play Obi-Wan at DC. Now I'm trying to find Anakin ep2 or 3 color brown for raw silk or silk noir if you wish to call it that. Anyone know where I can get brown without dying it?

[ayanabashu]

Try Thai Silks
www.thaisilks.com/

I always buy from them for my formal wear and have never had a problem with them.

[Ky-Wan Zann]

thanks I got soem from golden silks and made the neck hole and the tunic works great now in the collar area