Double Collar Pattern Hack using Katie Kortman Fabric for Nerida Hansen

Nothing better than a simple shift dress in the summer! Unfortunately, it’s winter over here so this photoshoot was very cold, and my skin was (is) very very pale!

I took Nerida Hansen’s simple shift dress pattern and added a few fun elements to spice it up! That pattern is the perfect jumping point for so many hacks! It is also a great beginner pattern, for those learning to sew. To make it even more fun, I used two of the prints from my line to make it bright and a little wild!

Before we get into the collar, here are the other (simple) things I did to it:

Instead of cutting the front and back on the fold (like the pattern said), I cut two pieces (out of two different fabrics). I added 1 cm seam allowance to them and sewed the contrasting fabrics together down the center.
I added two patch pockets by cutting big squares, folding under the edges, and topstitching down.

Now for the Collar Hack!

I added a double collar, so here are the details on how!

First: Lay the front and back bodice pieces so that the shoulder seam is overlapping (the amount they would if sewn together). Now you have an idea of the general shape and length you need for the *inside* shape of the collar. (This was the “V” neck option of this dress, and I didn’t want it to go all the way down the “V” but normally would have it go to the center.)

After I traced the opening of the neck on the pattern to get the inner shape, I decided on the outer line shape and the width of the collar. Once I had the top collar shape, I needed to make the bottom scalloped collar. I placed it on top of the fabric (you could/should also do this on tracing/pattern paper!) and designed the scallop shape and width around it (on one side).

Here are the pattern pieces I created and the various widths I used so you can see.

Once you’ve cut 2 of each collar, you need to interface one side of both collar pieces and sew them Right Sides together (RST). You need to be careful as you sew the scallops, and do lots of pivoting to get those points right! And then make sure you do a little clip in that “v” as seen above. This will help for when you turn it right-sides-out.