V-necks are coming back around in popularity and I am very excited about that. I've always loved the look of a boxy, oversized V-neck top. I think it leans into the boyfriend or menswear trend that I've always liked. I knew that the Jesse Tee was going to be the perfect base for this look, so I went ahead and put together a tutorial for you in case you want to make one of your own.
The first thing you need to do is decide how low you want the V to hit. This is completely personal preference, but I prefer a lower V on a boxy tee so that is what I went for. You could always measure another tshirt you have for reference. Also keep in mind that the width of the neckband is 1". You are marking the seamline where the neckband meets the shirt here, so measure it 1" down from where you want the neck opening to start. For me, I decided to measure down about 6".
You also need to decide how much wider you want the neckband to hit at the side of the neck. Generally a lower neckline will be balanced with a wider neckline so I measured out an extra 1.5" at the shoulder.
Connect the points by hand making the V soft.
Also mark a 3/8" seam allowance above the seamline you just drew.
Now do the same thing to the back neckline. I went out the same 1.5" at the shoulder and down about 1".
Mark the 3/8" of the shoulder seam at the new seamline and measure the seamlines for the front and back necklines.
Trim both necklines along the cutlines (not seamlines).
Now for calculating some neckband math as the neckband should be slightly smaller than the shirt it is being sewn to.
Below if my math for reference:
front neckline + back neckline = new neckline
multiply new neckline by .85 (85%) - or whatever percentage you prefer (different ribbings or knits will react a bit differently)
add the center front and center back seam allowances (I always add a cb seam to make adjustments easier but you could also omit this and cut it on the cb fold)
This is your new neckband length for one side. You will cut two.
Here is my math for reference.
Make the adjustments to your Neckband pattern piece.
Fold the Neckband in half, lengthwise, and cut at an angle about 1 inch up from the corner towards the fold.
Now cut out all of your pattern pieces.
First, let's prepare the Neckband. With right sides touching, sew both the straight and V ends together at a normal 3/8" seam allowance as shown below.
Press seam allowances open and fold the Neckband in half, right sides touching. press.
Trim off the little seam allowances that are poking out.
To prepare the Tshirt, reduce your stitch length to 1.5mm. Stitch in either direction of the V, at a normal 3/8" seam allowance, pivoting at the bottom of the V.
Clip close to, but not through the stitching at the V point.
Sew the shoulder seams of the tshirt together according to the instructions.
Quarter the neckline and neckband, marking with pins, and starting at center front and center back.
With right sides touching, match the quarter markings of the Neckband up with those of the tshirt. Be extra precise that the center front seam of the Neckband matches with the center front marking of the shirt.
Stitch the Neckband at a normal 3/8" seam allowance. Because the Neckband is slightly smaller than the shirt, you will need to lightly stretch the Neckband as you sew. When you reach the center front V, leave the needle down, pivot, and continue up the other side.
You can try to sew this on a serger, but I find it much easier to get good results on a regular sewing machine. In fact, I highly recommend basting the neckline first in case you need to adjust the stretch percentage on your Neckband and try again.
Also, you can use a stretch stitch if you like, but because of the the oversized fit and wide neckline, I find that a regular straight stitch works great.
Once done sewing, press seam allowances away from the neckband and down towards the tshirt.
This is optional, but I like to add a line of topstitching at this point for a professional finish. I use a regular straight stitch, elongated to about 3.5mm in length.
That is it! Finish sewing up your tshirt according to the Jesse Tee instructions and you will have a new V-neck Tshirt ready to wear.
