Okay guys, deep breaths! We are doing the placket today (Version 2 – placket and no collar and Version 3 – placket and collar). I know a couple of you have been feeling nervous – don’t be! It’ll be okay! Today we’ll be doing the more standard placket sewing method, which is the method included in the Banksia instruction booklet. If you think this is possibly a bit too challenging, and you don’t care about exposed seams on the inside of your top etc, then you can try an easier method covered here. And if you really really feel nervous, you can do a faux placket – which is just so ridiculously easy it makes me never want to sew a placket again hehe.
Anyway, let’s begin with the standard method!!
The most important thing about plackets is going slowly and preparing. If you haven’t done your basting yet – here’s the post from last week.
Then cut down the centre front, between the basting, stopping 1/2 up from the bottom horizontal basting line. then cut towards the corners of the basting. Don’t snip through the stitches!
Next, we’ll iron the interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric (in the picture, the left shows the interfacing ironed on the wrong side of one piece, and the right shows the right side of the second piece). I like to use very very lightweight fusible. I feel like interfacing is really important as it adds a lot of stability to the placket and the buttonholes.
Now turn the top the wrong way round, and lay your placket pieces face down. The right side of the placket pieces will be facing the wrong side of the fabric. I know it feels wrong, but it’s not :) Make sure that the edges butt up to the centre-cut edge of your placket. Make sure the placket extends 5/8″ above the finished edge of the neckline (this is important!).
Sew along the basting stitches, and stop about 1 1/4″ (3.2cm) from the bottom edge, where the basting stitches go horizontal.
Fold the edges 5/8″ inwards and iron. On the right placket only, fold up the bottom edge 1/4” and press.
Now fold the placket in half with right sides together. The folded and ironed edge should be in line with the sewn seam. Sew along the top of the placket 5/8″ from the edge. Make sure you do not catch the top or the collar (if you’re doing version 3) in your stitches.
Now trim the top edge, notch, and turn the right way round and press.
Push the bottom edges as well as the triangle of seam allowance at the bottom of the placket opening through to the right side of the top.
The placket will now be enclosing the raw edges of the placket seam. Top stitch the placket closed on the sides, stopping at the horizontal basting.
Now pin the left placket to the horizontal basting, and sew along the basting line. Trim, and press down.
Since you turned up the bottom edge of the right placket piece by 1/4” earlier, this is what it should look like now – enclosing the raw edges. But if you didn’t, do it now.
Align the right placket over the left, and pin in place for stability. Now topstitch around the bottom edges of the placket creating a box, and sew a little cross if it takes your fancy :)
Finish up by sewing buttonholes to the right placket, and buttons to the right.
Congrats! You sewed a totally rad placket!!
LOOKING FOR MORE BANKSIA POSTS?
- Preparation
- Sewing: Darts & Seams
- Sewing: Basting & Placket prep
- Sewing: Collars
- Sewing: Collarless version
- Sewing: How to sew a placket (this post!)
- Sewing: How to sew a placket the easier way
- Sewing: How to sew a faux placket
- Sewing: Leaving the placket off
- Sewing: Flat sleeve insertion
- Sewing: Sleeveless version
- Sewing: Long-sleeved version
- Sewing: Hemming
- Sewing: Dress version
- Sewing: Jersey version
Some other tutorials you might like to check out:
- Pattern Alterations: How to turn the pattern into a dress
- Pattern Alterations: Altering bust dart height
- Pattern Alterations: Bust adjustments (FBA and SBA)
- Pattern Alterations: Lengthen the sleeves
- Pattern Alterations: Drafting different collars
- Pattern Alterations: Alter the pattern for stretch fabrics
DON’T HAVE THE PATTERN YET?
