How to make the snuggle collars!

[hazliya]

As I was making the collar above, I took photos of the more important steps. And am posting a tutorial so y'all can make them too!

What you will need:
12x30" section of outer layer (fleece, in this case)
12x30" section of liner (plush microfiber, in this case)
Needle and thread (you can easily do this without a sewing machine!)
Buttons and embellishments


First off, measure out your two fabric sections. If you're using fleece and microfiber, like I am, it's super important to have them entirely on a flat surface and smooth them out like dough. The fabric tends to pool and shift, so having it uniform to measure is essential.

Then take your two pieces and figure out which sides are the outer ones. Lay those face-to-face in the middle, so that the inner sides are facing out. We're gonna sew it inside-out.



Now, for evenness' sake and because they are stretchy, puddling fabrics, we pin the edges in place.



Go dance tango for four hours. This step is very important. Then come back to finish this.

Now go ahead and either hand stitch (it takes all of half an hour) or sew all but four or five inches of the border. When that's done, take the pins out and invert the fabric through the hole you left yourself. The outer sides should be where they ought to be now. Smooth out the edges and neaten them up, then close up that hole.

It should kind of resemble an unstuffed pillow at this point.



The reason I do inner seams is because it a) makes it look cuter and fluffier, b) means I don't have to use trim. You can do it any way you want to - I think trim could be too scratchy, and I'm not a fan of tucked-in, sewn-over stitching. Besides, a lot of the stitches get swallowed up in the fluffy fabric so although contrasting thread could potentially look cool, you wouldn't be able to see it anyway.

Anyway! Button time.

When you lay it out flat with the outer layer (fleece) up, your buttonhole should go in the top right-hand corner. The button should go in the middle of the left-hand side. Or wherever is comfortable for you.



And that's all you really need! Secondary buttons are totally superfluous. I'm making these simple, as my family has simple tastes.

I made one for myself, using leftover gears I had instead of buttons.




I'd totally love to see one of these embellished with ribbons and stripes and patches and fun stuff. I unfortunately don't have time to experiment, but maybe later. I'm thinking of maybe making a leather one at some point. I'd love to see what you guys come up with!