How to Sew a Camp Shirt Collar or collar without back neck facing or collar stand

How to sew a Camp Shirt style collar. If you struggle to sew in a collar that has no back neck facing or don’t like the traditional way you sew these in most pattern instructions, I have a new method guaranteed to be easier with 100% great results!

Camp shirts are also called: Guayabera Shirt, Cuban Shirts, Mexican Wedding Shirts, Aloha Shirt, Tropical Shirts and more. The first three are embellished with tucks and embroidery and have four front pockets.

Traditional features of a Camp Shirt:
Collar with no back neck facing
No Collar Stand, button band, or yoke.
Front has a facing that is either separate or built-in.
The shirt also features short sleeves, 1-2 chest pockets, a straight hem with a side vent.

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Time Stamps
0:00 Intro- What is a Camp Collar
1:27 Pieces you need
2:15 Sewing Plan
2:49 Adding guides
3:30 Sew Front Facing to Center front with collar between and along neck stopping 1.5”/38 mm from front notch (or collar edge)
5:52 Clip! At the stopping point
6:27 Sew remaining facing to Top Collar only from Guide to end of Facing
8:12 Sew Under Collar to shirt between new guides
10:39 Press neck seam in to collar
11:00 Press your remaining details
11:10 Trim Facing corner
12:49 Pin the top collar enclosing neck edge
14:41 Stitch back Collar only
15:59 Stitch in ditch along facing from clip to shoulder from right side
17:41 Secure Shoulders of facing
Good job!

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Hope to see you in the stream and the Guild!
xo Saremy
Send me a postcard: Sew Sew, P.O. Box 253, Paradise CA 95967

[tabithadewitte]

This was a riveting sew and had me scared more than once, but it turned out perfectly and my shirt looks great! thank you.

[kiamakepeace]

Aaargh! Thank you!! I've been stuck on a shirt for days unable to make the collar work (self taught and paper patterns seriously confuse me!). I was so close to giving up until I found your video! First collar complete....it's not perfect but it's finished and I understand your process now so next one will be even better. Really appreciate the video!

[Melora.s]

Thank you! I copied a shirt I own, I had no idea it was a camp collar or how to sew it. After a bit of googling I found your video by chance, and it was incredibly helpful. The first shirt I sort of made it up, it was ok but complicated. The second shirt I made after I found your video was much easier to put together. Thank you again!! I am no longer crying into a bunch of loose bits of fabric. 😅😂

[martbright]

I make shirts for my husband and always struggle with the collar so decided to YouTube it. This helped a lot and the collar turned out beautifully. Thank you!

[janworkman]

Thank you soooo much for this tutorial. I am not new to sewing, however, the pattern instructions just didn't explain how to do this type of collar at all! I greatly appreciate your time to teach how to do this. My collar turned out perfect!

[thecpikas]

Very neat and tidy. A big 4 children's pj pattern had me clip and press up the center of the collar and it never looked that good. This method is so much better

[chynnawarner]

This is such a game changer. Thank you for sharing

[cali.cruzin]

Thank you so so much for this! I was working on a dress with this type of collar and the instructions were so sparse and confusing (and I already ended up with a messy test run version trying to make sense of the pattern directions). This was a lifesaver and I shared it with my friends who are working on the same pattern! 💕

[JoseMoreno-uzkn]

Been Struggling to sew on my collars and plackets to the neckline. You just solved all my frustrations. Thank you. Gave you a thumbs up.

[Inaneassylum]

Just did the perfect collar with this method. Thank you

[denisebolton]

Excellent tutorial, thank you! I have a 1958 vintage pattern and the instructions are difficult to follow. This was so helpful!

[anthonyjones]

That makes perfect sense. Have you tried the technique that the Friday Pattern Company uses on the Donny shirt where the yoke is treated almost like a back facing? It's pretty cool. No clipping, starting or stopping. The collar is sewn on, the facing/yoke is sewn on, and you're done. Check it out.

[marieeaton-smith]

Thank you so much, you have explained that so well. Sewing that type of collar has made me confused more than once, but your way is just wonderful. Thanks again.

[kristenbouwhuis]

Thanks Saremy! I just made one of these using a Butterick pattern and the collar directions were so strange. You make the process much more streamlined.

[dianeb]

Very slick. Saremy! Thanks for putting the "little grey cells" to the task of simplifying sewing a camp shirt collar. ❤

[christinahaslam]

Ive just tried to make a camp collar using a bought pattern. I just couldn't understand it. Just found this video.
It looks complicated but Im going to give it a try soon. I have had to adjust most of the front of the blouse was just too small. So fingers crossed. Ty so much for the video, might just save this blouse. ❤❤

[hugothebear]

So clever…. I’ve made a few camp collar shirts and the pattern method always seems to mean that the “clip” to turn in the seam is right at the junction where the facing ends… very awkward to get neat; your method means that the clip is hidden and makes it much tidier to finish that facing end…. Huge thanks for clever & neat method

[SusanC-ojvr]

Very clearly explained, thanks! I'll try it in action this weekend. I wasn't sure if the shoulders should already be closed, I was glad that was easy to see right from the start.

[riffraffraye]

i waffled around about the camp shirt style and how to sew them. your method, as always, looks really good. can't wait to incorporate it into my construction. thanks for the video

[jgsawka]

Thank you for this wonderful tutorial. I've always been confused about what made a camp collar a camp collar. Now I get it! 😊