HOW TO: SEW AN EASY PLACKET

HOW TO: SEW AN EASY PLACKET

20 February 2013

I had drawn up a pattern for this Valentine shirt, but the original neckline was too small for her to slip over her head, and I wanted to make something a little more interesting anyway.  So, I decided to figure out how to make a placket!  I tried the real way, and while it turned out great, it was a lot of figuring out.  I wanted to do it a bit simpler, so this is how I ended up doing it in the end. Again, not how the professionals do it, but how this sewing mom does it!

You need:

• Bodice piece
• Placket piece
• To figure the size for the placket piece, decide the width you want your finished placket to be.  That is your center measurement.  Then double that and add 1/4” for each side.  A 1” placket would be: 1” (center) + 2 1/4” (right side) + 2 1/4” (left side) = 5 1/2”.  From the length you want your placket to be, add 1 1/2”-2”.  My placket here was 5 1/2”x7”.
• Soluble marker or pencil

First, lay whatever bodice piece you are working with face down. 

Next, lay the rectangle face down on the bodice, with the centers aligned.

Mark with disappearing ink or a pencil where your stitching lines will be down the center, aka the width and length of your placket. Stitch along the lines.

Cut the fabric between your stitched lines, and when you get to the end, cut a “Y” shape into the fabric close to the corners, but not through the stitching.

Trim the seam allowance to 1/4”.

Iron the long outside edges of your rectangle with a 1/4” hem, and turn your bodice over, right side up.  Iron the seam towards the placket fabric.

Fold one side of the placket fabric over so the folded hem covers the seam line, and pin.

Stitch close to the edge, enclosing the seam.  Stop stitching where the placket opening ends.  You will have to fold, tuck, and move your fabric near the bottom so it is easier to work with, and so it looks nice.

Take the other side of your placket and lay it open, covering the part of the placket you just sewed down.  Iron the seam allowance towards the placket fabric.

Fold the placket over so the folded hem covers the seam line.  Pin in place.

At the bottom, you will notice your placket is now a series of folds.

To eliminate the bulk, simply trim some of the bottom layers away. 

Fold the remaining layers so the bottom of the placket comes to a nice, folded end and no raw edges are showing.  Pin in place.

Top-stitch or hand-stitch along the edge of the placket, enclosing the seam line.  Machine stitch the bottom of the placket down as well.

You can simply top-stitch around the bottom, or add decorating and stabilizing stitches like an “X”.

You are done! By hand-stitching, you eliminate the little line of stitching you can see from the underside, but I don’t think it is absolutely necessary.

Finish the bodice, and finish off the neckline with a collar, bias tape, or anything else.  When I finished with the Valentine shirt, I added button holes and buttons to the placket.

The bottom of the placket doesn’t have to be square- on this trial run, I made it come to a point.  Very cute!

It was fun for me to figure out this new-to-me sewing technique.  I hope you try it soon!