Some days when I’m sewing a t-shirt or sweatshirt, I like to add an extra special touch with a bound back neckline. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with leaving it unbound. Those are just as great. But adding a bound finish makes the garment feel a little more special. It’s a small detail that reminds me how much care and effort I put into making it.

I originally thought about including these steps in the instructions for the Alex Sweatshirt but decided to share them in a separate blog post instead, since this method works for any knit top. T-shirts, tanks, sweatshirts - anything with an inserted neckband. This way, I can easily refer to it in other patterns, and you can come back to it anytime, no matter which pattern you're sewing.

To bind the neckline, you will need:

• A measuring tape and a ruler
• A small piece of knit fabric (it doesn’t need to match your garment since it won’t be visible) 

Before following this tutorial, complete all the steps of your pattern instructions up to and including the neckband insertion. Sew the shoulders and insert the neckband, but don’t topstitch it yet! 

 

1. Using a measuring tape, measure the length of the back neckline from shoulder seam to shoulder seam. Add 2 ½” (6.4 cm) to that measurement.

2. Cut a strip of knit fabric that is ⅞” (2.2 cm) wide and as long as the measurement from the previous step. The length of this binding strip should be in the direction of the greatest stretch, which is usually perpendicular to the grainline. 

3. Press both short ends of the binding ¼” (0.6 cm) to the wrong side. Then fold the binding in half lengthwise to find the center. Mark that point with a fabric marker or a quick press of the iron.

4. Working from the wrong side of your garment, arrange it so you have easy access to the back neckline seam. With the right side of the binding facing the neckband, align the raw edge of the binding with the edge of the neckline seam. The body of the binding should be lying on the neckband. Match the center of the binding to the center back neckline (this is usually where the neckband seam is) and pin in place. 

5. Pin the rest of the binding in place on each side of the center back, keeping the raw edge aligned with the neckline seam. Keep the pre-pressed short ends of the binding folded in. They should extend just past the shoulder seams. Sew the binding to the neckline seam allowance using a ¼” (0.6 cm) seam allowance.

6. Pull the binding away from the neckline. If the original neckline stitches are showing, either throughout or just in a few spots, and it is bothering you, you can flip the binding back over and stitch again to tidy it up. Once you are happy, press the binding away from the neckline. 

7. Fold the raw edge of the binding around the neckline seam allowance, fully enclosing it. Pin the binding and the seam allowance to the body of your garment, making sure the short folded ends of the binding are neat and tucked in. 

8. Edgestitch the binding in place using a longer stitch length. 

9. If you are comfortable, you can continue stitching around the rest of the neckline in one go. Personally, I prefer to edgestitch the binding first, then switch to the right side of the garment and continue from there. I start at one end of the back neckline stitching and sew around the front neckline to the other end. That way I know the stitching at the front neckline will look clean and even, and it will sit just the right distance from the neckline seam. 

And that’s it! A clean, simple way to add a special touch to your knit neckline. I hope you give it a try. Let me know if you have any questions, and most importantly, enjoy your make!