How To Make A Neck Template

As I'm putting off cutting out the dress I'm going to make for my rectangular construction tutorial, I got a question from someone following along at home wanting to know how big to make the neck for her new dress. This is a great question and gave me a chance to put together a how-to for making a neck template.

A good neckline in a dress can be everything. I remember when I first started sewing, I had no idea how to utilize math or anything else with sewing. My necks were all wonky, and I often had tunics with the classic "football neckline". I realized I wanted a high neck for my dresses (my SCA persona is not from an exceptionally warm area) and I wanted something consistent. My dear friend Aldith helped me create the neck template I'm going to share with you today.

You will need:

- Pencil
- Ruler
- Eraser (I highly recommend this item)
- Paper
- Compass (for geometry/drafting/drawing, not for finding North)
- Sharpie
- Scissors
- Measuring Tape


Step One:

• Using your measuring tape, measure the circumference around your neck that lands where you would like your neckline to line up. Write this down on your paper as your circumference

Step Two:

• Using the formula Circumference = Diameter x Pi, we can determine what the radius of our neck template should be.
• Input your measurement into the value for C in your equation.
• Divide both sides of your equation by pi (I simplify to 3.14 for this level of math)
• Divide your answer (the diameter) by two to determine your radius

Step Three:

• Subtract your seam allowance from your radius measurement. I always use 0.5" seam allowances. (Because your neckline's seam allowance actually makes the neck hole bigger instead of smaller like seam allowances on any other parts of your projects, you will subtract your seam allowance instead of adding it. This will give you a smaller template to cut from)

Step 4 (Option A)

• If you do not own a compass (totally normal), you can use this option to make your circle. 
• Mark a center dot on your paper
• Draw a line the length of your neckline's diameter (minus seam allowance) through your center dot.
• Continue to draw lines the length of the diameter (minus seam allowance) through the center dot until you have a star-like shape
• Connect all your lines together to make a circle with the desired circumference

Step 4 (Option B)

• Set your compass to the width of your radius (minus seam allowance)
• With a firm, steady hand, use compass to draw a circle in your desired size

Step 5:

• Draw a line through the center of your circle
• Label this line the circumference of the neckline, your name (or whomever this template is for), and indicate that there is seam allowance
• Mark the Center Front and Center Back of your template with your black triangles

Step 6:

• If we set the neck hole template to be placed in the dead center of your shoulder seam, you would end up with a neck hole that is even on the front and the back. This would cause you to get water/sunburnt down the back of your neck on a regular basis. A neckline will sit best if two thirds of it is in the front, and one third of it is in the back.
• Divide your circle's diameter (minus seam allowance) by 3
• Draw your shoulder line at 1/3 of the diameter of the circle
• Mark where your shoulder seam/line should line up on your template with black triangles

You now have a template to use to cut out all the necklines you could ever want. You can make this for any size neckline you may desire. I always draw around the finished template with a Sharpie before I cut the template out and add it to my pattern book.

You can watch my "how-to" video on this here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGFuNrbqwlY&feature=youtu.be