the Allison way. Got to give credit where credit is due.

Here's my tshirt ready to have the neckline bound. It's hard to see on the blue, but I have marked the quarter points of the neckline. I bind the neckline after the shirt is entirely constructed but before I hem; not that it really matters, but I thought I'd mention that so everyone knows what they're looking at.



Here's the binding strip. It's 1½" by about 70% of the tshirt neckline measurement. This is a stretchy rib knit, the ratio of neckline to binding strip will vary depending upon how stretchy your fabric is. Less stretchy = higher percentage and vice versa (just to prove that I paid attention in high school physics, they're inversely proportionate ;) ). I have sewn the binding strip into a circle and finger-pressed the seam allowances open (you could serge the strip, but I like to do it this way so bulk is reduced). Mark the quarter points.



Starting at the middle of the back, sew/serge the strip to the neckline.



Stretch the strip (but not the neckline) to line up the quarter point marks. I turn the shoulder seam allowances to the back of the shirt. I do the same thing when serging the sleeves on as well so that seam allowance will lay flat and to the back of the shirt. When you get back around to the starting/ending point overlap a few stitches.



Fold the binding strip around to the inside of the shirt.



Inside view.



Coverstitch or twin needle the strip into place. I start slightly behind the right shoulder seam. If you use a twin needle, especially with a stretchy fabric you'll probably need to do as many of the following as possible with your machine ~ adjust your presser foot pressure, increase the differential feed, use a walking foot, starch or otherwise stabilize the area before sewing.



Continue around the neckline, folding and adjusting the strip into place as you go.



I overlap the coverstitching slightly.



Here's a better view off the machine.



Then I take the shirt to the sewing machine and sew back and forth over the overlapped stitches to prevent the coverstitching from unraveling.



Trim the excess binding strip on the inside of the neckline as well as any stray threads and...



... you're done!