Carla C Peasant Portrait Top / Dress

1) I changed the construction order a little bit. The instructions call for you to sew all the arms seams to the bodice and the side seams before creating the neckline casing.) This causes you to work "in the round" which is not always so easy.

I don't like to create a neckline casinig in the round. So after I serged 3 of the 4 sleeve to bodice seams, I serged (or zig zag) the neck edge to keep the edges from raveling; THEN took it to the ironing board & folded down the edge 1.25" to make the neckline casing. This way I can do it in the FLAT versus in the round.

Once I made those folds (ironing them in place) I took it back to the serger, opened the fold for that one seam & sewed the 4 seam (attaching the last sleeve to a bodice). Then just folded the neckline edge back down. It's so much easier than trying to iron in the round. After the 4th seam (sleeve to a bodice) was serged, then I did the side seams - bottom of the bodice up to the sleeve edge.

If you do it her way - she has you sewing all the sleeves to the bodice, sewing the side seams & then taking the garment to the ironing board to press all the arm seams in the same direction & then folding down & pressing

2) I also subtracted 1.25" - 1.75" off of the length of elastic for the necklines. It said to cut 20" for a size 3 and the neckline was huge. I didn't want the top falling off her shoulders, so I reduced it down to 19" and then overlapped the ends 1/2" on each side & zig zagged the elastic together. I did the same with a size 5 -- reduced it down from 22" to 21" and overlapped the ends 1/2" on each side.


-- I couldn't see how or where these "drop down" boxes were for the others who posted reviews. Help. :)