Bianca Update

I completed the Bianca Top. Photos to follow.

Well! My grandmother would say that is a deep subject. I seem to always have some fitting issues with LH and Textile Studio Tops. I also don't like their sew the shoulders, sew the sides, turn under 3/8 of inch at neckline and topstitch from wrong side. My turning under and topstitching never goes smoothly following those instructions.

On the Bianca top, I sewed one shoulder seam. I then serge finished the edge which not really necessary for knits but I think it looks more finished that way and this gives you a guide for turning under the 3/8 inches all around. I then topstitched from the right side allowing me to see how it is looking from the right side that the public will see. I then carefully lined up the neck edge of the shoulder seam and actually basted the edge together to make sure when I actually sewed that second shoulder seam that it stayed in alignment. I then had a very nice looking neckline.

Let me add here that the first version I cut the neckline as is from pattern and followed their method. It was okay but had a terrible bump at neck shoulder seams. Also when trying on for fit to sew side seams, I could not get the top over my head. I thought all along that the neckline was rather small! It was extremely small. All my topstitching threads popped immediately event though I had used a longer stitch length for the topstitching. This is truly a design fault of this pattern. To wear that jewel neckline in this pattern truly requires a back zipper IMHO.

I suppose I could have scooped out the neckline at this time. However I had enough of this fabric to cut out a new front and back. I decided to adjust the neckline on the pattern so in the future when I make another one of these tops the pattern is already adjusted. I now have a nice looking top that can be pulled over the head and it fits nicely around the neckline.

I will update this to show some photos of the neckline and topstitching. I like the top and the pintuck featured on the bottom. A recent Threads magazine article was about pintucking so this top is in line with that design idea.