- - - title: "Diana draped top: Sewing Instructions" - - - ### Step 1: Finish the back neckline - Cut a strip of main fabric the length of your back neckline, and around 3 cm wide. - Press a fold into this strip, 1 cm from the edge. For woven fabric make this a bias cut strip.\ For knit fabric make a strip with the stretch of the fabric running along the long edge. - With _good sides together_ align the non-folded edge of the strip with the back neckline. - Sew the strip to the back neckline and trim the seam. - Turn the strip to the wrong side of the fabric and _topstitch_ along the folded edge to keep it in place. ### Step 2: Close shoulder seams ![This drawing was too nice not to use](neckline.jpg) - Finish the raw edge on the front neckline in a way that suits your fabric (if it doesn’t fray, you can leave it unfinished). - With _good sides together_, place the front on the back aligning the shoulder seams. - Fold the front neckline seam allowance over to the wrong side of the back. If you have a lightweight woven fabric you can fold this edge up again, so it will form a narrow double hem afterwards (it can help to press these folds first). - Stitch the shoulder seam, enclosing the raw edge of the back neckline in the fold. - Turn to the right side and press. ### Step 3: Finish front neckline - Press the hem formed in your fabric by the folds you made at the shoulder seam when you closed the shoulder and topstitch close to the edge. ### Step 4: Attach sleeves The sleeve will be inserted flat, meaning the armhole seam will be sewn first and the sleeve and side seam will be closed in one go. - With _good sides together_, matching notches, pin the sleeve head along the armhole. - If necessary, ease in the sleeve head at the top, between the notches. - Sew, finish and press the seam. - Repeat for other sleeve. ### Step 5: Close side and sleeve seam - With _good sides together_ pin the front to the back along the sleeve and side seams, making sure to line up the armhole seams. - Sew, finish and press the seam. ### Step 6: Hem - Finish the sleeves and bottom hems in a way that works with your fabric choice. Again, this can mean folding the hem under twice and _topstitching_, finishing the raw edge with a serger or zig zag stitch and folding it under once or leaving the edge raw, folding it under once and trimming close to the stitching. ### Step 7: Enjoy! You're all done! Now go enjoy your new top!