"Kaisa" jersey blouse Ottobre 1/2009

I was about ready to chuck this top in the scrap pile as I could get the neckline to look right but thanks to the encouragement from a few sewing gurus at crafty mamas I gave it another go and here it is.......

 
It's called "Kaisa" and is from the latest Ottobre (1/2009).

In the magazine there are two different versions, one with a bound neckline and one just turned and topstitched. Both are gathered with clear elastic. It was the clear elastic that was giving me grief. I tried to join it in a circle as per the instructions but it was so slippery! And then I tried machine basting it on, which to me meant a straight stitch.....silly me! It just didn't work at all and was too loose and very messy.

I was given the suggestion of not joining it first but still quartering it and stretching the elastic to meet the quarter marks as you go along, plus using a small zig zag to attach it.
In the end I went with the methos I used for attaching the elastic in the nappies I make. That is not cutting an exact piece but rather having just one long piece and then stretching as I go and then overlapping a little at the end to finishing off the round. It means you do the gather by eye but it worked much better for me and sat so much neater and more even.

Somehow my top was gathered at the top and bottom panels whereas the pattern shows only the top panel being gathered. It looks fine on anyway....don't know how that happened?
I did make the neckline a little tighter than in the pic as I didn't want it slipping off shoulders.
The sleeve edges were done the same way as the neck and this was a little fiddly to do as they're so small...maybe next time I'll do that flat before I sew up the underarm seam.
All in all it's a cute little top and looks much better on than lying on the table! Just need to make something to match it now :)