Cabo Sew-a-Long: Hemming and Finishing

We made it!  That wasn’t so bad, right?  All-in-all, I think this is a pretty great pattern.  I love the low back and the classic look.  And because of the cut, pretty much any fabric would look fab with this pattern. 


The last steps are pinning and hemming the bottom.  I ironed my hem before and after the I sewed it to keep it crisp.  You will notice that the bottom hem is not cut straight across, so make sure that your hem stays true to that cut line. Don’t try to straighten it or you will end up with a gappy hem.  The cut seems a little weird, but just go with it and you will see in the end it looks great!

If you try your top on and it has a little bit more gap near the cleavage than you like, you can do a few different things to help it:
You can pin it here, right at the top, making sure your fabric is straight and smooth and hand sew it closed right where it crosses at the top.  Keep the stitches on the wrong side so they do not show through to the front.

Another option would be to add a few rows of ruffles to the neckline at the lowest point.

What I finally settled on was pinning the two bodices together and, making sure they were straight and smooth, stitched a close top stitch to the top bodice in a coordinating thread color:

It definitely helped with the overdose on cleavage factor.  I certainly would say this pattern runs smaller than normal.  I am typically an 8/10 for tops, and sewed the medium (10/12), and I’d say it is a little snug, especially in the bust area.  But, I am confident with this fix.
Here is a badly-lit bathroom photo of me wearing it:

Oi, I need a tripod!

There you have it!  So happy to have sewed this up with you all! 

Can’t wait to see yours in the Flickr Group!

Here is a recap of the Sew-a-Long:
DAY1:  Tracing and cutting
DAY2: Sewing the bodice
DAY3: Installing the zipper
DAY4:  Hemming and finishing (You’re here)

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