Instructions for Sewing Short Sleeve Peasant Bodice

Don't need a new pattern, just cut this one a little differently. 

Just for fun, I cut the sleeves shorter and wider like this. 

Put the sleeve trim on first.

Sew sleeves to front piece, and back pieces to sleeves. (The sleeve front seam is shorter than the back seam so you can't mix them up.)  

Then iron the back sections over, first narrowly, then wide enough to sew snaps or velcro on.  Stitch per the red line. 

For the sleeves, edging, sewing and gathering can be done in one motion if you iron the sleeve end over and lay a piece of small cord right over the edge.  Then zigzag over the cord.  (Click picture for larger view.) 

Don't pull the cord yet! 

Go ahead and stitch the underarm seam and side seams, taking care not to catch the cord as you stitch over it.  It doesn't matter if you catch the cord on the other side, because you really only need one free end to pull. 

Then pull the cord to a comfortable size for the doll's arm and tie a little knot. 

Fold the neckline over just once, and zigzag near the fold.  It's a curved seam so it won't fold perfectly, but that doesn't matter because it's going to be gathered. 

For the gathering, get some matching cording and use a big needle to thread it around the neckline, leaving ends to tie in front. 

Hem the lower edge and it's done!