How to gather the Isabella top neckline

For this blog post we're showing a technique for how to gather fabric. We've used this when making our pretty Isabella top.

Start by marking the snips on your neckline, this will indicate where you will start and stop your gathers.

Next, lengthen your stitch length on your sewing machine to approx 5mm.

Begin with stitching forward an back to lock-in the stitch. Then sew between the snips. Leaving a long tail of thread at the end.

Create your gathers by pulling up the bobbin thread only. Easing the gathers evenly as you go.

To create your neckline for the Isabella top, take your neck bands. Please note for this demonstration we are just using the front bands to show this technique, unlike the pattern. Use the snips on the neck bands to marry up the snips on the neckline.

It's helpful to pin the neckband from the gathered side of the top. As you will be sewing the bands on from this side so the gathers are visible as you sew.

Carefully sew over the gathers and continue to adjust as you sew if needed.

Tah dah! Your gathered neckline is complete!

Find the Isabella sewing pattern here - https://www.owlandsewingcat.com/products/isabella-top-pattern-sizes-10-28