I resolved my problem with the sleeveless top of Vogue 2987. I decided to treat the stretch lace and the stretch lining as one. I took apart the shoulder seams and placed each lace piece with its appropriate lining piece. Literally only three pieces for this top. I first serged the shoulder seams with stay tape sandwiched between the seams. The stay tape keeps the shoulders from stretching. I then serged the neck edge and the arm openings.
This allowed me to cut off 1/4" of fabric while finishing these seams. This left 3/8" seams to be turned into the inside of the top.
The outside was topstitched .
I really thought this top would go together in no time. Not so. I changed my serger threads back and forth. Nude when sewing the shoulder and side seams and black when serging the pieces together and topsitching.
I broke my left serger needle four different times, but can't figure out why. Luckily while not doing the seams, but at the end. I think I am pulling the thread tail while taking out the garment and the needle springs back hitting the looper. Sewing with knits, and a lace knit at that, is the technique I was trying to master.
