1920s Qipao Top 倒大袖衫

This post shows how to make a classic style of qipao top: the 小裁衫 (small-cut blouse). This kind of qipao dress or top is cut all-in-one, without a center front or back seam, nor shoulder seam, from one piece of fabric. But how does one manage to eke out a small sliver of seam allowance for the right front opening?

This is where the method called 偷襟 (lit. stealing lapel) comes in. By folding the shoulder seam at a slight angle instead of perpendicular to the center front, the front opening gets a tiny bit of overlap, and one can then add a facing to the underlap, and finish the raw edge of the overlap with other methods.

If you'd like to try this method, which btw is excellent for minimizing fabric usage, I've attempted to write out the steps on the diagram here.