The Problem With Following Vintage Pattern Instructions

The problem I am experiencing with following vintage instructions is that they often leave part or whole seam allowances unfinished or they probably would have been trimmed with pinking shears. I know this would do the job but I would find it near impossible to use these techniques and consider the garment finished. I guess it's just the way I learned but it just doesn't look neat enough to me. So in order to appease my personal tastes without altering the original design I'll be very slightly changing the construction methods where necessary to produce a neater result.

Take the construction of this flutter sleeve from Style 1825 for example:



The instructions suggest pressing the shoulder seam flat and making bias binding to bind the armhole under the flutter sleeve. This would bother me (especially as it's a newborn gift!) so instead I drafted an underarm facing by using the 2 halves over the underarm shape from the front and back dress pattern. It was just a matter of tracing the underarm shape from each pattern piece making sure to overlap the side seam allowance (which is not needed as it's just a facing) and measuring a total width of 3cm all over the new piece. That equals 1.5cm seam allowance and a 0.5mm hem, once the facing was turned over, trimmed and pressed, it left approximately 1cm to top stitch around the armhole and also enclosed the flutter sleeve shoulder seam. Very neat! :0)