More Progress

I was home alone this weekend, with plenty of time for crocheting. I'm making great progess on the Ring Around the Posie. I bordered & joined all the panels, and finally got a first try-on. I really don't like having to finish 80-90% of a project not knowing if it's going to fit. Let's start looking for some top down crochet patterns! Anyway, I've joined one side seam, so now I have 1 side seam, the bottom border, about 2 rounds for little cap sleeves, and one round around the neckline.
The neckline is going to need some "adjustment", but don't know exactly what, yet.
The top is made of square motifs joined into panels, so the project is extremely rectangular. Now the major parts of my body required a size half-way in-between two sizes, so that I had to adjust the pattern from the beginning. But because of the rectangular issue, the shoulders and neckline are much larger than needed. I need some ideas to decrease around the neck without getting "bunchy" or gathers. That's tomorrow's project.
Also tomorrow I need to spend some time researching crochet during the Civil War. There's probably a Ravely group that specializes in period crochet. I can probably find some re-enactment groups on-line, as well as Antique Pattern Library. Love to research!