I re-did the entire top. I extended the jacket portion. The front of the jacket now looks more finished. I also changed the color of the thread for the topstitching--it is now a pale grey, so it would stand out more. The back needs a little tweaking, but it's looking great so far. The front pocket and the front top stitching for the angled part of the jacket I had to sew by hand because it was too small for the sewing machine and I didn't want to risk puckering the fabric.
I bought new needles for the sewing machine (size 16) but I think I a few sizes too big. They are sharp and go in the fabric, but the do not go into the fabric like butter the way they are supposed to when they are new. Today I bought size 9 universal needles, so that should help neaten up the machine sewing. I really love the angle of the third photograph. It's got a great composition.
What makes this second outfit a bit more polished than the first is that it already has snaps on each sleeve and two snaps which close the front part of the outfit. If I could just fix the back of the outfit without having to take it all apart, it would be fantastic. I think I will have to tweak it quite a bit--it's got a lump of fabric in the back that is sure to fit Quasi Modo. Other than that, it is almost perfect.
