Lisa Comfort customises it… Give a vest top a hit of colour

Add a splash of colour to a plain vest top and give it a fresh new look

TO MAKE

❶ First we need to make the bias binding. Lay the fabric flat and, using a set square, line up one side with the selvedge (the self-finished edge of the material). This will position the angled side of the set square at a 45° angle from the selvedge, which is the bias of the fabric. Draw along this side with chalk. Then draw three further parallel lines, 4cm apart, to create three strips. The lines should be as long as possible (around 40cm), as you don’t want to have to join the strips. Cut along the lines.

❷ Take one strip at a time and fold it in half lengthways, wrong sides together. Lightly iron in a crease. Then open it back out and fold the raw edges into the central crease, one side at a time, pressing in two further creases. Now fold back together and press a further time. You should now have a length of bias binding. Repeat with remaining strips.

❸ Open out the bias binding and, starting at the back of the neckline, pin one raw edge to the edge of the neckline. Pin the binding all the way around the neckline until you get back to where you started. Overlap the ends by 2cm and trim away any excess. Then, fold under one of the ends by 1cm and lay the other end on top of it. This will make the join nice and neat once it is finished.

❹ Stitch in place with the sewing machine, using the crease in the binding as your stitch line (this will be 1cm seam allowance). Trim the neckline and binding seam allowance down to 5mm. Press the seam allowance up towards the binding.

❺ Now fold over the other side of the binding, encasing the seam allowance. The fold of the binding should sit just over the stitch line you sewed. Pin in place and edgestitch in place from the right side of the garment.

❻ Repeat steps three to five with the armholes, starting at the underarm so the overlap is hidden by your arm.