Bronte Top Sew-A-Long - Attaching Your Binding...

This is going up a smidge later than planned, but finally, we're sewing our Bronte Tops! Today we'll be attaching the binding to the front and back pieces.

Now, the binding for Bronte is deliberately shorter than the neckline pieces and that is because this will ensure your top lays nice and flat along your neckline, rather than sitting away from it.

All of the construction is done on my regular sewing machine with a ball-point needle and a lightening bolt stitch (unless I specify otherwise). If you need some advice on sewing machine settings for knits (if you don't have an overlocker), I have a handy post right here. Of course, if you have an overlocker, feel free to use it.

Steps:

1. Take your front binding piece, making sure that all notches are marked, and press flat.

A little note on notches - I tend to snip into my notches along the seam allowance when marking up pattern pieces and if you're the same, please remember that Bronte has a smaller seam allowance than normal patterns (10mm or 3/8inch). So, don't snip too far in! My notches were hard to see in the photos as well, so I've put lines in where they are. My snips don't go as deep as my added lines though, I was just trying to exaggerate where they were so you could see them.

2. Fold your binding in half length ways, matching notches, and press.

3. To find the centre of my binding, I fold it in half again then mark it with a pin.

4. To easily find the centre of your neckline, before you open up your front pattern piece, mark the centre fold line with a pin along the neckline.

5. Place your binding along your neckline, raw edges together, making sure your centre pins are on top of each other. Pin in place.

6. Stretch one side of your binding out to the very tip of your bodice neckline, matching the tip with the notch in the binding. Pin in place.

A close up of my snipped notch matching to the tip of the neckline (and my creepy looking hand...)

7. Gently and evenly, match up the raw edge of your binding along your neckline. Then repeat for the other side. Your neckline will look all bubbly, and that's because the neckline binding is smaller than the neckline. Don't worry, it won't stay like that for long.

8. Stitch your neckline binding down, 10mm (3/8inch) away from your raw edge. Below is how your neckline might look once you've finished. Don't freak out...

9. If you've never believed in the powers of a nice steamy iron, behold, the neckline from step 8 after we've pressed it - looks totally normal now, yay! So, go ahead and press your neckline out.

And what it looks like from behind...

10. Top stitch your binding down 3mm (1/8inch) from the stitch line.

I use a single ball-point needle on a longer straight stitch and haven't had any problems with threads snapping, though feel free to use a zigzag for this as well. Also, if you have a twin needle, go ahead and use this if you wish.

11. Press and repeat for the back neckline!

Easy peasy...

xx
J