Fashion Fix: Moschino Jacket Bias Binding Masterclass

a style that works for both guys and gals

Inspired by Moschino's irreverent sense of style, Ros and I gave an otherwise conventional dinner jacket a colour injection. Combining  masculine tailoring and colour blocking; our sharp suit gets a playful makeover and you get a bias binding master class.

Here’s a double whammy of a kickass project as well as a summary of how to get this technique just right. Don't say I don't do anything for you.

Once you’ve mastered bias binding you will find it uses endless in most projects. Bias binding is cut upon the diagonal (the bias) and can be manipulated to the shape of the garment so don't be afraid of curves. This Fashion Fix is an opportunity to perfect right-angle corners and finishing off those fiddly ends.

You will need:

• A fitted blazer
• Assorted colours of satin bias binding.
• Cotton thread 
• Pins 
• Sewing machine
• Scissors
• Iron

How to do it:

1. Bias binding has pressed in edges that make it easy to follow whilst sewing it on.  
2. Pin the right side of the bias binding to the top side edge of the jacket collar. Start at one end leaving a 1.5cm overhang of binding.  Using the crease of the binding as a guide, sew along the pinned edge using a running stitch. Remove the pins.
3. Using an iron, press either end of the binding (the 1.5cm overhang) inwards to create a neat edge.
4. Next, still with an iron, press the binding flat and fold under the edge of the jacket. Pin.
5. Using a hand needle, sew along the under side of the jacket using a neat slip stitch so that the thread does not show through to the other side of the jacket. Remove the pins.
6. Hand sew up each end to neaten with a small blanket stitch.

CORNERS: ‘MITERED EDGES’

Turning a corner with bias binding can be tricky but these two ways should help you master that perfect finish. 

Easy: Simply sew the binding to the end of your length and cut. Then pin a new piece of binding over the raw edge and start again as you did in step 2. 

Hard (but better looking!): Follow steps 1 to 6 of our Binding master class and stop about 1cm before the corner. Fold the binding around the corner and create a mitered pleat. Use a pin to ease this pleat and press with an iron. Finish off the corner with a hand needle.

 Make your own Bias binding.

1. Mark out strips of cotton 5cm wide, at 45’ angles across your piece of cotton. Cut

2. Sew each strip to the next to make one long length. 

3. Slowly push the cotton strip through a mouse binder and press with an iron as you go. 

Bias binding on a curve.

Before folding the binding over the curve, snip small triangles from the raw edge of the binding. This will help ease it round the curve.