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----SUNNY DAY CAMISOLE TOP----
Louise Horler
This pretty camisole top is perfect for wearing whilst lounging
in a deckchair on a hot day. Easy to make by cutting the
armholes from two fat quarters, seaming together and adding
binding and tie straps, it is sure to become a staple of your
summer wardrobe.
MATERIALS
4 fat quarters of fabric in coordinating colours: 1 for front, 1
for back, 2 for bias binding
2 pieces of 81⁄2in (22cm) length, 3⁄4in (2cm) width elastic
1 Place the armhole patterns (see Templates) on the top left and top
right corners of the front and back fat quarters and cut around.
2 To make the elastic casing, fold the top of the fabric over by 3⁄8in
(1cm) towards the back and iron. Fold over another 1in (2.5cm) and
iron again. Machine stitch close to the edge along the bottom of the
casing, making reinforcing stitches at the beginning and end.
3 Use a safety pin to thread the elastic through the casing. Hold the
end of the elastic at the end of the casing on the right-hand side and
stitch up and down to keep it in place. Repeat at the left-hand side to
make a gathered top band. Repeat on the other side.
4 Sew the sides using a French seam. Place the fabric pieces
together with the pattern on both sides facing outwards. Pin from the
bottom of the armhole to the bottom of the fabric and machine sew
close to the edge. Repeat on the other side.
5 Turn the top inside out and iron. Machine sew from the bottom of
the armhole to the bottom of the fabric, this time using a 3⁄8in (1cm)
seam allowance.
6 To make bias binding for the arm straps, fold one of the remaining
fat quarters diagonally in half and iron. Cut along this line and use as
a guide to measure, then cut 2in (5cm) wide strips of fabric. You will
need approximately 411⁄2in (105cm) of bias binding for each strap.
7 Cut all the short ends of the strips to make sure they are straight.
Place one strip horizontally, pattern side up, and another strip on top,
pattern side down, at a 90 degree angle. Sew across the overlapping
square diagonally from left to right (see Fig 1). Cut off the excess
fabric triangle and open the fabric up to form a continuous strip of
bias binding. Turn over the binding and iron any seams open.
8 Fold the binding in half lengthways and iron. Open up and fold
each side into the middle and iron again. To finish, fold in half and
iron again.
9 Make two pieces of the same length for the ties and find the middle
point. Starting at the middle of the armhole, sandwich the fabric
between the bias binding and pin. Pin up each side of the armhole
until you reach the top of each strap end. Machine sew from the top
of the strap down along the armhole and up to the other end of the
strap. Repeat for the other side of the top.
10 Repeat Steps 6–8 to make 41in (104cm) more bias binding from
the final fat quarter. Sandwich the bottom of the top in the bias
binding and pin around, then machine sew, slightly overlapping at
one of the seams for a neat finish.
