Step 1 - Fold braid in half with bottom edge jutting out slightly about ¼” more than the top edge. Press a length of braid long enough to do a whole blazer firmly with the iron.
Step 2 - Start at side seam with right side facing up on the blazer. On girl’s blazer start with the raw edge of the braid or at the back pleat of the boys with ¼” of the raw edge folded around the end of the pleat before folding the braid in half. Fold braid over the edge of the blazer to form a binding with the shorter side of folded braid facing up. Stitch on with a larger stitch (No. 3-4) following down the edge of outside burgundy stripe.
Step 3 - Sew the braid on easing the braid in as you go around the curve then up to within 1” of the first peak in the V of the lapel. Stitch backwards and forwards twice to hold from coming undone and then remove from machine.
Step 4 - Mark where the point ends with a pin on the fold of the braid about 1/16” longer than the edge.
Step 5- Fold the braid backwards over the pin. Press making sure that both braid edges run perfectly parallel with each other. Using a piece of cardboard or plastic with a 90 degree angle, mark a triangle with a chalk pencil so that the point goes right in the centre at the very edge of the folded braid marking a 90 degree angle. Draw a straight line at the base of the triangle to make sure that both sides of the fold are the same length.
Step 6 - Stitch from the edge of the braid to the point stopping with the needle down on the very edge of the point. Lift the foot with the needle down, turn and sew down the other side. Don‘t forget to go backwards and forwards on the first and last stitch so that it doesn’t come undone. Trim off excess braid leaving about 1/8" spare. Turn inside out and use a blunt instrument to make the point sharp.
Step 7- Push mitred corner into place on the lapel then run the folded braid on down the side of the V and press firmly into the bottom corner of this V. Put a pin in on the fold line and take the braid away. Fold the braid over the pin as done before. Mark a triangle on the braid using the cardboard the opposite way to the last corner making the fold the base of the triangle. Stitch as before and trim with-in 1/8” from the stitching line then cut a small snip into the very corner without cutting the stitching. Turn braid inside out and flatten and press to make an inverted corner. Pin the underside of the braid to the blazer to keep in place for stitching on.
Step 8 - Measure the same distance between the two finished corners and mark with a pin on the fold line further up the folded braid. Repeat Step 4 -6 for this mitred corner.
Step 9 - Push braid into place and pin or tack then stitch into place continuing along the back edge of the collar until 1” before the next corner then repeat Steps 3-9 before continuing down the front and around to the back of the blazer.
Step 10 - Overlap the braid over the end of the raw edge where the braid started folding the end of the braid in to finish off. For the boy’s blazer fold the end over the edge of the pleat then fold the braid in half and continue sewing it down.
