easy solutions: How to Make Your Own Bias Tape

Friday, April 30, 2010

How to Make Your Own Bias Tape

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Bias tape (also known as bias binding) has a plethora of purposes: a seam finish, a waistband, a quick hem alternative, a substitute for facings, and certainly many others. But if you don't want to use the few colors of plain cotton they have at the store, or if you don't want to run to the store at all, make your own!

Steps

Cut strips of fabric.
Cut out strips of fabric for your bias tape. To do this, first mark your cutting lines on the fabric using chalk pencil or dressmaker's pen. Decide how wide you need your finished product to be, how long you need it, and whether or not you want it to be double fold or single fold (scroll to the bottom for pictures of both). If you make single fold, make your strips twice as wide as you want your finished product to be. If you make double fold, your strips need to be 4 times as wide as your finished tape. For example, for double fold, 1/2" wide, cut out 2" strips.
- When you mark the cutting lines, remember this is bias tape, so the lines have to run at a 45 degree angle to the selvage.
- Cut enough strips so that when they are sewn together you'll have the length you need plus some extra.
- Keep in mind that the triangles formed at the ends are wasted, as is a small triangle underneath the strips (you could use it in a pinch, but the strips you get will be quite short).
Square the ends.
After you mark and cut the strips, square off the ends. The two strips on the left have been squared off - the ones on the right haven't been yet.
Set corners together.
Start attaching the strips. Place one over the other at a right angle, right sides together. Make sure the square ends line up.
Stitch diagonally.
Stitch diagonally from corner to corner of the overlapping squares.
Sew all strips together the same way.
Sew all the strips together using the same method. The seam will look like this. Be sure that you are consistent with how you assemble your seams; otherwise you will end up with seams angling both directions.
Grade the seam allowance to 1/4"
Clip off the corners of each seam to a 1/4" seam allowance.
Open up the seams...
Open up the seams.
And press the seam allowances flat.
Press the seam allowances flat.
Fold in half and press.
Fold the strip in half lengthwise, right side out, and press.
Open, fold, and press for single fold.
Open up the strip again. Now press both raw edges into the center. This is single fold bias tape.
Fold again and press for double fold.
To make double fold bias tape, fold again in the center and press.