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From: thanson68
Date: 03-27-2004, 05:30 PM (1 of 2)
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I have recently returned to my favorite hobby sewing. Could someone please tell me how to apply bias tape in detail? I have never understood this method of finishing raw edges. Thankyou! |
User: thanson68
Member since: 08-05-2002 Total posts: 16 
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From: bren
Date: 03-27-2004, 07:52 PM (2 of 2)
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I found this on our site when I was going threw some old post's ...There is so much knowledge on this site ... go back threw some of the posting ...you will probley find your answer...I wanted to know this to I looked threw book's that did not explain it as good as this ... Posted by meaghane on 11-09-2001 06:23 PM: Bias tape can be used for several things, one of which is edging for quilts, etc, or edging collars on a shirt; you can find it in the fabric section of WalMart, or at a sewing store, they are usually somewhere near the zippers. They come in several colors. BUT... you can also make your own, which I usually try to do so that I can match my fabric exactly the way I want to. If you want to know how to make your own, let me know, and I'll post it. Does this help you any?? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted by Lindsweetie on 11-09-2001 06:40 PM: Would you please post how to make bias tape. I would really love to learn how to do that. Thank you! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted by meaghane on 11-09-2001 09:12 PM: No problem!! Hope I can explain this and have it make sense... OK, here goes. I usually start out by tearing off a piece to straighten my fabric; I take a little snip with my scissors at the end of one of the selvage edges and rip on down, tearing from selvage to selvage. Now then... you need to locate the true bias, which is diagonal to the crosswise and lengthwise grains. So... fold your fabric diagonally so that a straight edge on the crosswise grain is parallel to the lengthwise grain (selvage). Another way to determine the true bias is by using the 45 degree mark on your ruler; you line up the 45 degree mark on the lengthwise grain. Now... back to way #1... Press your fabric along the diagonal fold that you have just made; this is your true bias. open it out, and using the crease as a guide, you can line up the straight edge of your ruler and rotary cut strips of fabric, at whatever width you need them; I make a lot of clothes for my kids, so I never want really wide bias tape. I make my own cording or piping, usually too, and cut a 1 inch strip for that. You can now join your strips to make one really long strip, depending on how much you need... join right sides together, the strips should form a V with seam ends aligned. Press your seams open. Now, with the wrong side of your strip up, fold up a quarter inch "hem" on both lengths of your strip, and press. You do not need to sew this hem. Then, fold strip almost in half lengthwise, with one edge extending slightly beyond the other. That way when you sew your bias tape onto your fabric, the "longer" edge of your tape will be on the bottom, and you will ensure catching it when you sew from the top. Well, good gosh, I hope this makes sense, although it probably doesn't, and I apologize, I probably made way too long of an explanation. It may sound difficult, but it really isn't... it is quite simple once you get the hang of it, looks better with your fabric, and is a heck of a lot cheaper. Let me know if this makes sense, if it doesn't, I'll try again to explain any part of it that is confusing. To more experience sewers out there... is this correct?? This is always how I do it... Bren:
Don't let anyone ...Live Rent Free In Your Head |
User: bren
Member since: 11-30-2002 Total posts: 489 
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