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Q&A
By Gena Bloemendaal
How do you make bias tape from one yard of fabric?
Kathy A.,
e-mail
You can make bias tape by cutting strips of fabric at a 45° angle from the straight of grain, stitch the strip ends together at a 45° angle, and then trim and press the seams. Or try this much simpler way to create a continuous bias strip.
After laundering and pressing the fabric, evenly trim off the selvages, square the cut edges, and lay the fabric on a hard, flat surface.
Fold the upper right corner down to the lower selvage, creating a 45° angle, and press (1). Unfold the fabric and cut along the pressed line. For a precise cut, use a rotary cutter and ruler.
Right sides together, stitch the cut-off triangle to the opposite fabric end; press the seam open (2).
Determine the bias tape type (single or double-fold) and width you'll need. Then use an air- or water-soluble pen to draw evenly spaced lines on the fabric wrong side from selvage to selvage, making the lines parallel to the angled ends (3).
For single-fold bias tape, multiply the desired finished width by two and draw the lines that distance apart.
For double-fold bias tape, multiply the desired finished width by four. For example, draw lines 3" apart for a 3/4"-wide, double-fold bias strip, or 4" apart for a 1"-wide, double-fold bias strip.
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Fold the fabric right sides together, shifting the upper section one line to the right, and aligning the remaining lines (4).
Stitch the seam with a 1/4" seam allowance, and press the seam open. Cut on the line, starting at one end and continuing to the opposite end. You'll end up with one very long bias strip.
Use a bias tape maker to fold the tape as you press it, or press both raw ends to the center for single-fold bias tape. Fold the tape in half once more and press to create double-fold bias tape (5).
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