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Making Your Own Bias Tape

Bias tape (aka bias binding) has a plethora of purposes -- a seam finish, a waistband (another kind of waistband), a quick hem alternative, a substitute for facings, and certainly others I didn't mention. But you don't want to use the few colors of plain cotton they have at the store? Make your own!

The required materials are:

• A large square or rectangle of fabric
• A chalk pencil or washable fabric pen
• Thread, iron, ruler or yardstick, scissors, those types of things

There is another method to make bias tape, where you sew the fabric as a tube and then cut the binding in one continuous piece. You can find more information about this method at The Dread Pirate Rodgers Continuous Bias Tape Page and the Albedo Designs Bias Binding Page.

So here is the SavvySeams bias tape method:

Step 1: 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, your strips should be 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. Usually I make double fold, 1/2" wide, so I 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. You need to 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).

Step 2: 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.

Step 3: Start attaching the strips. Place one over the other at a right angle, right sides together. Make sure the square ends line up.

Step 4: Stitch diagonally from corner to corner of the overlapping squares.

Step 5: The seam will look like this. Sew all the strips together using the same method. Be sure that you are consistent - with how you assemble your seams, otherwise you will end up with seams angling both directions.

Step 6: Clip off the corners of each seam to a 1/4" seam allowance.

Step 7: Open up the seams....

Step 8: And press the seam allowances flat.

Step 9: Fold the strip in half lengthwise, right side out, and press.

Step 10: Open up the strip again. Now press both raw edges into the center. This is single fold bias tape.

To make double fold bias tape, fold again in the center and press.