How to make Bias Tape/Binding

I sometimes like to make my own Bias Tape/Binding



Cut your fabric on the forty-five degree angle on the cutting board.

Decide how wide you want your binding

quarter inch tape/binding - cut fabric one inch wide

half inch tape/binding - cut fabric one and half inches wide

one inch tape/binding - cut fabric twqo and half inches wide

Fold fabric in half and press well

Fold the edges in quarter inch and press again

Fold the fabric in half again and press

To join two pieces together cut the binding/tape at a forty five degee angle

Remember opposites attract!

Cut the fabric of the joining piece the opposite end

Join the two pieces together at right angles matching the outer pressed creases

Sew the two pieces together and trim

Press the fabric again

Sew onto the edge of what you are making!

Patchwork

Like everything, if you want something done well then take it slowly and carefully.

I always press fabric I am going to stitch together first,  the pressing with the iron seems to stick the pieces together. Add the next piece after you have pressed the seams flat.  As time goes on you will find this becomes easy.
Press the seams flat add the next piece and so on........

Get to know your machine.  The instructions in my book to make a patchwork square says machine a scant quarter of an inch.  I don't have a quarter inch marked on the needle plate, so I marked the first pieces of  fabric a quarter inch in from edge with pencil and placed it under the presser foot and placed the needle on the mark by hand then carefully machined a line of stitches.   As you see quarter of an inch takes me to the one of Feed Dogs.  Each sewing machine is different so find a mark you can remember. 

If you are machining a lot of squares at the same time machine them in a chain - Slowly and Carefully Do Not speed your way through the process as this can distort fabric and make the stitches uneven,