Cutting fabric on the bias - Tutorial

How to cut fabric on the bias when making binding for a quilt, apron or other sewing project. Any comments by me that really aren't part of the tutorial - just my observations or ramblings - like this - will be in italics.

For this project make sure you have:
fabric (amount will vary), rotary cutter, large cutting mat, large ruler, sewing machine, thread, scissors, iron.

If you are making a quilt you should have 1 1/4 yards of fabric for the binding. What you will want is a square of fabric. Since the majority of quilting cottons are about 44 inches or so wide 1 1/4 yards should be enough, once you wash and dry it, to have a square of fabric. I didn't need that much binding. I started with a 25 inch square of fabric.

1) Make sure you have a square of fabric. I did make mine square.


2) Fold it into a triangle. This will give you your bias.


3) Notice - your triangle is larger than your largest ruler. We must remedy this!


4) Fold one side of your triangle toward the center.


5) Fold the other side toward the center. Your goal is to now have a piece of fabric that is less than 24 inches wide - the length of that ruler - so you will be able to cut your strips in one fell swoop or cut. And this has done it!


6) Place your ruler on top of your fabric along the bottom fold. Now - make one long cut about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch from the bottom fold.


7) You can discard the scrap.


8) Cut your strips in your desired width. I was making bias for an apron so I cut one inch strips. If you were making a quilt 2 1/2 inch strips would work nicely.


9) When you unfold your strips you will notice they have angles on the ends. You will need to sew these strips together to make your long bias strips for your projects. Here's how. Make sure you have two like ends together - like in the above picture. Both angles are facing the same way.


10) Place your strips right sides together.


11) And turn them. I put the pen in the picture to show you need to sew from the V by the point of the pen to the next V or indent (since my last name begins with a V I like to use the V explanation).


12) Sew. And you will chain sew - as you are ending with this strip pick up the other end, place another strip of fabric next to it to make sure the angles are the same, place them right sides together, turn and sew. The larger the strip the easier and more forgiving I found this to be. The smaller the strips the more I found myself thinking about running to the store to purchase bias tape. But, practice really makes perfect. By the end I was much more adept at sewing the smaller strips together.

13) Then you will have a pile of strips that go from the above ----- to adorning the below apron.

You will have to iron your seams open and cut off a ton of small v's from where the two strips are joined. Then - if making double fold bias tape - you can use a bias tape maker or view my tutorial on how to make bias tape using an iron and a large pin. If you are making a quilt you don't need to iron it in half. You would hold your fabric, folded in half, so the pretty side is facing the outside and you would sew the raw edges onto the edge of your quilt. Perhaps a tutorial for another day.

Best of luck! Hope this all made sense. If it doesn't let me know! And if it does and you succeed have a cup of coffee on me and leave me a comment! Happy sewing, Beth

Make binding or bias tape - without a bias tape maker

I've been creating a lot of aprons. One of the key ingredients seems to be bias tape. Store bought bias tape is okay but my options seem to be very limited. I decided to try to make some using a Clover Bias Tape Maker.

It was easy enough but the bias tape was oh so small. I visited a local quilt shop where I asked if they sold bias tape makers. I was told no. With my obvious look of disappointment (I believe I dropped my shoulders, threw my head back and said UGH rather audibly) the woman in the shop told me I could do it with a large needle. My interest was immediately piqued. After she explained the technique I rushed home and wrote down all she had said. I am here to tell you - this method is just as easy if not easier than using a tape maker.

Technically - I think this might just be binding. The example here is cut selvage to selvage - not on the bias. I'll show how to easily cut fabric on the bias another day.

What you'll need:
Fabric
A large pin or needle (I am using a hat pin I just happened to have)
Iron & Ironing Board
Sewing Machine, Thread, Scissors, Rotary Cutter, Ruler

Step One - I cut my fabric into four inch strips. This will give me one inch double fold bias tape. To make 1/2 inch double fold bias tape you would need your fabric to be two inches wide. (.5 * 4 = 2)

Step Two: Place your fabric right sides together. Make an L with your fabric. You will sew it diagonally (please zoom in on photo if you need to see the stitching line). (When you purchase bias tape you can see it is sewn together in places - that is what you are doing - sewing together your fabric strips to make one continuous piece of bias tape.) Keep adding strips until you have the length you need.

Step Three: Use a ruler and measure about 1/4 inch away from your stitched line.

Step Four: Use a rotary cutter and trim. You will now have some triangles that can be saved for a future project. Repeat until all joined strips are trimmed. Press your seams open with an iron. Iron your entire continuous strip of bias tape.

Step Five: I now need to take my large pin and stick it into my ironing board cover, out again, measure over two inches and stick it back into the ironing cover and out again. The opening is two inches wide. This is where the fabric will be placed.

Step Six: Take your fabric and fold both edged toward the center. Then pull it under the pin.

Step Seven: Take a ruler or guide and measure each fold making sure each is one inch. Pull the fabric out a little more, measure again, and start ironing.

Step Eight: Pull fabric through and iron. Every so often look closely to make sure that each side is still about an inch each. Once you have pulled your whole strip through you can just fold it in half, iron it and voila! You will have made your very own double fold bias tape / binding.

Let me know if you have any questions with the tutorial. Have fun making your own bias tape / bidning. Beth

Daisy Chain Tutorial

Daisy Chains! Okay, we use black-eyed susans but you get the point. This is such a great, easy, no cost (unless you need to buy the flowers) activity.

First - pick some flowers from your yard. Make sure your stems are at least two inches long. Daisys and black-eyed susans work nicely. We have also done this with dandelions. I don't recommend making chains out of any flower that has a milky sap. The sap will be all over your fingers, or worse, your child's head.

Pick up your first flower and about an inch or two down make a slit in the stem with your fingernail.

Open the hole a bit.

Place stem of a second flower into the hole.

You now have a chain of two flowers.

Repeat the process of making a hole in the stem with your fingernail and inserting a new flower into the slit.

Look - three now. Keep going around. When you come to the last flower, what I do, is I make sure the stem is longer than the others and weave that stem through at least one other hole making it a little sturdier.

Voila! A flower fairy with a beautiful crown.

Here is Lucy making herself an anklet. She's six so a child of six years of age, if motivated enough, can do this all by herself.

Get out and unplug your kids. Make some daisy chains. Draw with some chalk on the sidewalk. You can even brush the dog. And if you don't have a dog to brush feel free to come over and brush mine. She's got a ton of fur!

Photos of my un-manicured hands courtesy of Lucy.

Skylight Curtain Tutorial

When we moved to New England seven years ago we noticed a trend. Most of the houses had skylights. I love skylights. I love that they vent the hot air out and that during our long winter months they let light in. Lots of light. What I don't like is that my children's bedrooms are so bright when they go to bed the children (1) refuse to go to sleep while Mr. Golden Sun is still up and (2) are unable to sleep in late in the morning with Mr. Golden Sun shining in their eyes at 5.30 am.

I first whipped this skylight curtain up about six years ago for my husband, who couldn't see the t.v. or play his X-Box on weekends because of the glare on the television.

The skylights in my children's bedrooms are huge. I measured the width of the window to be 43 inches across. I added one inch onto this number for a hem. The width of the fabric would need to be 44 inches.

I then measured the length. 50 inches. I then added a few inches on the end for the rod sleeves and came up with a length of 56 inches.


Supplies needed:

• Two fabric pieces cut 44 x 56 (make sure your backing fabric is black - my first skylight curtain has Nemo fabric for the front and back and it does not do the job well)
• Two tension rods that extend to 60 inches (the kind you use for shower curtains - can be found at some grocery stores or at large discount stores. Pay attention to the lengths - they come in a variety of sizes - buy the ones that will fit your window)
• Sewing machine, iron, thread, scissors, ruler, yardstick

Find a nice large table or floor and cut both your front and back fabric to size. Sit there and cut and sew extra fabric onto main piece since you used it before on a quilt and completely forgot. Actually - a patchwork front to match a homemade quilt on a bed would be nice as well. Remember to wash, dry, and iron your fabrics before cutting.


On both 44 inch sides of both the front and back fabric fold the fabric down one half inch, iron and sew. You now have a hem and your fabric is now 43 inches wide.

Place the fabrics right sides together. Sew up both of the 56 inch sides. You now have a large tube you can capture children in.
Once you release your prisoners turn the tube so it is now right side out. Iron it.

Find that large table or floor again. Place the tube on the floor with the black fabric facing you (pretty fabric will be on the floor - remember to sweep up dog hair before this part). Fold the fabric up 3 or 3 1/2 inches. I think three would have been fine but I went with 3 1/2 (see above image with ruler as a guide). Try to put your tension rod in the opening. If the widest part of the rod can easily slide in and out pin your fabric and sew. If not - adjust until the rod does slide in and out easily and then sew. You just made a sleeve for your tension rod. Repeat on other side.


Take rods and curtain to window. Insert tension rods into the curtain. Stand at window turning the rods until they fit. Stand back, admire your work and listen to your children scream "Mommy! It looks like the night sky!"

Can be taken down and washed. Can be rolled up to let in light. The kids can use it to build a fort or as a blanket for their dolls (okay - maybe just my kids). And mommy can hope it will help with bedtime / rise and shine time.

Happy Sewing!

(Edited to add: Children each slept at least one hour longer with the new skylight curtain in the bedroom window.)