I deliberated long and hard, but in the end the bank manager wouldn't let me splash out on an electric bias tape maker... so I've got one of those cheap $8 manual ones that you feed the fabric through and it creases it in all the right places, and you iron it as it comes out the other side.
So, this weekend I'll mostly be making bias tape!
Actually I have to sew 2 strips of 2.5" wide fabric up each length of the backing fabric because it's 43" and my quilt top is 48"... once I've done that the bias tape binding will attach to the top and those extension strips.
I was a little puzzled why my 6" squares hadn't lost 1/2" each in their seams, giving my 8x 5.5" strips, or 44" quilt top instead of a 48" one... but measuring a square revealed each square to be 6.5" - so they did lose their 0.5" seam width, but unfortunately not making them a little bit smaller! ... I will make my quilt tops a better size for my backing next time maybe!
Happy long holiday weekend to my American readers (and me, yay no work on Monday!!!!!)
How to sew a straight line when you're blind or have low vision, and other adventures. Follow me as I try my hand at sewing after 25 years, beginning with quilting class .
Ooooh lucky you, long weekend! Then again I can't complain we had one last weekend!
ReplyDeleteTake your time with the bias binding gadget, make sure you don't burn your fingers!
Half the time i just use the iron on its own to make my binding, trust me, after that the wee gadget you got will be a dream - you dont need one of the machines, you still have to sit there and thread them up with your made strip... Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy your day off! and like Mimi said, watch your fingers!!
ReplyDeleteWhat do you need bias for? :) (do screen readers recognise smilies?)
ReplyDeleteYes, I'll watch my fingers (or delegate!)
ReplyDeleteScreen readers don't recognize smilies as smilies, but it just says "colon left parentheses", which you get used to recognizing as a smilie :)
And I admit, my bias tape ain't going to be cut on the bias this time!
So, you've probably discovered this on your own, but . . . unless you have curved edges on your quilt, there's no need to make bias binding! Just straight strips will do just fine, and last at least as long. I always use French binding, which means it's doubled over, because it lasts longer, but bias - never bother, because I'm definitely not making quilts with curved edges - not on purpose, anyway!
ReplyDeleteI cut 2.25 inch strips (or 2.5 is good, too), fold them in half and press, then sew the raw edge to the raw edge of the quilt, on the front, turn the folded edge to the back, and stitch down. Or I did, before I found someone eager to do it for me. I hate binding, it's boring!