Make your own Bias Tape and Piping

This is Angie from Peony Patterns (you can find me on instagram @pocketful_of_rainbows88). Today, we are going to show you how to make your own bias tape and piping:  

1. 1/2″ (2.5cm) wide single fold bias tape:
2. 1/2″ (2.5cm) wide piping, and;
3. 1/2″ (2.5cm) wide faux piping.

1.  How to Make Your Own Bias Tape

The thought of making your own bias tape sounds a bit complex and tedious especially when you can buy them pre-made from the shops. However, the ability to make your own bias tape using your own fabric works out way more economical and opens up a world of possibilities using all kinds of fabrics.

In my example, I’m going to start off with a 1/2” single fold bias tape which is probably one of the the most commonly used size in making garments.

Single fold bias tape is often used on the edges of clothing such as necklines and underarms as a facing or binding as well as for hemming circle skirts. The bias tape is flat with the raw edges facing each other in the middle. 

You will need:

• Fabric of your choice - a fat quarter or 10” by 10” square should suffice or however long your project requires.
  Tip: Fabric with smaller print tend to work better for bias tape. Choose something that is tightly woven and lightweight for your bias tape.
• Scissors or a rotary cutter & self healing mat
• A ruler (quilting ruler is preferred but not necessary)
• An iron and sewing supplies
• Bias tape maker (optional)

Finding Your Bias and and Cutting Your Bias Tape

1. Start by giving your fabric a good press and lay it out flat on your cutting mat.
2. Bias tape needs to be cut on a 45-degree angle (i.e. on the bias), so that your bias tape has the stretch to go nicely around curved edges. You start by finding the selvage. The bias is 45-degree angle from the selvage.

3. The easiest way to ensure you are cutting on a 45-degree angle is to fold the edge of your fabric (or selvage) to form a triangle. Press to form a memory crease and unfold.
   
   
4. Align your ruler against this crease and cut across your fabric. Now you have 2 large triangles of fabric. The new diagonal edge will be at 45-degrees – no maths involved!

5. Next, find the 1″ (2.5cm) marking on your ruler, and make sure that you have aligned with the new diagonal edge of your fabric from top to bottom before cutting your strips. You may wish to mark a line for your strip if you are using a scissors. Continue marking 1” (2.5cm) strips until you have exhausted the triangle of fabric. I usually stop cutting my strips when the strips are about 3” (7.6cm) in length.
   
   
6. Using my rotary cutter, align the ruler to the diagonal edge and ensure the width is 1" (2.5cm) cut along the ruler. Cut and repeat until you have enough strips.

7. To help you calculate your single fold bias tape for your next project. Use the following formula:

Sewing your Bias Tape

8. Now we need to sew the strips together to make a long strip using a 1/4” (6mm) seam allowance.
9. Take 2 strips and align the edges (see illustration below) to form a right angle with right sides together. Pin the 2 diagonal edges together with an overhang of 1/4” (6mm).

10. Use a short stitch length and ensure that you backstitch the ends. Press open the seam allowance and carefully cut off the overhang.

11. Repeat step 10 above until all your bias strips are sewed together to form a continuous strip of bias tape.

Making your Bias Tape (With or Without a Bias Tape Maker)

12. Using a Bias Tape Maker: Slot the long angled end into your bias maker and push or pull it through to the other end.
13. Press the folded fabric with your iron as it comes out the other end of your bias maker. 
    Tip: A bit of steam really helps with pressing however, do mind your fingers as the steam from the iron can burn! Use the handle on the bias maker to move it along smoothly and press under you are finished with the strip.

14. Using pins: Using 2 long pins, pin them in and then out of your ironing board cover (per the illustration below). Check that the gap between the pin is the intended width of your bias tape, such as 1/2” (6mm) in our example.
15. Slot the long angled end into your bias maker and push it through the pins to the other end. Press the folded fabric with your iron as it comes out of the pins. Pull slowly and check that the folds are meeting in the middle. Keep pressing until you are finished with your strip.

16. Without tools: Fold the strip of fabric in half wrong sides together and press to make a memory crease.  Unfold.
17. Fold the strip of fabric to meet in the crease, wrong sides together and press. Keep pressing until you are finished with our strip to make your single fold bias tape.

2.  How to Make and Attach your Faux Piping  

Faux piping is also known as flat piping.

You will need:

• Fabric, cut into Bias Strips (Read below to determine the width of your required strips).
• Scissors or a rotary cutter & self healing mat
• A ruler (quilting ruler is preferred but not necessary)
• An iron and sewing supplies

1. To make a faux piping, you start by following step 1 to step 10 in Section A.  How to Make Your Own Bias Tape.
2. To determine your width to cut your bias tape, you need to decide on your width of your faux piping to be seen outside of the seam allowance. For our example, I would like my faux piping to be about 1/4” (6mm) wide from the seam.

3. Calculate using the following formulae: 

4. Fold the strip of fabric in half wrong sides together and press.

5. In our example, we are adding faux piping to the pockets of the Peony Patterns Daisy Dress. To attach to your seam, pin or clip the faux piping to your seam allowance and baste to the fabric at 3/8” (10mm) (i.e. under your seam allowance).

6. Align the pocket bag to the front skirt piece at the pocket, sandwich the faux piping between the front skirt and pocket bag and pin or clip the pieces right sides together.  Sew to attach at the seam allowance and top stitch as per the instructions.

   

3.  How to Make Your Own Piping

Piping can be so easy and quick to make and really adds a certain finish to your handmade garments.

You will need:

• Fabric, cut into Bias Strips (Read below to determine the width of your required strips).
• Piping cord
• A Zipper Foot for your Sewing Machine
• Pins
• An iron and sewing supplies

1. To make your own bias tape, you start by following step 1 to step 10 in Section A.  How to Make Your Own Bias Tape.
2. To determine your width to cut your bias tape, you have to measure the thickness (or width) of your cord. For our example, my piping is 1/16” wide.

3. Calculate using the following formula: 

4. Fold the strip of fabric in half wrong sides together and press.

5. Sandwich the piping cord into the folded edge, leave a little tail at the end. Use a pin to keep the layers together, aligning the raw edges of the bias tape.  It is very useful to use a zipper foot here so that you can sew nice and close to the cord. 
   Sew as close to the cord as possible until you are finished with your bias strip or to your preferred length.

Note: We choose to use a cord of 1/16” thickness for our example, however, there is no piping police. Choose the thickness of your cord to suit your project.

6. You have now made your own piping. Your new piping is ready to be added to your new projects.  Do have a look at our other post on How to Add Piping to Your Posie. 

Have fun experimenting with all the different ways to use your newly handmade trims on your next garment! Happy Sewing!!

𝒜𝓃𝑔𝒾𝑒 xx