Bias Binding Tutorial

Now and then I find a great use for my fabric scraps. And by that I mean not very often. Usually it's a time consuming something-or-other that doesn't really benefit me much.  This is different --it passes my test for purposeful use of scraps!  Here's part 1:

I have fits with commercial bias tape, for various reasons. It's expensive. It may not always match exactly, or come in the width I want. I may want a different fabric than plain cotton, to give a garment a fancier look (how about silk?), and these specialty tapes aren't readily available.  I thought making my own bias tape was never really my cup of tea. I detest cutting long strips of fabric from a pattern piece, especially on the bias. That's why I was so thrilled when I discovered this technique. With a little math and geometry, you can EASILY make about 3 yards of bias tape, with any fabric of your choosing, from a 10 X 10 square of fabric. YES, 10 X 10. That's smaller than some of us even bother to keep. I've posted this video to make it all really easy to follow. Here I demonstrate how to make 1" tape (1/4" wide when double folded). You can use the same technique to cut wider tape, and use a larger square.

Here's part 2:

 

Now wasn't that easy?!