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Monday, July 04, 2011
Seam Finishes: How to Stitch Bound Seams
I've already showed you two super easy ways to finish seam allowances - today we're moving on to something slightly fancier, but still easy. I show you three different ways to use double-fold bias tape to bind off the edges of your seam allowance. Go basic and bind both edges at once. Go slightly fancier and bind the two edges separately - this is especially nice with heavyweight fabrics. Or go playful - stitch your seams on the outside of the garment and use the binding as a seam finish/embellishment.
This is a fun technique to play around with. Have fun with it!
If you need a review on how to make double-fold bias tape, the video is here.
Stitch all the way to the edge where you need to make your turn. Backstitch and remove it from the machine. Fold the bias tape around the corner, mitering the corner in as you go, then start stitching again. If you need to, you can go back and handstitch your miters down after you're all done with the machine stitching, but I hardly ever need to do that. Another option is to round the corners (works well with potholders and placements) so you don't have any actual corners - just ease it around the curves. :-)
Wendi - any tips on how to miter corners with bias tape on a finished side of a project? (i.e. potholder or placemats, etc)
ReplyDeleteStitch all the way to the edge where you need to make your turn. Backstitch and remove it from the machine. Fold the bias tape around the corner, mitering the corner in as you go, then start stitching again. If you need to, you can go back and handstitch your miters down after you're all done with the machine stitching, but I hardly ever need to do that.
DeleteAnother option is to round the corners (works well with potholders and placements) so you don't have any actual corners - just ease it around the curves. :-)