Launching into making vintage-styled aprons brought an unanticipated sewing challenge … bias tape. Yards and yards of bias tape. It sounded so simple, so direct. “Bind raw edges with double fold bias tape.” Right …
The first challenge? Buying the bias tape. Easy, just go to the fabric store. Look at all those colors! Well, color trends are, well, trends. Pick up a great vintage-look fabric and finding a coordinating color bias tape can be all but impossible. So, back to the fabric bolts to find fabric to match an existing tape.
The second challenge? That soft, lovely cotton calico is calling out to made into an apron. The commercial coordinating bias tape, well, it’s stiff polyester. It’s got an unhealthy sheen. It spoils the drape of the apron. It makes the cotton fabric cry out in shame. We’re not happy.
The obvious solution? Make my own bias tape. And you know what? It’s easy. It opens up a whole world of color and print possibilities. And, it makes my aprons so very happy!
All you need is some coordinating fabric, scissors, and an iron. To make larger quantities, add a rotary cutter and cute little bias tape making tool.
There are many excellent bias tape making tutorials on the internet, so I won’t add my own. Here are a few examples that I enjoyed. Two are pictorial and the other is a video.
Colette Patterns’ sewing tips website: The Coletterie
(also a great source of vintage inspired sewing patterns!)
Dana Willard’s tutorials, patterns, recipes, and more: Dana Made It
(love her Rollie Pollie bean bag chair pattern! and she has recipes!)
Amy Karol’s fun weblog: Angry Chicken
(you tube tutorial with humor, how can you not be inspired by an angry chicken?!)
Another day I’ll go into my adventures in actually applying the bias tape …