How to Make your Own Bias Tape to create a Stained Glass effect

Bias Tape - definition - a narrow strip of folded fabric cut from the bias of fabric.

Bias tape is awesome and can be used in all manner of ways. It is often used on the edge of sleeves, piping, binding or finishing raw edges. It adds a wonderful pop of colour or a finishing touch to a project.

We have used it as a finishing touch on our Patchwork Handbag design to give this a great stained glass window effect.

Bias Tape is a very common item in most craft stores, so if you want you can always just buy this, however, you are limited to colour and you can make your own much cheaper than what you could buy it.

Patchwork Handbag Applique and Bag Pattern

To begin, you will need to cut your bias strips.

Depending on the desired width of your finished tape, as a general rule you want your strips to be 4x as wide as the finished width.

For example, if you would like a 6mm (¼“) finished bias tape you’ll cut your initial bias strips 2.5cm (1”) wide.

Cut along the true bias of your fabric, which falls at a 45° angle from the selvage.

Once you have cut your strips it is time to get folding and pressing.

You do have the option of doing this by hand by folding the binding in half, then bringing each edge into the centre crease and pressing, or by feeding it through a Sasher tool or bias tape maker like the ones shown below.

The Sasher Collection - by Pauline Rogers or Bias Tape Makers.

With the wrong side of the bias strip facing up, feed the end through the bias tape maker. Use a pin to help feed it, if it is not going through smoothly.

Pull about 2.5cm (1") through and anchor the end with a pin onto your ironing board.

Now slide the bias tape maker backwards as you move your iron forwards over the newly folded fabric to set the folds. Continue until you reach the end of your bias strip.

You now have a single fold piece of bias tape. As we have cut this 2.5cm (1") this will be 12mm (1/2") bias tape, if you would like 6mm (1/4") bias tape simply fold this in half and press again.

You can use your bias tape right away or...

wind it onto a piece of cardboard to stay neat for a later date.

In these videos we show you how to apply the bias tape to your applique to create the stained glass effect.

Patchwork handbag part one

https://sewswpea.com/blogs/tutorials/how-to-sew-the-patchwork-handbag

Patchwork handbag part two

https://sewswpea.com/blogs/tutorials/how-to-sew-the-patchwork-handbag

Click here for our beautiful Patchwork Handbag design