Making Double Fold Bias Tape

Bias tape is a strip of fabric cut on the bias and then folded to finish the edge of a sewing project. It has some stretch so it will easily go around corners and curves, most often used on the bindings of quilts and blankets. It is easy to make and will not only save you a little change but a matching binding will look so much nicer than a solid color from the store. Here is how:

1. The easiest fabric to use is a cotton or cotton blend because it will make a sharp crease when ironed. wash and dry your fabric.
2. Begin by laying your fabric flat. Take the cut edge of the fabric and fold it up to meet the selvage edge. So the fold will be on the diagonal, the fold is the bias- there will be a lot of stretch to it. Press this fold with the iron and then unfold.
3. Cut a strip of fabric along the pressed edge- if you want a 1/2" double fold bias tape make the cut 2" (the math is: width of finished tape x 4 = width of cut) Cut as many strips as you need for your project
4. Join the strips by overlapping the ends of two strips at a 90 degree angle. Pin and mark from corner to corner and sew along the marked line. See photo below.
   

5. trim your edges to 1/4 inch and unfold, it should be one continuous strip, if it makes a corner instead of a long strip, the stitch line was from the wrong corners just trim it out and start over

6. Folding -begin laying your strip out on the ironing board and folding one long edge almost to the middle, press and do this for the entire length of the connected bias strips

7. Repeat for the other long edge

8. Fold the bias strip in half so the two folded edges meet. Finished!