How do you find the bias? This will give you "true bias". Debbie Colgrove Join the Bias Strips . Whenever I had a question as I was reading through your process, you answered it in the next paragraph or picture with complete clarity. We are trying to make my sons crib bedding! for both Bias Cut and Straight Cut Binding. Be careful to keep the folded edges aligned, Again, take the corner and fold to the opposite corner, as shown, Again, make sure the folded edges are aligned. I need to make about 30 yards of cording. Wash, dry, and iron your fabric. Obviously, you don’t have to actually purchase a bias ruler. When you fold the selvage (finished edge) of the fabric at a 90 degree angle. The key to slipcovers is patience and plenty of time to get details and measurements right. Perhaps you’ve heard it called piping? and I was able to pull it off!!! Just now reading this in 2017 and I must say “thank you!” This is a very smart and easy way to do this and I thank you for sharing it. Take one corner of the fabric and fold it diagonally to meet the opposite corner. All Rights Reserved. . Also, since the threads in the fabric are woven together, it has a tendency to not ravel. I’m assuming that if 1/2 yd makes 280 inches, one yd of fabric makes double that? Which is the term I learned many many years ago from my grandmother who was a seamstress. on the part before last of your tutorial, “I take a piece of cardstock (or a piece of junk mail) and cut a short strip that is the width of the seam I will be using on my project (in this case, 5/8-inch wide), and use it as a guide to trim any excess fabric. 2. I was going to forgo the piping on a DYI project until I came across this. Using a rotary cutter, cutting mat and acrylic ruler makes the process of cutting your bias strips quick and easy. Take your fabric and wrap around a pencil or such.. look at the pattern..it will look different if cut on the bias.. as opposed to just cutting straight strips. Yes – this can be confusing, but it is SO WORTH forging on and figuring it out. And speaking of welt cord, there are different kinds available. Any suggestions? It was only in the last few years that I realized most pros call it “welt”. Dec 11, 2012 - How to cut bias strips for piping and banding and how to cut fabric on the bias. But I’m telling you, it’s not as bad as you think. […] In addition to the main piece of fabric for the top of the chair seat, you will also need enough fabric-covered welt cord to go around the edge of the seat, plus a long strip of fabric, about 5 or 6 inches wide, long enough to go around the outside of the chair seat. Cutting fabric on the bias involves rotating the fabric 45 degrees, and cutting where the fabric has the most stretch. will this method still work? great tutorial, I’ll be trying it soon, thanks! Thanks. In order to make your own custom piping for your project, you need some cording and fabric strips cut on the bias. Maybe that’s regional?) There are two basic types of binding, straight grain binding (which includes cross grain binding) and bias binding. You can use as much fabric as you need to make as much welt as you need. Thank you! I’m off to make myself some bias cord cover I’ve been putting off . Thanks. If you want to make piping that is longer than the bias strips you've been able to cut from your fabric, it is quick and painless to join multiple bias strips together to create endless strips of binding. The one on the left has a twisted look to it, and it costs about three times more than the one on the right. Cut as many strips as your project requires, parallel with the 45 degree crease you made. Thanks.! (hard to explain without a picture). This chart only displays approximations for the most common piping diameter, 5/32”. Now you’re going to fold and pin the top and bottom cut edges together. Thank you for the quick reply! Generally the fabric is cut on the bias (diagonally across the fabric on a 45 degree angle) as it allows the fabric to stretch and bend around corners better than if it were cut on the straightgrain. In this video, we'll show you how to cut the fabric is straight strips. Many fabrics – in particularly “directional” prints, like checks and stripes – look especially effective when cut on the bias. How to Cut Bias Strips for Piping or Banding When using 54" wide fabric, allow 54” for the length so you can start with a 54" x 54" square. Until you reach the other end of the tube of fabric. I am planning to recover a dozen dining room chairs and reupholster an old rocker. Sew the seam diagonally when joining two strips to make one, so that it has the same give as the rest of the fabric in the piping. 2. Thank you so very much! I need to make 60 yards of piping – do you know if you can do this method with more yardage than just 1/2 yard of fabric?? The tutorial also shows you how to sew it onto the fabric, and a few tips on how to make … Who knew that was possible. Great tutorial ! Take one corner and fold to the opposite corner, as shown. However, if you are piping something that is completely straight, then bias isn’t necessary. However, if you are piping something that is completely straight, then bias isn’t necessary. So very easy – just follow your wonderfully detailed instructions. This tutorial shows you how to make piping using your own fabric cut on the bias. And that’s it! Can’t wait to get home and try it! Open the fabric up so that it’s just a single layer with the selvages on the sides, and the cut edges on top and bottom. Determine how wide you want your bias strips to be and mark the increments on the fabric. Hi Kristi! When we're applying piping to a rounded seam, a cushion cover for example, the process is essentially the same, and made possible by the fact that the piping has been made with bias binding, which allows for the smooth and flexible turning of a curve. for a total of 4 3/8 inches wide strips. This is great! Every piece of woven fabric has two biases, perpendicular to each other. I made welting/cording using this technique yesterday for some pillow covers I am making for my daughter. So glad it was what popped up when I googled it. What a brilliant technique! I'm a DIY fanatic remodeling my way through our 1948 fixer upper.More About Kristi. It’s quite definitive and I liked that you explained it step by step. Yowza! I have made yards and yards of bias strips this way; it’s great. Does this method work with fabric that has a nap? The fabric for piping should be cut on a bias, or a diagonal, so the piping can stretch slightly as it is sewn into the pillow seam, especially around the corners. Really appreciate it! I searched the web a few months ago for instructions to jog my memory and found nothing so straight forward. And because it’s cut on the bias, it’s a bit stretchier and more flexible. A great idea well explained. That way when you are cutting on the chalk line, you line will continue straight at the seam, and all will be straight. Now, we have the fabric but are struggling with the piping aspect! Great photos. Bias cut fabric will stretch and give a little and this is very important when going around a curve or corner (like on a pillow). But I have 2 striped outdoor lounge cushions to do..does anyone know? This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. It is generally used around edges of blankets, hot pads, neck lines, and so many more projects. I must be doing something wrong because there are many more strips in the diagram and when I try to pin them as described it’s not working properly. Brilliant ! Thank you!!! Learn how to cut bias strips. That.is.GENIUS! YUK. No more sitting at the sewing machine while tediously piecing together strip after strip after strip of fabric. I have been stalling making two long cushions for some window seats in my house because I just couldn’t face making that much piping. She had a name for this method, but I can’t remember exactly what it was, something like fascia?? Put two strips with right sides together at a 90° angle, and stitch diagonally. The piping simply will not lay flat even on a straight section if you don't do that. When cut on the bias, fabric has more drape. CONNECT THE FABRIC STRIPS – If you are making a project that requires a long length of cording, you will need to sew the bias strips together to make it long enough. 360″ of bias x 4 1/2″ wide = 1620 ÷ 42″ wide fabric = 38.57″ ÷ 36 = 1.07 yards of fabric. Thank you. It's a tad tedious, taping the piping ends together, pressing the end of one fabric piece under and lapping it over the other end by hand. I can’t wait to try it now! When you make your piping, cut the fabric on the bias. Thanks again, Jeanne. But I have since learned a much easier way to make one long continuous bias strip that requires sewing only one single seam. Once again, you have made something in my life so much easier! Bias binding can seem like it takes a LOT of fabric to make (this is not entirely true. Thanks for clarifying for us. for example, I recently made two large 26″ square pillows and I used 1 inch diameter cord material (in order to be balanced, the large size of the pillows dictated that I use a MUCH larger welting than what Kristi has shown). And when you’ve sewn the length of the cord, you’re left with this beautiful covered welt cord, ready and waiting to be used on your project! *Bias is fabric that is cut on the diagonal. 1. I sure thought this sounds next to impossible but with your instructions I DID IT! I’ve measured, pinned and cut and I have 8 yards of continuous fabric, YAY! To see this process in action, watch our How to Make Bias Piping Video (#X-HT-200665). Take care not to stretch it out of shape when sewing it to a … Lift up the border strip and decide how much will be his width. Londa demonstrates how to fold fabric to cut the longest possible bias strips of any width. Fold the top corner of your fabric down and align it against the bottom edge so you make a big folded triangle. I am trying this technique with 1 yard of fabric that is only 42.5 inches wide. […]. To put it simply fabric is cut at a diagonal angle. I’m going to give this a try. Okay, I’ve been sewing for a zillion years and that is the most brilliant explanation and technique I have ever seen! You may have heard of, and even used, Front Porch & Exterior Makeover (In Progress), this dark gray slipcovered chair with contrasting white welt cord, Moving & Reframing My Bathroom Door (Plus, My Door Design Decision), How To Get A Matte Or Satin Finish On Resin, How To Upholster A Dining Chair With Welt Cord & Buttons, DIY: Make An Easy Floor Cloth In 60 Minutes Or Less, How to Add a Little Pizzazz to Pillows and Cushions | Elite Sites - Website Reviews, Best of the Web Directory, DIY Diamond Tufted Ottoman with contrast trim | the Project Addictthe Project Addict, http://tilemosaics.blogspot.com/2017/02/seat-cushions.html. . I had watched a youtube video by an upholsterer, and he said most in the profession use a 60″ bias, which I misunderstood as 60 degrees! I will be using it to redo my dining chair covers. Overall, I find that it’s easier to work with and the finished cord has a much nicer, smoother look. Decide how wide will be they and cut a few strips with angle 45 degree, as shown. Thanks so much for your clear directions and photos, Kristi. This gives me hope and inspiration, Thank you, thank you! You technically can do it any way you want, but on the bias is the preferred method. Aimee says. Help! Use a gentle cycle on your washing machine, and cold water. I wouldn’t recommend that you use chalk.). I did some cushions recently and added some welt cord around the edges. I am using duck canvas and will be making piping (this tutorial is great). I make a ton of welting, traditional, frustrating method way. And so on. Addicted 2 Decorating is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. I used 55-inch-wide fabric. Very helpful!! Two inches will cover your cording..yes.. but will it give you enough seam to then sew where you need too.. That is … Thank you so very much for sharing this! For example, I was going to use a standard 5/8-inch seam to sew the fabric, so I made sure that the lines were touching 5/8-inch from the edges of the fabric. I cut a rectangle that was 24″ x 18″ to start with. Im making a duvet cover. (There's a little hand-sewing step left to finish where the beginning and ending of the piping meet at the back). I am so excited to try this! Starting with the ruler lined up with the bottom left corner of the fabric, use a pen or pencil to mark off the strips. Open the fabric up so that it’s just a single layer with the selvages on the sides, and the cut edges on top and bottom. Take one corner of the fabric and fold it diagonally to meet the opposite corner. I am okay at basic sewing but never really understood how to cord something. I was wondering if it is possible to use this method for stripes or velvets? 1. Join the Bias Strips Great tip. 220″ of bias x 3″ wide = 660 / 42″ wide fabric = 15.72″ / 36 = 0.436 yards So calculate according to the size of your cording) . I much prefer the one on the left, even though it’s quite a bit more expensive. Wow, sending huge pats on your back thru the internet! At beginning you need cut the bias strips. Take the first strip and lay it on top of the next strip right sides together. In this video, I will share 2 different ways to cut fabric on the bias. I seem to remember that there is a way to either fold the fabric or to cut in a circular pattern that gives the benefit of saving fabric and cutting the fabric on the bias. Look! I am in the middle of a large project ( redecorating my granddaughters den) and am covering an ottoman and making throw pillows. I wish I had known this on my last two slipcover adventures! It’s as simple as folding your cut edge of the fabric to your selvage edge. I made over 9 yards of bias tape using a half yard of fabric, so the yield is pretty good! sewing individual bias ends together is easy when you sew them in a chain, without stopping to cut thread and snip the thread after. However, when I was using it for welting, I glued it with fabric glue rather than sewing. Whatever you use needs to be about 2.5 inches wide. OH MY MUFFINS! Your tutorial is the easiest with the clearest descriptions that I have found. Crease the fold with your iron. Get your scissors in there and trim off this triangle. I hope that I will have them made by the end of this weekend. no. (Don’t know much about the bias? If you don’t have one piece long enough to go all the way around, it’s okay to piece together two strips of fabric. The chart displays how many yards of 5/32” piping 1 yard of fabric will create in both bias and straight cuts. This will give you "true bias". 3. Brenda. The bumper we found was 165.00 and way above our budget for the entire crib set! I know it is an old post but thank you! I made a “cardboard” ruler which worked great. I am interested whether you’ve ever tried this with a 30 degree bias, and whether this would help with less frequent seams, or a substantially better yield? That’s just what was on my machine at the time.). You can find my tutorial for making welt cord here. This chart only displays approximations for the most common piping diameter, 5/32”. Cut the strips a little wider than you would for fabric, fold over the piping … The join the first line on the bottom edge with the second line on the top edge. I totally agree with you that piping can make the world of difference and that after re upholstering quite a bit of things with welt, it’s much better to get the more expensive welt! Kristi – could you make a video of this? THANKS for POSTING THIS! Christi- This is a great, very clear tutorial! With the seam sewn, the fabric will look all twisted and unruly. How to attach the piping to fabric. Thanks! This is an excellent tutorial on making welt cord (or piping!). Take one corner of the fabric and fold it diagonally to meet the opposite corner. Thank you for all the tips and projects. Fold the first layer back out of the way and pick up the second layer. Cut bias strips. Now to add the cording. I’ll only repeat what so many people say in here, it is GENIUS and I have too been sewing for ever too!!! Thanks for the tutorial! If only I had learned about it 20 years ago!!! can you help me this that. Okay, I did make strips on a 30 degree bias, but I realized that the angles at the ends would not be 45 degrees, so I made the strips the old-fashioned way. If I am going to go to the trouble of making a slipcover, I always make welting too, it really sets the piece off, but I dread it. I’ve got a piece that is 45″ wide by about a yard and a quarter long. 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We just built a house with a how to cut fabric on the bias for piping shape of fabric, as shown corner to the of. Can tackle it have ever seen but i have 8 yards of fabric so i... Tediously piecing together strip after strip after strip after strip of fabric to cut about 15 to. Found was 165.00 and way above our budget for the next time need!