Continuous Bias Binding Tutorial

CONTINUOUS BIAS BINDING YARDAGE CHART.

for the handy-dandy chart please click here.

 My great friend Lesli taught me how to make this fabulous bias binding. I love that it is continuous, I don't have to sew a bazillion 45 degree angled seams, it doesn't require a square piece of fabric, nor does it waste the fabric. In this illustration, I used a 1/2 yard of fabric to make 2" bias binding. This 1/2 yard yielded over 10 yards of 2" bias binding.

Tools: Large cutting mat, smaller cutting mat, rotary cutter, large grid-ruler (with 45 degree markings), pins, iron

1. Start by squaring up/straightening the edges of the fabric. I do this by folding the fabric (right sides together) in half and matching the selveges. I place the folded edge at the top of my mat and trim the other three sides [left side, right side, and selveges]. You may wish to measure across in a few different places to insure your fabric has been squared up neatly.
2. Using a 1/4" seam, sew from the bottom of the fabric edges to the fold on each side. The bottom (where the selveges once were) will remain open.
3. Insert a smaller cutting mat into the "pocket" of fabric. You will want the mat as close to the upper-left corner as possible.
4. Place the 45 degree angle line of your ruler on top of your left seam. Adjust the ruler so that the right edge of the ruler intersects at the top of the seam and fold.
5. Slice the fabric the length of your ruler. Remember that you are only cutting through the top layer at this time.
6. Reposition the ruler and continue to cut to the right edge of the fabric.
7. Flip the fabric over and repeat the cutting steps 3-6 on the reverse side.
8. If your 45 degree cut has not yet reached the bottom of the fabric, you will want to twist/turn the fabric across the mat and finish the cut to the bottom of the fabric.
9. Once you have completed these cutting steps, you will have a parallelogram. Press open the seams.
10. This is the trickiest part to measure the right angle/side. Here are some definitions: Pointy edge: the corner of the parallelogram that jets out. Short Edge: this is the edge that was formerly the open/bottom end or where the selveges once were. Long Edge: This is the newly cut 45 degree angle of the fabric. On the "pointy edge" of the parallelogram we are going to measure 2 1/4". You will add 1/4" to your desired finish tape width to compensate for the seam allowance. The ruler will be placed along the "long edge" of the fabric. Place a pin through the fabric on the "short edge" at this point. You will repeat this step on the opposite end with the other "pointy edge". This will be where we will begin cutting the bias binding.
    
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12. With right sides together, fold the bottom corner up to the top pin and the bottom pin to the top corner. Each side will be offset by 2 1/4". Pin the edges together between the pins.
13. Sew a 1/4" seam from the first pin to the last.
14. You will have a "twisted tube"
15. Once again insert a cutting mat between the tube layers. I like to start cutting on the left side because I am right handed. Line the ruler's 2" line on the left edge of the fabric where the "pointy edge" is offset.
16. Begin cutting 2" the length of your ruler.
17. Adjust the fabric and ruler and continue cutting. Around and around and around.
18. You will have a heap of continuous bias binding when you are finished.