Adventures in Bias Taping

I am participating in the Re-Purpose Along over on Greenstitch. I should have posted about it earlier, because the deadline is tomorrow (Earth Day), but I'm just getting my last item in tonight after our last day of school before Spring Break.

For my last item, I took a vintage sheet

and, using my new Clover bias tape maker, I turned it into gorgeous, multi-purpose bias tape:


I love the bias tape maker. I got the 1" one, which makes 1/2" double-fold bias tape. I will admit, however, that the bulk of the work comes not from folding and ironing the bias tape, anyway, but from cutting and sewing together the strips of bias fabric. This tool doesn't change that. But I love it, anyway. LOVE IT, I SAY! If it inspires me to make more bias tape, then it has done its job, I think. I don't have a specific use for this 164 inches yet, but I know I'll find lots of projects for it. I'm thinking I'll start with a skirt made from another upcycled sheet, and use this around the hem.

There are lots of bias-tape tutorials on the Internet, so I won't re-create the wheel. You can find a good one here from MADE, and a different technique here from the Quick Unpick.

As I was taking pictures on the deck, K could not wait to include two of her newest friends in the photo shoot:


Speaking of the deck, my husband recently re-stained the whole thing in a gorgeous, calming, retro-gray color and painted four Adirondack chairs to go with it:

I absolutely love it. It has transformed our deck from an extra, unloved space in our house into a space that is screaming with color. Added bonus: it's a great backdrop for photos. It's a wonderful place right now, before it gets to be 95 degrees and buggy out there.

Comments

Larissa said…
Love the deck and the chairs - looks like a great place to chill :)
Love the bias binding too - does the bias maker make it any easier to create? Would you say it's worth it investing in one? I love bias but it's so time consuming I usually buy ready made. Homemade is so much groovier!
Michelle said…
Thanks, Larissa! Definitely worth the money for the bias tape maker. This one was under $10 US, including shipping. That's less than three packages of bias tape from the fabric store, and it's nicer (and more eco-friendly) to make it out of repurposed fabric). Plus, if it inspires me to make more of my own, it's worth its weight in gold ;-).
Jen said…
okay, I need one of those bias tape makers! This is such a great idea! Thanks for sharing this at Fantastic Friday! I hope that you will join us again this week.

Popular Posts