Friday Fun Fact: Finishing an edge with bias tape

Hey, it's time for another installment of our bias tape series!

One of the most common things we do with bias tape is finish an edge, such as a neckline or armhole. 

So you've cut all your bias strips and sewn them into a continuous length. Now what?

You can use a bias tape maker to iron creases in your bias strips in advance, but I prefer to sew first, press after.

You should have a 1/4" seam allowance on your garment. If yours is larger, trim it down.

Pin your bias tape around the edge you're binding, lining up the raw edges. Stitch around at 1/4".

Using the tip of a sharp scissor, snip into the seam allowance all the way around.

Take your piece to the iron. The most important work here is going to happen at the iron! We're going to press in three separate steps.

First press from the right side. Push the bias tape away from the garment and get it nice and flat. Use your fingers or crease with a fingernail as needed to get it really smooth (no lips!).

Next, flip your garment to work from the inside. Fold the raw edge of the bias strip over to enclose the seam allowances. Press press press.



Finally, turn the folded bias edge over again. All the bias tape should be on the inside now, and the seam should be right on the edge. Keep the edge curvy and stretch the bias tape around the curve as needed. Press!



Now pin the bias tape in place and edgestitch close to the inside fold.



Don't flatten the curve as you go! To keep the edge from flaring, keep it rounded as you stitch, and rotate the fabric as you go to follow the curve.



When you're done, the bias tape hides on the inside, and the outside is clean and finished with a simple line of topstitching.

Coming soon, we'll show you more of our favorite bias tape methods!

See the rest of the bias tape tutorials at the Friday Fun Fact archive here! 

Treadlette Tuesday: Elizabeth's Plaid Flannel

Every Tuesday we share projects, inspiration, and ideas for you from our lovely Treadle Yard Goods employees, The Treadlettes!

Check out Elizabeth's latest make! A cute boxy button-up for her 13-year-old kiddo. The pattern is Jalie Florence and the fabric is a super-soft cotton plaid flannel.

She avoided having to do much plaid matching by cutting the back yoke, pockets, and sleeve bands on the bias. It makes your life easier and looks so cute, too!

She of course asked for her kid's input on which color buttons. They answered, all of them, plus this cow!

Because the only thing more fun than digging around in mom's button box is getting to pick the weird ones for your own shirt!

Friday Fun Fact: Cheap Toy Sewing Machines and Why We Don't Like Them

Okay folks it's me Elizabeth here as usual. I have been told that the best Friday Fun Facts are the ones where I just do a sewing-related rant about my pet peeves. Weird, but okay. You asked and you shall receive!

The thing I'm mad about today is cheap toy sewing machines. They are simply not worth your time, energy, or money.



I know we can't all afford a fancy expensive machine, and that's okay! You don't need the most expensive sewing machine out there to do good sewing.



But a sewing machine that works is going to cost more than twenty bucks.

When people bring these machines into the shop, they've already bought them, and I don't have the heart to tell them they wasted their money.

But I'll tell you now: most of these little, cheap machines are absolute garbage.

Here are a few things to watch out for:

- Mini size

- No stitch selector

- No length/width adjuster

- Runs on batteries

- Handheld

- Advertised specifically "for kids"

Sometimes these machines will work for a little while, but they are absolutely not designed to last. Sometimes they just don't work at all!

If you feel you need to buy a machine online, read some reviews. Online retailers often have thousands of reviews for a product, and you can also check out the online sewing community Pattern Review!

Click here to visit the sewing machine reviews at the Pattern Review website!

I would really, really love to be able to recommend the one true perfect machine, but unfortunately it's just not that simple.

There are a lot of variables that go into sewing machine choice. I'd be happy to share my sewing machine buying tips in a future Fun Fact!

For now, please just save your money, time, and frustration and avoid cheap fake machines. 

Like our Friday Fun Facts? See them all here at the blog!

Treadlette Tuesday: Michele's Burnside Bibs

Every Tuesday we share projects, inspiration, and ideas for you from our lovely Treadle Yard Goods employees, The Treadlettes!

Check out the Burnside Bibs that Treadle owner Michele made for her daughter!

Cute, simple overalls are having a big moment right now. A solid linen, a fun printed canvas, or a stunning home dec fabric is ideal for making your own.

Equally cute for a day in the park or a casual dinner party!

Treadlette Tuesday: Rebecca's Hoodie

 It's Treadlette Tuesday, when we share projects, inspiration, and ideas for you from our lovely Treadle Yard Goods employees, The Treadlettes!

Today we're looking at Rebecca's fantastic hoodie!

Rebecca used a double-sided sweater knit and Jalie pattern 2795. She pieced a few extra seams in to save fabric and made a couple fitting tweaks.

But the most exciting detail is that lined hood! Rebecca used an embroidered floral fabric from her stash to create a totally unique design feature!

Plus, she'll be teaching this pattern as a class this winter!

Check out the Hoodie Jacket here!

Friday Fun Fact: Bobbin Animation

Folks, today's fun fact is short and sweet, because I really just wanted to share this mesmerizing animation with you.

Ever wonder exactly how your bobbin thread gets pulled up by your sewing machine? Check out the clip above or click the link to see how the bobbin hook grabs the thread and locks the two threads together!

Click here for the gif! I could seriously watch this all day. It's so hypnotic.

Treadlette Tuesday: Linen Pants

 It's Treadlette Tuesday, when we share projects, inspiration, and ideas for you from our lovely Treadle Yard Goods employees, The Treadlettes!

Elizabeth made these cute, simple pants for her 13 year old kid. The fabric is a fun and durable linen/cotton blend that's a perfect bottomweight. Get it here!

The pattern is Jalie pull-on pants 3243. It has a relatively slim fit in the hips for an elastic-waist pant, which is great if you don't like a baggy seat. DO plan to enlarge the pockets, though - both depth and width could use some extra room!