FYI - Tips and Tricks You Can't Live Without
Do you believe in Magic? Would a few simple tricks and tips make your sewing day more enjoyable? TADA!! Here are some of our favorite magic tricks for you to enjoy.
Tip #1 - A quick and easy way to cut bias strips
I want to share this brilliant method for cutting bias strips lickety-split:
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1. Cut a good-sized square of the fabric you want to use to make bias strips. I use the entire width of the fabric.
2. Fold the fabric in half, matching two opposite corners, like a napkin.
3. Bring each lower corner to the center, so that they are overlapping and your fabric now resembles an envelope.
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4. Fold the fabric in half again, bringing the right side to the left. Your fabric now looks like half of a house.
5. Cut perpendicular to the last fold, cutting across in strips. When you unfold the strips, they will be on the bias. Tada!
P.S. John has this monstrous scissor machine that can cut through the thickest of home dec fabric. For home sewists, this technique works best with a rotary cutter.
Binding Charts
for both Bias Cut and Straight Cut Binding
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| Cut width of binding | Fabric needed to make binding lengths of: | ||
| 0 to 200" | 200 - 350" | 350 - 500" | |
| 1" | 1/2 yd | 5/8 yd | 3/4 yd |
| 1 1/2" | 5/8 | 3/4 | 7/8 |
| 2" | 5/8 | 7/8 | 1 |
| 2 1/2" | 3/4 | 7/8 | 1 1/8 |
| 3" | 3/4 | 1 | 1 1/8 |
| 3 1/2" | 7/8 | 1 | 1 1/4 |
| 4" | 7/8 | 1 1/8 | 1 3/8 |
| 4 1/2" | 7/8 | 1 1/8 | 1 3/8 |
| 5" | 1 | 1 1/4 | 1 1/2 |
*The mathematical formula for this is: Multiply the number of inches around the quilt (the perimeter) by the width of your bias binding strips. Take the square root of that answer and add two inches. This is the size of the square you need to cut for bias binding.
Here is a link for creating and applying continuous bias binding. There is a yardage chart for this method here.
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| Cut width of binding | Fabric needed to make binding lengths of: | ||||
| 0 to 150" | 150 to 200" | 200 - 350" | 350 - 450" | 450-500" | |
| 1" | 1/4 | 1/4 | 1/3 | 3/8 | 1/2 |
| 1 1/2" | 1/4 | 1/3 | 1/2 | 5/8 | 5/8 |
| 2" | 1/3 | 1/3 | 5/8 | 3/4 | 7/8 |
| 2 1/2" | 1/3 | 1/2 | 3/4 | 1 | 1 |
| 3" | 3/8 | 1/2 | 7/8 | 1 1/8 | 1 1/4 |
| 3 1/2" | 1/2 | 5/8 | 1 | 1 1/4 | 1 1/3 |
| 4" | 1/2 | 5/8 | 1 1/8 | 1 1/2 | 1 1/2 |
| 4 1/2" | 5/8 | 2/3 | 1 1/4 | 1 5/8 | 1 3/4 |
| 5" | 5/8 | 3/4 | 1 1/3 | 1 3/4 | 1 7/8 |
If you have a magic trick of your own to share please forward it to my e-mail jscns@johnsonssewing.com and I will be sure to share your magic with all or wonderful readers
