Bias binding tutorial

Are you afraid of binding rounded edges? Maybe you haven’t seen this tutorial yet?
How to bind rounded edges – a few tips

Sometimes, sewing a piece with square corners can seem quicker, and I would like to share an idea that will help you finish your project even faster.

This is a new project I stitched in less than two hours – a project bag! It features a big zippered pocket on the front side…

…and a zippered pocket plus a slip pocket made out of a glitter clear vinyl on the back side.
I love it – pretty on the front side and functional on the back, as you can easily see the contents of all three pockets!

I made it big, but in the future, I plan to make smaller versions too (maybe even a pattern)!

While a custom-made binding, made from a favorite fabric, would have been prettier, I was in such a hurry that the fastest and easiest solution for me was to work with a ready-made, store-bought bias binding.
This tape comes in different widths; it should be wide enough to cover the raw edges of your piece; for my piece, I used this tape, about 1  1/4” wide (30 mm).

There are different ways to attach the binding, here is what I did for this project:
Keep the piece with the front side up.
Unfold the bias tape and align it with the raw edge of the piece; fold the tape’s end as shown. Stitch on the first crease – for my tape, it is at 3/8” from the edge.

Continue sewing; when approaching the corner, slow down and stop the stitching at 3/8” from the corner. If your tape is folded at 1/4” from the edge, stop the stitching at 1/4” from the corner.

Fold and finger-press the tape at a 45-degree angle, lining up the tape’s raw edge with the raw edge of the piece.
Hold the diagonal fold in place with your fingers…

and bring the tape back toward the piece, aligning the raw edges.

Here is how to finish the bias binding.
Overlap the ends about 1/2”.
Finish sewing on the crease.

Fold the tape to the back side; use clips to keep the tape in place.

This is the back side, with beautifully mitered corners.

Turn the piece with the front side up; stitch in the ditch – see the green marking lines. On the back, see the bias tape caught in the seam.

I love how quickly I finished this piece!

IMPORTANT NOTE
One big advantage of finishing a piece by wrapping tape around the raw edges is that you can use heavyweight interfacing that you might have avoided because it is difficult to work with. If your pattern requires stiff interfacing, this technique works even with the stiffer types!

Happy sewing!