- Thanks to Dana

Retrospective (9/26)

Patch #259 Jigged

Original Post 

There's a lot of cross-pollination that happens in the corner of the blogging world I call home. Most recently, Dana mentioned some tools for making bias binding which she was using to turn the edges of cloth strips to prepare them for weaving (http://ravenandsparrow.typepad.com/raven_and_sparrow/2016/09/stripping.htm).

That was an "aha moment" since I currently turn the edges of cloth strips in preparation for my patchplay pieces. But my favorite working size is 1 3/4" inches and I wasn't surprised to come up empty when I looked for a tool in that size.

Thinking I could make my own, I googled my way around the internet until I landed on Melly Sews, where this post gave me the answer I sought:  http://mellysews.com/2013/05/how-to-make-and-sew-bias-tape.html

I already had strips of cloth torn to the width I needed and cover stock around which to press the edges. All I needed to add was a "jig" comprised of 140 lb. watercolor paper scored and folded 1/8" wider than my 1 3/4" cover stock ...

I laid the cloth into the jig ...

placed the 1 3/4" cover stock strip over that ...

folded in the edges of the jig and anchored the end of the cloth to the ironing board with pins ...

then I gently pulled on the jig and the edges of the cloth magically folded themselves around the cover stock ...

I ironed the folded edges every few inches ...

pulled the cover stock farther down the strip of cloth ...

and continued to "chase" it with the jig ...

In no time at all I had a two-foot length of cloth with perfectly turned edges ...

and yes, it's all 1 3/4" wide, but the camera angle makes it look tapered. I quickly made more strips and pinned them onto cards ...

Now they're ready to be cut to whatever length needed for my patch projects, like this new patch ...

made for a retrospective August 31 post (http://imgoingtotexas.blogspot.com/2016/08/northbound-35.html).