You can use a device sold by clover and others called a bias maker.. comes in a variety of widths or you

can do it by hand.

Select desired FINISHED width that will show.

The following is an example of a finished 1/4 inch bias which is what I personally like

First find your cross and long grains and mark with chalk or a pencil

then find true bias and mark , measure and cut strip

Select width and multiply by FOUR for your finished strip width.

Grain your fabric, find true bias and cut a strip 4 times desired width by your fabric width

Get out your iron

there is a difference between PRESS ( up and down) and IRON moving the iron along the fabric.... don’t

IRON.. PRESS

The strip now has two folds in towards center Press as you make the strip

Hold the tip of the bias strip now folded in your left hand and with iron in right lay the point of the iron just

below your fingers ( beware of steam give your fingers a break and don’t get too close) press with your

body weight on the iron as you pull the fabric up and away to towards the right and follow the curve with

your iron ( some do it opposite down and away and to the left) when you have extended your arm as far as

it Comfortably goes reposition your fingers and keep going till you get to the end of the strip... you have

now curved the strip so it will lay flat against either neck or arm hole curves.

Now here’s the trick don’t pull the bias so much as to make it go thinner this takes a little practice but its

worth it.

You want an evenly sized 1/4 inch strip that has a very gentle curve to it.

LET cool before moving too much

Now open the strip in half GENTLY , then open the one side so you can clearly see the first set of folds

                                                                                    one of those crease lines is going to be your stitch guide.

Place the bias to the blouse right sides together, machine stitch almost on the fold with both raw edges(make sure you have removed the seam allowance from bodice neck and arm holes!)

lined up. Leave an extension on each end you will finish after applying the strip. For neck edges start at

center back on a no opening garment, at neck opening for buttons or zipper closure garments and the

underarm side seam on arm holes.

refold the bias where it was pressed over the raw edge of the blouse Push the seam allowance up.

it will fit over it perfectly.. some machine stitch the inside of the blouse edge down in the "ditch".. I don’t..

ever.. I never NOT miss a tiny spot.. and I hate seeing a stitch here and there where I wasn’t 1000% on the

right spot. I simply pick up a needle and thread hide the knot underneath and carefully and quickly catch

stitch the inside edge down....leaving NO stitch marks...takes 12-14 minutes for an entire neck edge and its

gorgeous! ( I have no allergy to hand stitching.. I actually LIKE it)

Now you have two extensions left over

trim the excess down to about 1/4 inch on each end..... fold in so the two folds butt each other......or lay one

down, trim and overlap the top one turning in a tiny allowance to hide the raw edge ( I like them butted)

catch stitch.

Does the hand stitching hold....I have blouses I’ve washed well over a couple dozen times, I nap on

the sofa fully dressed most afternoons ( hard on arm holes and neck edges) and have never yet once

replaced the hand stitches.

Neat trick.. on a back neck zip on a dress.. use the extensions to form a tiny crisp little bow...put the

hook/eye assembly on the LEFT bow end and let it extend over to the right side which you end straight to

top of zip edge.

© 2002 Kaaren Hoback, Dryden, New York, www. patrns4u.com