How to sew an adjustable chef's apron

Step 10 Make the bias tape

You've got one long strip of fabric now that we need to turn into bias tape. I use a handy little doohickey called a bias tape maker because I'm a modern person and I like using technology to make my life easier. But you can do it the hard way; it will just take a little more time. You probably start your barbecue by rubbing two sticks together so this will seem easy in comparison. I also found a neat DIY Bias Tape Maker online if you prefer.

Bias tape looks like a bent staple from the side. The sides are folded in to meet in the middle with a little space left down the center. You can follow the directions on the tape maker if you have one or you can fold the tape by hand which isn't really as hard as it sounds. You just need to give it a good start by folding it in and pressing it down. Once you get it going, you can slide the iron along with your smart hand and use the fingers on your stupid hand to guide the folds. There I go with the darn iron again but you're sewing which is quaintly retro and reminiscent of the days when people wore silk and linen and not poly and ester. It's an old-school tool that hasn't been improved upon.

To finish the tie, fold the bias tape in half again and iron it down. That's why you left the little space in the center, like in a side view of a spent staple. You needed the space to allow for the last fold. Now your bias tape should be four layers thick and about 1/2" wide.

We need to sew it down but before we do that, unfold the ends, square them off, fold in about 1/4" and sew the raw edge down. Clip the corners if you need to.

Now take the long tape over to the sewing machine and sew pretty close to the edge. You may need to pin but I like to live dangerously and just guide the fabric under the presser foot with my fingers. I've been doing this a while though, so if you're nervous, go ahead and pin. Won't hurt and might help.

Now that we're done, I maybe should tell you that you can actually purchase bias tape already made. You just take it out of the package, fold it in half, and sew it down. It won't be made of the same fabric as your apron but it will work.

Comments

[c_bluesky]

Thank you for this tutorial. I rather like your teaching style -- clear, to the point, and no bs.