How To Use Bias Tape Maker

Terminal month we talked about Agreement Bias Tape, how to make your own tape, and most importantly…how to sew together on bias tape (both the adulterous method and the proper method).
Today we're going to talk about the Simplicity Bias Record Maker automobile. Information technology'southward a machine that folds and irons bias strips for you lot. Of course you still need to cut and sew together the strips together. Merely it eliminates the need for you lot to stand side by side to the atomic number 26 for a 1/2 hour, trying not to burn your fingers equally you make bias tape. Hooray!

This Product Review includes:
* my personal review of the machine
* the pros and cons
* step-past-stride photo instructions on how to employ the machine.
As the brand states…it's simple.

Please Note: this motorcar was given to me past Simplicity for review, just I have done my best to provide an unbiased evaluation.
The Bias Record Maker is made past Simplicity, the aforementioned visitor that makes all those patterns you see in the fabric store. I've wondered about this machine for about a year at present.
Is it worth the coin?
Does it really salvage time when making bias tape?
Will I really employ information technology all that much?
Allow's notice out!

In my opinion (and probably yours)…
Machines are only worth buying if you lot'll really use them, specially if they cost virtually $100 (though you can buy it for less on Amazon).
* If you lot think you're only going to make bias tape once in your life, the $4 cheapy bias tape maker from the shop is sufficient.
* If yous retrieve you'll make bias tape more than oft for quilt binding, habiliment, home decor…so this machine is really pretty absurd.
* If you're still not certain what to use bias tape for, bank check out the pics in our tutorial Here. Y'all might surprise yourself at how often you use it!

Machine costs and discounts:
* You can ofttimes find the automobile on sale at Joann Fabrics (sometimes packaged along with the Simplicity Rotary cutter and/or winder, in a buy-on-get-i-free deal).
* buy it on Amazon for simply $65. Best deal I've seen yet!
Why make your ain Bias Tape?
Yous'll find detailed info on that in our previous tutorial HERE. Only basically…the beauty of making your ain bias tape (vs. ownership the stuff at the shop) is that you can brand information technology from any textile, especially fabrics with a cute pattern. Most pre-packaged bias tape is sold in iii grand bundles, in SOLID colors. But with a one/ii one thousand of cloth you can easily make ix yards of your own record!

So permit'due south practice information technology, using the handy Simplicity Bias Tape Maker. Follow all the same steps in our tutorial Here (for cut strips and sewing them together).
So with a long strip of bias-cut textile, we're ready to make Bias Tape!
(Polka Dot fabric is from Joanns, on the wall with the quilting fabrics)
Enter the Bias Record Maker.
Here's what the auto box looks similar when closed:
It'southward actually smaller than I thought (from the online pictures I'd seen). It's well-nigh the size of a box of wet wipes. And information technology's pretty light too! I beloved that. Makes it easy to store in my work space and pull out when I'm ready to employ information technology.

When you open it, information technology looks like this:
The winding bike is on the correct. And the ironing car and tip are on the left. It'south a very simple machine and nothing to exist intimidated by.

In that location are various machine tips that adhere to the auto, for making unlike bias record widths. Proceed in mind that bias tape maker widths always refer to single fold tape. If you lot're making double fold tape (which is what I employ nigh often), your finished record volition actually be half of the size stated on the package. And then….If yous want 1/ii inch double fold tape, you demand a 1 inch bias tape maker tip. Good news: the car comes with the ane inch-wide tip! And y'all tin can buy the other widths separately. Check Amazon for the all-time prices.
The tip I'll probably utilise the almost is the 1 1/4 inch wide tip on the left (the i inch tip is on the correct):
Information technology makes nigh 2/3 inch wide double fold bias tape, which is very similar to i/2 inch broad. Just I similar having that little actress bit of wiggle room; it helps when wrapping the record effectually the edge of a quilt or beefy fleece fabric.

Okay, let'southward set-up the automobile.
Decide which tip you lot're using (make sure y'all decide this Before cut your material strips, then you know how wide to cutting your fabric!) The tip snaps correct into identify on the machine. Like this:
Next, set up the winding bike and bar.
This is the bike:
Identify the cease of your long bias strip into the clip and starting time rolling the fabric around the wheel. It winds faster if you put the wheel into the machine and gyre it (by hand). And if you have the Simplicity Winder (a separate motorcar), information technology goes ever faster! When you're done winding yous'll have a big ole curlicue, gear up to exist folded and ironed by the machine (not you!)
NOTE: I wound a one/2 yard of fabric strips around the cycle and information technology was a niggling tight, but withal worked. If you programme to brand very long strips of bias tape, you might start winding in the middle of your strip, run it through the machine, and when you lot get to the end…scroll the other stop around the bike and offset the procedure again.

Okay, now for the bar. Just pick it up out of the box, and position information technology down in the fiddling groove. Done.
The bar helps the cloth menstruation smoothly into the machine tip.

Okay, feed the end of the fabric into the car. If the end of the fabric is cutting on an angle it goes in easily. Otherwise, use a seam ripper or something skinny to help pull the material through the hole.
Next you're going to feed information technology through the "iron". The auto atomic number 26 is a hot plate on the bottom and a hot iron on top. As the material passes through, it's ironed on both sides!

First take the atomic number 26 off by shifting it to the correct, so pull the material over the plate, and place the iron back on. I've done this even when the machine was turned on and was hot and had no problems. Just make sure yous don't touch the hot areas of the iron with your fingers.
And y'all're pretty much prepare to go!
Of course yous need to plug the auto in and turn it ON.
And then plough the blackness knob to the proper setting for your fabric. Just like a standard iron, the cotton/linen setting is going to be the hottest, while synthetic/manufactured fabrics will exist very low heat. It'south important to utilise the proper heat or yous may melt your cloth.
When the machine is heated to the proper temperature, the green light pops on "ready!".
So comes the really exciting part….
Hit the button that says "RUN".
And watch as your textile feeds through the machine…and turns into bias tape! If you ever need to finish, only striking the RUN push button once again and information technology chop-chop stops.
Seriously, I know it sounds dumb…just it's really cool.
You definitely know you're a sewing nerd when you lot become excited about yards and yards of freshly pressed bias tape!
Picture my face up standing actually close to this pile and just smiling!…happy that I'm not spending 30 minutes pulling yards of fabric through my ain iron.
And in a few minutes, I take 9 yards of single fold bias tape!! Yipee!
By let'due south not stop in that location. What I really want is double fold record.

Now I may be missing something, but here are two slight CONs with the automobile. It's non very obvious how to re-feed the single fold tape in the auto in order to make double fold tape, which is a bummer since about of united states use double-fold tape far more often than single fold tape. I've searched online for more info but no ane spells it out for you. Yes, I may be the idiot here. So if anyone has info, please relay!
In the hateful time, here's what I did….

I folded the stop of my strip in half, took the iron off, and then sandwiched it under the iron.
I hit run and watched it come back through, ironed in half.

Only….it wasn't as easy equally it sounds. The "folded" tape seemed to shift on the feeding end as it went into the atomic number 26. So, I had to stand up there and feed information technology with my easily to go along it all in place. I had to periodically finish the auto to conform the fabric and and so start it up again. It was still easier than doing it the other way, with my standard iron. But I sort of envisioned that I would wind the tape, hitting Run, and (sort of) walk away–of grade you should ever supervise what's going on with the motorcar, only you know what I mean.

Also, fifty-fifty after running the double fold tape through the motorcar, the ironing wasn't as firm as I would similar. I found that the tape came unfolded in spots (back to single fold tape), whereas bias tape fabricated with my standard iron holds together better. This is likely due to the speed of the auto. There is just 1 speed and when using it for single fold record, there is plenty of rut running through the atomic number 26 and onto the record. When running double fold, still, the record really needs to sit under the fe for longer to become enough oestrus through both layers of fabric. I'chiliad hoping that with the tape now wound around cardboard and sitting in my drawer, it may hold shape meliorate for when I'm ready to use it.
Just regardless, the tape was still piece of cake to brand and in picayune time I had nine yards of double fold bias tape!
Hooray again! I cut the ix yards of tape in one-half and wound it around two pieces of cardboard.
Now I take plenty of boyish bias record prepare for my adjacent projection AND to give away as a gift!
Okay, to sum it all up…

It'southward the Simplicity Bias Tape Maker
* sells for $65 (Amazon) upwards to $99 (Simplicity site and in most fabric shops)

PROS:
* Lightweight, modest, and easy to shop
* Saves time when ironing/folding bias tape (merely not when cutting and sewing)
* Folds/irons fabric speedily
* Makes precise Single fold bias tape (not as precise when making double-fold tape)
* Very piece of cake to utilise
* Comes with a one-inch wide tip

CONS:
* Cost (when compared to the cheapy manual makers, which are nearly $iv)
* Doesn't have a real double-fold feeder (unless I'm missing something)
* Ironing on double-fold tape could be more business firm (tape seems to come up unfolded at times)
* Tips must exist purchased separately (though information technology comes with the 1 inch wide tip!)
* The widest tip is 1 i/4 inches, which ways yous can't brand 1 inch wide double-fold bias tape…which is ane of my favorite widths for blanket bindings.

Overall, am I happy with the machine and is information technology worth the money?
Yes!..for me.
I use bias tape all the time.

Is it right for you?
Ask yourself the questions at the tiptop of this review again to determine how much y'all'll use the car. Merely don't cutting yourself short. Look around at your projects and see how often yous really practice apply (or could use) bias tape. Information technology'south such a fun trim for all types of sewing projects!

If you're interested in my other product reviews, you'll find them hither:
Tamron AF 18-270 Camera Zoom Lens
Silhouette SD Cutter
Valspar Paints

And if you'd similar a chance to WIN YOUR OWN MACHINE…Click over to our Bias Record Maker Giveaway Hither!