Where is the bias on fabric

What is selvage , grain and bias? These three words, selvage, grain and bias, look as if they have no real relationship with each other. However, in the world of fabric, they are connected and knowing about them will help with purchasing fabric and ultimately cutting and sewing more effectively.

So let's learn about what is selvage, grain and bias. Here is an overview image so you can start to familiarize yourself with the terms before we get started. So what is selvage? Selvage is the self-finished edge of the fabric and often has the defining information about the fabric printed along the edge. Fabric is woven and in the weaving process, it is the threads of the fabric that create the selvage.

The fabric is created with a warp thread that runs the length of the fabric and the weft threads that run across the fabric and turn at the ends. The turning point is where a tighter weave is created to stop fraying and this is the selvage. Knowing what is selvage helps to understand important information about the designer of the fabric and the colorways used in creating the pattern of the fabric. More is explained in the video, I hope this sheds some light on the bias for you!

You might also like. Evelyn Vintage fashion designer and style blogger. Meg Dada says:. December 27, at pm. Evelyn says:. January 16, at am. Hana says:. June 28, at am. Close dialog. Session expired Please log in again. Hang the bias cut garment for 24 hours after you have finished sewing everything but the hem. Any unwanted stretch will be evened out by this hanging. Cut any hanging fabric and proceed to hem.

Hemming is a problem at times with the bias cut fabric. A rolled hem works well as does a narrow hem. A tight zig zag stitch is the best stitch for sewing the bias cut seams as it will give some stretch to the seams. You may need to stretch the seams a little bit as you sew. And ensure that you are in no way ironing. Ironing involves stretching and that is a strict no no for bias seams. Checkout this post on pressing cloth for sewing. A trick I have read about binding a bias cut edge is to use a bias binding which is cut on a different bias than the cut edge.

This will prevent sagging bias binded edges. Checkout this post on cutting fabric on the bias for bias binding. A center seam maybe a necessity when cutting certain fabric on the bias. When you stretch the fabric you may find that it stretches differently on the lengthwise grain and cross wise grain. If this is the case after you have cut and sewn the fabric it will hang uneven. Because a bias cut will get half half from the lengthwise and crosswise fabric grain.

In this case you should cut the pattern with a center seam so that you can cut the pieces from the same grain. A beautiful chevron effect can be made by cutting striped fabric on the bias and joining with a center seam. Store bias cut garments flat — hanging may distort the shape.

Grainline — direction of the running thread in relation to the selvage. Within each piece of material there are two grainlines: crosswise and lengthwise. Lengthwise Grainline — also known as the weft. This grain refers to threads running parallel to the selvage and has no stretch. This is the grainline referred to in pattern instructions.

Crosswise Grainline — also known as the warp. Why is Bias Important? Bias in Action The most important characteristic of the bias is in the way it makes fabric behave. Here are a few of our recommendations. Use A Right Angle Ruler As mentioned before, the true bias runs exactly 45 degrees between the cross and lengthwise grains.

Use Your Pattern When trying to determine the bias for a pattern, pay attention to the symbols indicated directly on the pattern piece. Stretch Test This last test can not guarantee a true 45 degree bias but will still help you find a general bias in a pinch. How To Cut On The Bias If you are using pattern pieces it is simply a matter of using one of the above methods to first find the bias then match the grainline on your pattern with the grainline on your fabric.

Prep Your Fabric Make sure all your fabric has been properly washed and dried. Open your fabric piece. Taking two diagonally opposite edges in hand raise and stretch them apart. Repeat with the other two edges. This will straighten out your grain for proper alignment and cut.