Chapter 24 - Bindings And Facings

Raw edges are often finished with bindings and facings for decorative and practical reasons. Facings are wider than bindings and are most often cut to the shape of the garment. To get a smooth finish, learn to clip around curves, trim seams close, slash to corners, and press very flat. With circular edges, ease binding or facing slightly when applying to outward or convex curve; hold taut to inward or concave curve.

Bindings and facings are often cut on the bias because of the great elasticity of this grain. To cut bias strips, fold cloth so that the selvage is perpendicular to itself. (See p. 126.) Press. Mark strips along fold the desired width with a gauge, and cut. To join short lengths together, place one piece on top of another with long cut edges perpendicular to each other. Stitch seam open, press flat, trim.

Binding sewed with zigzag stitch, either on a zigzag machine or using a zigzag attachment, will have a more decorative look and will follow the edge of the cloth more readily.

Commercial binding, #5, will fit into the regular machine binder, and, with a little practice, you will be able to apply bias binding with no basting. A machine binder with multiple slots will take other sizes of binding.

Hand-felled binding: Cut binding twice the width of the desired finish, plus seam allowance, and baste to garment edge, right sides together. Stitch on seam allowance and clip curved edges, trim seam, turn binding to inside and hem to line of machine stitching.

Rolled felled or French binding is made just like hand or flat felled binding finish except that double thickness of binding is used. Cut binding four times finished width plus seam allowance and proceed as above. The double thickness will give rolled effect. Do not try to press binding flat. Good for sheers.

Imitation French binding is made with double binding. Stitch right sides together, turn binding to wrong side and baste fold, turned in ¼ inch, just below original line of stitching. From right side, stitch on garment fabric, but not through binding, as close to binding as possible.

False binding is used when there is not enough material for cutting bindings. On the wrong side, baste and stitch a pin tuck, press towards edge, turn in edge ¼ inch, and hem to machine stitching over tuck.
 
Stitched bias looks like binding put on with machine binder. Turn in edges of binding ¼ inch, encase fabric edge with binding, and stitch.

Center-stitched binding is made by attaching right side of binding to wrong side of cloth in tiny seam. Turn binding to right side, turn in edge enough so that stitching will catch it, baste, and stitch through center. This is good as a finish where a ruffle or edging is being applied.

Binding a scalloped edge must be done with bias stretched tightly around the corners and eased around scallops. Clip around the curves and slash to corners, roll binding to inside, and hem to stitching, forming little pleats or miters at corners. To prevent stretching, pin scalloped edge on paper first before stitching.

Binding cut-out openings or square corners. The object is to get a very smooth flat finish. Slash right in to point of cutout opening, making miter in the binding if necessary. At a corner, trim seam very close and miter the binding. Mitering is described under hems, p. 107.

Bias motifs are decorative designs stitched to place on outlines drawn in advance. Flowers, leaves, initials, geometric designs, are all used. The binding is basted to position on the inner and outer edges, with inner edges gathered first to draw in excess fullness. Stitch both sides with the machine or hand whip, or sew on with zigzag machine, using contrasting color thread.

Bias piping and cording are described under seams, p. 101. Where an edge of single thickness is to be piped, turn under raw edge ½ inch and fold the binding in ½ inch on both sides. Place wrong side of binding against wrong side of garment, with edge of binding extending over edge of cloth ⅛ to ¼ inch, and stitch to position from the right side. Slip stitch other edge to position.

Continuous bias strip is made where a very large quantity of binding is needed and it will save time to make it all at once. Fold material on a true bias, mark lines for cutting with tailor's chalk, using a gauge. Bring one end over to meet the other in a cylinder and pin edges together so that one side is above the other, exactly the width of one bias strip. Stitch seam and press open. Start cutting on the marked lines to get one long strip.

Facings are used where bindings or hems are impractical.

Use the same fabric as the garment except where it is very heavy, and then use a lighter weight fabric. Facings for circular edges are cut along bias the same as for bindings, and applied in the same way, right sides together. When turning a facing to the wrong side, be sure that a small amount of the fabric of the garment is turned to the inside so that no seam will show.

Fitted facings are the same shape as the edge of the garment to be faced and are cut along the same grain. Commercial patterns give pieces for facings. Facing edgings, except edges to be joined to the garment in a seam, are usually turned in ¼ inch and edge stitch ed. With heavier fabrics, the edges may be left raw and catch stitched to position. Be sure to clip curves and corners, and try to attach inner edges of the facing to position in such a way that no stitches will be visible on the right side, for example, at seams.

Facing a point, as in a collar edge, is done by stitching the facing to the edge, right sides together, tapering to a very sharp point. Trim seam especially close at point. Turn, pushing out point with a pin.

V-neck facing is done by basting to place two overlapping strips. Pin in miter at corner, stitch, trim, press open. Stitch facing to edge, right sides together, trim seam, turn facing and slip stitch to position. Where facing is to be used as a trim, attach to the wrong side of garment and turn to the right side.

Eye-slit opening is faced, right sides together, with facing two inches wide and one inch longer than finished width of slit. Stitch an oval no wider than ⅛ inch at any point, and slash through the center to the corners; turn facing to wrong side, and finish raw edges by turning them in ¼ inch and making a running stitch all around. Tack corners.

Tailored corner: Mark seam line, cut diagonally into the corner to the seam line, fold back seam, press. To reinforce corner, cut a rectangular facing (or stay) and stitch diagonally to cut edge of the corner, right sides together; press, turn back stay, cut away any surplus. Turn in all edges ¼ inch and machine stitch or overcast by hand. Slip stitch to position. This is done to prevent a corner from tearing, as at a square neck.

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