Replies

1. 
   jjgg | Jun 01, 2009 11:34pm | #1

   You need to provide a little more information. How are you applying the bias tape? around the edge of the neck? is there a facing? What shape is the neckline?Are you making the bias tape a little shorter then the neckline? are you stretching things when you apply the tape? How are you sewing it on?Are you making your own bias tape or using commercial? What fabric is your shirt? the tape?Hundreds (well not really hundreds) of factors can apply.tell us more

2. 
   cafms | Jun 02, 2009 07:58am | #2

   Marcy Tilton has an article on bias you can read here: https://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/3745/bias-101  Towards the end she talks about neckline finishes.  Possibly you could find some help here.

1. 
   Deeom | Jun 03, 2009 03:41am | #3

   Somewhere I have heard about stretch binding.  Did I imagine it or is there such a thing?  Deeom

1. 
   jjgg | Jun 03, 2009 04:35am | #4

   There is foldover elastic. Is that what you are thinking of? It's great stuff once you learn how to use it. I just made myself a couple of hiking/running shirts, sleeveless, scoop neck - all finished in no time with foldover elastic.

2. 
   cafms | Jun 03, 2009 06:03am | #5

   There is a stretch binding as jigg says above.  It is an elastic rather than bias.  I have used it when I could find it but haven't seen it in a while.  I used it in a half inch folded finished width on the waist of a skirt for my daughter several years ago and it was the nicest finish.  I had some narrow - about 1/4 inch finished width that was tricky to apply though that is what I have seen used in RTW.  Wish I could find it again.  You can also use the swimsuit fabric with lycra and cut it in narrow crossgrain strips and us it as a binding.  I've done that with fleece.  Or use knit cut crossgrain which will stretch and make a nice binding also.

1. 
   jjgg | Jun 03, 2009 04:34pm | #6

   I get the fold over elastic from Kathy. She has an ebay store and a yahoo group
   http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Kathy_s/
   I have sent her swatches to match colors and I love the stuff I got from her. Her prices are great, and she has tons and tons of stuff.

1. 
   cafms | Jun 04, 2009 06:31am | #7

   Thanks.  I'll have to check into that site.

3. 
   gailete | Jun 06, 2009 05:04am | #8

   Are you stay stitching your main fabric also so it doesn't stretch out?

   Gail

1. 
   woodruff | Jun 06, 2009 09:00pm | #9

   And if you do stay-stitching, it must also be "directional," so that on a neckline or armhole, for example, you take care to make the directions you stitch on each side symmetrical, so as not to distort the curve. You can probably google "directional stitching" to see images of how this is done.Ah, yes, here it is:http://sewing.about.com/od/techniques/ss/directionalstit.htm

4. 
   Tatsy | Jun 07, 2009 05:03am | #10

   Is the neckline small enough to begin with? One way to handle this problem is to tilt the CF just a little off grainline when you pin down the pattern to take out the excess in the cutting step. It's the equivalent of a dart put in at the neckline and should work on any style of neckline (but I'm not sure if I'd try it on a square neckline without making a muslin first.) This is an especially useful step if you have narrow shoulders or a narrow chest in comparison to the rest of your body.Another thing you can try, which I resorted to before I found the trick mentioned above, is to stitch a small loop of ribbon inside the seamline at CF, thread a piece of ribbon (the size you'd like the neckline to be plus one-half inch seam allowance on each end)through the ribbon loop at CF, and join the ends of ribbon inside the seamline at CB. You can take in about 1" of excess this way. If the explanation didn't make sense, what you're doing is creating a "sling" sewn to the neck's seam allowance to prevent it from hanging to its full measurement. The process actually takes less time than reading the explanation.