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Tip: Keeping cutting info for bias tape right where you need it

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DSC_9048I love bias tape.  Love, love, love it!!  Love it so much I could marry it.  I especially love custom bias tape out of printed fabrics. 

Given my jr. high crush on custom bias tape, it should come as no surprise that I’m constantly MAKING bias tape.  The only problem is, I’m always forgetting how wide to cut my fabric to go into the different sized bias tape makers.  To make matters worse, not all of them are clearly labeled with a size.  One has the number 18 stamped into the plastic, but the others have no measurement indicated at all.  In order to figure out the width to cut my strips, I have to first determine the size of the bias tape maker, then cross-reference that on a chart that came with one of my bias tape makers.   What a hassle!

I decided this morning that there was a better way.  I measured my bias tape makers and determined the strip widths for each, then marked that on the top of the bias tape maker in permanent ink.  Voila!  Simple solution, and it only took me a year to come up with it.  Yeah, I’m swift like that.

Technorati Tags: sewing, tip, bias tape, bias, strip, width

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These little quilt inspired cross stitch patterns from Flamingo Toes look like ornaments and fit in 3-inch hoops, which are perfect for hanging on the tree or using to decorate a gift. I love the pastel colors on these but you can use more traditional Christmas colors if you like.

This cute Christmas tree from Lagodargetoshop uses a single color and fits in a 4-inch hoop, but you could make it smaller if you wanted by trimming the last ornaments and gifts from the sides, or just stitch the tree without any other embellishments. Either way it’s a cute addition to your holiday tree.

Stitched Modern has a super cute collection of retro Christmas ornament cross stitch patterns from designer Gera. This is a printed pattern that will be shipped to you. Each pattern is about 40 by 56 stitches, or 2.9 by 4 inches/7.4 by 10 cm on 14 count fabric. To work the whole set you’ll need 20 colors of floss.

These snowflake ornaments from Our Little Handmade Home are each about 2.5 inches/6.4 cm when stitched on 14 count fabric, and they use a single color of floss. They are pretty in red but you could also do white on a blue or black background, or whatever suits your other Christmas tree decorations!

From the description it sounds like this set of vintage style cross stitch characters is presented as one large chart, but the photo from Sampler Antique Stitch shows each of them stitched up as their own little ornament, so it gets included here. You’ll find Santa and snowmen in different poses in this cute collection.