Bias Tape Ties for Masks

So masks are part of our daily wardrobe now.  I have been late in starting to make them (I had some other masks I could use).  This means elastic is hard to come by.  I found a pattern on the internet which uses bias tape ties.

This is great.  Don’t need to buy anything extra.  I even have bias tape makers.  Yeah!  I celebrated too soon. The size bias tape I want for a tie is too small for one tape maker and too big for another. So what do I do? 

I tried using the small one but when I would put the fabric strip through the maker and press the fabric, a pleat would appear on the back.  That pleat would make it difficult to sew the tie on the mask.

This left one other option, fold and iron the bias tape without the maker.  It is possible but takes a bit more time.  And there is the problem of possibly burning your fingers with the iron.  That would not be fun.

The first thing to be done is lay the fabric strip on the ironing surface wrong side of fabric up.  You need to press this strip in half long way.  Now you can do this with your finger as you move the iron along the length of the fabric.  Or you can fold it in half (again wrong side together along the length of the strip) and pin it ever couple of inches to keep it in place.

What I do when I do this type of pressing is to use long quilt pin and make sure only the pin part (not the decorative or ball top) is in the fabric.  You are able to press the fabric without having to take the pins out.  (A hint here: I usually do the pinning while sitting and watching TV.  It isn’t quite as boring that way.  Just don’t poke yourself with the pin).

Now pressing is different than ironing.  When you press you lift the iron up and place it down on the area you are working on and then lift it up and move to the next area.  Ironing usually means moving the hot iron around on the fabric without lifting it for each section.

With this you want to press.  If you iron it, the iron can catch the pin and move it.  Either causing the pin to rip the fabric or move the pin around so it creates a wrinkle.   Just press the iron down, over the pin, pick the iron up and move to the next section.  Make sure not to let the iron touch the decorative top of your pin (a ball or flower or leaf) as the iron might melt the top and then you have a whole other mess on the fabric and your iron.



The ironing the strip in half is the first part.  The next part is opening up your folded strip and folding the edges to the center.  This is what makes the bias tape useful.  When it is completed you should not see any raw edges along the length of your tape so nothing unravels.  I did the same thing I did with pinning the strip to press it in half.  This is usually where – if I don’t pin it – I burn my fingers.  And again you want to press not iron.  And be careful not melt the top to your pins.

The next step is to attach the binding to whatever you have made it for, in this case my mask.  (what the pictures are going to show is the binding on the side of the mask.  I’ll get to the binding as ties in the next step.)  You want to open up the binding with the sides still folded in and place the mask on one half of the binding.



Then fold and pin the other side of the binding over so the raw edge of the mask is covered.  Now you stitch it down. Often with a binding a straight stitch is used.  But I read a hint to use a small zigzag stitch so that the stitching is stronger and more durable as the mask goes through many washings and wearing



Another hint I found personally is that some time the mask itself especially where the pleats are doesn’t stay in the binding and will shift.  So I actually found it easier to sew with binding clips. My philosophy is if one technique doesn’t work, try another. 



Now time to make the ties.  I cut the fabric the width of the fabric.  This way it is adjustable for all sizes of heads.  It can also be tied behind the ears but I found it difficult with my glasses on.

First find the center of the top and bottom of the mask and mark it.  Find the center of the bias tape and mark it.  The match the center of the mask and the center of the bias tape.  Doing the steps above put the mask inside the fold of the bias tape





Before you start sewing the ties, take one end and fold the fabric down by 1/4 inch width wise on the tape,  then fold it inside the length wise folds. Then do the other side. This gives you a nice clean end to the ties so they don’t unravel.

Now starting with one end of the ties stitch from one end of the bias tape all along across the mask and then sewing the bias tape to the other end.  I pinned the ties part of the bias tape but clipped it along the mask.  For me, clips all along the bias tape length were too difficult to handle at the sewing machine.   





You now have one side done.  Repeat on the other side and your mask should be done.  And that is how you finish a mask with bias tape without a tape maker.  I can’t share the pattern I used because it is copyrighted but there are all kinds of mask designs out on the internet with elastic or with bias tape ties.  Make some for your family and in that way you are helping to keep them safe.  Happy Mask Making.

©2020 Cheryl Fillion