How To Cut On the Bias

What is cutting on the bias?

Cutting on the bias is essential for making piping for cushions & upholstery in fabrics, useful for edging cushions decoratively or for durability especially on boxed seat cushions.

To understand how to cut on the bias, it might be useful to understand some basic dressmaking terms that you might see in instructions or on a pattern. The fabric we’re using is a lovely pink striped cotton/linen mix.

Selvedge- The selvedge is along the side of the fabric.  When buying fabric from a roll or a bolt you will have two sides of the fabric with  raw edges and two sides with a selvedge. The selvedge stops the fabric from fraying or unravelling. Some manufacturers also print onto the selvedge.

The Grain- The fabric grain is the direction that the fabric is knitted or woven together. When you cut on the bias, you work diagonally to the grain of the fabric.

The Bias- The bias is a diagonal direction across the grain of the fabric, at 45 degrees to the selvedge. When cutting on the bias or laying out a pattern, it is done diagonal to the grain like the ruler demonstrates in the image. This technique is used when making bias binding.

To cut on the bias, first mark out a line at a diagonal across the bias as shown. You can use a fabric pen or tailors’ chalk. Mark a parallel line according to the width of the piece you need for your project. Cut out carefully using a pair of scissors or a cutting wheel and mat.