After fabric weaving on my own for the Island Ambassador project (read about that here) and the Modern Stitch Affair class with Tara (read about that here), I wanted to find one of the Simplicity Bias Tape Maker machines. Making the bias tape is the least enjoyable part of fabric weaving for me. Well guess what?! I found it!
Last weekend, I took part in the Twin Cities Shop Hop and a brand new (seemingly forgotten) Bias Tape Maker machine was found at one of the stores. It was located underneath the last shelf at the notions area and really dusty at Four Seasons Quilts Shop. The store owner gave me a discount of good will and seriously… I found a unicorn! This little machine has been discontinued for years, and people are selling them for ridiculous prices on Ebay. Here's how the thing works: You have all your bias strips cut and you wind each strip on the spindle one at a time. The strip then goes through the bias tape maker tip and underneath iron/hot plate through some driven rubber rollers.
It works really well! The longest part is winding each strip on the roller and feeding the end through the bias maker tip. I was able to make all my strips in almost no time and started weaving once again!
I used all solids and wanted to create a star pattern this time instead of 3D cubes.
Once I finished my fabric weave panel I decided to make it into a pouch for my surface! It fits perfectly!
Having the bias tape maker machine cut down the time to prep for weaving significantly and if you can get your hands on one, definitely get one! I'm now in search of the 1/2" bias tape tip… the next unicorn!
I got some major news from work that I can't quite share yet, but that means I will need to focus a bit on getting my non-quilting life in order! I'm also headed off to Spring Quilt Market next week! I don't have a booth, but I'm there to visit and meet the different people in the quilting industry. My hope is to make connections with other designers, fabric companies, and distributors for future work! Wish me luck!
While I'm there, what would you like me to find and share? I won't be quite as nervous if I give myself a secondary task!
Your turn! What did you accomplish this week? A block? A quilt top? Link up below!
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