Tips & Tricks | 6 sewing hacks with masking tape

If you’re anything like me, you’ll love a technique that saves you time, money and sanity. Especially when it involves a “tool” that you’ll find in pretty much every household and elicits one of those “face palm” moments. You know the kind? The kind that makes you think “Duh! Why haven’t I been doing it like this all along?!” One of my favourite household “tools” is masking tape. But it’s not just for decorators, oh no no! Here are some of my favourite uses for masking tape when I’m sewing…..

1) Making Bias strips: When your sewing pattern calls for a strip of bias binding and nonchalantly presents you with a flimsy bit of tissue paper to pin to your flimsy fabric that you just know is going to slip and slide everywhere when you cut it, and then asks you, with a perfectly straight face, to cut 6?! DON’T! All you need is a roll of masking tape the same width as the bias strips you want to make. Look! (This is by FAR my biggest eureka moment with masking tape:)

2) Lengthen pattern pieces the easy way: Slash the pattern piece where indicated and use masking tape the same width as your desired increase to join the pieces back together. If you want to lengthen a pattern piece by 1″, use a roll of 1″ masking tape. Want to lengthen it by 2″, use 2″ wide masking tape. (It actually works out a little under that because of a miniscule overlap, but you get my drift!)

3) As a guide for quilting lines: If you’re just quilting in straight lines, (and like me you’re inclined to a  wobbly stitching line now and then), use a strip of masking tape to ensure straight and evenly spaced stitching lines.

4) Sew perfect darts: Sewing darts can be tricky because you’re sewing (or attempting to) a straight at an angle without the assistance of the seam guide on your throat plate. Use masking tape to create a guide for sewing darts.

5) As a seam guide on your sewing machine: If the stitching line you want to sew has a wider seam allowance than your throatplate guide…just measure from your needle to the desired spot on your machine, and use a strip of tape as a temporary seam guide.

6) Assembling PDF patterns: I try to use masking tape when assembling pdf sewing patterns for a number of reasons. It unpeels easier than sellotape and is less messy than glue. You can iron over it if your pattern becomes creased, without it melting (ask me how I learnt that one!) And if you want to redraw pattern lines you can draw over it 

This list is just the tip of the iceberg. I’ll bet some of you out there have got more awesome uses for masking tape! Have you got any other great sewing hacks using everyday household stuff? Feel free to chime in and share in the comments section  I’m ALWAYs looking for more shortcuts and hacks in my sewing!