How to turn a Perfect Quarter Inch

How to turn a Perfect Quarter Inch

You are going to love how easy it is to press up a quarter inch! Often a pattern will state, press up raw edge 1/4". And although there are lots of suggestions for turning this edge, I use to find the outcome of my efforts less than satisfying.

Wonder Tape will help you perform this step with accuracy. You will create a nice crisp turns, which is essential for getting nice straight top-stitching. In the end, you get better looking finished projects.



Look at the area where the black dot fabric meets the white sweatshirt. Every edge is nice and straight.



So what's the secret? Wonder Tape! This is a water-soluble, quarter-inch-wide basting tape that is slightly tacky/sticky on one side with a paper backing on the other. It will not gum up you needles and once you finish your project, one trip through the washer and the Wonder Tape dissolves. So let's see how to do this simple method.



Just run a strip of Wonder Tape all along  the raw edge to be turned, pressing the tacky side of the tape to the edge of the fabric.



When you finish applying the Wonder Tape, it will look like this.



Next, begin turning  the quarter inch to the wrong side of the fabric, using the paper edge of the Wonder Tape to get a sharp turn.



Use a hot iron (no steam) to press the turned up edge.



Beginning at one end, separating the tacky side of the tape from the paper, removing the paper and finger pressing the turned up edge in place.



Now you have a perfectly turned quarter inch with a nice shape edge. Your project is ready for the next step in the pattern instructions.

You can find Wonder Tape in the notions section of Fabric Cafe. Fabric Cafe Notions