Using bias tape as binding for necklines and armholes curves can be a great fabric-saver (no facings or linings) and time-saver (again, no facings or linings). Facings and linings often need pressing, while bindings don’t. This binding method is my procedure of choice for constructing the bodices of dresses, shirts, and tanks made from woven fabrics. Not knits. Knit bindings are another story. 
The garment being constructed in the following instructions is an overdress made from an olive linen-blend.
Below is a package of bias tape, which I use as binding for neckline and armhole curves. This is an old package. I got it at a thrift store for 20 cents. Nowadays, the brand I see commercially is Wright’s.
The bias tape needed for this project is 1/2-inch single fold bias tape. Use a color that blends or is the same as the garment being constructed. The binding will be on the inside of the garment, so won’t be seen, but peeks can be had when you move. That’s why you wouldn’t want to use bias tape that contrasts.
You also may use self-made bias tape — on the bias (diagonal to the salvage and grain), cut 1-inch strips of the fabric used for the garment. I don’t recommend cutting strips either perpendicular or parallel to the salvage, as there will be no stretch in the binding. You need the binding to stretch around the neckline and armhole curves. In laziness, I once made my own non-bias tape by cutting perpendicular the salvage and found the resulting neckline and arm-holes to feel tight.
The single-fold bias tape comes like this, with both raw edges folded in toward the middle. It is called 1/2-inch bias tape, but its total width is actually 1-inch.
Press it open.
Press it folded in half, so that the raw edges meet. Do a careful job. Seam allowances are only 1/8-inch, so any inaccuracies in pressing may result in an edge of the bias tape not getting sewed in to the seam.
All edges to be bound by bias tape should be trimmed down to 1/8-inch seam allowance. Consult your pattern for the seam allowance included with the garment and trim away all but 1/8-inch.
The neckline should be open somewhere — either at the center back (for a closure, which is what I’ll be showing here; or at a shoulder seam, which will be closed later). Stay-stitch very close to the edge — about 1/16th of an inch from the edge. Those stitching marks are drawn in with GIMP. The stay-stitching prevents the curved edge from stretching out when applying the bias tape.
Using an 1/8-inch seam allowance, on the right side of the garment and matching the raw edges of the bias tape and the neckline, stitch the bias tape to the neckline.
Here, the bias tape is finished being stitched to the right side of the garment at the neckline.
Press the seam allowance down and the bias binding up.
Press the bias tape to the inside of the garment. If using a different color binding than the garment, press a little of the garment to the inside also. This will prevent “peeks” of another color showing when wearing the garment and moving around.
From the inside of the garment, and 1/4-inch away from the neckline edge, stitch the folded edge of the bias tape down. Since this stitching will be visible on the outside, make sure the thread in the bobbin is a color that works with the garment.
The bias tape is stitched down.
Repeat the same process to add bias tape to the armhole curves. Once again, a seam should be left open, so that the tape can be applied flat. In this case, leaving each side seam open is the best choice.
The bias tape for the armholes has been pressed to the inside and stitched down via the same procedure as with the neckline binding.
To finish the back closure opening, serge finish the edges of the bias tape together with the edges of the center back opening. Press the fabric at each side of the opening to the inside of the garment, 1/2-inch. If not using a serger to finish the raw edges of the garment (as shown here), the fabric should be turned under twice, to enclose the raw edges of the center back seam.
Starting on the top-right side of the opening, top-stitch 1/4-inch away from the right edge down to below the point where the center back seam stitching stops. Note: Stitching the center back seam is not part of this tutorial. Pivot and stitch across under this point. Pivot again and come up the left side of the opening, again 1/4-inch from the edge of the opening. Backstitch at the beginning and ending of this stitching. Pull outside threads to the inside; knot and trim. Now you may add whatever closure you prefer. I typically attach a ribbon loop to the left side, which will wrap around a button sewed to the right side.
Note: If one shoulder seam, rather than the center back seam, was left open to apply the neckline binding, then it should be closed in the same manner as the armhole curves (following).
It is time to stitch the side seams. Here I will show how I serge them and enclose the thread tails in one step. Note: When using a serger to construct a garment, it is helpful to trim the side seam allowances down to 1/4-inch, so all serging can be done at the edge of the garment, as shown below. Consult your pattern for the seam allowance included with the garment and trim away all but 1/4-inch.
Match up the front and back of the garment at the side seams, wrong sides out. Slide the top of the side seam (at the underarm point) under the presser foot immediately in front of the needles. Make a few stitches manually by turning the handwheel. Stop with the needle down. Use tweezers to grab the thread tails and bring them to the front, underneath the foot and into the line of stitching. Now machine-serge the rest of the side seam, catching the thread tails in the serger stitching. After a few inches, the thread tail can be pushed under the knife and clipped off. Do not worry about thread tails at the end of the side seam, for these will be enclosed in the hem. Repeat for the other side seam.
If not using a serger, stitch with sewing machine, following the pattern’s instructions for seam allowance.
The inside of the garment’s side seam. See the thread tail caught in the stitching? Also, the ends of the bias tape are secure in the seam.
The outside of the garment, at the underarm point, showing the side seam wrapping the bias-bound edge to the inside.
And that is how to apply bias tape as binding for neckline and armhole curves.
Very thorough, very good, Wardeh! My Mother used bias tape and seam binding for many sewing projects as I grew up. I never really got the hang of it though til a few years ago.
I think your tutorial will help a lot of people trying to learn how to use bias tape!
Sylvia
Wardeh,
Your sewing talents and abilities are just astounding to me!! You are really very talented!! Thanks for showing photos. It really helped me grasp a better idea of that bias tape.
Your friend,
Linda
Hi Wardeh, I have not visit your blog for a wile. You are doing good job with your sewing. Nice dress you are making. So feminent. I use bias tape very often. I cut my bias bit wider then I need for the project ( if I need 1″ I cut 1 1/8″) and stretch my bias under steaming iron. When it is dry it is ready to be applied. This way you neckline will not be stretched. I never use stay stitch.
Enjoy your summer
Love Irene
Irene,
As always, you are a gem! What a good tip. Thank you!
Love, Wardeh
Linda,
You are a sweetheart and a great seamstress yourself! If you want to give the bias tape a go and need help, let me know!
Love, Wardeh
thank u so much for this…the lightbulb finally came on to stay
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! I have been learning to sew and pretty consitently found myself cursing at the idea of attemping this. The dress I made turned out super awesome!
Hi
Thanks for the instructions and photos, it’s the first time I’m making something that needs bias tape, the pattern had got me really confused but I reckon i’ll be able to finish it now!
Thank you so much for your wonderful instructions with real pictures. I have looked at many websites before yours and was thoroughly confused until now. Thank you again. I can finally finish 2 Halloween costumes.
Thank you so much for this. I tried it and the only problem I get, is the tape causes the armhole to stick out awkwardly. I’ve tried it a few times and it keeps doing it. Any tips?
Hmm… Could you give me a more detailed explanation of the problem?
Love, Wardeh
Thanks!! I am making a dress for my 3 year old and have never used bais tape and this was perfect! Now I know exactly what I need to do.
Highland Lass (cool name) ~ I’m glad you found this helpful and I wish you all the best in sewing the dress for your daughter! Love, Wardeh
Thank you so much, I have never sewn one of these bias necklines before and thanks to you it is perfect. My sister will recieve a fabulous caftan for Christmas (Its beautiful sunny day in Australia today!)
Cheers
Christine
Christine ~ That’s wonderful!
Great tutorial – I don’t suppose I can convince you to do a tutorial on how to put bias on stretch fabrics? I have just made a mess of a stretchy sleeveless dress by putting it on! THANKS (with hope!)
Sophie – I don’t recommend using this type of bias binding on a stretch fabric. I don’t think it would work. But that’s my opinion, perhaps someone else would be able to do it.
Have you considered using fold-over elastic? However, that would show on the right side of the dress, not just the inside. Honestly, when I do binding on knits, I either use the fold-over elastic, or I use the binder on my coverstitch, which applies a folded strip of knit fabric to both sides.
I own a ready-made tank dress where the binding is only on the inside and it comes from the same stretchy knit as the dress, but I have never attempted this myself. I never do well with knits on the sewing machine and that’s how it would have to be applied.
Here’s a video tutorial for using the fold-over elastic as the binding on a tank top.
http://suchtreasures.com/2009/07/14/tank-top-with-fold-over-elastic-as-binding-video-tutorial/
The great thing about this is you CAN do it on the sewing machine and it is really easy. Hope this helps!
Thank you! I am new to sewing and am making a dress that called for using bias tape, it is a bit tricky and the instructions weren’t thorough. I wasn’t even sure if it would show on the finished product. Now I have all the info I need to finish the dress.
This is great! I saw a blouse on someone else’s blog, and I couldn’t figure out how she finished the neckline. My mind was stuck in the mode that bias tape encloses the fabric edge(s) and is visible on both sides. But in this case, the bias tape is like a facing so it’s visible only on one side (well, this is my newbie way of thinking about it — probably not very accurate, but it helps me understand how it works!). Thanks so much for the explanation!
Another thank you! I had the same idea as Beal and the directions in my pattern seemed to go along with the idea that the bias tape should be folded over the raw edge (which is why you should never try to read an unfamiliar pattern at 11:30pm!!), but this makes the process so much clearer!
please can you show me how to put the bias on the armhole dont quite understand how to do the armhole
Blossom – Use the same method as for the neckline. I really can’t show it any better.
Pictures 12 and 13 show the armhole process, stitched the same way as the neck right above.
Thank you sooo much! For some reason (madness perhaps….actually I just couldn’t find what I wanted) I made a dress for christmas with no pattern just an idea in my head. But I got stuck with finishing the neck and armholes in a way suitable for the dress. This was the PERFECT way to finish it off my cocktail style princess-line dress. Thanks for the great tutorial I couldn’t have got it right (and first time – no unpicking!) without it!
Thank you Thank you!! I was reading the directions for a dress that I am making for my daughter and I was ready to give up before I even started because I was confused by the directions. Thank heavens for the internet and the great pictures and description you have provided here! I totally understand how to use the bias tape now! THANK YOU for your help!
Thank you for this! I have a top pattern that wants a lining, but I had to cut the neckline different and it’s a pain to try to make it fit (stopped half way through sewing as it didn’t fit). I ‘m going to try this.
Thanks for the detailed instructions! I was making a Girl Scout Leader vest and didn’t want to add extra weight or warmth with a lining. This was perfect!
The instructions here are so detailed. Thank you!