Stay Tape: What it is and how to use it
- Apr 6, 2021
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 18, 2023
Sometimes us experienced sewists forget that the products and terms we use aren't always known by those that are just starting out, and @alliluplus3 pointed this out to me. In a previous Tuesday Tip I had mentioned Stay Tape but not actually explained what it is, where to find it or how to use it. So here it is...
✂️ When cutting out your patterns there are certain parts that can end up on the bias. Such as your curved neckline, a v-neck, or the front of a wrap dress. When something is cut on the bias it tends to grow and stretch as you work with the fabric. This is why, with certain fabrics, you may find that your neck is quite large compared to when you started.
✂️ Stay Tape is a narrow interfacing, 1/2" (6mm) wide, and is ironed onto the wrong side of your fabric directly after cutting out your pattern. It is cut on the bias, to allow it to be flexible around curves, and has a small piece of twill tape running through the interfacing to add structure and stability.
✂️ Only one side of the Stay Tape is fusible, so you will be ironing that to the inside of your garment along the edge, as shown in the picture.
✂️Use Stay Tape immediately after you cut out your pattern on anything you think may grow or stretch during construction. It makes a huge difference especially on loose and open weave fabrics such as some linens, double gauze, and rayon.
✂️ I have both white and charcoal available for sale in my online shop - they can be found here
Thanks for the question, a free PDF pattern of choice will be with you soon @alliluplus3😁
I like that you called out double gauze and rayon specifically — those are exactly the fabrics that make me feel like the neckline is changing shape as I blink. Have you found any downside to using stay tape on knits, or does it just make the edge feel too firm? Random aside: it’s the same “a little structure helps” idea I’ve seen on https://stylelooklab.com when they talk about getting a look to sit right.
The “use it immediately after cutting” tip is the part I needed — I always waited until after I’d already handled the pieces a bunch, which probably defeats the point. I’m curious if you ever swap in a stay-stitch instead of tape for lighter fabrics, or do you still prefer the tape for open weaves? Slight tangent: seeing how small stabilisers can change the whole outcome reminded me of some handy ai image generator tools where tiny tweaks make the final result way cleaner.
This also explains why my wrap dress front edge kept looking wavy even though I was being careful — I was basically handling a bias edge with nothing to hold it in place. Do you ever use stay tape on armholes too, or is that overkill unless the fabric is super loose? I saw a similar “do it early so you don’t fight it later” workflow on https://hrefgo.com, and it’s weirdly the same lesson.
I’ve definitely skipped stabilising a neckline on rayon and then wondered why it looked “tired” after I stitched it — this explains it in a way that finally sticks. When you’re pressing the tape on, do you stay a hair inside the seam allowance or right on the cut edge? Side tangent: the step-by-step vibe here made me think of a quick Vigenère encrypt/decrypt tool where one small setup step makes everything behave.
The bit about stay tape being cut on the bias so it can follow curves clicked for me — I always assumed you’d just use straight fusible and wrestle it around the neckline. Do you ever double up layers on really loose weaves, or is one strip enough? Funny side note, this “keep things from stretching out” idea feels like the same itch I get playing BlockBlast and trying not to let one bad move ruin the whole grid.