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04/25/2007: "Tutorial: Bias Tape is a skirt's best friend"
I like to use bias tape to hem skirts, especially those with a round edge like most a-line designs. Turning and stiching a round edge is kind of a pain, but bias tape is a tiny bit stretchy and likes to curve, so it makes hems a breeze. The only draw back is that it does only come in certain colors. I usually try to match the fabric I am working with, but there's no reason not to mix and match. You can also make your own bias tape to match the fabric, but that's a whole other tutorial.
There are two kids of bias tape - Single Fold and Double Fold. We will start with single fold. 
Cut a piece of bias tape that is long enough to go all the way around. Lay your skirt pretty side up. Open out one side of the fold slightly and lay the bias tape fold side up, matching that opened out edge to the edge of your skirt. Then stitch in the fold all the way around. Over lap a bit when you get to the ends. You can fold it over to finish it, I usually just cut it at a bit of a diagonal and trust it not to fray too much. 
Here's the finished stitching. Now go to the iron. 
First put it right side up and press it out. Be sure to keep that folded edge in tact - don't open out the bias tape completely. Then flip it over and fold it up on your stitching line.
Now back to the sewing machine. Stitch again close to the folded edge of the bias tape.
It should look like this when you are done and ....
...Like this when you look at the right side. Now if you want to get fancy, you can also add a little trim. My strawberry skirt has yellow ric-rac on the bottom edge. 
Now Double Fold Bias Tape. If you look closely at double fold bias tape, it has one edge that is just a bit longer than the other. Those smart bias tape people do this to make it easy to sew. Using this method, the bias tape shows as a little strip of trim at the bottom, so think about that as you choose your color. 
Put the long edge under the edge of your skirt and push the cut edge of the skirt right into that fold.
Then stitch close to that folded edge. Same comment about when you get to the ends - overlap a bit, finish them however you'd like.
On this skirt, I did a Double Fold Bias Tape edge and then added another piece of bias tape just stitched on a couple of inches higher.
