Tool to save LOTS of time

Being a weaver, I am not up on all the great tools available to the sewing/quilting crowd.  A few months back, while cleaning out some things from the house of an elderly Aunt, I came across a little box marked 'tape maker'.  Inside were three metal flattened cones of differing sizes.  I had not a clue what they were.

Luckily, a sister-in-law who quilts was there and told me they were used to make bias tape.  WOW!  It was like striking gold.  I make bias tape to use as blanket binding or seam binding.  I have googled making bias tape so many times and have never heard mention of any tape maker.  So I wondered if it was too good to be true.

When I started to make the bias tapes for the rosepath blankets, I dragged out the little box to give the tape maker a trial run.  Stuffed on the bottom of the box was one sheet of directions (dated in the 1980's) that made it all look VERY EASY.  And, so it is!!!

I cannot tell you how many hours I have already saved being able to iron the tape in ONE PASS.  Basically you thread your bias strip through the metal tip and iron the tape as it comes out.  Done!

This is one crazy, useful tool!

The blanket shown is the third of the Rosepath threading.  I did widely spaced stripes using pink, teal and multi-colored  cotton.  The binding is some flower-power Owls in the same colors.