Chevron Construction

[MLovejoy]

I'm trying to make a pair of arched chevrons based off of the one pictured in EoG Union on the 9th NY jacket (picture attached). My question is, what is the best way to create the arch in an even manner without having the tape get bunched up? I tried to lay it out on some backing wool but it just wasn't working very well. I'm using 1/2" mohair tape I got from Needle & Thread. Any suggestions would be helpful.

[Becky Morgan]

Re: Chevron Construction

If you get advice from others here, take theirs first. However...
Try this on either a scrap piece of the tape you're going to use or a scrap piece of something similar. One thing that works is to hold the tape in your hands and GENTLY work the outer edge back and forth between your fingers, stretching the outside edge while pushing the inside edge together. Don't fray it or felt it, and you don't have to push hard on anything. You can actually work the fiber looser along the outer edge of a curve that way, which will tend to pull the other edge together. It won't work for very tight circles, but it does for loose curves. To hold it, run a thin thread up the last couple of threads inside the curve on the back of the tape, then fasten off the holding thread and steam-press the tape lightly (but once again, try this on a scrap piece first to be sure you won't lose the texture.) Once you sew it down to the heavier wool on the jacket, it should stay.