I have been planing this tutorial for sometime and I hope that you find it useful. Most patchwork and quilting magazines and books provide explanations regarding how to apply a binding to your quilt. Dear Fi also posted a great tutorial a little while ago, so there is plenty of information to access out there when it comes to finishing off your quilt.
So why bother with another tutorial you may ask ... well I finish off my bindings differently to the way that most instructions are detailed. It is not something that I have invented. It has been done this way by many, for a long time. It is a little more fiddly than the regular way but it will give you a better finish ... have a go and let me know what you think!
In this tutorial I have included;
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How to add a hanging pocket
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How match up stripes when joining binding strips with a mitered seam
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How to finish off a your binding with a mitered join
Adding a Hanging Pocket;
On medium to large sized quilts I make the finished width of my hanging pockets 4". Depending on how you want to mount your quilt you may want to make this slightly smaller for small quilts. Just remember that the finished width will be half the cut width minus 1/2".
1. Once you have squared up your quilt you will need to measure the edges of it and record it somewhere where you won't loose it. Cut a strip of fabric for the hanging pocket that is;
8 1/2 " wide by the length of the top edge of your quilt
2. Turn over the edge of each short end of the strip of fabric 1/4" and press. Turn the edge over again another 1/4" and press. Secure the hem with a straight row of stitching.
3. Fold the strip in half length ways and press.
4.Locate the center of the long edge of the sleeve and mark it with a pin and do the same with the top edge of your quilt.
5.With the back of your quilt facing up, lay the pocket on top of the quilt matching up the centering pins, ensuring that the raw edges of the pocket line up with the edge of the quilt.
6. Pin the pocket in place. You will notice that the pocket is now approximately 1/2" shorter on each ended than the quilt top due to the hems that we just made ... this is perfect!
The pocket will now be secured when the binding is sewn on ... but first lets join our binding strips!
How to match up stripes when joining binding strips with a mitered seam;
I don't know about you but I love striped bindings and when the stripes match up it's even better! :)
1. Make your binding strips - I usually just cut my binding along the straight grain of my fabric and I generally cut them to a width of 2 1/2".
2. To calculate the number of binding strips that you will need;
this measurement by the length of the individual strips that you cut and this will will give you the number of strips you will need in total.
3. Place the two ends of the binding strips that you plan to join, right side up, side by side in front of you.
4. Find the same print repeat point in both pieces of fabric - mark these points with a pin. (see below)
5.With right sides together place one length on top of the other matching the pins - see below bottom left hand corner of the overlapped fabric.
6.Using a ruler with a 45 degree angle marking - line up the 45 degree angle with the edge of the bottom piece of fabric and the diagonal of the top strip, as shown below, mark this line lightly with a pencil.
7. Pin and sew securing the start and stop points of your seam.
8. Open the seam out and check that the stripes match up - if they do trim your seam allowance to 3/4" and press the seam open.
9.Once all of the binding strips have been joined fold the strip in half and press.
How to attach your binding and finish it off with a mitered seam
1.Take one end of the binding and position it on one side of the quilt top matching raw edges. Begin slightly off center leaving a tail approximately 10" long.
2. Pin the binding in place along the remaining length of that side. Mark 1/4" from the end of this side with a pin.
3. Using a walking foot sew down this seam maintaining a 1/4" seam allowance. To help me maintain this seam allowance when I am using my walking foot I mark the distance 1/4" from from my needle with a strip of masking tape. I then use this edge to line up with the edge of my quilt.
4. Finish this seam and secure your stitches at the 1/4" point that you previously marked in step 2.
5. Remove your quilt from your machine and fold the binding to the right. Use your ruler to ensure that this fold is at a 45 degree angle - see below. Pin in place.
6. Fold the binding back to the left ensuring that the fold matches up with the edge of the quilt. Pin in place. Pin the binding to that side of the quilt, again marking 1/4" from the end point.
7. Sew down the length of the side od the quilt stopping at the 1/4" point and proceed as per previous corner.
8. Continue in this same way until you reach the side where you began. Secure the binding with pins and sew. Finish stitching 10" short of your starting point. Secure your stitching.
9. Over lap the binding by the exact width of your binding - in this case it is 2 1/2". Trim the excess binding.
10. Fold the quilt over right sides together. Take one end of the binding, place the short edge along the long side of the other binding end - matching up as shown below.
11. Mark the 45 degree diagonal with a pencil - this will be your stitching line. The first couple of times that you do this you may want to pin along this line and check that everything fits nicely before you sew the seam.
12. Once you have sewn the seam, lay the seam flat and refold the binding and check that it sits nicely along the edge of your quilt.
13. Once you are satisfied with the fit, trim the seam allowance to 3/4" and pin the binding in place. Complete the seam.Unfortunately, the stripes at this seam won't match unless the Gods are smiling on you :)!
14. Turn the binding to the back of the quilt and blind stitch in place.
15.When you fold over the binding at the corners fiddle with it until the miter sits nicely. Secure with pins and blind stitch it in place.
16. Once you have finished sewing the binding, blind stitch the bottom end of the hanging pocket.
17. Stitch the ends of the hanging pocket making sure that you only sew down the side that touches the back of the quilt - leaving an opening through which a hanging rod can be placed.
18. Add a label and your done!!!
I hope that this is helpful.
I will 'see' you all again on Sunday this week ... I'm spicing it up a little :).
Enjoy the rest of your week!
Kellie
