The ins and outs of bindings, hanging pockets and striped binding strips!

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;

• How to add a hanging pocket

• How match up stripes when joining binding strips with a mitered seam

• 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;

• add the measurements of the edges of your quilt and add an additional 20"

• divide

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

Comments

[Tine]

Thank you so much! This is a great tutorial :-)

[Cathi]

Great tutorial!! I love striped fabric for bindings and this tutorial will really help a lot!! Thank you!

[Lucy Locket-Pocket]

Thanks for the tutorial! I'm going to add it to my new wist list hall of fame for tutes! Lucy x

[Bridget]

Thank you so much! I'm not much of a quilter and I could use all the help I can get!

[lzilulu]

WOW! Great tutorial Kellie....and soooo timely....my shed ladies are doing a revision of binding application today and so I'll give them a link to your Blog....my work will be done *smile*......thank you!
lzilulu xox

[Louise]

This is how I do mine!! Only not quite so precisely - I fiddle around with it a bit more. I think it sits perfectly! Thanks for going to the trouble to do this as you were madly finishing your lovely quilt. Daphne and I are feeling sick today so tomorrow is not looking good. Will email you later! xx

[sue]

Great tutorial Kellie!

[Amelia]

Thanks Kellie. Fantastic photos - when you are like me and look at pictures good photos make all the difference. Thanks for taking the time to put up this tutorial (i need to keep an eye out for that yummy stripe).

[Lara (thornberry)]

What an impressive tutorial Kellie! I'm only just starting with quilting and this will be a fantastic reference. Thank you!

[Jodie]

What a great tutorial Kellie!!! I've always wanted to know how to join my bias binding together properly, thanks.

[Louise]

Thank you so much, that is a great tutorial! I don't suppose you would also have time to give some tips for applique? :) :) :) I am in awe of your quilts, but I have no idea how to applique!

[Hayley]

Thanks Kellie, I have needed to learn how to join my binding together at the end, great tips. Thanks for the tiny snippets of the latest quilt!!

[Rachel]

WOW, so much fantastic information! Thanks SO much for putting this all together. I'll be linking...

[Kitty]

Great tutorial - thanks Kellie! x

[Rachael Rabbit]

How I have been bodging my binding corners ;-) Thank you for showing me how to do it properly!

[Andi]

Thanks Kellie. Some fantastic tips.

[Dawn]

Thanks for the tutorial, it is a great help and to refer to often when things might confuse me!
Hugs
Dawn x

[Char]

Oh Kellie, thanks so much for this tutorial. Especially for the bit about getting the matchup at the end of the binding. It's been my problem area.

Your pictures were great and made it very clear.

Thanks,
Char

[meaghan]

Thats awesome, I love the title.

[MichelleB]

Great tutorial! Thanks! In looking over your blog, I have a question. I see that you have a Bernina 440 with a stitch regulator. I also see that you have nice wonderful tiny even stitches. I have the same machine, with the BSR, and I was wondering which "mode" you used the BSR in. The one where you move the fabric, and it stitches automatically, or the one where you use the foot pedal? Thanks so much!

[periwinkle]

this must have taken you ages to do - well done. Have a lovely weekend
lisa x

[soo]

lots of wonderful advice....I've always wanted to know how to add a hanging pocket, thank-you!

[upstatelisa]

thanks Kellie! I have never been able to match up stripes like that! I even have that fabric! when do you have time for this???

[The Chocolate Cat]

Thank you, I will find this very useful!

[Norma]

oooh, I love the way the binding stripes match up. Thank you!

[Tami Challe]

Wow - this is how i love to do my binding, but the 45 degree angle ruler (actually using it) is great tip! wow that will make those corners actually perfect, and i always struggle with the end matching but your tutorial is so great , it makes it easy, i have to find a way to save this it will be my go to - next time i am ready to bind a quilt!!
Only dif is i too love striped binding but i love to cut them on bias -such neat effects!

Tami C

[simone de klerk]

A great tutorial, Kellie. It's the first time I did a binding like this and with your directions it worked out perfectly!

[Sharon Graham]

going to start binding quilt today-thanks, this tutorial is so helpful. I nearly feel confident to start!

[Janette Anderson]

Hi I was wondering why I cannot purchase the quilt pattern Garden Party(indicates it does not ship to Canada) but can purchase Pretty in Pink. I would really love to have both they are so gorgeous. Thank you. Janette

[Sonja]

Your binding tuto is the greatest I've read on the net and the only one I usewhen I'm binding my quilts. Thank YOU!!!!

[Mary-Anne]

Great advice on how to match up the stripes. I would have just fiddled and resewn it until I was ready to throw it against the wall in disgust. You've saved me from a temper tantrum. My husband thanks you!

[radii supras]

I like ANMJ on FB & just subscribed to the email feed! :)

[LV Bags For Cheap]

i went to the same school as patrick. i remeber those girls from my school who wrote in. they were white trash...i always felt so bad for them.

[karen millen dresses]

I agree with most of what you’re saying here and the way you’ve presented it is awesome.