Binding
There are two ways to attach the beginning and end of your binding.
Method #1 - Good for small projects such as pot holders
- Cut the required amount of binding 2.25 or 2.50 inches.
-Sew the short edges of the binding strips together on the diagonal using a 1/4 inch seam allowance.
- Press all seam allowances the same direction.
- Fold binding in half wrong sides together and press.
- Fold the beginning end over with the wrong sides together at 45 degree angle.
- Lay the binding edges even with quilt.
- Sew the binding around the quilt.
- Miter the binding at each corner.
- To miter the corner, stop about 3 inches from the corner.
- Draw two lines, the first at the edge of the quilt, the second 1/4 inch from the first line.
- Continue stitching, stop at second line.
- Lower the needle into the fabric and the turn the quilt 45 degrees.
- Stitch off the binding towards the corner.
- Fold the binding strip over itself to form a 45 degree fold.
- Begin to stitch again from the corner..
- When you reach the start of the binding, tuck the tail in tight, stitch beyond the folded start. Trim if needed.
- Press the binding to out side, flip the quilt to back and press the binding down.
- Hand or machine sew binding to back of quilt.
Or click the link below to download this file as a Word document
Method #1 - Good for small projects such as pot holders
- Cut the required amount of binding 2.25 or 2.50 inches.
-Sew the short edges of the binding strips together on the diagonal using a 1/4 inch seam allowance.
- Press all seam allowances the same direction.
- Fold binding in half wrong sides together and press.
- Fold the beginning end over with the wrong sides together at 45 degree angle.
- Lay the binding edges even with quilt.
- Sew the binding around the quilt.
- Miter the binding at each corner.
- To miter the corner, stop about 3 inches from the corner.
- Draw two lines, the first at the edge of the quilt, the second 1/4 inch from the first line.
- Continue stitching, stop at second line.
- Lower the needle into the fabric and the turn the quilt 45 degrees.
- Stitch off the binding towards the corner.
- Fold the binding strip over itself to form a 45 degree fold.
- Begin to stitch again from the corner..
- When you reach the start of the binding, tuck the tail in tight, stitch beyond the folded start. Trim if needed.
- Press the binding to out side, flip the quilt to back and press the binding down.
- Hand or machine sew binding to back of quilt.
Or click the link below to download this file as a Word document
| binding-deb.doc |
Method #2 Pictures and some information taken from the book “Happy Endings” by Mimi Dietrich
- Measure the perimeter of your quilt and add 10”.
- Cut your binding strips 2 ¼ ” or 2 ½ ” wide (I prefer 2 ¼ ”) and then cut enough strips to make up this amount. Example: If the perimeter of your quilt is 230”+10” equaling 240” then you need to cut 6 strips of fabric.
- Joining the fabric into one long strip – Diagonal seams in binding improve the finished look of your project.
- Place two strips right sides together, crossing the ends at right angles. Lay them on a flat surface and pin securely.
- Draw a line across the pieces to connect the points where they intersect, and then sew along the line.
- Trim the excess fabric, leaving a ¼” seam allowance and press the seams open.
- Continue adding strips in the same manner until all the strips that you need are connected.
- Prepare the quilt for the binding by basting around the outside, sewing the 3 layers together. You should use a walking foot for this.
- Take your strip of binding and press it in half, wrong sides together, along the length of the binding.
- Lay the cut edge of the binding along the cut edge of the quilt placing the beginning of the binding about 8” from the corner. Then start sewing about 6” down the binding so that it leaves a 6” tail. Sew it at a ¼” seam.
- Corners – As you are coming up to a corner, stop sewing ¼” from the corner and stop with your needle down into the quilt. Lift your presser foot and turn the quilt so that the binding you just sewed on is to your left and the row that you next have to sew is towards you. Take a thread buddy (little piece of fabric) and lay it behind where you will sew next, back stitch onto this thread buddy. Then fold the binding so that it extends straight up from the second edge of the quilt. Finger press the fold and then fold the binding down, aligning it with the second edge of the quilt. Continue sewing the binding down this second edge. Do this for all 4 corners.
Connecting the Binding Ends with a Diagonal Seam
This method is very neat, no bulk and starting and ending points are not visible.
This method is very neat, no bulk and starting and ending points are not visible.
- Once you have sewn all sides, stop sewing the binding approximately 6” away from the starting point. Cut the end of your binding with a perpendicular cut so that it overlaps the beginning end of your binding. The length of the overlap must equal the width of your binding strip. (For example, use a 2 ¼” overlap for a 2 ¼” wide binding).
- Open the folds of the two strips and overlap them at right angles with right sides together as shown. Pin them together. Draw a diagonal line between the two points where the binding strips intersect as shown (remember how you joined all the strips together?).
- Sew the ends together on the marked line and then trim the seam allowance to ¼”. Press the seam allowance open.
- Refold the seamed section of the strip, return it to the edge of the quilt and finish sewing the binding in place.
Finishing
Below is a link to download this file as a Word Document
- On right side press binding towards back. Hand sew binding to the back or on the right side stitch in the ditch where the binding joined the quilt, making sure to catch the back of the binding in the stitching
Below is a link to download this file as a Word Document
| binding-beverley.doc |