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Supplies
Walking foot
Thread to match binding fabric
Straight edge ruler
Marker
Pins
Needle and thread to match binding
Hair clips
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Tip:
Double edge binding is the most common style for quilt edges. There are other ways to make attractive quilt edges. I have used prairie points, facing or piping to finish edges. You can omit the edge detail and sew the backing to the front of the quilt. Leave an area open to turn the backing right side out like a pillow. Close the opening with hand stitching.
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Open Binding Instructions as a PDF
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Double fold binding is usually made with 2 ¼" strips. Measure the width and length of your quilt. Double these numbers and add them together. Add about 4 inches for each seam needed to make a strip long enough for your quilt. Add about 8 more inches to make the corner turns and to seam the two ends.
For instance; a quilt that is 50" square needs 200" of finished binding. 5 fabric cuts from selvage to selvage would yield 200 inches.
40 usable inches from selvage to selvage.
x 5 cuts
=200 inches.
One more cut strip will provide the extra for seams and corners.
5 seams
x4 inches
=20 inches for seams
+ 8 inches for corners and extra ease to seam the two ends.
= 28 inches extra. 228" total.
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1.
Cut your strips from selvage to selvage for straight edged quilts. For curved edged quilts; along the bias for flexibility. The bias-cut strips will lie flat along the edges of curves.
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2.
Make one long strip by placing right sides together and sewing across the diagonal. I mark the diagonal line with a pencil and then pin the outer corner before sewing.
Trim the seam to ¼"
Press seam open.
Press strip in half, lengthwise to make a
width of 1 ?".
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3.
Do not trim your quilt until the binding is sewn on.
On the front of the quilt, using a straight-edge, mark a placement line for the raw edge of the binding.
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4.
Start about 8" from the beginning of the binding and about 6" from a corner of the quilt. Pin the binding with its raw edges along your marked line. Sew ¼" from the raw edge and to a spot ¼" from the corner. Pivot the quilt and sew to the outer corner.
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5.
Now you will do the fancy folding that will give you a mitered corner.
Remove the quilt from under the presser foot. Fold the binding on an angle away from the quilt.
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6.
Fold the binding along the next quilt edge to be bound.
Be sure to maintain the fold of fabric to line up with the raw edges of the sewn binding.
Starting from the fold, sew a ¼" from the raw edge of the binding until you have completed all corners in this manner.
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7.
Mitering the last seam is tricky. It is easy to show but difficult to explain.
Stop stitching about 8" from the first row of stitching. Open the layers of binding up and angle them away from each other, right sides together. Crease them along a right angle so one strip points away from the quilt and the other points into the quilt. Pin the 2 strips together along this diagonal crease.
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8.
Stitch along this crease. Fold the binding back over and check that it lays flat along the edge of the quilt. If it is perfect then trim the seam allowance to ¼" and finger press it open.
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9.
Pin the binding along the remaining edge and stitch it in place. This should give your quilt a smooth edge. Trim the quilt and batting edges to ?" from the stitching line.
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10.
This is the perfect time to attach a sleeve to the top of the back of the quilt. If the sleeve will only be used in a quilt show, make it 8" wide x long enough to reach from binding to binding. If you will be hanging your quilt with a rod and nails, shorten the sleeve by an inch to allow the nails to hide behind the top corners of the quilt.
Stitch a rolled hem in each end. Fold the sleeve, wrong sides together, and align the raw edges with the upper back edge of the quilt. Center the sleeve. Pin the raw edges of the sleeve, making sure the pins are on the front of the quilt. The fold line of the sleeve should be about 4" down from the back of the quilt. Stitch along the front of the quilt, along the binding stitching. Do not stitch over the corner binding.
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11.
Slip stitch the fold of the binding to the quilt back over the stitching line. I like to use hair clips to hold the binding in place instead of pins. Stitch the corner folds to impress quilt judges.
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