My Favorite Method of Attaching a Binding to a Quilt
There is nothing that can compare with that blend of relief plus excitement you really feel when you're finally prepared for attaching a binding to a quilt . You've invested weeks, maybe also months, cutting, piecing, and quilting, and now you're down to the very final step. It's the particular frame for your own masterpiece, the literal edge that keeps everything together. Yet let's be sincere: if you're new to this, or even if you've done it a dozen times, that will final stretch can feel a little bit overwhelming. It's the component that determines if your quilt is situated flat and appears polished or if this ends up with wonky corners and a wavy edge.
I used to rush via this part mainly because I used to be just so desperate to become finished. I'd finish up with puckers and corners that looked more like rounded lumps compared to crisp 90-degree sides. Over time, I've understood that attaching a binding to a quilt is usually actually a pretty meditative process in case you just slow straight down and follow a few simple methods.
First, You've Got to Pillow It Up
Before you also consider touching your binding strips, you have to block up your quilt. I know, I know—you just completed the particular quilting and you want to get moving. But if your quilt isn't a true rectangle (or square), your binding is going to highlight every one imperfection.
Grab your greatest acrylic ruler and a fresh rotary blade. You would like to trim away the excess batting plus backing so they're flush with the quilt top. I like to line up my ruler with the seams of the quilt blocks rather than just the external edge of the fabric. This guarantees the whole thing is actually straight plus not just "mostly rectangular. " Take your time here. A well-trimmed quilt makes attaching a binding to a quilt so much simpler because you have a clean, solid advantage to sew towards.
Making Your Binding Strips
People have a lot of opinions about binding width. Personally, I'm an enthusiast of the two. 5-inch strip. It gives you a nice, sturdy double-fold binding that can deal with some wear and tear. If you prefer a thinner look, 2. 25 inches works great too.
You'll want to sew your pieces together using diagonal seams. If a person sew them directly across, you obtain a big, bulky group of fabric each time you strike a seam. Simply by sewing them at a 45-degree position, you spread that will bulk out. As soon as they're all became a member of, press the entire long strip in half lengthwise, incorrect sides together. Right now you've got a long, beautiful ribbon of fabric ready to go.
Starting the Stitch
When you're ready for attaching a binding to a quilt , don't start at a corner. That's a recipe for disaster. Start about midway down one of the long edges. Leave a "tail" of about 6 to 10 ins of binding hanging loose before you start sewing. You'll need that additional fabric later to join the ends together.
I usually use a 1/4-inch seam allowance. If you have a strolling foot for your own sewing machine, now is the time to break it out. Since you're sewing through the particular binding (two layers), the quilt best, the batting, and the backing, a regular presser foot might push the very best layers faster than the bottom ones. A walking foot will keep everything moving perfectly speed, which prevents those annoying ripples.
Dealing Along with the Mitered Sides
This is definitely the part that usually trips people up, but it's really kind of like origami. If you obtain close to a corner, stop sewing exactly 1/4 inch from the edge. Backstitch, then cut your threads.
Now, collapse the binding strip straight up, away from the quilt, so it generates a 45-degree position. Holding that flip in place with your finger, collapse the strip back down so the particular raw edges line up with the next side from the quilt. You'll have a small triangular fold of fabric tucked beneath. Start sewing from the top edge of that fresh side, and boom—you've just created a mitered corner. Seems like magic every single time it works out.
The Difficult Part: Joining the Ends
We've all been there—you've sewn all the way about the quilt, and now you have 2 tails of binding that need to fulfill perfectly. You don't want them to overlap awkwardly, plus you definitely don't want a space.
The easiest trick I've found for attaching a binding to a quilt with a smooth finish is the particular "width of the strip" rule. Lay your starting end flat contrary to the quilt. Take your finishing tail and lay down it over the first one. You want them to overlap by specifically the width of your binding strip. Since i have use 2. 5-inch strips, I ensure they overlap by 2. 5 ins.
Stop the excess, then pin those two ends together with a right position, right sides dealing with each other. Sew a diagonal line through corner to corner, trim the surplus, and press this flat. It will fit the remaining difference perfectly. It will take a bit associated with practice to get the tension ideal, but once you nail it, you won't even end up being able to notice where the binding starts and finishes.
Hand Sewing vs. Machine Sewing
Now that the binding is usually attached to the front, it's period to flip it over to the back. This will be where the fantastic Quilting Debate happens: perform you finish this by hand or by machine?
If I'm producing a quilt that's going to end up being used heavily or even washed each week, We usually finish this by machine. It's faster and arguably more durable. To do this, I actually sew the binding to the back from the quilt first, then change it to the particular front and topstitch it down. It gives a very clean, modern look.
However, for a special gift or even a "fancy" quilt, I always go for hand sewing. There's something so satisfying about sitting down on the sofa with a film on, slowly blind-stitching the binding to the back. It's the ultimate "slow fashion" moment. Use a thimble, get a few good quality line (maybe even some thread conditioner to prevent tangles), and enjoy the procedure. It's the last few hours you'll spend with this particular project before it goes off to the new home.
Final Touches and Sanity Savers
A few small things can create attaching a binding to a quilt much less stressful. First, use videos instead of hooks. Those little plastic material Clover clips are a lifesaver. These people hold all the particular layers together with no stabbing you, plus they don't distort the fabric like pins can.
Second, don't end up being afraid to make use of a lot associated with them. I generally clip the entire edge before I begin hand stitching. It keeps the strain actually and makes sure all those mitered corners stay crisp when i work my way around.
Lastly, provide your finished binding a good steam with your metal. It sets the stitches and flattens everything out. It's like the last "ta-da! " instant.
Attaching a binding to a quilt is actually the victory panel of the whole project. It may feel as if a task sometimes, but it's the step that turns a stack of fabric and batting into a finished heirloom. Whether you're machine-stitching with regard to speed or hand-sewing for that classic finish, just remember to take your time. You've done the hard work already; now you only need to give it an ideal frame. Happy quilting!