I must start off by paying homage to the likes of Jenny Doan at Missouri Star Quilting and Donna Jordan from Jordan Fabrics as these are the two I learned from. Dotting back and forwards, slow motion video, pausing, looking upside down, different camera angles we did it all to get the basic way sorted. Please do click the links to visit these two mega icons of quilting.
I hope with my still photographs and explanation you will be able to see how I have made the binding of the last section of quilt binding easy peasy.
Divin worrit if you you have measured all around the 4 edges of the quilt to be bound and cut your binding the same. Even after all the quilts, I have stitched binding on I still make mistakes such as here.
The simple remedy to this shortage is to cut another length of binding and follow the steps on my other blog, attaching binding together.
As you can see in the photograph above there is now too much fabric for the binding but that does not matter at the moment. Continue to stitch the binding around the edge of your quilt.
I generally start stitching a good third of the way down the quilt. I also leave an unsewn bit of about 10 inches. You can also see this in the photograph above with the piece of binding that appears to be closest to the bottom of the picture. The end of this binding is where I place my binding to start. The reason for leaving a large portion of the binding unstitched at this point is because when you come to join the two pieces of fabric together you need room to manipulate the quilt and the binding.
I then start sewing the binding approximately where you can see a bit of a bump in this piece of fabric with a loose thread as a loop.
The reason for this will, I hope be clear later on.
I start sewing on the left-hand long side of a quilt. It may be because I am a proud cuddy whifter, my OCD, or just a simple preference :-).
I start sewing with the raw edges to the raw edges of the quilt and continue all the way around. I turn the corners as shown in my binding blog mentioned above and continue this way all the way around the quilt. When I get to the last corner I turn it around the same way as the previous 3 corners but I stop sewing after about 6 inches. This is not rocket science because I couldn’t do it if it were, but over a few quilts or practice quilts, you will soon become accustomed to your own pleasing method.
The bit you are waiting for.
As you can, hopefully see in this photograph above the two legs of binding are over lapping each other.
The original piece of binding that you started sewing first is on the bottom in this picture above. You can also see that the edge of the ruler starts at the end of the binding and the pin measures 2.5″
THIS IS VITALLY IMPORTANT.
The reason that it is marking 2.5″ is because that it the width of the binding I am using on this project. IF I WAS USING 3″ BINDING THIS MEASUREMENT WOULD BE 3″. Similarly if I was using 2.25 binding the measurement would be 2.25″.
Like getting your pet neutered, there is no going back. Cut the top piece of binding 2.5″ longer than the bottom piece.
Join the two pieces of fabric together as seen here or for more instructions see this blog link. DO NOT STRETCH THE FABRIC. As mentioned above, the reason for leaving a large portion of the binding unstitched at this point is because when you come to join the two pieces of fabric together, as in the photograph above, you need room to manipulate the quilt and the binding.
Stitch along the black line and trim the excess fabric to the bottom of the line leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Iron the binding flat and then lay it onto your quilt. Do not pull it as this will stretch it and it will wrinkle whilst looking very ugly.
As you can see from the photograph above this is the final piece of binding to sew on. Sew at a 1/4 inch from the edge and bobs your aunt fanny all the stress of binding your first quilt has disappeared into the ether.
Enjoy your next part of hand stitching the binding to the rear.