Monday, January 25, 2010

Binding Tutorial

I thought it was time for me to post a tutorial on joining the end of your binding and having the seam be on the angle. This is one of the questions I'm asked so often, and since I had a project in the works, I took step by step pictures. Please comment if you found this helpful or confusing or just because. Instructions are the hardest thing to write, so I'm letting the photos do most of the explaining.
Here we go!


When sewing the binding on your project, leave at least 8" of binding on each end and make sure you leave enough room to easily manuever your top to join the ends together. I left 14" on this one.

Lots of overlap on the binding.


Cut a small piece off the end of one binding, this is your measuring guide.


I cut off about 2" as I have lots of overlap.


Take the left binding and lay it out along the edge of your quilt top. Open up the binding piece you just cut off right and lay it to the end of the binding. This is the width of the binding we are working with. You are using this as a guide for your overlap.


Bring your right side of binding and overlap it.


Cut the right side of binding to the left edge of the piece you used for your guide. This equals to the width of your binding. No measuring required as this technique works with any width of binding!


Open up your binding ends and lay them wrong side down on the table.


Pick up the right side binding and lay it "right sides together" on top of the left side.


They should line up just like when you are sewing your strips together to make the binding.



Draw a line to keep you on track.



Place a couple of pins to hold everything in place while you move to your sewing machine.


Stitch directly on the line........and yes, I sewed over the pins.   Do so at your own risk!


Back to the table, open up the seam allowance and give it a quick finger press.


Fold your binding back and make sure this fits and lays flat.  This is the measure twice and cut once theory.  I always check, it always works.


Now go back and trim off the corner of your seam and give it a quick press.


Now you have a join in your binding that looks like every other join.


Pin the last bit down and sew to completely attach the binding.


Here is your seam from the inside.....


And here is what it looks like when you turn your binding to the back.  Just like all the other seams. Easier than pie!

Hope you give this a try as it is the best method I've come across.  The beauty of this is that if your binding is 2 1/4" or 3 1/8" wide, it still works.  By cutting a piece off the end of your binding and using this as your measure, you don't need to know, or care what width the binding is and you don't have to measure!
And yes, Miss Paula, this is your tablerunner.  Now to hand sew the binding and label this long overdue gift!
Take a few stitches today,
Sharon

5 comments:

Karen said...

Awesome tutorial!! Thank you. I never heard of using the piece of binding to measure the overlap, it is ingenious!

Rose Marie said...

I do my binding somewhat different to yours, but will give your tips a tryout next time. Thanks for sharing!

Sandra's Sewing Room said...

I like your tutorial on finishing the binding. Very clear; easy to follow!

Kelly said...

Thank you for sharing! Very good photography, what a gorgeous finish, love the colours!
Kelly

Joan said...

Enjoyed reading your Binding Tutorial - its great...sad it took me so long to find :)