I love to do my binding on the machine. It’s fast, it’s sturdy and I save my handwork for other tasks!
Most of this Tutorial was done years ago. There also videos you can watch so click those link to heard to Youtube.
If you are not familiar with making the binding refer to the back of any of my books. I am cutting my binding 1 1/2″ wide, then ironing over 1/4″ on one long side. You can use double binding for this technique.
In this video I show you how I prepare single binding https://www.youtube.com/embed/KoRm2YWJctA?start=569
You sew the binding to the quilt JUST like you normally do.
But you are starting on the BACK as you will pull it forward to the front to finish
I use a 1/4″ or a BIT wider Seam allowance.
- use a blanket stitch for the stitching on the front.
- make the stitch about 3.5 x 3.5 (do a test on your machine for the size stitch that works)
- use your walking foot
- REVERSE your blanket stitch. Most need reversed so that the quilt is on the LEFT and NOT inside the throat of the machine.
Once the binding is sewn on turn the quilt over.
Now you are going to be pulling the binding to the front and using a Blanket stitch to secure it.
The goal is to stitch ON or NEXT TO the stitch line of the binding.
That way your back looks nice. The stitch line will be UNDER the binding.
Start on the side and sew sew sew…
(I’m using a stilleto to hold and point. You can also use a seam ripper)… back to sew sew sew until….
you get to the corner. Fold the binding once……
And then again. I stitch UP TO the corner and try and catch the fold right where the pointer is.
Turn and continue down the next side.
**WATCH THE VIDEO!**
When you are done. hand stitch the 4 corners closed. Stitch both the front and the back, just like you do for hand binding, but faster!
Feb 2021
a video on sewing the corner, I’m using a straight stitch in the videos
Feb 2021
Gluing the corners
This is what the back of your blanket stitching looks like when you stay ON the stitch line
If you pull the binding on the front too far away from the stitch line, then the back has a gap.
This is NOT the end of the world, but some people prefer a tighter finished look.
BIG TIP – I recommend you do a test strip with your binding size, size of binding and seam allowance. This way you can adjust the cut size of your binding to fit your stitching style.
I did this video September 2020
Talking about the difference between Double layer Binding and Single layer binding.
Here is a photo of what I show in the video
The binding ends up looking almost the same.
I do think that single width is easier to do by machine.
I hope you try this method of binding. If you do, write me an email and send me a photo!
Sometimes when you are done your binding might have a bit of a wave to it. The solution is to wash the quilt and that relaxes the stitches. If you can’t wash it, then steam the binding edge and it will flatten out.
Now go bind some quilts!
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