Okay, I’ve finished the tacked quilt I’m making for the Weeping Princess. Now I have to attach this incredibly bright, rainbow-colored binding to it, and I’m not sure how.
The batting sticks out from the actual quilt by several inches. Do I trim that back, and then put the binding fold close to the edge of the quilt? But if I do, then my outer set of squares will look smaller than the others, won’t they? (It’s a wide binding…not sure what size, but the widest they had.)
Then…machine stitch?
Here I am, asking questions like I have ANY idea whatsoever…someone guide me, please?
Thanks!
karol
Lots of people (me included) will put a border of coordinating fabric around the edge of the quilt. Then, trim back the batting, and attach the blanket binding just as you’ve described. If you don’t put on a border, you will lose that outside symmetry.
Aaah, well. You quilters so smart. 
But I didn’t add a border when I put the quilt together, so I’d have to figure out how to add it now…shouldn’t be too hard, I suppose. If I still have some material to use, etc.
Or maybe I’ll just have little rectangles around the inside. The Weeping Princess won’t mind…she’s sleeping under it as I type, exposed batting and all.
No, you still can add one; in fact, the binding is added after the quilting is done. It’s a border that is added as part of the top.
This is a wide binding, you say? And it’s folded in half the long way, wrong sides together, right? If it’s not folded, do so and press it with the iron to give it a crease.
So take the rough edge of the folded binding fabric and lay it on the edge of the quilt top, with the rough edges aligned. You’ll have three rough edges here; the two of the folded piece of binding and the one from the quilt top. The rest of the sandwich (the batting and backing) will hang out further; don’t worry about this just yet.
Now sew all the way through the whole sandwich, using the same seam allowance the blocks used (so they come out even.)
You can do this in four steps or continuously - there’s a trick to folding the corners if you do continuous binding that I’d be at a loss to explain over the internet though, so you might just want to do it in four pieces.
You’ll have a long strip with a clean folded edge facing the top of the quilt. Trim your batting and backing to the width you want it (should be 1/2 or a hair less of the width of binding remaining free.) Now, fold that binding all the way over the rest of the quilt sandwich that’s sticking out, and hand-sew it on to the backing. If you trimmed just a little shorter than 1/2, the edge of the binding will cover the machine seam from sewing it in to the front. You’ll have to finish the corners neatly and tack them down by hand too. But having that folded edge on the binding gives you a nice clean place to sew.
Any particular reason you’re putting blanket binding on your quilt? Why not just make standard quilt binding and attach that to the outer edge? You’ll only lose a quarter-inch,[which is what you lose every time you sew a seam] so your outer row of squares won’t look appreciably different. Cut some fabric strips 3 inches wide, and long enough to go around the entire quilt, plus about 10 inches. Sew the short ends together, to make one LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG strip. Fold it in half the long way, with wrong sides together. Press well. Align the binding with the edge of the quilt, and sew with a quarter-inch seam[see, toldja’]
You have to do a bit of mitering at the four corners. A few minutes spent with a basic book on quiltmaking will make thisstep a breeze. Turn the sewn binding to the back of the quilt and stitch it down, either by hand[yeah, right!] or by machine[the only way to fly. If you still have your heart set on using that bought blanket binding[he said alliteratively] just resign yourself to losing that outer row of squares. If your backing and batting can still accomodate it, add an outer border wide enough to accept the blanket binding, that way you won’t lose those outer squares. Good luck, looking forward to those photos of your masterpiece.
Mostly I’m using the blanket binding because the Weeping Princess picked it out, and it is as startling in color as the rest of the quilt. She likes it because it’s shiny and silky, and I remember that being my favorite part of blankets when I was little. (She’s one of those kids that has to be holding the corner in order to sleep, and it has to be tucked into her fingers Just So, or it’s worth a decent crying jag.)
Anyway, I’m still a bit confused. The blanket binding appears to me to have finished edges, and it has a pressed fold in the middle. Should the edge of the quilt, regardless of border or whatever, reach that folded center? (In other words, does the quilt extend the entire width of the border?)
Does that make sense?
I’ll say this for my effort. It’s…bright. Very, very bright.
Okay, in re-reading, I think that yes, my blanket needs to reach the middle of the border.
So either I’ll have half-squares on the outside, or I’ll sacrifice a half-square all around to accomodate it, assuming I don’t add a border.
I can do it. I can, I can, I can!
And the Weeping Princess shall be pleased.
Karol does the blanket binding meet evenly from it’s fold or is one side about 1/4 shy?
If it is shy then lay it face right side to right side on the quilt top side with the blanket binding open at the fold. Sew it to the quilt and take only a 1/4 seam. You’ll be thinking you will still have a raw edge when you’ve gone around and you will, but the front side will be nicely bound. We’ll get to the backside next.
Once you’ve gone around turn the quilt over so it’s top side down, trim the batting back to 1/4 inch at your seam and fold the blanket binding over. Hand stitch the blanket binding just far enough over the top side seam you just did.
On review that doesn’t read like it’s as easy as it is to do.
If you want to email we can make arrangements for me to talk with you about it. I’d be happy to visit with you.
If it were me, I’d treat it like either a single-fold or double-fold binding. Personally, I prefer double-fold bindings with mitered corners and blind-stitched backs, so that’s what I’m going to tell you how to do. For these instructions, we’re going to treat the doubled-over binding as a single layer of fabric with a raw edge (your two finished edges) and a folded edge (self-explanatory).
As an overview, you line up the raw edge of the binding with the edge of your quilt top, and sew it on. Then you trim the batting and backing so that it’s all nice and even. Wrap the binding around the edge of the quilt so that the folded edge of the binding is on the back of the quilt, and slip-stitch it in place. There are a few details, but that’s pretty much all there is to it.
When you start, fold an inch or so of binding over, so you don’t have a raw edge sticking out on your finished binding. Start in the middle of a side. Typical seam allowances are 1/4" but on something as wide as blanket binding, you can easily use a 1/2". Stop a seam allowance from the corner and secure the end of your thread. Fold the binding up and over, so that it runs flush to the side you’ll be turning onto. Then fold it back down onto the side you’ll be working on. Start your new seam a seam allowance from your corner. Repeat for all corners. When you get back to your starting point, let the end overlap the beginning by an inch or so.
Flip the folded edge to the back, and blindstitch it into place. The double fold you did on the front side will automatically miter your corners, front and back. The miter folds in the front should be secure on their own, but you’ll need to tack the miter folds on the back to keep them snug.
There’s a really good tutorial with pictures on www.quilterscache.com. It’s the tutorial called “applying a binding” or something like that.