BINDING MITERED SEAM FINISH - TUTORIAL

Let's talk about making a beautiful

Mitered Seam Finish for Binding!

Don't loose me here...it's really very easy.

I make my binding 2 1/2" so these instructions are

written for that.  You can adjust to 2 1/4 by adjusting some

measurements as needed 

It's all about tails...binding tails!

Lay the binding down onto the quilt...

Leave a 10" loose tail and begin sewing to quilt
 at the 10" mark, back stitch to secure.

Sew all the binding on around the quilt.
When you get to the last edge of the quilt....
STOP sewing when there is 10" of open space and back stitch
Then cut another 10" tail.

See the white area....that's 10 inches of quilt

 with no binding sewn down.

Now your binding has two tails.  

One on each side of the white space.

Pull down the tails toward each other, pin them down snugly.

This is important to get a tight binding finish!

Fold back each tail (right and left sides) 

Leave a 1/4" space between the tails.

IF you use  2 1/2 " binding

Trim each tail to 1 1/4" out from each FOLD

(keep that 1/4" space centered)

IF you use 2 1/4" binding

Trim each tail to 1 1/8" out from each FOLD

(keep that 1/4" space centered)

Now THIS is the tricky part.   Fold the ends as if you were 

sewing binding strips Right SIDES together

PIN to avoid slipping.

Sew across at a diagonal...

just like sewing the binding strips together.

Lay the sewn piece out flat to make sure it is NOT twisted BEFORE you trim off to 1/4" seam!!!

Now flatten it out, press and sew it down to finish your binding.

THIS is the flat, mitered seam finish.  

trim off any dog ears as needed.

I prefer to "hand sew" the bindings 

for a beautiful finish. 

I have yet to see a machine sewn finish that looks pretty?

FLORENCE the Party Animal...she's been framed!

Let me know if you give these techniques a try

and how they work for you!

DIAGONAL QUILT FOLDING - TUTORIAL

Diagonal Quilt Folding Tutorial

After many trunk shows and demos 

I decided to write a quick tutorial on how to

and why I fold quilts on the diagonal.

When I do a trunk show for guilds or groups

I ask that members come to the tables after I am finished

and I show them how to fold and then let them help

me fold all the quilts I have just shown!

WHY ON THE DIAGONAL

This helps eliminate the deep folds that batting remembers and will help keep the quilts nice and flat. 

Step 1

Lay quilt on flat surface, top side down.

I like to use a bed.

Step 2

Bring one corner up to the top edge of the quilt.

If the quilt is a rectangle it is NOT a corner corner fold.

A square quilt will be a corner to opposite corner fold.

Step 3

Turn quilt so the fold is at the bottom.

Step 4

Fold top corner down 1/3 of the way

Step 5

Fold quilt down again lining up to the bottom fold 

Step 6

Fold one end point in to make edge square

Step 7

Repeat on other side

Step 8

Keep folding in from each side

Step 9

Continue folding quilt in from each side till both

sides reach the middle.

Step 10

One more fold in half to finish the folding.

All folds are now on the diagonal of the quilt 

TIPS:  Try standing your quilts on a closet shelf vs

laying one on top another.  This eliviates stacked weight

which also causes creasing.

Hope you try this!

MODERN CHRISTMAS TREE BLOCKS

I have FINALLY finished a Christmas quilt top

 using the Modern Tree Blocks by Amy Smart.

 I made most of the blocks, 2 years ago.

I used Amy's free Tutorial over on her blog, 

Diary of a Quilter and 

you can see it here.

The tutorial offers directions for two sizes

of the blocks.  I made the bigger size.

Its sew easy and I love the wonky look of the

trees, cut them all the same, or different.

Stack two fabrics and slice, following her instructions.

I love wonky and different!

Then I put the blocks on the design wall about 5 times.

I just couldn't decide how I wanted them to look.

Did I want my layout to mimic the original design?

Did I want to stagger the vertiacal rows?

 Did I want to add shashing?

To help me decide the final layout I like to take a 

black and white photo to see the color value balance.

This time I decided the blocks were NOT coming down

until they were sewed into a top.

And finally a top was made.

I went with the original design.

I was worried that I had to many colors?

I found out...I did not.

I love the almost scrappy look

of all my Christmas prints.

I made the top 7 rows across and 8 rows down.

A great lapsize quilt.

No borders for me!

That being said...

My first Christmas in July top/project is complete.

Of course, it needs quilted.

Perhaps that will happen before Christmas.

Are you sewing any Christmas in July projects?

After all, its only 5 month til Christmas!

MITERED CORNERS ON QUILT BINDINGS - TUTORIAL

Nothing bugs me more than a beautiful quilt

with crappy looking binding!

SEW here's a tutorial on how I

make the pretty mitered corners on binding!

My binding are all 2 1/2" wide

Piece strips with angled seams for less bulk.

 1/4" foot with a guide

***Where ever you begin sewing down the binding...

LEAVE a loose 10" tail for a mitered binding finish.

(That will be a separate tutorial)

Sew binding down the side of the quilt, aligning raw edges

STOP the needle 1/4" from the edge of the quilt

TURN the quilt 45 degrees (clockwise)

 and sew STRAIGHT OFF the edge of the quilt.

Like this!

Here's a close up view.

TURN the entire quilt (quarter turn counter-clockwise) 

Raw edge of quilt always to the right side.

FOLD the binding straight back

MAKE a 45 degree angle fold and finger press

Like this...

Bring the binding strip forward,  straight down along and 

on top of the right side of the quilt and finger press.

DO NOT loose the 45 degree fold....as you do this.

Begin the 1/4" seam again...at the top edge of

 the binding and quilt corner

DO NOT LOOSE THE 45 degree fold at any time

Continue sewing 1/4" seam 

REPEAT this process, for each corner.

Now lets talk Mitered Seam Finish..

Don't loose me here...its not hard.

I have posted about this technique before and you

can review that tutorial HERE (more detail)

or stay right here...

Leave a loose 10" tail at the beginning of 

sewing down the binding

Leave a 10" loose tail at the beginning strip of the binding.
Start sewing at the 10" mark, back stitch to secure.

Sew all the binding on around the quilt.
When you get to the last edge of the quilt....
STOP sewing when there is 10" of space, back stitch
Then cut another 10" tail.

Now your binding has two tail and a 10" space 

between the loose tails.

Pull down the tails toward each other, pin them down snugly.

This is important to get a tight binding finish

Fold back each tail (right and left sides) 

Leave a snug 1/4" space between the tails.

Trim each tail to 1 1/4" out from each FOLD

(keep that 1/4" space centered)

The 1 1/4" trim on either side is half of the 2 1/2" binding width.  

Now THIS is the tricky part.   Fold the ends as if you were 

sewing binding strips Right SIDES together.

Sew across at a diagonal...

just like sewing the binding strips together.

Lay the sewn piece out flat to make sure it is NOT twisted BEFORE you trim off to 1/4" seam!!!

Now flatten it out, press and sew it down to finish your binding.

THIS is the flat, mitered seam finish.  

trim off any dog ears as needed.

I prefer to "hand sew" the bindings 

for a beautiful finish. 

I have yet to see a machine sewn finish that looks pretty?

FLORENCE the Party Animal...shes been framed!

Let me know if you give these techniques a try

and how they work for you!

BINDING - FINAL SEAM - MITERED JOIN

Honestly it has taken me years, many classes,
many tutorials before I tried this mitred final seam join!

This is my interpretation of the technique

I have written this tutorial using my own quilt,

pictures and notes.

I make ALL my bindings 2 1/2" wide

Measure the quilt perimeter and add an extra 10"

I sew pieces together at the 2 1/2" ends using diagonal seams

Trim seams to 1/4" press using your fav method.

Press the entire binding RST

Sew 1/4" seam using my 1/4" foot to FRONT of quilt 

Hand stitch binding to the back for a nice, neat finish. 

   

Lets begin...

Leave a 6 - 8" tail, Sew down using 1/4" seam allowance

Sew all around then STOP with a 10-12" opening between 

start and fining binding tails.

Pull both binding tails toward the center of the opening

MAKE THEM VERY SNUG

and pin them down to avoid slipping.

(Snug is a key to the success of this technique)

Fold both tails back leaving a 1/4" space between them

(1/4" space in the center is also a key for successful technique)

For the 2 1/2" binding 
both tails will be trimmed to 1 1/4" length from the fold 

This photo shows the left tail - trim to 1 1/4"  

Repeat, trimming the right tail to 1 1/4" length from the fold

Flip the two tails as shown in the photo below.  

Left tail is Wrong Side Up

Right tail in Right side up
(aka Right Sides Together)

Adjust and line up the tails (RST) 

with edges as shown below

Binding tails are now RST
Mark a diagonal line for sewing them together

Sew

Trim, leaving a 1/4" seam allowance

(press open or just finger press to the side)

Flip the binding

lining up along the edge of the quilt

it will lay FLAT with the mitered seam!







Now press the binding out/away from the quilt!

Miter Join is flat, no bumps or puckers.

I hope you try this binding finish technique.
I absolutely love it!