Quilt-A-Long for Charity - Tutorial 9 - Binding - Part 1

Here we are at the final stage of our quilt making and if you are up to here with me, I am very proud of your efforts and you should be too!

To bind the quilt, I have decided to try a technique that I found on Pinterest some time ago. I haven’t tried it yet so I will be ‘learning’ along with you. It is a technique that combines the binding and a small ‘peeper’ border at the same time and is all done on the machine ie no hand stitching.

So let’s give it a try!!

Preparation:

1. Trim the quilt: It is important to check that your corners are still square as you trim the excess backing and batting away.

2. Cut the Binding fabrics.

a) Take the fabric for the ‘peeper’, folded selvedge to selvedge and square the edge.

b) Cut six strips across the width of the fabric (wof), each 1 and 3/4″ wide (NOTE: After following these directions, I think it would be better, if you have enough fabric, to cut them at 2″)

c) Square off the main binding fabric

d) Cut six strips across the wof, each 1 and 1/2″ wide

3. Join the strips

a) Take 2 of the ‘peeper’ strips and overlap the ends as in the photo below (that will get rid of the selvedges when it is cut). The strips are at right angles to each other.

b) Rule a line across as shown in the photo below – that will be a 45 degree angle (you can check it if you want to)

c) Stitch along that line (you will be able to ‘eye’ it once you know what you are doing)

d) When you open it you now have a great join!

e) Trim to 1/4″ and press it open (to reduce bulk).

f) Continue to join all of the ‘peeper’ strips.

If you are using a stripe like me, it is nice if you match the stripes. If you are not using a stripe, just continue as you did above.

4. To match the stripes:

a) Place the strips so that the stripes line up and choose a stripe – I have put a pin to show you I have chosen the left side of the blue stripe.

b) Place the strips together at right angles as before, so that the two edges where the pins are, meet – so if you look closely, the blue stripe meets at a right angle.