Today September 25th – 27 if you purchase $25 you get this pattern FREE!…This  project is now on our website for you to order a kit if you are interested.  The kit is only $30 and includes the flannel for background, binding…and all the beautiful hand dyed wools.  Order HERE.  The threads used are also linked on that same page as the mat.

For your convince there are links in this tutorial for other items needed.

We THANK YOU in advance for supporting our shop with any of your stitching needs.

Single fold binding?  Why? Well, sometimes you do not need the strength of a double fold binding like you do on the edge of a quilt.  The double fold binding is durable to take the daily use that a bed quilt might endure.  If your quilts are being used you know what I mean when I say they will take some abuse…like a well used and washed baby quilt.

But a lot of the time if the project will not be used on a bed, the edge application does not have to be as sturdy.  Thus, single fold binding…for wall hangings, mini quilts and projects like a table mat…also it saves a little fabric.

Why can I put a binding on this mat and not others? Well this depends on the edge…if it is scalloped those are harder edges to put a binding on and we usually blanket stitch them with thick perle cotton on the edge …but if it is oval or circular we can bind it.

I also used flannel as the background of this project instead of wool, which keeps the price down a bit as well, but the flannel is not thick like wool…so I added a little batting and backing and put a binding on it just like a quilt.

So on to the single fold tutorial…

Cut your binding on the bias when doing anything with a curve.

Cut a diagonal cut through the center of your fabric.

This then becomes the edge of your binding and you will fold and line up this edge as your starting cut your strips.

Cut single fold binding for this project 1 3/4″.  You will sometimes have to test what size you wish to use….I am making this one a little larger for two reasons…one, this is flannel and two because I am going to put this binding on a little bigger than a 1/4″…more like 3/8″.

After your strips are cut, lay them right sides together and stitch on the diagonal.

Press the seams open.

Start with a straight edge and lay it right sides-together on the edge.  Start stitching about 4 to 5 inches from the beginning of the strip using your walking foot.  

The binding will curve nicely as your stitch around the mat.

When the end is near, about 6″ away,  stop stitching.  Pin the start of the mat in place.  

Now lay the end over the top of it…move the pin to where the inside edges meet…you might even move it back an 1/8 to snug it up…

Now take that inside start corner and place it right sides together at the same point you moved the pin to.

Move the pin to hold them together.   Shorten your stitch length to about half of your normal stitch length was for stitching the binding on…stitch  from the outside edge to the bottom intersection.  

Clip 1/4″ away from the seam and press it open.

Lay the binding at the edge of the mat.  Continue stitching, putting your stitch length back to normal, until you meet the beginning.

Now flip the binding over to the back side.

Lift up and fold down the raw edge to meet the edge of the mat.  

Now fold it down one more time and clip in place with binding clips..  I don’t go crazy..about three to get started…

Thread your binding needle with quilting thread..

Insert needle above the stitched edge, come out on the fold edge a little away form where you inserted.

Insert the needle into the backing just below the stitched line, biting the backing and batting and then moving up into the binding fold.

The thread will loop and close the binding with out seeing any thread.  It especially hides in the flannel.

Continue taking stitches.

Flip it over to see if you are getting a nice tight full binding.

Continue all the way around!

I hope this tutorial was helpful and now you will consider a single fold binding on your quilt and wool projects!

Thanks for reading our blog and I will put this tutorial under the tutorial category at the beginning of the blog for you to access whenever you need it or you can always print it off…Lisa