Category: tutorials

How to make and stitch a Quilt sleeve & Binding       Part 1- machine work

I thought since we are all finishing up our quilts that this might be a great time to post this tutorial…

I put sleeves on 98% of my quilts.  You never know if someone will want to hang your quilt, quilts can be art too!  They can be hung behind beds…in large open areas on walls and I especially need them to hang on the poles at quilt shows in our booths…

Today I will share my quick and easy method.

I use the remaining backing fabric…yes..I make sure my backing is plenty big.  I cut a piece of backing off the quilted quilt. Cut it about 4-5″ (I usually rip it ) wide and as long as the top of the quilt is long.  I lay the quilt right side up on my table…determine the top, then fold the top over to expose the back.  So the quilt is laying right sides together on top if you are wondering in this photo.  If you lay the quilt upside down you are working on the sleeve up side down as well…This allows you to work on the sleeve more efficiently.

Iron the sleeve nice and flat….  I press up the bottom of the sleeve about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch..Then using Stitch Witchery cut 2 pieces as long as the sleeve is wide and place it about 3/4″ of an inch away from the edge.  Press over the edge onto the adhesive on both sides.

This hold the edges nicely, without having to stitch them…

Center the sleeve onto the quilt and pin in place.  Flip up the sleeve bottom and place small dots of Roxanne’s Glue Baste on the folded edge…I love this size..it easy to hold on to and it doesn’t gum up with glue.

Roll the sleeve back down and press with your hands…Let it stand for about 10 min.  Notice how I pin…The pins are holding the sleeve in place but will not be in my way when I am stitching the binding on.  Also note, that the top of the sleeve will get stitched into the quilt when the binding is stitched on by machine…After the binding is hand stitched to finish it, you will then hand stitch the folded edge of the sleeve with thread that matches the backing…in this case, cream.

preparing your binding:

Meanwhile, prepare your binding (while the glue dries) if you have not already done so…I use 2″ wide binding on most of my quilts.  My binding is the same on the front as it is on the back, I stitch it on 1/4″.  Not any bigger…I do not want to cut off any points if I have piecing on the edge.. If you cut your bindings larger than 2″ where does that extra go?  My bindings are nice and full and the fold comes just over the stitching line on the back.

to figure out how much binding you need:

Take both lengths, and both widths of your quilt.  Add them together.  Divide this number by 40″.  This is how many strips to cut…If it is 6.5.  Cut 7 strips for example.

 

Lay your strips rights sides together and stitch across them diagonally…as shown.  Use the same color thread and shorten your stitch length.  I used lighter thread here so you could see…

Trim off the excess 1/4″ away.  Press seams open.

I also turn up the straight edge to form a point as shown below here at the beginning of the binding.  This 45 degree crease will be the stitching line when attatching the end to the start of the binding.

I roll up my binding and place it on my sewing table by my machine.

These are the threads I will use for stitching this binding, Red Auriful for sewing it to the quilt by machine.  Then Hand Quilting thread to finish hand stitching it to the quilt. You need a stronger thread on quilts that are going to be used.  Binding needles are the best…they are long, super sharp, nice eye for threading and do NOT bend.  Try them you will love them!  Most people just use whatever needle is in the pincushion to hand stitch their binding…if you have the right needle hand binding is most enjoyable!

Stitching binding on by machine

Start by leaving a tail about 10″ long with the folded 45 degree point as the start…I like to start near a corner about 5 ” away, leaving that 10″ un-stitched at the beginning.

Place a pin in the quilt at 1/4″ away from the edge…Stitch to the corner stopping at the pin 1/4″ away from the edge.  Pivot and stitch off the edge.

Fold up the corner forming a 45 degree angle and finger press this down flat.

Start at the edge of the quilt and stitch…keep stitching repeating at each corner. 

When you are coming close to the 10″ strip that is not stitched at the beginning, stop about 8″ away from this point. 

Place a pin in the quilt where the beginning has been smoothed out along the edge where it will eventually be stitched. I place the pin a smidge before the point to stretch it a bit.  I would rather have too tight a binding then too loose.

Now lay the end of the binding strip along the edge of the quilt over the beginning of the binding.  Take the pin you placed previous and put it in the the top strip exactly where it is but only on the top layer of the binding…so you still can open it up..

Now think Point to Pin…That point of the beginning is going to be place directly on the at pin.  Lay that beginning binding right sides together point to pin as you turn it, open it and lay it right sides together…as shown below…

Move the pin over on the right side of the pressed diagonal line.  Stitch the diagonal line.

Remove the pin and test if the binding is correct…then cut the binding 1/4″ away from the seam.  Finger press it open.

Lay it out on the quilt edge…

Stitch the remaining part of the binding down.

Now you are ready for hand stitching the binding!

Look for the Hand Stitching Part 2 of this picture tutorial soon!

I will place this post up in the tutorial part of my blog for future reference…Have a great week Everyone!

STITCH Everyday!

Lisa