Binding Tutorial - tricks to make it look great!

Welcome to Tootorial Tuesday!

Taking a class at my local quilt shop proved very helpful for my lack of binding skills!  I'd like to show you pictures (they're worth 1,000 words, right?)  Here's a few new binding friends:

Steam-A-Seam 2 and...

 ...Wonder Tape!

Apply to inside of attached binding...

But before we get to this point, how did we create the binding tape in the first place?

Lots of people suggest cutting binding on the bias, but many quilters use strips of as little at 1 3/4" to 2 1/4" or 2 1/2" - cutting these strips with perfect accuracy is easy-peasy with AccuQuilt! 

Watch this video or this video for hands-on, bias cut instructions.

Sewing together your binding tape how-to's:

The corner is going the wrong way here:

Using a strip of painter's tape will help keep you on the 1/4" seam line

Keep the corner pointing to the left - this is correct

You can chain piece as long as the corners always point to the left, as in the photo below:

Make your binding tape at least 16" longer than the length you need (8" for each end)

and then press the seams OPEN instead of to one side to avoid lumps

Apply your binding with 1/4" seam along the edge. 

Apply this to the wrong or right side of your piece, as you wish.

Using a straight stitch and 1/4" seam, sew along the edge, stopping 1/4" before the end of the piece.

Move the piece to the side and turn the binding straight up, placing your thumb on the corner of the binding, as follows:

Carefully pin or hold the corner down while your right hand turns the binding back over along the edge of the next side, as follows:

Begin sewing with a straight stitch 1/4" from the edge of the piece again...

Complete all four corners and leave an unsewn gap of 12" (stopping that far away from where you first began sewing on the binding).  See below:

Iron on the Steam a Seam 2 or Wonder Tape onto the binding tape, leaving the paper backing on!

Now, use your favorite binding tool to aid you in creating a nice 45 degree angle for each end...

for example, The Binding Tool by The Quilter's Mercantile, Inc. for under $10

which comes with instructions directly on the tool itself or you can watch this youtube tutorial from the Missouri Quilt Company

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ex2PajesRvU

I mean, if a picture is worth 1,000 words, then a video is worth about 10,000, right?!?

(Thank you, Missouri Quilt Company for yet another great youtube tutorial!)

Mark your 45 degree angle with the tool

After marking both ends, cut along the marks on both ends

Clip or pin right sides of binding ends together, then sew, using a 1/4" seam

After you finish the seam, sew the remaining 12" opening down onto your piece using 

the 1/4" seam allowance again.

Now it's time to remove the tape from the Steam a Seam 2 and press the binding over to the other side of your work, saving the four corners for last.

Choose a nice hand-look stitch on your machine (I chose the #56 on my Pfaff Quilt Expression 4.0) and sewing down the binding on the opposite side (right side, in my case.)

(You would want to finish by hand if your quilt will be exhibited in a show or judged in competition:)

More tips and tricks tutorials for binding from the Missouri Quilt Company.

Do you love tutorials?

Please leave a link to your favorites in the comments below.

Thank you!

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