Quilting 103: Binding your Quilt

Binding is that last skinny bit around your quilt. It’s the part that finishes it off, while adding security and one more chance for a design choice. There are lots of ways to make and apply binding, and we’ll cover some of these in this class. We’ll talk about straight of grain versus bias strips, how to know how much fabric you need, how to cut your strips, sew them together and apply your binding to the quilt sandwich, including achieving beautiful mitred corners. You will also learn how to join the ends into an invisible finish, and two different ways to sew the binding to the back of the quilt.

Prerequisite 

• Quilting 101: Introduction to Patchwork
• Quilting 102: Introduction to Machine Quilting.

These two classes will have taught you to cut accurately with a rotary cutter and sew an accurate 1/4” seam allowance. You will also be very comfortable using a sewing machine, including threading, winding and loading a bobbin, changing machine settings and changing feet. These topics will not be covered in this class.

Required Materials (sold separately)

For graduates of the 2 quilting classes mentioned above

• Bring your quilted “Squared Off” quilt sandwich.
• 1 fat quarter (FQ) of fabric for the binding
• spool of 50wt cotton thread which matches your binding
  fabric. (If in doubt about the color, the rule of thumb is to go darker and duller.)

Students who have not taken Quilting 101 nor Quilting 102

• please come prepared with a small quilt sandwich made from 2 FQs and batting. This quilt sandwich should be quilted, perhaps with something as simple as a large asterisk.
• 1 fat quarter (FQ) of fabric for the binding
• spool of 50wt cotton thread which matches your binding
  fabric. (If in doubt about the color, the rule of thumb is to go darker and duller.)

Optional Nice to Have Supplies

• Hand sewing needle (milners or applique) and a thimble, if you use one.
• Square rotary cutting ruler for trimming your quilt