Happy Endings: Finishing the Edges of Your Quilt (17 page)

Getting Started

Before you sew the binding to your quilt, take a moment to think about the starting point.

Start sewing in a corner only if you are planning to overlap the corners or sew the miters. (See
page 49
for “Stitched Mitered Corners.”) It’s much easier to make a folded miter in a corner than to sew the miter together there.

If your quilt has rounded corners, start on a straight edge rather than on a curve.

Avoid starting to sew the binding exactly in the middle of a quilt edge. Each time you fold your quilt in half, it will weaken at that spot.

So where’s the best place to begin sewing the binding? Somewhere between the corner and the center of a side.

Happy Ending Hints

Do not pin the binding to the entire quilt before sewing. As you sew, the binding may “bubble up” between the pins and cause little tucks. It’s also very uncomfortable to sew with all of those pins sticking you.

As you sew, concentrate on the 3" of binding directly in front of the sewing-machine needle. Lay the first 3" in position and sew; then go on to the next 3". Before long, these 3" lengths will add up to the entire quilt!

Be careful not to stretch your binding as you sew. Keep the long piece of binding in your lap, rather than letting it fall to the floor.

Support the weight of the quilt on a table to the left of your sewing machine.

Use a long straight pin or stiletto to control the layers in front of the presser foot and needle as you sew. It’s a lot safer than sticking your finger in harm’s way, and besides, a pin or stiletto fits much better than your finger.

Your binding can also be stitched to the edge of the quilt by hand. Use a small running stitch to sew the binding to the three quilt layers. Add a backstitch every 2" to secure your stitches.