Wow! You guys had so many helpful hints, suggestions, and information about starching fabric after last week’s blog! I really enjoyed reading all your little notes :)
This week, I am traveling so I thought I would do a repost of a very popular binding tutorial I did last year. This technique is one I get asked about over and over again! So here it goes: binding inside angles…. Enjoy!
Another installment in my binding series! This will be a quick blog about how to bind inside angles, used mostly on quilts with hexagon shapes at the edges, or chevron quilts with a zig-zag edge or even traditional scallop borders with an arch and valley.
I love interesting borders, and I tend to use them a lot. Many of my patterns have them; I might as well tell you all my secrets up front. If you love the look, but you get a little hesitant when it comes to the actual how-to-do-it part :), I wrote this post for you!
I bind all my quilts with a double-machine binding method (sewing it to the back wrapping it to the front and top stitching it down, more on that method here). If you like to hand-stitch your binding to the back, then just reverse what I show and sew the binding to the top instead, everything else will be the same.
This binding method does not require bias binding. Cut and prepare enough binding to go all the way around the quilt with about 8-10” extra. I cut mine at 2.5” for this quilt.
Trim your quilt up removing all excess backing and batting using scissors to get down in those valleys so there is no extra bulk.
X marks the spot. Take a fabric marker and a small ruler and mark the ¼” line at each valley and each peak all the way around the quilt.
Lay your binding strip along the edge and place a pin right in that X. Your needle will need to be in the needle-down position before pivoting to go up the other side. Sew the binding down leaving a tail unstitched of at least 6”. Stitch right up the pin and drop your needle.
Lift the presser foot and pull the quilt around to match the binding. This will essentially force the valley to open wider.
Remember the inside angle is a bend in the binding and the outside angle is a fold in the binding.
Sew up the next side, and as you get close to the corner, place a pin right into the X and the binding at the corner. When you get to the pin, drop your needle and pivot to the outside edge, sewing straight off the quilt.
This is where the fold comes in. Place your finger to hold the corner in place as you do a small fold. Lay the binding down the next side. Pin this in place. Start sewing again right from the edge of the quilt stitching down that little fold.
Working your way around the quilt, bend, fold, bend, fold… until you come back to the beginning, then join the two ends together.
Now, roll the binding around to the front side and pin in place. Notice how I pin the fold into the other side of the outside angles. I also place a pin right in that valley to secure the V shape when I stitch it down.
Move your needle to the left position and top-stitch the binding in place. I stitch right up to those pins as I go to ensure that nothing moves before it can be stitched down. You will pivot at the inside angle as before. There! That wasn’t so bad was it?!
I hope this helps! Please share your thoughts and ideas. I would love to hear them :)
Krista
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