Binding Help Advice/How-To

Inside angles are something that you just need to 'fiddle' with some. You shouldn't need to clip anything. Easiest way to figure it out is to make a practice scrap sandwich with fabric and batting. Cut the edge the same as your project angle. Stitch the edge together within the binding allowance/close to the edge of the quilt. I usually do a narrow binding, about a quarter inch. Sew until you are at the pivot point of the inside angle, put needle down, pivot and make sure you are at the right place by turning the quilt.... when you put the pressure foot back down you should be at the same seam allowance. raise the pressure foot and pivot half way back. Foot down and sew straight out to the corner. Remove from the machine and clip the thread. Take a deep breath. Now fiddle, pin the next section in place, and fold the binding to the back to see how the "reverse miter" goes. It takes some doing but you can make it work. Sometimes it is easier than others. Then unpin, and finish sewing the binding in place. With the inside corner, the excess fabric is to the outer edge of the quilt, so you can actually sew the binding on with just a pivot at that point, but at first it helps to see what is going on by stopping at the corner. You can do it, and it will look fine. Hope we see pictures. If you have more questions, let me know I can try to get some pics up later on on my webshots..... I even know where the little quilt is that has several inside corners..... And a couple of them are not finalized with the finishing stitching so I can get a pic of the machine sewing of the binding first step.... if that makes sense.

Pati, in Phx

steve wrote:

I don't know. I would just lop off any bits that stick out like Prince Charles's ears and bind a nice rectangle. Debra in VA See my quilts at

My usual 'solution' for an irregular edge, Steve, is a facing. This is not a binding, but it can be done on any shape at all, and looks marvellous. Basically what you need to do is: Trace (or draw, if it is an easy and repeating shape) the existing edge (raw). Use the tracing/drawing as a template and draw round it onto your facing fabric (I find using the same fabric as the backing works well as long as the backing fabric goes nicely with the outermost part of the top). Cut this out along the drawn lines, with as much width as you want your facing to have (I usually do about 3"). Put right sides together and sew with your normal quarter inch seam.

You can do each side separately, if the piece is large, or all in one piece if it is fairly small. If you do each side separately, you can make nice mitres on the back to join the side facings.

When you fold the facing to the front, take special care that you get the seam line exactly along the edge (you will need to clip the inside corners). Press well and carefully - this is definitely a 'press' and not 'iron' situation!

Trim away corner bulk (there are fancy ways of doing this, but would be impossible for me to describe in writing only!). If you receive the American Quilter magazine, there was an article in either the most recent one, or the one before, on how to do this.

Finally, turn under the raw edge about a quarter or half an inch, and slip stitch to the backing.

Hope this helps. Hope you get done all you want to - ambitious! . In message , steve writes

Now, now, Steve. Calm yourself. None of that running around screaming and psycho yet. We will get you through this. Make a practice sandwich about the size of a sheet of copy paper. Cut it so that you have an inside corner, an 'L' will do just fine. Stitch your binding on up to the inside point, pivot and fold all that @#$! excess out of the way and keep stitching. Like Patti, I'd much rather show you than try to tell you in just words. What you must do is keep fiddling with the excess (including probably cutting some of it out) until you can get it conquered into a fairly neat miter. You can do it and you're just going to be So Proud. Wish we could send you an 'Easy' button. Polly

I did a quilt like that once and it is not as hard as it seems it might be. It's the Friendship Ring on the first page of my website, though the photos are before it was completely quilted and bound. This is the advice I got from a very experienced quilter in a binding class; it is also how I did my quilt. Use a narrow (1/4") bias binding; it must be bias to go around all those corners smoothly. When you get to a corner, put your needle down, pivot, and stitch down the next straight bit, being especially careful not to stretch the binding at the outside corners. The angles big enough so that you don't have to be concerned about careful miters. When you sew the binding to the back, the bias has enough stretch to ease around the outside corners and will pretty much fall into place on the inside corners. You do end up with slightly rounded outside corners instead of really sharp corners. Mine was a bed-sized quilt, and it doesn't bother me. If it bothers you, you can miter them the same way you miter 90-degree corners.

Julia in MN

Steve: You really need a certain book. Since it is not a brand new release, you might have to search at e-bay or amazon. I find this book VERY helpful for a wide variety of finishing techniques. I think the Rodale Quilting series are VERY well done, with wonderful photos and step by step lessons, but NAYY.

Here: Fantastic Finishes, from Rodale's Successful Quilting Library Sarah Sacks Dunn, Editor (C) 1999 by Rodale PRess, Inc. Emmaus, PA ISBN 0-87596-821-X

HTH. PAT > First, a Christmas gift update. ......cut....