Love to quilt, but hate to stich the binding by hand? Maybe this Easy Peasy Machine Binding Tutorial will help. I hope so.
This is not my original idea, and I can't remember where I saw it, but I've been using this method ever since and thought I'd share it here. This way, makes it look like one continuous piece of binding. The stitching by hand to the back of the quilt is best for your entries to a Quilt Show and items for judging, but when you need an Easy Peasy faster way, this might just be your answer. It is definitely my answer for my dolly quilts for sale in my Etsy Store.
Let's get started, shall we?
Naturally, we do our quilting first. I'm going to be using one of my small dolly quilts for the pictures.
When the quilting is finished, use your ruler & rotary cutter to trim the batting/backing edges even with your quilt top.
Cut strips from your binding fabric 2 1/4" wide. (You can cut them 2 1/2" wide if you prefer, but for my small quilts, I like it narrower.) I use my AccuQuilt GO cutter when I cut 2 1/2" strips.
Pin two strips of your binding together at the ends (right sides together) perpendicular. Stitch diagonally across.
Trim seam to approximately 1/4", and press.
Press binding strips in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, matching raw edges.
Leaving a tail of approximately 6-8 inches loose and using a 1/4" seam, stitch binding to the quilt's right side starting half way down on the long side, raw edges of binding matching quilt edge.
To make a perfect mitered corner, place a pin 1/4" from end and stitch up to the pin, back tack, stitch forward to the pin again, needle down. Raise presser foot, shift quilt slightly so the corner is facing towards you; needle down and continue stitching diagonally to the corner.
Lift presser foot, flip up binding perpendicular to edge you just finished, making sure right edge of binding lines up even with right side edge of quilt.
Fold down binding, lining up outside edge even with quilt, and make sure fold of binding is exactly at the side edge you just stitched. (Take another look at the picture....pictures are worth a 1000 words, as the saying goes.)
Using 1/4" seam, stitch binding to edges of quilt; making mitered corners as before.
End stitching approximately 6-8 inches from beginning and leave tail of binding free.
This next part is a bit tricky, but you can do it. (Take your time and look at the pictures.)
Trim off end tail of binding so you have approximately 4 inches or so beyond the stitching you just finished. (see picture)
Using ruler, mark on the beginning tail of binding 2 1/4" (the width of the binding) marks as illustrated in picture, and then trim the beginning section of binding to that measurement.
Pin binding ends perpendicular to each other with two pins.
Stitch diagonally from corner to corner.
Trim seam and press open.
Lay quilt on ironing board, fold joined binding in place, press. Finish stitching binding to quilt. (Please notice when joining your binding this way at the end, you can hardly see the seam....sneaky, aren't we?)
With back side of quilt facing up, press binding away from quilt.
Turn quilt right side up and again press binding outward, away from quilt.
Turn binding to back of quilt with folded edge covering past the stitching approximately 1/16". Pin in place.
See close up picture for placement of pins for miter corner.
Turn quilt to right side up. Starting in the middle of one side, needle down, pull up bobbin thread to top. Holding both threads in your left hand, start stitching in the ditch, slowly. Stop; clip threads. Stitch in the ditch to finish stitching binding to quilt.
Stitching completed.
Stitching in the ditch, as seen on the front.
Stitching completed, as seen from the back.
Here's my small quilt, with the Easy Peasy Machine Binding completed.
I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial and learned a trick or two. I would appreciate your comments, and/or suggestions so I can make improvements to my future tutorials.
Thanks for visiting.
