4 Methods of Finishing the Edges

4 Methods to Finishing the Edges

After your quilt is tied or quilted, the edges need to be finished. 

Decide how you want the edges of your quilt finished before layering the backing and batting with the quilt top.

"Pillow Binding" -or-  "Pre-binding"

This method is simply finishing your Quilt without a separate Binding - 
This is done before tying your quilt or even quilting it. 

1. Place the batting on a flat surface lay it out straight. Next on top of the batting place your "top" fabric right side up. Then place the your back fabric right sidedown on top of the front fabric, or in other words place your right sides of you quilt together, and place on top of the batting- lay out straight and nice making sure there are no puckers, creases, or waves inyour fabric or batting.
2. Pin the layers together to hold them nice and flat.
3. Begin stitching.  Use a 1/4" -  1/2" seam allowance- depending on the thickness of your batting. (the thicker the batting the wider your seam allowance).   Start in the center of one of the edges (I find this is a perfect place to start- it helps keep everything in its place better)- don't forget to backstitch.  
4. Stitch all around and back to the beginning side. Leave a 12" or larger opening- and simply pivot around the corners of the quilt (nothing fancy is necessary). 
5. Clip corners to reduce excess.
6. Turn right side out through the opening.
7. Slipstitch or whip stitch the opening closed by hand.
8. The quilt may now be quilted by hand or machine.

There is, however a disadvantage to this method, it's that once the edges are sewn in, any excess fabric, bubbles, puckers or wrinkles that might form during the quilting process cannot be flattened out. This is why I find that tying the quilt with yarn or string is the best way to finish a quilt that uses this binding method.

"Back Binding" 

This method is used when pulling the back fabric to the front.

With this method you may tie, machine quilt or hand quilt first.  Then you may use this method.

1. Trim the batting only even with the front. Allowing the back to be 1.5"-2.5" larger than the completed top and batting- all around.
2. Fold the back fabric edge in half way- press and pin to keep straight
3. Turn over or place folded edge onto the front over lapping about 1 inch.
4. This folded edge may be machine-stitched through all layers, or hand stitched in place to finish.
5. You may roll your corners or miter your corners.

"Front Binding" 

This method is used when pulling the front fabric to the back.

1. Same technique is used but use the front fabric rather than the back. 
2. The backing and batting are both trimmed 1.5"- 2.5" smaller than the top (again depending on the thickness of your batting) 
3. The top edge is turned under or folded under half way
4. Fold front fabric to the back and stitched in place.

One more method of self-finish may be used. The top and backing may be stitched together by hand at the edge. To accomplish this, all quilting must be stopped 1/2" from the quilt-top edge. The top and backing of the quilt are trimmed even and the batting is trimmed to 1/4" - 1/2" smaller. The edges of the top and backing are turned in 1/4" - 1/2" and blind-stitched together at the very edge.

These methods do not require the use of extra fabric and save time in preparation of binding strips; they are not as durable as an added binding.

 Strip Binding (on the straight)

This technique is used when you add extra fabric to the edge of your quilt.  This method of binding wraps the edges and adds an extra layer of fabric for durability and strength.

I have demonstrated this method in a video click here to view it.

Continuous Bias Cut Binding 

Bias Binding is used best for a quilt with rounded corners, scallops, or you may also use it for a straight edge quilt too.  It is done mostly, in the same way as show in our video except in the preparation of the strips. 

the following instruction will show how to prepare your strips for the BIAS CUT bindings.

Assembly of the Strips for a Continuous Bias Cut Binding

Fabric measurements:

Crib quilt- 1/2 yard

Twin Quilt  3/4 yard

full- 3/4 yard

queen- 3/4 -1 yard

King- 1 yard

Use pins to mark two opposite edges, then cut the square diagonally from one corner to the other.

Cut from corner to corner making two triangle shapes.

  

Place the two pin-marked edges right sides together.

With raw edges aligned (overlap a 1/4 inch).

 Sew both together with a 1/4" seam allowance. 

Press the seam allowance open.

Mark with a straight edge ruler - lines that are 2.5" -3" inches wide all the way across the fabric-parallel to the long edges on the back of your fabric. 

Make a tube by bringing the right sides together, mis-align ends to make lines match one line down

Sew using 1/4 seam allowance

press open the seam. 

Start cutting on either side following directly along the marked line.

Continue cutting along this line till you have cut a continuous bias cut binding strip 

Then, like the straight cut binding- fold in half, press.

After you have prepared your continuous bias cut binding it is now time to sew it onto the quilt- follow the instructions as shown on  our video .

Thanks for joining us-

Good Luck!