Quilt Binding Tutorial

Now before i begin, 'my way' may be 'others way' too, but this i me sharing one of my favorite bits of quilting.I don't like rules so please view this piece as a set of lose guidelines.
So you have toiled and sweated over your masterpiece for weeks (or years). Go and wash your quilt it may well be manky and gross, if not great! (liar) but any last movement and shrinkage needs to happen before you bind. (if washing before hand freaks you out go straight onto the binding, I'm such a dodgy quilt maker i like to get things squared up before i start)

Square up your quilt to make sure it is as even and straight as you want it to be.

Cut some strips 5 to 6 cm's wide. Join them together. Press the strips in half wrong sides together.Walla! binding strips!

Depending on the size of your quilt lay it on the table, ironing board cover or lap.

Pin the strips to the quilt lining raw edges together.

Depending on the size of you quilt you could find this process akin to reverse parking a small car with powerstearing or trying to wrestle a baby elephant into a nappy.

Sew down your strips removing pins as you go.
When you reach 1.5 cms from the corner STOP.

Place your needle down, pivot and sew off the edge.

Take a deep breath, this next bit is one of those change your sewing life moments.

Take your tail and fold it upwards at a right angle making a triangle.

The end of the quilt should match up with the raw edge of the strip. Pop in a pin.

Fold the strip back on its self, again making sure the raw edges of the strip and quilt line up.

Take out the last pin and pop in another pin!

Start sewing again right over the top of your folded corner.

Continue sewing on the binding and repeat the corner step for the three other corners.

Right now this is my absolute favorite part. You are soooo close to finishing.

With the back of the quilt facing up wrap the newly attached binding around and pin down.

To make the first half of the mitre smooth one edge straight up and give it a tug.

Fold the top piece down like you are closing an envelope.

You might need to fiddle and maneuver till you get a corner that lines up correctly.

Sometimes no matter what you do things will never line up correctly.The above shot was a bit of fluke!I don't worry if it isn't perfect, although i know a few ladies who would have a stroke!

Pop in some more pins to hold everything in place.
There is no quick way to do this next bit. You are forced to get some chocolate a cuppa some bad reality TV :)

Take small blind slip stitches in a matching colour to sew everything in place.

When you reach your join trim your tail a bit longer that you need.

Fold a triangle with your already sewn on piece

Trim your tail to fit snugly in the triangle.

Close your triangle enveopling the tail.

Pin that sucker down and stitch in place.

OH nooise.

When you are finished don't forget to make a quilt label and the process is complete.

So i hope that has helped make the process that some loath and others love alittle more clear.

And if i have confused you even more i apologise!