Binding is that last skinny bit around your quilt.  It’s the part that finishes it off, while adding security and one more chance for a design choice.  There are lots of ways to make and apply binding, and we’ll cover some of these in this class.  We’ll talk about straight of grain versus bias strips, how to know how much fabric you need, how to cut your strips, sew them together and apply your binding to the quilt sandwich, including achieving beautiful, mitered corners.  You will also learn how to join the ends into an invisible finish, and a few different ways to sew the binding in place, both by hand and machine.   

                Ideally, students taking this class will have made a quilt and/or taken a beginning quilting class.  They should be comfortable cutting strips with a rotary cutter and be able to sew an accurate ¼” seam.   Note that there is some pre-class preparation necessary, as described in the supply list.   Also, this is a skill building class.  There will be no finished project .

Supply List – Required

A small quilt sandwich made from 2 fat quarters (FQ) with batting in between, and held together with basic quilting stitches, perhaps something like a large asterisk.   Do not trim the edges of this piece. 

1 FQ for the binding

1 spool of cotton thread (50wt) to match the binding fabric.  (When in doubt, go duller and darker.)

Your sewing machine in good working order and usual sewing notions (extra bobbins, seam ripper, small scissors or thread snips, straight pins. 

 Walking Foot 

Optional :  Lap Seam Foot #71, Hand sewing needle (milner or applique), Thimble, Square rotary cutting ruler (12” or larger) for trimming your quilt.