I finished up my Corn and Beans Quilt Square Quilt Along Block. Here it is….
For those of you who are quilting along with me, do you have your block done? Feel free to send them to me at rogjok@iowatelecom.net. I only have one in so far!!
Boy I love these blocks. I lost a few points on the edges because I forgot to trim the batting a bit wider. I have the WORST time remembering that!!
A few days ago I was reading a blog and the gal was talking about adding a sleeve to her quilt so she could hang it. The quilt was already completely bound. That comment surprised me. I just assumed that everyone puts a hanging sleeve on a quilt like I do but apparently not. I attach the sleeve as I attach the binding…all in one step.
I thought I would put together a little tutorial to show you how I add a binding sleeve to a quilt. I used my little Corn and Beans block for the sample.
First, trim you quilt and prepare the binding. For small projects like this I cut my binding strips at 1 3/4″ and just use a single fold method.
Next, I measure the quilt. I create a sleeve that is 1″ smaller than the width. I iron three edges under and pin it in place on the back top of the quilt.
Next, I sew on the binding ignoring the pinned sleeve.
At the end I usually use my binding tool but for this small project it is hard to use so here I just overlapped the binding.
See how the top of the sleeve got caught and stitched in place as I sewed on the binding.
I am a bind by machine, not bind by hand girl so I pinned the binding in place and sewed it down. Notice how the sleeve is just slightly smaller than the binding. This will create a sturdy sleeve and one that won’t make the quilt sag.
It’s all bound…now all that’s left is to hand sew the bottom edge of the sleeve in place.
I have the needle thread and in place. Now I will put the project in my traveling pile. The next time we go somewhere and I am not driving, I’ll stitch the rest of the sleeve down in the car…then the project will be truly finished.
Do you put sleeves on you quilt like this or do you use a different method?
Today I am sharing my finish on Confessions of a Scrap Addict.
When I hand-sew the ‘free’ edge of the sleeve, I take about a 1/2″ tuck of the sleeve fabric THEN sew down the free edge. This tuck allows the sleeve fabric to balloon out from the quilt back. When you insert your hanging rod, that excess fabric in the sleeve will allow rod to bulge in the *back* of the quilt, instead of in the front.
If your sleeve lies completely flat on the back of the quilt, when you insert the hanging rod, you will see the rod from the front due to fabric tension. You need the slack in the sleeve to prevent that.
I do my sleeves this way, but allow an 1/2-1″ tuck I iron in so when the sleeve is tacked down along the bottom there is a gap for the haning rod and lies flatter. I do hand sew my bindings down on the back – just can’t do that well by machine – that really takes a knack.
I’ve always added sleeves after the quilt is done and wondered how to do it while binding – thank you!
I just finished my very first “binding by machine” and I think I’m hooked! Thanks for sharing how you pin the corners…I’m going to try that next time.
I’ve never put a full hanging sleeve on a quilt, I usually just do triangles in the top corners… but most of my hanging quilts are more “runner” size so I haven’t needed support in the middle. Thanks for the tutorial, I will definitely use this if I need a sleeve on a wider quilt!
How very pretty! Great job!
Thank you so very much for this fine tutorial on sleeves!
love your quilt!
Did my first quilt sleeve a few weeks ago, but it was after the quilt was finished, so all by hand. Your method is great – definitely thinking ahead! You mention a ‘binding tool’ – can you tell me what that is?
Love getting your daily posts, Wonder-woman!
What a beautiful little quilt, Jo – and thanks for the hanging sleeve tutorial!! Whoop whoop!!
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