How to avoid chopping off your points when sewing a half inch wide binding onto pieced quilt tops which only have quarter inch seam allowances.

techniques Aug 05, 2021

Without Piping

To put a half inch wide binding on a quilt with pieced blocks, and no piping, I would cut the batting/wadding and backing bigger than the quilt top. I would then layer up and do all the quilting. After this I would sew all 3 quilt layers together around the outer edges - stitching just inside the outer edge of the quilt top (so that this sewn line will not show in the finished piece). Doing the work this way round, rather than sewing the layers together first, will help you ensure you don't get pIeats of fabric when you are quilting - and will make sure all the edges are held firm when the binding is sewn on. I would then block the quilt and square up, giving myself the extra 1/4" needed for the binding - ie cutting the quilt 1/2" from the tip of the block points. The half inch wide binding can then be applied and no points will be covered up.

With Piping

To put a half inch wide binding on a quilt with pieced blocks, with piping also added, I would cut the batting/wadding and backing bigger than the quilt top. I would then layer up and do all the quilting. After this I would sew all quilt 3 layers together around the outer edges - stitching just inside the outer edge of the quilt top (so that this sewn line will not show in the finished piece). Doing the work this way round, rather than sewing the layers together first, will help you ensure you don't get pIeats of fabric when you are quilting - and will make sure all the edges are held firm when the piping is sewn on. I would then block the quilt. After this draw the line to designate the outer edge of the quilt. This will be about 5/8" away from the tips of the quilt top block points (1/2" for the piping seam allowance and 1/8" for the width of the piping). The piping is then applied, positioning the piping edge to sit at the tip of the block points, and with the raw edge of the piping on the drawn line. Once the piping is in place the excess quilt beyond the drawn line is cut away (with shears) and the half inch wide binding applied.

Further information

Watch our QQT 'Piping and Binding' class for more detail on these two techniques.
Our 'Beginner Quilters' class and in our 'Quilt As Desired' class discuss adding extra width at the outside edges, squaring up and quilt blocking.
Our 'Quilt As Desired' class shows how to make flying geese and half square triangle units with a half inch seam allowance on the outside edge to accommodate extra binding width.

Philippa :)

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