I don't like the bulky overlap that happens when I bind the edge of my quilt by just overlapping the beginning and end of the binding strips. Several years ago I developed this method of "Poke and Pin" that works really well for me to seam the final join on my quilt binding, which results in a Bulk-Less seam between all my binding strips, even the final join.
I always have a consistently nice, flat, seamed result, and decided to take some step by step photos today to share with anyone who hasn't figured out a better method that works for them.
Note: this is not intended to be a thorough tutorial on how to bind your quilt. This information focuses on the final part of the process.
I almost always use a bias strip that is ironed in half before being sewn onto the edge of my quilt top. Square up your piece, and sew your binding strips together (long enough to sew around the entire perimeter of your quilt plus about 12 inches). Lay your binding strip on top of your quilt near the center of one edge of your quilt, lining up the raw edges and start sewing, leaving about 12 to 15 inches of your binding strip "loose". In other words, don't start sewing at the end of the binding strip, but about 12 to 15 inches away from the end.
Continue sewing your binding onto your quilt, all the way around until you're back to the edge on which you started. Stop sewing the binding when you are about 24 inches from where you first started sewing. Pull your quilt out from under your machine. It should look something like this with 2 binding tails not yet sewn.
Now, line up the 12-15 inch binding strip, from where you started sewing, with the edge of your quilt. Here's a closeup:
OK, here's where the Poke and Pin part comes in. Lay the end of your leftover binding, edges even with your quilt, on top of the first strip. Using a straight pin, poke down through all the layers. Gently lift back the top strip and see where your pin landed in the lower strip. You're aiming for the pin to be the width of your seam allowance away from the edge of your quilt, and in from the raw edge of the binding strip the width of your binding seam allowance. Knowing a picture is worth over 1000 words on this, here's a shot showing my pin, a seam allowance away from all raw edges.
If you didn't hit your mark right away, remove your pin, Poke and Pin again, and again if you need to until your pin is the width of your seam allowances away from the raw edges of both your quilt and your starting binding strip.
OK, now that you've got your pin in the right spot, it's time to trim the end of the top binding strip so that you can seam it to the starting strip of binding.
Leaving the pin in place, fold your quilt right sides together, so you can manipulate the binding strips without stretching them too much.
Here's the "
Pay Attention Now" part of this process. There are 2 things you have to pay attention to
before you cut.
1. Remember to add the width of
your binding seam allowance beyond the pin.
2. Pay attention to which way your lower binding strip's 45 degree angle is cut. The long end of the upper strip will match up with the shorter edge of the lower strip.
Using your pin as your guide, add the width of your seam allowance (beyond the pin), then use a straight edge and your rotary cutter to trim the leftover binding strip. This probably won't make any sense until you see it, so here's another picture:
See how the 45 degree angle ends on the strips will match up when they are sewn? I hope so. If not, help me figure out a better way to explain it and I'll add it here.
Now, with your quilt still folded in on itself, pin the two binding strips right sides together, making sure they are not twisted (please don't remind me how I know to watch out for this!)
Sew, then press the final binding seam. Really, what you're doing is the same as what you did when you joined all the other binding seams together, it's just that this one needs to "fit" your quilt edge. Here's what the pressed seam should look like once you open your quilt back out again. You should be able to see right away that the binding strip "fits" exactly the length of the quilt you still have to bind.
Now, back to the sewing machine for the final stretch. I usually pin this short section, just because it makes me feel good to do that. No other reason to pin it. Be sure to use the same seam allowance that you were using when you sewed the rest of the binding to your quilt.
All right then, here's the newly joined binding seam, with the binding wrapped around to the back of my quilt, ready for me to do the hand work on the back side of the quilt. See how you can barely see the new seam? I Love That!
I use a ladder stitch when I hand stitch my bindings to the back of my quilts. [I just spent the last half-hour trying to find a link to steer you toward if you're not familiar with the ladder stitch. I couldn't find one. I already finished hand sewing my binding, so I can't add photos of that right now. If anyone has a link for a mattress or ladder stitch, will you send it to me? Thanks!]
I hope this is helpful info if you don't have a method you like for bulk-less binding joints! I welcome feedback, especially since this is the first time I've ever posted a tutorial.
Oh, I almost forgot! Here's a quick snapshot of the finished quilt, ready to take to the framer tomorrow for mounting and framing. I think I'm going to call it
Full Circle: Old Growth. It looks like tree rings to me.
