Picture this.
You’ve pieced a beautiful quilt top together. You’ve basted your quilt sandwich (top + batting + backing fabric) and quilted all of the layers together. You’re in the home stretch. All you need to do is bind the quilt and it will be COMPLETE.
But you’re totally dreading this step.
Why?
Because binding a quilt has some common challenges that we all face.
We want to visibly camouflage the seams between binding strips with diagonal seams.
We want all the corners to be perfect. And we want the tails of the binding to join together evenly (not too loose and not to tight) at the end.
But achieving all of these is sometimes easier said than done.
Diagonal seams can be tricky because you need to line up your fabric just right and make sure you’re sewing the diagonal line in the same direction each time. Perfect corners can be nearly impossible if you don’t stop sewing exactly ¼” from the end of your quilt before you turn the corner. And joining the final binding tails together so that they lay perfectly flat can be a struggle if your tails are too long or too short.
Enter the Quilt Binding Ruler! Available for purchase on our Shop page.
The Quilt Binding Ruler was designed as a solution to all of these challenges and can be used with both domestic and long arm sewing machines! Read on to learn more about how to use this tool to assist you in the quilt binding process!
How does it work?
The Quilt Binding Ruler can help make binding your quilt easier in 3 ways:
1.Connect Binding Strips Together with a Diagonal Seam:
The Quilt Binding Ruler can help camouflage seams when making a piece of binding long enough to cover the circumference of your quilt. Simply use the ruler to connect binding strips together with a diagonal seam. Line up two pieces of binding (right sides together) at a 90-degree angle. Use the Quilt Binding Ruler to draw a diagonal line across the top piece. Sew along the drawn line. Align the dotted line on the quilt binding ruler with your stitching and trim off the excess fabric – this will give you an exact ¼” seam allowance. Press the seam open. Fold the binding in half the long way and press to complete.
2. Sew the Perfect Binding Corners:
Thanks to the corner cutout, the Quilt Binding Ruler can help you get the perfect corners every time. Begin sewing the binding onto your quilt. As you approach a corner, lay the Quilt Binding Ruler down on top of the quilt – lining it up with the bottom and side of the quilt so that the cutout faces the corner. Mark a dot in the top left corner of the cutout. Then, use the ruler to draw a diagonal line from that dot to the edge of the binding. Continue sewing the binding onto the quilt, turning when you reach the dot to follow the line off the edge of the quilt. Fold the binding to the right and then back over itself to the left. Hold it in place as you turn the quilt and align the folded corner under your needle. Starting at the very edge, continue sewing the binding onto the quilt.
3. Join Binding Tails Evenly:
Whether you make a 2.5”- or a 2.25”-wide binding, the Quilt Binding Ruler can help you join the final tails together evenly. Simply sew the binding all the way around the circumference of your quilt and stop sewing once you have about 10-14 inches of tail left. Line the ruler up with the edge of the first binding tail – ensuring the correct binding width text (2.5” or 2.25”) is facing the raw edge of the binding. Take the 10-14 inch binding tail and lay it over the ruler, overlapping the first binding tail and mark where it hits the bottom edge of the ruler. Turn the ruler and draw a straight line from the mark to the opposite edge of the binding. Cut along the drawn line to trim off the excess binding (discard the excess binding). Pin the binding tails together (right sides together) at a 90-degree angle and use the ruler to draw a diagonal line between the pins. Sew along the drawn line and trim a ¼” seam. Fold the binding back together and continue sewing onto the quilt.
The Quilt Binding Ruler is available for purchase on our Shop page for $17.99 (plus shipping).
*Content created by Amari Thomsen - Next Gen Quilting (find her on Instagram @nextgenquilting for more amazing content and tutorials)