Well here we are, the last and final step. Whose still with me? Binding, last giant hurdle before that beautiful quilt is done and you never want to see it again. Or is that just me? Binding is really not as bad as it seems especially if you machine bind, refer to Jenny’s video here, but hand binding is a different animal that I have not yet tackled. Jenny also has a video on hand binding, check it out here!
Let’s get started. Are your supplies at the ready? Pencil, paper, calculator, your quilt top and something to measure it with (cutting mat or measuring tape), and the brand new bottle of wine or have you sunken so low that chocolate is needed?
Now just remember that you will be working in inches until the very last step when it will convert to yards.
Let’s Bind the heck out of this thing!
Step 1:
Once again we need to find out how big the quilt top is. But this time it’s a little different, I’m going to take all four sides and add them together.
My quilt is, Width = 51 and Length = 61, so it will be (51 x 2) + (61 x 2) = 224 inches
(Width x 2) + (Length x 2) = A
Step 2:
Add 20 inches to your the total you just figured, this covers seams, start, finish and corners.
224 + 20 =244
A + 20 = B
Step 3: Now it gets tricky, take your time!
What size of binding strip do you like? Is it 2 inches, 2.25 inches or 2.5 inches? Jenny likes to use 2.5 inches so that’s what we’ll be using here.
Take the size of your desired strip, 2.5, and multiply it by the total in step 2, that’s letter B.
244 x 2.5 = 610
B x desired strip width = C
Step 4: Stay with me!
And here is where that high school algebra class that you never thought you’d use comes into play.
Take 610, or letter C, and find the square root.
SQUARE ROOT!! WHAT!! It looks like a check mark on a calculator, or you can do like I do and google it.
Google say….
24.7 inches
Divide it by 36 to find it yards. 24.7/36 = .68
So I’m going to cut 3/4 of a yard, if you haven’t figured it out yet I like a touch extra because I always screw it up at least once. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve put my borders on the wrong side and not realize it until I’m almost done with the third border! Which is why a seam ripper is my best friend.
Now to put binding on your quilt I will refer you to the Queen B, or Queen J in case, and let her magical guiding hand deliver you to the promise land. (Too much?)
For Machine Binding click here and for hand binding click here.
Good Luck,
Kate
