QM Tips

Could your quilt benefit from turning the final chapter into a surprise ending?

Tips & Techniques

 Bound To Please

By Jan Magee

Like a good book, making a quilt can be such an enjoyable process that we hate to see it end. Adding a decorative binding of multiple fabrics is both a way to make the project last a little bit longer and an opportunity to make your quilt even more interesting.

Let's look at a few ways to make a decorative binding that will work for both single-fold and double-fold styles. Be sure to press the seam allowances of the binding sections open to distribute their bulk evenly.

You will need the same length of decorative binding as you would a single-fabric binding. Plan to use slightly more yardage to make it, though, because of the amount lost in seaming the sections.

Try Scrap Fabrics

Random piecing and random strip widths are fine for this type of binding. You can put leftover patches, blocks or scraps to good use this way. Be prepared, however, for an unusual effect: Where the binding fabric is the same as the adjacent patch or border, the binding seems to disappear! Decide whether this effect will be exciting or distracting to the overall look of the quilt.

Consider the Seam Direction

Different looks will result depending on whether you join the patches with a straight seam or a diagonal seam, as described in the double-fold binding section of Basic Lessons. Face all seams in the same direction, alternate them or, if you prefer a more casual look, sew them without concern for the direction.