Let's Face it - Binding a quilt isn't always the best option.

TUTORIAL 

How to put a facing with a built in sleeve case on an art quilt or embroidery

Sometimes when you make a quilt, especially a small one, adding a binding, even a narrow one, just isn’t the right thing to do. This is especially true if, like me, you make ‘art’ quilts or small embroideries which are intended to hang on a wall or be framed. So this is the  illustrated tutorial of how I do it.

First of all, you make the patchwork or whole cloth top; quilt through wadding to a backing fabric as you wish then trim the edges to square it up. Press or starch as required.

For the facing, I try to use a fabric that has some ‘body’. My samples were made with Klona cotton from Cally Co in Cambridge.  Backstitch at Burwash Manor Farm also stocks it. I used the same colour as the quilt back but this isn’t compulsory. 

This method is not that hard to do but writing down instructions makes it look more complicated than it is.  I hope the photos help. 

My art quilt was 20” square. You need to decide which way up it will viewed and we start working on the two ‘sides’. That is the right and left.

I want the facing to finish 4” wide.  If your piece is small, make the facing narrower. Scale it as you feel best, no one will be checking.

Step 1: Cut two pieces of facing fabric 5” wide and 24” long (remember by sample is 20”).  On one of the long edges press over ½” or less and give it a good press. You may need steam. Top stitch this folded pressed edge. I always top stitch with a slightly longer stitch length than normal because garments are always top stitched like this. Remember to move the needle position far left otherwise you will be sewing into nothing. 

Top stitch #10 foot on the Bernina, needle moved to far left

A  #5 foot will be OK or even use a zipper foot. What ever you need to get close to the edge. 

Step 2: Pin the facing to your quilt. Press if desired. Tack if desired. Make sure the top edges line up. The photo shows the facing the wrong side up. and you can clearly see the turned back/topstitched  edge at the bottom. 

 

Step 3: Using a patchwork foot or even a walking foot, stitch the facing to your quilt. Use a 1/4 inch seam allowance.

Step 4: Press as you go, turning over the facing and quilt and top stitch the facing.  All right sides up. Again, use a  #10 foot with the needle position far left.

Step 5:  Turn everything over and this time encourage the quilt to turn over slightly to the back. This is the tricky bit and you will need to press this very carefully. I use steam to make it stay down. The close up photo now shows me pressing the reverse of the quilt. You can just make out the top stitched edge by the tip of the iron.

Step 6: Now turn everything with the right side or quilt side on top. You can see the excess facing which can be trimmed off.  On the wrong side, hand stitch the long side facing to the back of the quilt.

Cut off this excess facing





Repeat all steps for the other side. 

Step 7: Now for the bottom edge of your quilt.  Cut another facing strip, 5” wide and 20” long. Press and top stitch as before. Attach to the bottom edge of the quilt, press and top stitch just as before. You may wish to machine on a label now. 

The only difference here is that instead of trimming off the excess facing (as in step 6) you tuck it in carefully before hand stitching the facing down.  This needs to be done neatly as there is a lot of bulk at this point.  

Snip a little of the wadding away if needed.  The gap between the edge of the bottom facing, where it meets the side facing, will need to be closed with some slip stitches. It will be obvious when you get there. 

This photo shows the reverse of the quilt to the left hand side where the facing has been tucked in ready to be hand stitched in place. 

Step 8:  Basically you do it all over again for the top edge of the quilt. BUT, make the facing longer and deeper. Mine was 6” wide and 28” long. Repeat all the steps. However, as the excess facing is tucked in, let it remain quite wide within the facing/sleeve so that it doesn’t get in the way of a hanging rod. 

This time, you do not stitch up the gaps between the facing and the quilt otherwise you would not be able to insert a hanging rod, etc. Again, it’s quite obvious when you get there. This close up photo shows the top facing with the space created to fit a hanging bar.  

  

  

This photo shows the label which I machined in place at step 7. You could leave this to the end and hand stitch a label in place. Being lazy, I machined it down. 

Next is one of the blocks I made for my series of samples.

Here is another of the blocks I made. Using a 'wonky' log cabin technique; I did draw the designs first and used a foundation piecing method to ensure the blocks were exactly as they were on paper. 

Finally, here are all the four panels on display during my July Open Studio. Not a great photograph but they did look good together in my marquee.