Fancy Finishes: Scallop-Edge Binding

I was cleaning up my blog drafts and came upon this little gem from about 2015 that was never published!  As I'm preparing to teach several "Bindings & Alternate Endings" classes in the upcoming months, (one of my very favorite things to teach), this is a good time to review this technique.  Plus, this builds up my "Binding Police" status, hahaha.  Here are some tips.

1)  Use bias cut binding!  Binding cut at a 45-degree angle has sufficient give and stretch to go around curves.  This is about the only time I use bias binding!  See my TUTORIAL to make it from yardage.

2)  Cut the binding strips 2" wide.  Any wider and you'll have trouble getting it to lay flat.  Join strips with a diagonal seam.  Reduce the stitch length so the stitches don't pop open.

3)  On outside curves, ease extra fabric beneath the needle as you stitch.  Use 1/4" seam allowance.

4) Clip inner points.  Basting a scant 1/4" around the project is very helpful.  Clip to the basting line, but not through it.

5)  Plant needle at the clip, and raise the presser foot.

6)  Fold the quilt to straighten out the stitching path, then continue.

7)  Release the folded quilt to see natural miter forming at the inner point.

8)  Final mitered seam.  Lay out binding over the beginning binding tail.  Allow for ease.  Make a clip through all four layers of binding.

9)  Cut the longer tail of the overlapped binding right at the clip.

10)  On the other binding tail, use the leftover binding as a measuring tool to add the width of the binding, extending from the clip.  Cut.

11)  Layer binding strips perpendicular to each other with right sides together.  (I always tell myself, "Right side, right side up; Left side, wrong side up".)  Match clips at the edges.  Pin in place. You may wish to fold or mark the stitching line, which is always parallel to the quilt edge. (< love that tip!)  Stitch on that line.

12)  Lay binding out along curve and stitch in place to finish the seam

13)  Press binding away from the quilt top.

14)  Pin miters.

15)  Hand or machine-stitch binding to back of quilt.

Beautiful!  We've been enjoying these placemats for a few years, and they've served us well.  It's probably time to make new ones! 

I love teaching binding classes and they have just added a second session of my Binding & Alternate Endings class at Sew Simply Stitched Retreat (< click for details).  Come and join us!

~ Deonn