.Quiltscapes.: Two-color Binding Tutorial

Here's a binding technique I had never tried before - a two-color pieced binding with joints on. the. corners! Good Challenge!

This quilt, made with Missouri Star Quilt Co's "Quilt Town" fabrics, has a gradated layout from orange to blue-green. In order to frame the color transitions, I decided to switch the colors for better contrast. I think it ties the two sides together.

Here's how I made this "piece-as-you-go" binding. I used 2-1/8" strips, joined with diagonal seams, trimmed and pressed open, then pressed each one lengthwise in half.

Step 1) Measure the quilt along two sides and add 3" for each splice, plus 8" for the final join. Because this is a square quilt measuring 60" x 60", I cut 134" of each color of fabric.

120" + 3" + 3" + 8|" = 134"

I used 2-1/8" strips, joined with diagonal seams, trimmed and pressed open, then pressed each one lengthwise in half. I pieced the two colors together, then wrapped them up in a Figure 8 bundle (see the video HERE).

It started out great. When I stitched the binding to the corner, I just couldn't get it to line up exactly so I zipped out the stitches, and started again, this time, with separate pieces. I thought about doing the final splice at the corner, but that hurt my brain! The final splice will be somewhere along the side, not at the corner!

Step 2) The binding will be stitched to the front of the quilt. Leave an 8" tail for the final splice, then stitch the binding to the quilt using 1/4" seam allowance. Stop about 4 inches from your color-change corner. Leave the needle down, and change the stitch length, then baste all the way to the edge of the quilt. Remove from the sewing machine and clip the stitches.

Step 3) Finger-press the binding toward the edge along the basted line. Use a ruler to mark a 45 degree angle from the seamline out as pictured. The 45-degree marking on the ruler should align with the seamline.

Step 4) Pick out the basting stitches, then flatten the binding and continue the line you just marked so it goes across the width of the binding.

Step 5) Trim the binding 1/4" from the marked line.

Step 6) Next, you will want the contrasting binding strip to have the same angle. Layer the second strip beneath the first, and trim the end at the same angle.

Step 7) Pin the two ends together, overlapping 1/4". Stitch from valley to valley. Press the seam open, trim off any corner triangles.

Step 8) Reduce the stitch length back to the regular stitch, and re-stitch the binding to the quilt. The joined seam should end right at the 1/4" seamline.

Fold the binding back down, aligning raw edges. The fold at the top should be even with the edge. Pin to secure, then start stitching again at the top edge of the quilt. Continue stitching the second color around the quilt. Miter the corner that is not pieced, then repeat steps 1-8 to piece strips together at the corner.

Join the final splice as directed in my Binding Basics TUTORIAL. Hand-stitch the binding to the back of the quilt, or stitch-in-the-ditch by machine on the front of the quilt, catching the binding on the back.

The result? I think it turned out pretty fun! Sure there's a little bulk on the corners, but it seemed to work out just fine! I suppose I could go back in and stitch the miters down if I really wanted to get technical... but this will do!