posted by Lily on tutorials

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In which Miss Lily stitches binding, folds binding, irons binding, and then finally, attaches the binding to the triangles.

Okay – the binding.  I make my bunting in approximately 2.2 metre lengths – this is two widths of a standard piece of fabric.  So I cut two 2 1/2 inch widths, trim off the selvedges and stitch them together with a quarter inch seam.

Iron the long strip of binding in half, long raw edges together, wrong sides together.

Pin the raw edges of the triangles to the raw edges of the binding, leaving a 1 inch gap between the top of each triangle – and a 3 inch tail at each end – I don’t measure each of these, just use my eye.

I turn up the triangles’ tails as I go so that I can check the pattern on the reverse.

Stitch triangles in place with a quarter inch seam.

Before ironing over the binding, I finish off the ends.  Iron the end in at a 90 degree angle – I often stuff this bit up – you want the folded edge to be the longer edge.  Now, turning the fabric so that the RIGHT sides are together, stitch along the ironed crease and then trim the seam to a scant 1/4 inch.

Turn back out the right way -  I use a knitting needle to push out the point – never brilliantly I might add!

Now, iron the binding so that the fold is standing above the raw edges of the triangle and the binding.

Iron the folded edge of the binding over the raw edges so that it sits just on the stitch line – you don’t want to see the stitch line, but you don’t want to go over it because then the top stitching will be offline.

Stitch as close to the edge as possible.  I use the walking foot on my Mega Quilter for this – it makes such lovely strong, even stitches, no matter how many layers of fabric there are and never ever falls off the edge – it can stitch right to the end of the narrow binding tail effortlessly – marvellous stuff! :-)

And doing the binding this way makes a lovely sturdy and straight edge – it has beautiful structural integrity! :-) (a phrase that has stuck in my mind since university days when a structural engineering student questioned the reliability of the 100 year old wooden floorboards under my heavy piano – I haven’t stopped finding structural integrity issues since – I’m always waiting for the kitchen cupboards to fall off the walls!)