Squaring up a Quilt. Preparing and applying a binding along with a quilt label.
Now that the quilt is all quilted up, the next step is to square up the quilt. This means that the quilt needs to measure the same on all the sides.
Lay the quilt flat and measure across the top write down the measurement.
Now measure the measurement in the centre of the quilt- write it down.
Now to measure the bottom measurement- write it down.
Turn your quilt the other way and continue the same process.
All the sides need to be the same. If they are not, straightening the sides needs to happen with the ruler.
To square up the quilts with the ruler, use the 10.5 inch Trim-it Ruler from Lori Holt’s Cute Cuts ruler series along with her straight Cute Cuts Ruler.
Place the Trim-it Ruler on the corner and trim the rough edges, then continue up the quilt, placing the ruler up to the next corner. Continue this process as you make your way around the quilt.
Now that the quilt is all squared up it’s time for the binding.
Preparing the binding.
Binding is cut out at 2.5 inches by the width of fabric. To calculate the amount of binding required for the quilt measure the perimeter of the quilt and add an extra 10 inches. 37×4=148 add 10 inches so the total length of binding is 158 inches.
To calculate how much binding to cut- divide 158 by 40 (because 40 inches is the width of fabric). 3.95 is the number of stripes required. 2.5 inch stripes 4 times equals 10 inches of fabric which is .25m or .3 yards.
Do not include the selvage edges when using the fabric. It can be trimmed as shown.
The binding is attached by joining the seams at a 45 degree angle using a 1/4 inch seam. When all the strips are sewn together, trim the seams to 1/4 seams and then press the seams open and flat.
Joining the Two Binding Strips Together
Illustrations provided by Martingale Publishing
Apply the Binding on the Quilt
I love these Binding Babies to roll my binding on. She is super handy because she fits on the top of my sewing machine right beside the thread. When applying the binding on to the quilt top its super handy to have the binding right there. It doesn’t get all twisted or tangled up with the quilt or drops on the floor.
Applying the binding to the front or the back? For a VERY long time I always applied the binding to the front of the quilt. The problem that I had with this method is that when I sewed the binding down from the top of the quilt, I didn’t always ‘catch’ the binding on the back and I would have to go back and sew it again. If you are planning to hand sew the binding down, I would apply the binding on the front and then hand bind on the back because it gives the binding a very clean look on the front of the quilt.
Applying the binding on to the back is the best method if machine sewing down the front of the quilt. I like this the best because I can see exactly where I am stitching and I never have to go back and redo it. 95% of the time I machine bind my quilts because it saves so much time, most of the quilts I give are meant to be used and loved. Having a machine stitched binding gives it more stability.
To put the binding on the quilt leave a 10 inch tail and then apply the binding 10 inches from the bottom right hand corner using a 1/4 inch seam. Sew all the way down until you are 1/4 inch from the end. Turn the quilt at a 45 degree angle and sew off the edge.
Binding Tip
One of my favourite tips when putting on a binding is to press the binding flat on the ironing board. If there is a polyester backing like minky or fireside, do not press from the back, press from the front. Once the binding is pressed flat, then fold the fabric over to the front of the quilt. I really love my Clover Mini Wonder Clips because they help keep the binding in place so I can sew it down.
Back to putting on the binding in the first place. I like to start stitching down the binding about 15 inches from the bottom left hand corner of the quilt. I leave a 10 inch tail of the binding and then I start to sew if down with the raw edges lined up with the outside of the quilt. I attach it with a 1/4 inch seam allowance. When I get to the corner I stop 1/4 inch away from the corner. With my needle down I pivot and stitch at a 45 degree angle right to the corner. Clip the threads and turn the quilt so that the sewn edge is horizontal and the un-sewn edge in vertical ready to be sewn under your needle.
Continue doing this on all sides. To stitch down the binding I have explained how to press the binding flat all the way around then press again with the binding folded over. For the corners, fold down the edge at a 45 degree angle, then fold again on the opposite side. I love how neat and tidy these corners are.
Putting on a Label
Mostly every quilt should have a label. I fall short in this department. Here are some samples of remade labels.
Here is a list of sayings and quotes to put on your quilt label to show the recipient how much care and creativity was lavished on this special, one-of-a-kind gift.
All-Purpose Quotes and Sayings
- When you sleep under this quilt, you sleep under a blanket of love
- From my hands… to your heart
- The best kind of sleep beneath Heaven above/ Is under a quilt, handmade with love
- May this quilt warm your body and comfort your soul
- Memories stitched with love
- When you use this quilt, remember me
Quotes and Sayings about Friends
- A good friend is like a warm quilt wrapped around the heart
- A good friend, like an old quilt, is a treasure and a comfort
- Good friends, like quilts, never lose their warmth
- Our friendship (or our family) is a patchwork of love
- Our friendship is sewn with love and measured by kindness
- Friends are the flowers in the garden of life
- Friendship, like a well-made quilt, stands the test of time
- Our friendship is a tapestry/ Woven through the years/ With threads of joy and laughter/ Happiness and tears
- Many faces, many smiles/ Remember me across the miles
- It takes a long time to grow old friends.
- (On a Christmas place mat, table runner, or mug rug): On Christmas day at half past three, brew yourself a cup of tea. I’ll think of you, you think of me, as we sit beside our Christmas Tree
- “A sweet friendship refreshes the soul.” Proverbs 27:9
All-Purpose Quotes and Sayings
- When you sleep under this quilt, you sleep under a blanket of love
- From my hands… to your heart
- The best kind of sleep beneath Heaven above/ Is under a quilt, handmade with love
- May this quilt warm your body and comfort your soul
- Memories stitched with love
- When you use this quilt, remember me
- I wish you health/I wish you wealth/ I wish you gold in store / I wish you Heaven after death/ What could I wish you more?
- I count the stitches line by line/ And watch the thread record the time
- Love and memories we impart/ To quilt the fabric of the heart
- May you be free from cares and woes/ When under this quilt you seek repose
- Quilting… cheaper than therapy.
Quotes and Sayings about Friends
- A good friend is like a warm quilt wrapped around the heart
- A good friend, like an old quilt, is a treasure and a comfort
- Good friends, like quilts, never lose their warmth
- Our friendship (or our family) is a patchwork of love
- Our friendship is sewn with love and measured by kindness
- Friends are the flowers in the garden of life
- Friendship, like a well-made quilt, stands the test of time
- Our friendship is a tapestry/ Woven through the years/ With threads of joy and laughter/ Happiness and tears
- Many faces, many smiles/ Remember me across the miles
- It takes a long time to grow old friends.
Husband or Wife / Anniversary Sayings
- Love is the thread that binds us together
- Like our (my) love, this quilt was made to last
Wedding Gift Quotes
- May this union be blessed with love and happiness
- Joined together in friendship, united forever in love! Love, honor, and cherish
- There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved
- To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides.” David Viscott
- “Love does not consist in gazing at each other,/ but in looking outward together in the same direction.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery
- “To love someone deeply gives you strength./ Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage.” Lao Tzu
Baby Gift Quotes
- Sent from above/ Our sweet bundle of love
- A package of joy, a bundle of bliss/ This quilt for baby was sealed with a kiss
- Blessed are the children, for they shall inherit the quilts
- First we had each other/ Then we had you / Now we have everything.
- Read me a story/ Tuck me in tight/ Say a sweet prayer/ And kiss me goodnight.
- Snips and snails/And puppy dog tails/ That’s what little boys are made of.
- Ten little fingers/ Ten little toes/ The sweetest of smiles/ And a cute little nose/ All these add up/ To a wonderful thing–/ A baby–/ The greatest gift/ Life can bring.
- With a butterfly kiss/And a ladybug hug…/Sleep tight little one/Like a bug in a rug.
Quotes for Illness or Difficulties
- “Be strong and of good courage.” Joshua 1:9
- “In the midst of winter, I finally learned that there was inside me an invincible summer.” Albert Camus
- “Promise me you’ll always remember/ You’re braver than you believe/ And stronger than you seem/ And smarter than you think.” Christopher Robin, to Pooh. A.A. Milne
I found these at www.newquilters.com
There are so many different pre-made quilt labels available that you can see here and here.
Also here are a few tutorials on how to make your own tutorials. Here and here.
A Finished Quilt
I could get very philosophical about the process of making a quilt- we take perfectly intact fabric and cut it up then resew it all over again. We spend hours cutting and stitching and pressing and deliberating. We then baste and quilt it. The time and effort involved is worth every minute because we love to make it our own. We have created something new that never existed before. Then, when it is all finished, it is used to provide warmth and comfort. What a gift.
