May Giveaway Day and Binding A Quilt

I've decided to do something fun and join May Giveaway Day!

I'm going to giveaway two machine quilted potholders fresh out of my sewing room!

To enter just post a comment by midnight May 20th so I can contact you for an address.

I will have my husband randomly pull a name out of a hat on Friday, May 21st.  The potholders will be shipped by Monday, May 24th.

Pictured here are the potholders to be given away.  I am presently working on the second one and it will be finished by delivery.  I will ship internationally. 

These potholders do have a short history.  I made my daughter-in-law some potholders and placemats last summer for a bridal shower gift.  She loves the color red and chili peppers.  I bought the chili pepper fabrics in Florida the winter before.  These are the leftovers from that project.  I still have UFO potholders floating around my sewing room that I will be finishing on the Friday Night Sew-in.  If you want to join, check out: http://www.handmadebyheidi.blogspot.com/

I also wanted to share how my Mom taught me to finish a quilt with binding.  I start off with 2 inch strips that are on the bias.  I fold the binding in half and press.  So there are no lumps in your binding, I press 1/4" at one end of the bias strip (Note: the bias strips ends are cut at a 45 degree angle).  I use a 1/4 inch seam allowance.  I sew to 1/4 inch of the corner.

Note:  On a large quilt use more pins that I do in the picture.  This is only a potholder and not as much pinning is needed.  The binding will stretch as you're sewing it on, which is not a good thing.  Also make sure that you don't stretch the binding as you're pinning it on.  We want our binding to lay nice a flat!  Just wanted to add this edit to my tutorial so it will make the job easier.  Thank you Irina for calling this to my attention :)  This is something I didn't even think of, although I've done the same thing!

When I reach the corner, I make a 45 degree turn and sew off the fabric and backstitch.

I fold the fabric back and down and stitch at the pin which is at 1/4 inch.

Update:  When you start sewing again, start at the edge of the fabric and back stitch.  I didn't used to do it this way and I know it doesn't make sense, but that was how I was taught.  So the picture below should show a line of stitching that is off the fabric and not a quarter inch in.

When I'm at the beginning of the binding, I cut off at a 45 degree slant so there is no bulk.  I blind hemstitch everything into place folding all the corners into perfect miters.  Thank you mom for teaching me how to do binding the neat and easy way!

Happy Quilting

Kay Lynne