how to bind rounded quilted projects

Lately I've had this obsession with round placemats and finding the best way to bind them. I know this sentence does sound sort of insane to a regular person, but I'm sure there are many quilty kindred spirits who totally understand :).

So I thought I'd share my preferred double fold bias binding method with you.

A few notes before we start though:

- my patchwork placemat is 14" in diameter so I needed about 45" of bias binding (multiply your project's diameter times 3.14 + add 1" to know how much binding you'll need)

- use 1/4" seam allowance unless otherwise noted

- be careful not to tug or pull on your binding as it's easily stretched since it's cut on bias

- Wonder Clips are amazing when it comes to holding binding in place, but you can use pins instead

- I cut my binding 2.25" wide for this project. If I were to bind a quilt using this method I'd cut my binding at 2.5".

1. Place 16" square of binding fabric on cutting mat and cut diagonally through the middle starting in upper left corner going down to lower right corner. You'll have two identical triangles, sub-cut these into 2.25" wide strips.

2. Each of your strips now has their edges cut on bias which will work well for stitching them into a continuous strip. Place two strips next to each other as shown in the picture below.

3. Place binding strips right sides together as shown, notice how there will be about 1/4" fabric hanging over on each end - this will ensure your binding strips will form one straight continuous binding. Use 1/4" seam allowance to sew strips together.

4. Press the seam and cut off little ear of fabric that's sticking out.

5. Stitch strips of binding together until you have about 45" long binding. Fold binding in half lengthwise, wrong sides together. Press with hot iron.

6. Line up the raw edge of binding to raw edge of wrong side of placemat and start attaching binding  about 3" from the edge of binding (it's important to leave the 3" "tail" as that will help when joining the two final edges of binding together).

Sew around the curved edge, aligning binding and placemat's raw edges as you go. Don't pull on the binding, let the machine do most of the work.

7.  Stitch all the way around the placemat, leaving about 3" - 4" gap with no binding attached.

8. Bring both binding edges together and use fabric pen to mark where the bindings meet.

9. Cut extra binding off, leaving 1/4" seam allowance along each mark. (see picture below)

10. Open the binding and place right sides together, stitch along the marked lines. (This step might be a little tricky with placemat getting in the way. Just take it slow and use pins to hold binding together)

11. Press the seam open, fold the binding in half again and stitch in place.

12.  Flip the binding to the right side of your placemat.

13. Use wonder clips or pins to hold binding in place. Stitch using 1/8" seam allowance.

14. Congratulations!!! Your binding is now attached. Give your project one more good press and you're all finished.

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Now, wasn't that fun? I hope you give this double fold bias binding a try sometime. As for me, I totally see a quilt with rounded corners and striped bias binding in my near future :).

Svetlana