"After the Fact" Quilt Sleeves
 

Does anyone know of an easy way to attach a hanging sleeve to a quilt after the binding has been put on?

how big is the quilt? Weight matters.

It's 54" x 69".

Do you want the hanger to show?

I made a tube, turned it inside out then seamed the open edge close. I then whip stitched it to the top of the quilt just below the binding.

sometimes i cheat a little on the hand sewing of the sleeve. if one of the borders is appropriately distanced from the edge, i open the sleeve fabric and stitch in the ditch from the front along the border seam line with the fabric pinned to the back then i only have to hand sew the two open edges together to the quilt :)

Assuming you hand sewed the binding on the back, I would take the back binding stitching out and add the hanger sleeve on, then resew the top binding.

The 'normal' way to sew hanging sleeves on is after the binding. They go below the binding in order to keep the sleeve from showing when hung. Instructions..
http://wwwbluemoonriver.blogspot.com...lt-sleeve.html

Thanks to all of you for this info. I have also wanted to know this method or procedure. Teresa

FWIW, I would never want it sewn into the binding. I don't like them on quilts and would want to make sure they are a temporary addition.

I just did this too - I usually sew the sleeve into the binding, but forgot on this occasion and couldn't face undoing the binding again. Adding the sleeve afterwards seems to have worked well - but this is a fairly small wall hanging.

I always put the sleeve on after the binding. I make my tube then I cut a piece of Steam-a-Seam about 2/3 to 3/4 the width of the tube (depending on the diameter of the rod) and attach the tube to the back right below the binding. I've never had a problem with the tube becoming unattached and it doesn't show from the front.

What size pieces are you hanging with this method (i.e., Steam-a-Seam)? I wouldn't trust it with large wall quilts and certainly not with hanging lap or bed size quilts. The quilt in question is 54" x 69", fairly large to hang 'by glue', but that's just my opinion mind you.

If its a wall hanging, I like to add the sleeve before I do the binding, I do it differently for a larger quilt.

If it is for a show or you think you may enter it into a show then you need to follow national guidelines. AQS has a description of what they want and most states I have been to follow those. A completed 4" sleeve across the back of the quilt. If you've done such a good enough job you want to display the quilt, then make the sleeve as if you were entering a quilt show.

Sorry I don't have the site right now.

ali

NQA has instructions as well.
http://nqaquilts.org/2012show/quiltshow.php?ID=251