How to make a quilt wall hanging
 

I just made this top and it would go perfect in my living room. I have never done a wall hanging, so looking for some tips on how best to do it
Binding - maybe just a dark gray binding that is wider than standard to create a frame?
I know to make a hanging sleeve on the back, is there some hardware that is typically used, or just curtain hanging stuff?
Also, don't think I want it wrinkly, so thinking I should use a very thin poly batting?
The size of the top is approx 40x48
I would appreciate any help to make this look like it belongs on the wall[ATTACH=CONFIG]465556[/ATTACH]

I don't have any suggestions but love the look of it! It really draws your eyes.

Very striking wall hanging. If you use a curtain rod with pretty finials, it will look very much like it belongs on the wall. Your idea of an extra binding is good or you could do a thin grey border. Sometimes I add long ribbons and small tassels at each side like tapestries are hung.

That is very striking! And the matching points looks perfect. Definitely a border to frame it, like a picture. The dark gray could work, but my first thought was a darker brown. I use Hobbs 80/20 and it's a nice weight for wallhangings, not puffy. If you don't wash it (I don't wash my wallhangings), it will stay fairly flat? I have no advice on hanging it as I lazily just use clear push pins!

I like the narrow grey binding idea-love the quilt pattern too!! A thin batting like warm and white is what I use and don't wash wall hangings to avoid the natural crinkling from washing.

I wouldn't add a border -- just a nice solid binding-- a grey would be nice.

If you use drapery rod hardware, it will stand out from the wall -- which is fine if that's what you want. Alternatively, you can use a piece of flat trim molding from the hardware store (often pre-painted) and run that inside your hanging sleeve. The trim piece can either rest on small picture hooks, or you can use fine nails through holes in the trim. This gives you a wall hanging that lies flush against the wall.

Consider putting hanging sleeve on either end, so that you can rotate the quilt and avoid having it warp or have sun exposure in only certain areas.

As for batting -- I think it's good to do trials with your intended batting and the actual fabric scraps. It's a great opportunity to practice your quilting ideas. Then wash the samples and see which one holds up best. Use your samples for throw pillows, coasters, table runners, pet bed -- whatever would be handy to coordinate in the room where you're hanging this.

I think it will look great -- post photos so we can see it in place!

Wow! I have never seen a top lay so perfectly straight and flat. You are a fantastic piecer. And the colors are beautifully chosen too.

That is a beautiful quilt. I'd ask you what colors are in the room where it will hang. Then I'd let the room decide which binding to use. You want to have something that would help you focus on the quilt.

What is the material? For some reason, it looks like wool or ultra suede. It has a brushed look to it. Maybe it's just my tired eyes which are ready for bed!

BTW, I love the quilt. Great job!

what dunster said. phenomenal!

aileen

Your quilt is stunning and the piecing is remarkable. I love it!

For wall hangings, I like to use the method in this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riPvjV_Q7Ms

It allows you to periodically rotate the piece, and is really super easy to do.

I think I would look at the location on wall and will it need weighting at the bottom. If it does it would use the type for wedding dresses.

Wow what a beautiful piece!!! No matter what you do, it will look stunning on the wall! Make sure you take a pic of it for us :)

Thanks for all the nice comments - believe me, my work doesn't always look that good, but this one just came together really well. The fabric is Cherrywood hand dyes, my splurge at Paducah last year (although they were not at the main show, but in a separate facility down the road) The colors are very saturated, and the fabric is almost sueded, but not quite. The youtube with the corners that was posted above seems like a great idea - wondering how well it would work on a piece this big. I've got a piece of dark brown linen that, if I am careful, should be enough for the back and binding. Next big issue - how to quilt it.

What a beautiful quilt!! I think just a grey binding would be great. I would use a narrow hanger with nothing showing outside the edges of the quilt.

Look at the Hobbs Thermore batting it is a very thin polyester and what they use a lot in quilted clothing. Here is a link to how to hang a guilt. This is a great idea and you know it has to be a good one since this is how some museums hang them. http://blog.shopmartingale.com/quilt...change-author/

Sorry that link actually contains several ways to hand quilts. I thought the first one was really cool, I couldn't get the link to work but here is a PDF which I had previously saved. Not sure if that will work

Walmart sells curtain rods that have clips that hang off the bottom. I use these and hang my quilts. You can buy them in any size. The LQS owner had a king quilt on one. I have more of a wall hanging on mine. They are wonderful and easy to replace the quilt with another one. It's like it was made for quilts!

Pellon has a batting called Thermalam. It is a much firmer batting that would make a wall hanging hang flatter. I found it at Hobby Lobby. It comes in fused and nonfused. It's a fleeced batting.

Wow that is gorgeous. Best use of solids I've ever seen.

as for hanging, I used a curtain rod and those clip on rings.

I make a lot of wall hangings. To get it to hang nicely it needs weight. If you have anything heavier that quilting cotton to use as a backing, that's a cheap idea. Batt it as usual. I use cotton canvas as a backing and quilt through the canvas. Then if you like you can cover the canvas with a thin cotton. Hope I haven't made it sound too confusing. The heavier it is the better the sides lay and the corners flat.
MaryKatherine

I love your top but I most always like a border and then a narrow binding (1/4 inch front and back). No border gives the look of more modern quilts, if that is what you want it will look great either way. Be sure to put a sleeve on the top and the bottom for a lathing strip. That will help your hanging to hang flat and weight it just a little.

Your quilt is fabulous. I think it has a modern feel to it so I would not put a border on but just bind it. I agree with MaryKatherine about weight helping them to hang better. I find poly battings too light for wall hangings unless they are doubled up with something. W&N tends to quilt up pretty stiff if you lay down enough thread on it which is ideal for a wallhanging. That would be my choice but only if I was going to quilt this pretty heavily. If you wash in cold water and dry flat you shouldn't get any crinkling.

As far as quilting I would go with a very light weight thread, like invisifil or silk. This way the thread won't interfere with your gorgeous hand dyes. I would go with a light gray, mossy gray/green or nude color. Both silk and invisifil tend to sink in and reflect whatever color they are laying on so it shouldn't take away from your striking graphic design in the piecing.

If I had a chance to sink my teeth into this I would quilt graphic straight line accents like ghost quilting of the squares on point in the colored areas. I would do heavy background fill to get those ghost squares to pop up, ala Green Fairy style of quilting. I would leave the QST in gray and white unquilted but SID around them and maybe even in the triangle units that form the squares.

The top is gorgeous. Amazing what precise, careful piecing and beautiful fabric will do for a relatively simple pattern. Very well done.

I like to put a hanging sleeve on the bottom also. Then put a small rod in it for weight to be sure the hanging stays straight

I wouldn't use polyester because that can make a quilt wonky. Just don't over quilt the top. Keep it simple and just stitch in the ditch. I use Hobbs 80/20 for wall quilts as well as bed quilts and table runners. I would do just a normal 2.25" binding, not wider. Since you used more green in the quilt, I would use the dark green for binding. But it never hurts to try different colors in the quilt for binding and take a photo, then you can compare which you think looks best. I usually used a standard small curtain rod to hang my quilts but you can keep it simple and use push pins. There are a number of products to buy to hang a quilt as there are colors in fabric. Pick what will work best for you.

Warm and natural batting is ok to use in wall hanging. To avoid the wrinkly look, I do not wash my wallhanging, but have them dry cleaned. Also I use a 2.5 inch binding, sewing in the hanging sleeve while attaching the binding. To hang the wallhanging, you can use a wooden dowel or a decorative curtain rod. I prefer the curtain rod. I also prefer to have them quilted by a LA,(depends on your budget). Attach your label before having it quilted. Its very lovely. Stunning second design!

Absolutely stunning quilt - love the colors. You did a fantastic job!

First let me say that I love your quilt and I think a grey binding would be perfect, or even a 2" border in grey with the same grey binding. I have made a lot of wall hangings since I began quilting and personally I like using Warm & Natural cotton batting, so that the wall hanging hangs better and straighter. The quilts I've made with polyester batting doesn't appear to have the same stability and tends to ripple. That's just my personal experience.

What a striking quilt!! Very impressive!

I like the colors and pattern you chose for your wall hanging. I am making my first wall hanging also.

For the batting I used Quilter's Dream Polyfusion. Quilter's dream is sold in quilt shops. Poly-fusion is a fusible batting. I called the quilters dream company for advice. They also have poly batting without fusible. You can go to their website for information also. The ladies who answer the phone are very kind and helpful. I received samples in the mail to try their latest batting with the fusible.
For the binding, I made: French Twist Binding:by Gretchen Hudock from the Sept.01 issue of Quilter's Newsletter magazine, under the section: Quiltmakers Workshop. There isn't a website noted in the copy of the article I have.

The binding strips are cut 5" wide. Once folded in half, equal 2.5" wide. The binding is put on like traditional French binding, stitching on the front and folding the binding to the back. The additional width of the binding on the back gives the quilt edges more substance and help the quilt hang straighter....AND 2 pockets are formed that allow you to place small rods at the top and bottom of your wall hanging. Once binding is folded to the back and pinned, From the front side of the quilt, machine stitch in the ditch along the edge of the binding. Next, hand stitch the folded edge of the binding to the quilt back. Do not stitch the mitered edge of the binding..this is where the rod pockets have been formed at the top and bottom edges.

It says in the article, titled, French Twist Binding, that," Gretchen purchases farm supply fiberglass rods that are for electric fence posts, because they do not warp and are heavier than wooden dowels. Thy are easily cut with a fine-tooth saw. She cuts them the width between the stitch in the ditch lines, and then rests the top rod on 2 nails in the wall."

I hope this makes sense. If anyone finds the article online, there are photos with step by step instructions.

I found this article - looks like another really good option. I've gotten so many great ideas in this thread - Thanks to all of you. I'll post a finished picture when it's done and on the wall.

This is perfect for a wall hanging. It looks like art to me. Please be sure to send a picture when it's been hung.

Drapery fabric also makes a good backing and hangs well.