Hi - I don't know what this is called, so I'm having trouble searching for any How-To info on it. I have a wall-hanging that I'd love to fold the backing fabric to the front to make a binding that looks like a picture-frame around it. I don't want to use a separate fabric for binding, and I don't have any of the backing fabric left, but do have a generous amount on all sides. Does this make sense, and if so, does anyone have info or know where to point me?

Thanks so much for your assistance.

2Wheel

I haven't actually done this technique, but it seems to me that you will fold under by 1" so you have double fabric as usual and of course you will have to trim it back so that when it is folded over to the front it is the size of binding that you prefer. I have just done the reverse binding technique on a placemat, where you fix binding to the back then bring it forward, you can use a decorative stitch or monofilament thread to machine sew it down....does that help lol :roll:

It's known as mock binding or self binding and here's a couple of links showing you how to do it.
http://www.fabriclandwest.com/quilte...nding_mock.htm
http://how-to-quilt.com/cms/index.ph...=143&Itemid=39

Thanks Izy and AuntLuc! The sites referenced are just what I needed. I NEVER would have thought to search on "mock binding" but I guess that's just what it is. :lol: It should make a nice frame for my self-portrait, but I don't think I'd want to use it on an actual quilt.

2Wheel

You're welcome 2wheelwoman...I like to have a double thickness of binding on my quilts also but it should work ok for a wall hanging.

it works quite well on regular quilts, too. if you are a "double-binder", just leave enough extra backing to be able to fold double. tooooooo easy. :-)

Because I'm horrible at binding, I often use this method. I didn't realize it had such a fancy name of mock binding. I call it hemming. Like clothes. I pull it to the front, fold it over, and sew. I like having the freedom to choose if I want the hem to be really skinny like binding, or up to 3 inches to really "frame" my project.

Cool! I'll have to try this since I'm not so good with traditional binding. It looks much easier.

It's so good to see this discussion. I was talking about it to a shop owner in Las Vegas, and she literally sniffed with disdain. My little quilts (I will rarely make big ones) will be for wall hangings and lap quilts, and I have no qualms about doing this kind of binding. Also, I plan to do a lot of tie-quilting - both with and without buttons. I don't want to do my own machine quilting, and definitely don't want to always pay the high prices for someone else to do it. I will if it's a really nice quilt meant for a bed, but that won't happen much. Call me stingy!

great question. The site is great. Was wondering how to do the corners.
my aunt has a lot of her mothers quilts hich she uses and they are all done this way. Seems to have held up as she`ll be 90 in March!
Gale

I always use the "mock binding" method. Likewise I didn't know it had such a fancy name, I always called it the fold over method.

I haven't figured out how to the the "regular" binding.

I use the Stitch Whitchery So I get everything just so. I might take an extra step or two but I like the results after the "mock binding" is finished.

I pin carefully at my corners. You can attack corners similar to the way you would add a binding on to make them mitered. I haven't really found my knack for mitered corners yet, so for now, I just pin up the hem. I treat it like a border. I pin the sides to the inside of the corner, and the top and bottom to the outside for the hem. It's not very fancy, but creates almost a picture frame look.

My trouble is that every single time I have tried to do this I always end up "nicking" the backing material as I'm cutting away the batting. I spray baste so it's pretty stuck. Perhaps I'm not careful enough?

Seeing this post makes me wonder if I just cut the batting with the back perhaps I can bind it without cutting away the binding? Just bind them up together. It would be a bit thick of course.

I bet that would work especially if you want a bigger binding. Maybe when you spray baste you don't spray quite as far to the edge and see if that works. Why don't you experiment and post a picture. I think that would be really nice for a baby or child's quilt. Come to think of it, when I made quilts for my neices and nephews 20+ years ago, when info was not easy to find I did your method on their quilts because I didn't know you trimmed the batting off and put a binding on.

My three rough and tumble boys are hard on everything. I have found, that if I just fold up the sides and sew instead of adding binding, the quilts don't fall apart on the edge as easily as when they are bound. Also, baby quilts need washed so much moreso than regular quilts, all of my baby quilts are hemmed and tied instead of quilted. I don't tend to trim my batting off though, unless I just have way to much at the end. It makes for almost a pillow like edge. But, I'm sure each quiltmaker has their own style.

You can also use Sharon Schamber's Elmer's School Glue method of tacking down the binding on the front before you sew it down. That will help with the corners too!

Discussion here ... http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-18328-1.htm
and here http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-29275-1.htm

Cheers,
Linda

That is not stingy........there is an art to tying a quilt. I tie a lot of my lap quilts and twin size quilts. It is really cool to see how you can match the embroidery thread to the fabric in such a way that you really can't tell that it is tied, because you don't notice it at all. :thumbup: