Could someone help me with the basics of making a sleeve for a quilt. I promised the person who purchased my auctioned breast cancer quilt that I would put a sleeve on it for her. I have looked at my quilt books and just can't seem to put my finger on it. I remember hearing 3" but is that finished (6 1/2 cut then folded in half) or cut. I had planned on undoing the seam binding at the one end, machine sewing the sleeve onto quilt then covering all with binding. Then I think I would hand tack on other side to backing and batting. I just need to know correct width and if the technique I've mentioned is correct. Thanks for the help. I'm supposed to get it finished it tonight. I hate deadlines!

Wendy

I always cut a 7 inch strip, because it then allows for a 2in x 1in length of wood to slide in, if the quilt is going in an exhibition, as a lot of those use wooden stands. Your 6.5in would be fine, and the method will work too. Hope that helps.

The technique you mentioned is exactly the way I do it. You certainly are kind to do this for the owner of the quilt. Good luck!

I would not unstitch the binding to add the sleeve because a good pleated sleeve needs to be sewn somewhat below the binding in order not to be seen above the quilt when it is hanging. This is especially true because you do not know the size of the rod the owner will be using. Here are some simple instructions for making hanging sleeves. http://quilting.about.com/od/decorat...ilt_sleeve.htm I make mine 2" inside each side edge and an inch below the top edge and always make them from a 9" wide (cut) strip.

I usually try to use the same fabric as my backing. I cut it 8" wide and whatever the width of the back of the quilt.

I then hem it on both ends so it is inside the binding.

I fold it, wrong sides together, lengthwise and sew it into a tube.

Iron it with the seam in the middle of the tube. You are going to be putting that against the backing so it won't be showing anyway.

I usually have my binding sewn onto the front of my quilt by now. I then sew it across the top on the same seam as the binding.

I then turn my binding and hand sew it in place. It secures the top and has a nice finished look. (if the binding is already done, just whip stitch it across the top right next to the binding.)

Next, I hand stitch the bottom and the sides. On the sides, you just stitch the bottom of the tube to the quilt.
Your finished tube will be about 3 1/2 inches wide. Then you don't have to worry bout what size rod is being used.

I hope all that made sense.

Thank you to everyone who helped me with the sleeve. I understood each and every one and it helped greatly. I went to get the piece of backing fabric I was sure I had and it turned out to be 3 14" square pieces! Now I have to try to find the fabric tomorrow. Hopefully I will be able to find it and get the quilt finished! Thanks again.

It doesn't have to match the backing. You could use a coordinating fabric or a fabric used in the quilt.

Think Pink i would really like to see a picture of the breast cancer quilt u did

I have been told that the major shows require a 4" hanging sleeve. I can understand that for a large quilt, but not for a small wall hanging. We're having a quilt show next weekend (10/17-18) and I've been sewing 4" hanging sleeves on all my quilts for the show. I start with a 9" piece of fabric. Most of them I have just basted on, because I don't need the sleeves after the show.

The Hoffman Challenge, as an example, requires a 4" sleeve on all their entries and they are all small wall quilts (maximum perimeter is 120"). It's an industry standatd that lets exhibitors know what to expect and competitors know what to provide.