Finishing Your Quilt

Finishing Your Quilt

Layering the Quilt
1. If necessary, piece

Backing.
2. S pread out Backing on

a large table or floor
area, right side down.
Clamp fabric to edge of
table with quilt clips,
or tape Backing to the
floor. Do not stretch
Backing.
3. Layer the Batting on the
Backing and pat flat.
4. W ith quilt right side
up, center on the
Backing. Smooth until
all layers are flat. Clamp
or tape outside edges.

Safety Pinning
1. P lace pin covers on 1" safety pins.

Safety pin through all layers three to five
inches apart. Pin away from where you
plan to quilt.
2. C atch tip of pin in grooves on pinning
tool, and close pins.
3. Use pinning tool to open pins when
removing them. Store pins opened.

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Finishing Your Quilt

“Stitch in the Ditch” along Blocks and Borders

1. T hread your machine with matching
thread or invisible thread. If you use
invisible thread, loosen your top tension.
Match the bobbin thread to the Backing.

2. A ttach your walking foot, and lengthen
the stitch to 8 to 10 stitches per inch or
3.0 on computerized machines.

3. Tightly roll quilt from one long side to
center. Place hands on quilt in triangular
shape, and spread seams open. Stitch in
the ditch along seam lines and anchor
blocks and border.

4. Roll quilt in opposite direction, and
stitch in ditch along seam lines.

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Finishing Your Quilt

Quilting Blocks with Darning Foot
The advantage to using a darning foot to quilt is
that you don’t need to constantly pivot and turn a
large heavy quilt as you do with a walking foot.
1. A ttach darning foot to sewing machine. Drop

feed dogs or cover feed dogs with a plate.
No stitch length is required as you control
the length. Use a fine needle and invisible or
regular thread in the top and regular thread to
match the Backing in the bobbin. Loosen top
tension if using invisible thread. Use needle
down position.
2. P lan how to stitch, covering as many seams
continuously as possible.
3. P lace hands flat on block. Bring bobbin
thread up on seam line.
4. L ock stitch and clip thread tails. Free motion
stitch in the ditch around block. Keep top of
block at top. Sew sideways and back and forth
without turning quilt.
5. Lock stitch and cut threads. Continue with
remaining blocks.

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Finishing Your Quilt

Binding

Use a walking foot attachment and regular thread on top and
in the bobbin to match the Binding.
1. S quare off selvage edges, and sew 3" Binding strips together

lengthwise.
2. F old and press in half with wrong sides together.
3. L ine up raw edges of folded Binding with raw edges of

quilt in middle of one side.
4. Begin stitching 4" from end of Binding. Sew with 10

stitches per inch, or 3.0 to 3.5. Sew ⅜" from edge, or
width of walking foot.
5. A t corner, stop stitching ⅜" in from edge with needle in
the fabric. Raise presser foot and turn quilt to next side.
Put foot back down.

6. Stitch backwards at an angle off the edge of Binding.
7. Raise the foot, and pull quilt forward slightly.
8. Fold Binding strip straight up on diagonal. Fingerpress

diagonal fold.

9. F old Binding strip straight down with diagonal fold
underneath. Line up top of fold with raw edge of
Binding underneath.

10. Begin sewing from edge.

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Finishing Your Quilt

11. C ontinue stitching and mitering corners around outside
of quilt.

12. Stop stitching 4" from where ends will overlap.

13. Line up two ends of Binding. Trim excess with a ½"
overlap.

14. O pen out folded ends and pin right sides together.
Sew ¼" seam.

15. Continue to stitch Binding in place.

16. Trim Batting and Backing up to raw edges of Binding.
17. F old Binding to back side of quilt. Pin in place so that

folded edge on Binding overlaps stitching line. Tuck in
the excess fabric at each miter on the diagonal.

18. F rom right side, “stitch in the ditch” using invisible thread
on the front side, and a bobbin thread to match the Binding
on back side. Catch folded edge of Binding on back side
with stitching. Optional: Hand stitch Binding in place.

19. S ew an identification label on Back. Embroidered labels
make a nice touch.

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