Author: Jinny Beyer

Although the importance of accurate seam allowances is drilled into every quilter, most of us end up with blocks that are not quite the right size at times. Knitters are masters at blocking their pieces into shape, and quilters can add this skill to their arsenal, too. We’ll show you how to do this using sample blocks from Jinny’s Starstruck BOM quilt.

You will need:

• your not-quite-perfect block
• a pressing surface into which you can pin firmly
• a permanent or erasable marking pen
• ruler (a large square is great)
• T-pins (they are large, sturdy and can hold up to heavy steam)
• a steam iron

Most of us have a portable pressing surface with gridlines. We like to cover ours with muslin or another light-colored cotton fabric for two reasons: the gridlines probably don’t match our desired block size, and (if you are like the Studio staff) the pressing surface is likely to be a little grungy!

Stretch the fabric over the pressing surface and pin it in place. Mark the desired block size on the cloth. Here we’ve used a heat-erasable pen which makes it easy to re-use the cloth for different-sized blocks.  If you will be blocking a large number of same-size blocks, you might want to choose a marker that won’t disappear with heat. In this instance, the block needs to be 12-1/16″.

Start by using T-pins to pin each corner of the block and the center of each side, stretching the corners and edges to meet your marked block outline.

Continue pinning. Once everything is pinned, press the block from the center out to the edges, using steam, steam, steam! Let it cool completely before removing the pins.

Once everything is pinned, press the block from the center out to the edges, using steam, steam, steam! Let it cool completely before removing the pins.

You might also try spraying your block with a sizing agent after pinning but before steaming. That can help your block hold its shape.

There is a limit to how much you can stretch a block, but this technique can give you blocks that are much closer to the desired size — which will make assembling your quilt much easier. Blocking with steam can also be used to shrink up a block a little bit.

As always, we recommend you test this process on an extra block before trying it on one destined to be used in your next quilting masterpiece!

Most quilters are frugal when it comes to backing their quilts. Of course, it’s important to use the same quality fabric as you used on the front. But it’s frustrating when your quilt is just a little wider than your backing fabric. That’s where creativity comes in.

You can always make your backing wider by adding a panel of contrasting or co-ordinating fabric or orphaned blocks.

This quilter added a panel of pieced fabrics left over from the front of the quilt.

Orphan blocks were the salvation here . . . and now the quilt is virtually two-sided. The quilter used nine left over blocks, then framed them in a coordinating fabric.

Another solution is to piece your backing with a diagonal seam.

Several years ago, quilter John Flynn introduced us to a method using a diagonal seam across the back to save on fabric. It works on quilts that need backing up to about 60″ wide.

This Diagonal Backing Worksheet illustrates how to make a diagonal backing and tells you how much fabric you need for you quilt. It works two ways.

• First, it is a PDF form so you can download it and then fill in the first three boxes on your computer. Adobe Reader will automatically do the calculations and figure out how much fabric you need for backing.
• Second, you can download and print the form. Just follow the instructions to determine the fabric requirements.

There are various ways to finish off the edge of a quilt. Jinny’s favorite method is to add a narrow binding in either the same fabric as that which is at the outer edge of the quilt, or with a fabric that coordinates with the fabric around the edge.

Double-fold binding can be made from either straight-grain or bias strips. Jinny’s preference is bias binding because she feels it provides a smoother finished edge. It is also more durable because straight-grain binding is folded along one continuous thread, creating a weakness that can cause it to wear and fray much more quickly.

To make double-fold binding, cut strips of fabric four times the finished width of the binding, plus the seam allowance. Jinny usually works with 2-inch-wide strips.

Turning Binding to the Front of a Quilt

When Jinny has used a border print on the outside of a quilt, she likes to sew the binding to the back of the quilt and turn the binding to the front, the opposite of what most quilters do. This lets her fine-tune exactly where the binding is stitched down on the front so that she doesn’t cover up any design elements from the border print.

For detailed instructions on how Jinny adds binding to a quilt, download her binding reference sheet, Binding a Quilt the Jinny Beyer Way.

Binding Odd Angles

If you are binding a quilted item with odd angles (such as a table runner with pointed ends), Marci Baker has a terrific video showing you how to deal with these less-common angles.  You can find the video at the link below
Binding Odd Angles

Joining Binding Ends

Getting a smooth, invisible join of the two ends of the binding can be a challenge. Here are two simple techniques that the Studio staff and our customers love.

This is the technique that Studio staffer, Elaine, swears by. Cut the beginning of your strip at a 45°­ angle, sew the binding down and then use the cut end as your guide for cutting the tail.

McCall’s Quilting magazine has a video showing the technique.
Watch the McCall’s Quilting video