Fused Binding

I think it is always a good idea to review information. I have been thinking about putting up directions to make a fused binding for awhile now and this seems like as good a time as any.
Most of my fused art quilts have this kind of binding. It is easy to do and really fast and it allows you to use those great decorative rotary blades in your rotary cutter to create one edge of the binding. It also allows you to use scraps of fused fabric if you want.
First square up your quilt
This is just a sample for my machine quilting class using different quilting designs.

Next you want to mark a 1/2” line all around the outside of your squared up quilt. I usually do this with a chalk pencil, but in a color I can see well. This will be a guide for you to lay down the binding you are going to cut.

Before you put the binding on you want to add a sleeve to the back of the quilt. I fuse my label to the center of my sleeve and stitch it down, it seems like a good place to put it.

I sew the sleeve onto the top back with a 1/4” seam.
Cut out four strips of fused fabric that are 1 1/4” wide and at least 1 inch longer then the longest side of my quilt.

 I use a straight blade and a decorative blade both in separate rotary handles to cut out the binding strips one right after the other in a row. When you are cutting with the decorative blades you want to turn your rotary mat over to the back side because these blades can scar your cutting mat. I keep all of my decorative blades in their own rotary handles that way they are ready to be used all the time. My favorite handle is this Frieda green one from Clover.

Once I have all the binding pieces cut out I place my quilt on my ironing surface with a piece of release paper under the edge of the quilt to begin the binding process. Release paper is the paper that comes off when you apply the fusible wonderunder #805 to the back of your fabric or if that rips a piece of parchment paper.

You will lay your binding right over the pencil line so that the decorative edge just covers the pencil line. Fuse it in place using a dry hot iron – no steam yet. The release paper will allow you to fuse to it over and over again.

Once the fusing has cooled to the touch you can peel the binding off of the release paper and fold it over to the back side of your quilt and fuse it in place.

You will do two parallel sides first. Square up the edges of the two sides after they are fused down.
Then do the other two sides.
When you do the last two sides you will have a 1/2 inch over hang on each end that will be folded over to the back at the corner of the quilt. Crease this in place with your finger nail. Place a piece of fusible web on both of the folded over corners and then fold up the long side of the fused binding. Press this in place. This will create a nice clean encased corner on your fused binding.

I usually like to top stitch on the front side of my quilt with a heavier thread to finish the binding. I will steam set my whole quilt and binding at this point.

Easy Peasy. I hope you try this method for your next wall quilt.

Here are a few pictures up close and personal of the top stitched fused binding.

This is the edge of my quilt “Star Lillies” and is top stitched with #30 weight rayon thread.

The thread that I top stitched this quilt with is Laura’s #8 cotton and is put in the bobbin. When I put this in the bobbin I hand wind it on the bobbin and by pass the tension in the bobbin case, using a matching thread of lighter weight cotton on the top and sew from the back side of the quilt. The heavier weight thread sits on the surface of the quilt and looks kinda loopy, like me.