Wednesday, January 2, 2008

How much should I buy? part 3: binding

I just found this piece of fabric in my collection. I thought it was an old Hoffman but it was a P&B Naturescape by Jennifer Sampou. Isn't it luscious?
I usually have on hand enough fabrics to choose from for a binding but occasionally I have to go out and buy something special for it.


For a baby quilt 1/2 yard is a safe bet. You will have a little left over for your stash.


Most people cut their binding 2.5" wide but it should really be cut a specific width (math again) for any width you would like it to finish at (maybe a 1/2" binding on a really big quilt which needs 3.25" strips, not 2.5). Anyway, for the people who always cut it 2.5", most quilts take 10 or less strips for binding (not counting king size) so 3/4 of a yard of fabric would work, but I always buy 1 yard in case of a mis-cut and to assure me a small piece for the scrap collection.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree that is a luscious piece of fabric by Jennifer Sampou. Like rasberries and whipped cream. (*._,*)

The square you started for your 'Kaffee Fassett's' quilt is dynamic! What a grand
'auditioning' group of pieces to select from, for your center piece.

Anonymous said...

I like this NEW piece of fabric you found. Keep digging maybe you will find more NEW fabric.Wig.

meggie said...

Love the raspberries & cream fabric!
Very interesting about binding widths. When I first began stumbling about in the dark, making it up as I went along, I did some rather broad bindings. Then I learnt the 2.5" cut, & always use that now. I must have a rethink about this.

Michael5000 said...

Often times I will buy the binding fabric to the long length of the quilt plus several inches, so I don't have to have any joining seams in the binding. Works best with an especially yummy fabric (where I want leftovers) or when the binding fabric is also used in the quilt face.