something stitched

As I am finishing the November wall hanging, Turkey Tracks, for my mother’s room at the care center I am thinking about the width of binding that I use compared to many instructions that I see for commercial patterns. Many patterns direct quilters to cut binding strips 2 ½” wide, folding in half and then stitching to the quilt.   Seldom if ever have I seen what seam allowance is being used to accommodate that width of binding or what thickness of batting is being used that may cause more or less bulk. I cut my binding 1 7/8” wide, fold it in half and then attach with a ¼” seam allowance. For me that yields a 3/8 inch finish width. After the machine stitching is done by applying the binding strip to the front side of the quilt I fold it over and stitch by hand for the final step. The binding just covers the machine stitching and “fills” the binding for a nicely finished edge that I understand is desirable for contest/show quilts. Photos below show the stitching line using a quarter inch presser foot and then the corners mitered to match the mitered border.  I make sure the binding follows the same straight line as the quilt edge as it extends beyond the finished edge, in the second photo. I also diagonally trim the corners of the sandwich, not the binding, so there is less bulk in the corner as I miter. I don’t know who made the “rule” for the width of binding strips but I liken it to the “ham in the pan” story. Moral of the story: cut binding strips to the width needed for the seam allowance you create and the type of batting that you use, whatever that may be.