How to Bind a Wavy Edge of a Handmade Quilt

Finish your next quilt with a scalloped edge for a more unique look.

The binding on a quilt adds the perfecting finishing touch. You can use a store bought binding in a solid color or you can create your own binding out of a matching or coordinating fabric. A quilt with a wavy or scalloped edge takes a little extra care to bind because of the curves, but it is not difficult to do. It will finish off the quilt perfectly.

Things You'll Need

• Quilt
• Fabric marking pencil
• Scissors
• Bias Binding
• Pins
• Sewing machine
• Needle
• Thread

Instructions

1. Mark the scallops on your quilt with a washable fabric pen or pencil. Do not trim the edges yet; that will happen later.

2. Unfold your binding. You can use a store bought or hand made binding, but make sure that it is a single-fold bias binding so that it will curve with the quilt. The single fold ensures that there is not too much bulky fabric in the inside corners of the wavy edges.

3. Pin the binding along the scallop on the front of the quilt, gently following the curves that you marked. Do not stretch or pull the binding, as it will not lay correctly. Take your time. You do not want to bunch the binding.

4. Miter the inner corners of the binding so you do not have bunching or extra fabric in this area.

5. Sew the binding to the front of the quilt with a 1/4 inch seam.

6. Trim the edge of the quilt 1/4 inch from the sewn seam. Be sure not to have any extra fabric bulk, especially on the inside corners of the scallops.

7. Zigzag stitch the edge of the quilt. This will go inside the binding and will not show, but it holds the binding inside the top and bottom of the quilt.

8. Fold the binding over the edge of the quilt and pin to the back.

9. Hand sew the binding to the back of the quilt using a slip stitch, being careful at the inner corners. Be sure that your stitches do not go through to the front of the quilt, but only grab the back layer of fabric.

Tips & Warnings

• Take your time with binding a quilt with a wavy or scalloped edge.

References

• Linda Franz: Scallops
• Simplicity: Quilt Binding
• Oz Quilts: Easy Scallop Binding
• June Tailer: Scalloped Edged Quilts

Resources

• Bella Online: Making Bias Binding