How to Add Facing to Your Quilt

Transcript:

Looking for a different way to finish your quilt? Add facing instead of binding for a clean, modern look! It allows you to secure the raw edges of your quilted project without adding the frame that traditional quilt binding does. Bonus: this technique adds hanging corner triangles to your quilt at the same time!

First, prep your facing strips in the same way you would prep traditional binding. Take a 2.5" strip and fold it in half, wrong sides together, then press. You'll also need 4 squares for the corners. A 3" square works well for smaller wall hangings, for larger quilts, try 4-5" squares. Fold the squares in half on a diagonal with wrong sides together to form a triangle.

Now, layout your triangles in the corners on the front of your quilt, matching raw edges. Then, align raw edge of facing strip over the top of the triangles starting about halfway through one triangle. Trim the strip where it hits on the adjacent triangle (the strip doesn't need to go all the way to the edge, but ensure it's overlapping the triangle).

Then stitch the ¼" seam starting from the corner, this will secure both the triangle and the facing strip. On to the next side, take your facing strip and butt it up against the previous one and trim (this doesn't need to be precise or evenly spaced). Sew your ¼" seam down the side. Continue adding strips until you've gone the entire way around.

Next, to reinforce the corners of the triangles, stitch on a diagonal back and forth a few times right outside the seam allowance. Repeat on all corners.

Press the facing strips out. Next, stitch a scant ¼" seam right along the previous seam, just on the facing strips. This will help the facing roll to the back of the quilt more easily. Trim the seam allowance in the corners to reduce built, making sure you don't cut into the stitching.

Pull the facing strips around to the back and press with steam (a little bit of the quilt front might roll to the back and that's ok). Then flip the triangles over to the back. Use your point turner to work the corner out.

The final step is to hand sew the facing strips down. Leave the corners unstitched and you can use those to hang your quilt on the wall with a dowel.

Facing a quilt is a technique that can give your quilt a modern finished look. I hope you give it a try!