If you’re throwing together a blanket, then you want to make sure you add the nice binding to the sides of it. This can be done when you choose a binding that coordinates with the color and theme of the blanket.
However, one of the trickiest parts that I found when putting this binding on the blankets was the corners. I didn’t know how people got that clean, folded over, perfect look to the edges of the blankets.
It took some practice and a little explaining on how it worked, but I have managed to master it. If I could only say the same about sewing in a perfectly straight line when I did binding then I would be in business!
Grab your blanket binding. For this blanket, I chose a thinner binding to go with. It is a quilt binding, even if this is not a quilt.
I just wanted to add a decorative border around the outside. The thicker satin works well, as well and you can fold the corners just like I am going to do with this binding, so keep that in mind if you wanted to add something a bit more satin or thicker than what I chose to go with!
You also want to make sure that you have enough for the size of the blanket! I actually needed two packs of this type of binding to finish a larger sized throw blanket.
Sometimes, with smaller blankets you only need one but I used one pack and then mostly all of the next. I had about a foot left at the end.
To start I usually cut a diagonal corner on one end of the binding. This is what is going to give you the end, clean look. This is something you only have to do when you start and when you finish.
This is yet another thing you do not have to do. I have seen ladies that have actually folded their corners in to create the diagonal look. I never get mine as clean or neat as they do though, so I cut.
The next step is to place that corner on the corner of the blanket that you’ve already put together and turned right side out. I managed to sew the other package onto this blanket before putting the second binding on it.
You just want to make sure that the corner of the blanket and the pointy corner of your binding measures up with one another.
Once you do this, you can then sew along the edge as far or close as you want. Remember to keep the blanket inside the sides of the binding.
You want to make sure that everything is caught under the needle while going down the sides of the blanket. If not, you’ll have to either remove the binding and try again or go back and go over those spots where everything didn’t catch under the needle.
Once you get to a corner is where you might find it become a little tricky. You will need to fold the one side you’ve been sewing down under the other side that you’re going to be sewing.
This will create a flap that you push down and sew over to get that folded look. When folding, you want to make sure that not only the top, but under the binding is also being folded.
Sometimes pinning this in place while you go around the corner can help, but I just like to hold it down with my finger as I sew around.
I usually cut all my fly-away strings at the end of a project, so sorry about them. Once you get to the end of the blanket and have sewn all the other three sides, then you have to make sure that you connect the two ends together.
I usually don’t cut the end of that part because it can easily slip right inside the diagonal that I had made when I begun the project.
Slip the end right inside the corner and then sew over to the diagonal part and up. You want to close this part up with just sewing the binding.
With a little practice, you should not have a hard time folding the corners and keep going through the process as you sew. It becomes almost second nature and a lot of times, the binding is just going to fold easily and efficiently with each and every corner you go around.
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