Quick Binding Tip for Aligning Colors

I had a foot square piece with a straight horizon line where I wanted the binding to match the quilt colors.

To accomplish this, I tried a variation on a mitered binding technique that had been taught a few years ago at our local guild meeting.

• First, I measured the length of the sky and the sea and added about 8 inches to each measurement. 
• I then cut 2 inch strips of the sky and sea fabric to those lengths and sewed them together with a simple straight seam. 
• I folded the strip in half lengthwise and ironed it so I had one long continuous strip that was one inch wide. 

I then placed the strip on the left side of the  piece, aligning the colors of the strip along the horizon line.

Aligning strip with horizon line

Sky half sewn

 I then began sewing the binding to the quilt top with a 1/4 inch seam, starting at the horizon where I had matched the binding and continuing around the sky to a few inches before the horizon line on the right side of the quilt.

  

sea half se

I then stopped, and returned to the left side and stitched in the sea color part of the binding to within a few inches of the horizon line on the right side. (It is ideal to have at least about 8 inches left unfinished on that right side - with a 12 inch quilt, I was pushing it a little!)

To finish off the binding, I laid the two ends of the binding strip over each other and trimmed them so that there was one inch of each end extending on each side of the horizon line (a two inch overlap).

I  opened the ends of the binding and pinned the right sides together. (You need to fold your quilt top a bit to be able to do this.)

I then seamed these two ends together,  exactly one inch from the end. (Your quilt top needs to be folded to be able to do this.)

I then trimmed that one inch seam to 1/4" and flattened out my quilt top. The binding lies flat against the quilt top with the seam between the two fabrics aligned with the horizon line.

All that remains is to complete sewing the 1/4" seam around the quilt and then fold over the binding to hem the back.

If you have any questions, please ask!