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You are here: Home / Quilting / How To Finish A Shaped Quilt Edge Without Binding

How To Finish A Shaped Quilt Edge Without Binding

February 26, 2014 by Jodi 24 Comments

I Spy Hexy Quilt

I made this English paper pieced hexagon quilt for my fifth-born child’s first birthday. If I had more time, I would finished off the quilt edge by making a hexagon facing (see Bad Skirt for her drool worthy tutorial). However, his birthday was looming close and I needed a quicker method for finishing it off, but still keeping the wonderful jagged edges.

Hexagon quilt, finished edge, without binding tutorial

So, instead, I mashed up Red Pepper Quilts “A Quilt Without Binding” method and the facing method from Going Home To Roost’s Honey Pot Quilt pattern. I’m no quilting expert, but this method should work for any shaped edge English Paper Pieced quilt.For The Sake Of Science, I’ll share my method here.

I Spy Quilt

As we being the quilting process, remove all papers from the quilt top, except along the outer edge. Press the quilt top, make sure the folded edges are nice and crisp. Lay the quilt top on top of the batting.

Hexy Quilt finishing tutorial

Pin-baste the quilt top in place.

Hexy Quilt finishing

Carefully remove the remaining papers from the outer edge pieces, (straight) pinning the folded edges to the batting as you go.

Hexy Quilt finishing tutorial

Baste stitch the edge of the quilt top to the batting as close to the folded edge as you can, think 1/8″ or even less if manageable.

Hexy Quilt finishing tutorial

Once basted, trim the batting down to the edge of the quilt top. Don’t cut the quilt top!

Hexy Quilt finishing tutorial

To prepare the quilt back, we need to add a seam for turning.

Hexy Quilt finishing tutorial

Fold the quilt back about 12 inches from the edge, right sides facing. Sew a 1/2 inch seam, except switch to a basting stitch for about 12 inches in the center of the seam. After stitching, slight the fabric along the fold. Unfold the quilt back open again, and press the seam to the side.

Hexy Quilt finishing tutorial

Lay the quilt top (and batting) on top of the quilt backing right sides facing. Pin the edges in place.

Hexy Quilt finishing tutorial

Sew the quilt top and back together, 1/8 inch from the quilt top’s folded edge, all the way around the quilt.

Hexy Quilt finishing tutorial

Trim the quilt backing down to about 1/4 inch from the seam sewn.

Hexy Quilt finishing tutorial

Also, trim the  backing at the outer corners and clip its inner corners.

Hexy Quilt finishing tutorial

Open up the basting stitches on the backing seam. Turn the quilt right sides out through this opening.

Hexy Quilt finishing tutorial

Poke out all of the corners using a point turner and press the edges neat.

Hexy Quilt finishing tutorial

Slip stitch or ladder stitch the opening closed.

Hexy Quilt finishing tutorial

Pin baste all three layers together.Then, start your quilting by top stitching the quilt edge (1/4 inch from edge), then continue to quilt as desired.

Hexy Quilt finishing tutorial

 That’s it!

I Spy Hexagon Quilt

…more posts from this project…

Making A Hexy Kit
In Progress and More EPP Notions
The Finished Quilt

Filed Under: Quilting, Tutorials Tagged With: binding, epp, hexagon, hexy, quilt, quilting, tutorial

Previous Post: « I Spy A Hexy Quilt
Next Post: February Blues »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jessi says

    February 26, 2014 at 12:36 pm

    Very clever!

    Reply
    • Pat says

      March 20, 2019 at 11:56 pm

      Beautiful! I absolutely love the finishing. My hexie quilt has been waiting unfinished because I needed a finish without a binding for the shaped edge. Thank you for solving my problem. Your directions are pictures are great.

      Reply
  2. Aurea's Kitchen says

    February 26, 2014 at 12:48 pm

    That quilt would be so loved¡¡¡

    Reply
  3. Susan says

    February 26, 2014 at 1:22 pm

    I LOOOOOVE IT! So much time and love — soooo amazing. So exciting to see it finished!

    Reply
  4. Charity says

    February 26, 2014 at 2:20 pm

    That’s amazing and so much work!!!! I love how you end the post with, “That’s it.” Oh sure no problem! 😉

    Reply
    • Jodi says

      February 27, 2014 at 4:21 pm

      well the finishing part really was “no-problem”. 😉

      Reply
    • Gemma says

      June 16, 2020 at 2:45 am

      Hi! This is genius and your tutorial is easy to follow.
      I’d like to use it for a king-size quilt but i’m worried that any tiny inaccuracy in the basting would mean that once the edges are sewn and I start to quilt, that I might end up with excess fabric at an edge.

      Can you see this being the case with a larger quilt?
      Thanks

      Reply
  5. Deb K says

    February 27, 2014 at 3:51 am

    Genius!

    Reply
  6. Tam says

    February 27, 2014 at 5:51 am

    That quilt is amazing! It’s very inspiring that you managed to handmake something so beautiful and special for your FIFTH born. I love it.

    Reply
    • Jodi says

      March 3, 2014 at 11:54 am

      well.. i might not be taking copious notes on when he achieves his milestones, but he has a quilt, darnit!

      Reply
  7. Laura - Behind the Hedgerow says

    February 28, 2014 at 6:56 am

    This quilt is stunning! You are inspiring me to push myself my quilting comfort zone! I’ve pinned it for later…x

    Reply
  8. Beadgirl says

    March 7, 2014 at 2:03 pm

    Binding is my mortal enemy, so I think is this a *great* idea! But I have one question — when you rip open the basting stitches in the back to turn the quilt, are you also slitting the fabric open then, or do you do that when sewing that 1/2 inch seam in the backing before sewing it to the top?

    Reply
    • Jodi says

      March 7, 2014 at 3:25 pm

      oh, good catch. I forgot that step, and I’ve updated it. Slit open the fabric along the fold after basting.

      Reply
  9. Molly says

    May 31, 2015 at 11:05 pm

    So helpful! What did you mean when you say to slight the fabric along the fold?

    Reply
    • Jodi says

      June 4, 2015 at 9:23 pm

      Instead of using two pieces of fabric for the back, I used one. You need to create an opening in the backing for turning the quilt right side out. The seam that was sewn along the fold needs to be cut open for the turning.
      I hope that helps!
      – jodi

      Reply
  10. Roxanna Owen says

    July 4, 2015 at 5:21 pm

    thank you thank you…I have been losing sleep over how to do this!!!

    Reply
  11. Vickie Deleon says

    January 7, 2017 at 3:34 pm

    Your photography and directions are complementary and concise. I will finally finish my hexagon. Thank you!

    Reply
  12. Caro says

    October 25, 2017 at 12:22 pm

    I am going to use this to finish a hand pieced quilt top I made 40 years ago! Thank you.

    Reply
  13. Kathleen says

    March 7, 2018 at 9:16 pm

    Wow! A lot of work went into this quilt as well as the backing binding combo. Beautiful work.

    Reply
  14. Karen says

    August 11, 2019 at 9:52 am

    Been tearing my hair out trying to figure out how to finish a hexagon quilt that a friend’s grandmother pieced. I’ve been procrastinating waaay toooo looong. Thank you so much! No more soul sucking guilt!!

    Reply
  15. Laura Clark says

    January 22, 2021 at 10:17 pm

    Is there a video for this? I just cant get the folded part in my brain.

    Reply
  16. Cheryl MARSHALL says

    July 26, 2021 at 5:33 pm

    Very nice!

    Reply
  17. Judy says

    September 18, 2021 at 10:46 am

    Gosh, you are brilliant, Jodi! Thank you so very much for this!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. I Spy A Hexy Quilt - Sew Fearless says:
    February 26, 2014 at 12:25 pm

    […] I’ll share how I finished it in another post. [Edit: here it is!] […]

    Reply

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