When Pigs Fly – Rounding the Corners of Your Quilt

It’s time to make those PIGS fly! What are PIGS? Why, they are PhDs or PIPS. They might even be WHIMs, WIPs or WHISPS. Either way, don’t let FOB scare you! Here is how to say, “TGIF!”

Bias Binding

I started this tutorial last year, meaning to plan for a series of posts on bias bindings. It quickly became a WWIT. When a blog hop was announced, with the theme of “finish it”, I decided I would at least finish my sample. And maybe give you a sneak preview of the series I still want to do someday.

Here is the UFO

I decided this quilt was a little boxy, so I would add rounded corners after it was quilted. The first thing I needed to do, of course, was square up the edge. I did that using a long, large ruler so I could match up the edge of the ruler with the edge of the quilt as accurately as possible.

Then I needed to find something round that I could use to make a round corner. I took a large plate right off the wall and that worked.

Now I needed to make the binding that would wrap around this corner and finish the quilt. Enter…

Bias Binding

There are many, many ways of making bias binding. I am just going to show one. There are two additional methods, including continuous bias binding, in the handout below.

Start with two large squares of fabrics. (My sample is 10″ square.) Place them right sides together and sew all the way around the outside. Pretend you are making a pillow with no way to get to the inside. Cut this square on both diagonals. You will have just made two Half-Square-Triangle Quilt Blocks with the eges on the diagonal. Press them open but don’t bother to square them up.

Sew the HSTs side by side and press the seam open.

Here is a picture of the back. Can you see the angle of the grain of fabric?

Cut this strip every 2-1/2″ inches and sew the strips together, mitering the join.

Sew the binding to the edge of the quilt. Because of the stretch in the bias binding, it should go around the curve without a problem. Hand-stitch the edges and join the binding at an angle.

And you are done! Enjoy!

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