Sample One of Edgings

For my course work I have to produce a range of samples of different edgings.  So over the next couple of weeks I shall be putting them on the blog as I do them.


 As I progress I will put them here with some brief instructions.  Anyone wanting to go into this in more depth please ask me for more detail.

For all these samples I will use 6" squares of fabric and backing and a 6" square of wadding in between.  This photo also has the green single-fold binding strips showing. 

This first sample is of an edging with single-fold binding and overlapped corners.


Cut the binding strips 4 times wider than you want the finished edge to be ( I want 1/2" edges so I have cut them 2" wide).  My square is 6" so I have cut the first two strips for the sides 6 3/4" long (they will be trimmed to match the edges of the square after sewing).  I cut the remaining two strips 7" long as they have to extend over the square and the two side bindings. 

Half inch seams are used here for this type of binding as it is single fold.  The fabric and wadding will bulk out the half-inch edges as it folds over.

Fold the strips lengthways wrong sides together and press. This mark should line up with the edge after sewing.  With raw edges matching and right sides together pin and sew the first two sides. 

Press the seams open with the iron.  do be careful not to have the iron too hot or it may wrinkle and shrink or melt the wadding, particularly if your wadding is made of polyester.  Keep the iron away from any exposed wadding on the edges. 

Fold the strip over the edges and turn in a half-inch seam then hand sew to the back of the square.

Trim off the surplus fabric at the edges so they line up exactly with the edge of the square.

Next pin the two remaining strips to the other sides, raw edges together as before and sew with a half-inch seam.

Press the seams open as before.  Trim the excess fabric from the edges but leaving a good 1/4" or more to turn in matching the edges to the strips sewn before.  Iron the turning in place and pin as shown on this photo.

Now turn these strips over as before and neatly catch in place by hand the corner turnings.  Sew the turned under seams by hand as before.

Press all round the edges with iron on cotton setting and your finished edges should form neat squares on the corners of the sample.

The next sample will be similar to this but have mitred corners.