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Top Tools for Quilt Binding: A Quilter’s Guide

I was finishing up some quilts today and I want to highlight a couple of my favorite tools that I use when making quilt binding.

First, I LOVE my June Tailor Shape Cut Pro ruler. It is a monster-sized ruler at 20″ x 23″ and allows me to efficiently cut 8 – 16 (probably more) 2 1/2″ strips for binding at one time from my yardage without needing to continually adjust a ruler. It is also great for crosscutting squares of any size with 2 1/2″ increment measurements. I am so sad that it has been discontinued! I have been trying to find an alternative that will handle 1/2 width of fabric without luck. The Stripology rulers are nice, but I find myself falling back to this one when cutting a large amount from yardage. Maybe GE Designs or Creative Grids will fill this gap in the future. If you run across one of these anywhere, I highly recommend picking it up! Check out this video if you are curious about how it works.

The second tool I want to share is the “Binding Eaze” by Quilted Heartz. I love an inventor. It isn’t a surprise to me that they have come up with some tools to enhance the arduous process of prepping binding! This tool can be found at many quilt shops around the country, including one of my favorite local shops, KC Maker Studio and Fabrics. Check out this video. It really works just like she shows, so no need to remake the wheel here. If you have issues with the binding eaze sliding on you, the tip I have is to stick a few short pins in the corners. This gives it a little more stability.


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A Simple Binding

As I’ve learned to quilt, I amassed three or four different tools to help me close bindings.  What I found is that, while the tools work fine, less is more.

I attended a course at a local Original Sewing & Quilting expo, titled, “The Simple Binding”.  It was hosted by a gentleman who had been judging quilts for years.  He showed us a technique to attach and close the binding on your quilt without extra tools or rulers. I love it, and this is how I close my quilts 100% of the time now.

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