Tutorial for Binding with an Accent Strip

I did a quilt for the Fast Friday challenge back in June. The challenge was to use one thing on your quilt that is NOT from a fabric store, with a spending limit of five dollars. I bought a couple dollars of fiberglass screening from the hardware store, and used it to represent cross-hatching. Here is the original challenge posting.

When I finished my challenge, I was still deciding how to finish the edges, and had decided it needed a bit more quilting. I added some quilting the background, and decided I would finish the edges with an accent strip between the binding and the quilt to define the edge better. After a couple of practice attempts at binding with an accent strip, I figured out how to finish the edge to get the look I wanted.

I cut binding strips two inches wide and contrasting strips ¾ inch wide, and ironed both in half lengthwise.

Thread the machine with a color which matches the contrasting strip. Load the bobbin with a color that contrasts with the backing fabric (I used white to blend with the binding).

Line up the raw edges of the contrasting strip with one of the quilt edges, and sew with a scant quarter inch seam. Repeat on the opposite side. Trim the ends flush with the edge of the quilt. Do the same thing on the remaining sides, letting the ends overlap the first two strips.

Line up the raw edges of the binding strip with one of the quilt edges, on top of the contrasting strip, and pin in place. Sew from the back using the stitching from the last step as a guide. Stay just on top or a thread or two closer to the center of the quilt. Trim the ends flush with the edge of the quilt. Fold to the back and blind stitch to the backing. Repeat on the opposite side.

Sew the last two binding strips on in the same manner but leave about ¾ inch hanging over the ends. Trim the raw edges that extend past the edges of the quilt at an angle to make less bulk when you turn them to the back. Blind stitch.

Coffee Cup Sketch (14 x 9½)