Custom-made binding tape adds a gorgeous finishing touch to your quilts, allowing you to play around with colors and prints. Binding tape is typically used to bind quilts and can be made with fabric that has been cut on the straight of grain. Ashley Nickels demonstrates how to create your own binding tape using any fabric you like and sew the strips together to create one long strip to go all around your quilt. Watch Ashley's class on attaching binding tape to find out how to sew it to your quilt.

Quilting designer Ashley Nickels demonstrates the traditional method for attaching binding tape to a quilt — a fundamental technique every quilter needs to know. Step by step, you will learn how to pin the binding to the quilt sandwich, attach it using the walking foot on your sewing machine, create mitered corners, join the ends of the binding, and finish with a hand-sewn blind stitch. Watch Ashley's How to Make Binding Tape class for a quick lesson on how to make your binding strips and sew them together.

Now that you have machine or hand quilted your quilt, it’s time to finish it. Sue shows you how to block and trim your quilt so you are working with a quilt that is square and lays perfectly flat. Then she shows you how to add straight double binding with mitered corners and join the binding for a clean join. Finish with a sleeve if you are going to hang your work, and add a label to document the date of your masterpiece.

 

Dip your toe into the wild waters of quilting with these two simple potholder projects. Modern quilter Ashley Nickels shows you how to make a basic potholder using solid squares of fabric and pre-made bias tape, or a slightly more complex patchwork potholder using homemade binding tape. You will learn about basting, chain piecing and different styles of quilting, plus pro tips for attaching the binding.

Whether you are quilting or garment sewing, it’s essential to understand how a fabric’s grain line can affect the finished piece. In this super quick video, you’ll learn how to identify a fabric’s warp, weft and bias.

An essential part of any quilter or sewist’s arsenal, bias tape is helpful for creating stretchy, durable edges. Ashley Nickels demonstrates how to find the bias on ordinary quilting cotton, then how to cut, iron, and pin fabric to an edge. This snack-sized lesson packs lots of information into just five minutes.

Learn how to sew A Verb for Keeping Warm’s most popular pattern: the Endless Summer Tunic. This flattering tunic will be a staple in your summer wardrobe and works just as well with layers in cooler seasons. The patternmaker, Tasa Gleason, walks you through the process of selecting fabric, determining your size, and working with pattern pieces to construct your garment. Learn professional finishing techniques and helpful tips along the way. Once you’ve made your first tunic, you’ll be scheming ways to make one for every month of the year. 

Wondering what to do with all of the gorgeous blocks in our Block of the Month series? Ashley Nickels shows how to expertly set any quilt block in a posh pillowcase, featuring sashing to frame the block and a hidden zipper. She demonstrates the technique using Carolyn Friedlander's Polk Block, but you can use any block you please to create custom pillows for your home. 

In this class, Liesl demonstrates how to finish garment edges with a bias-tape facing. Not only does Liesl show you how to cut fabric on the bias, but you’ll also learn how to create bias tape and attach it to a collar to make a smooth, perfectly finished edge. With careful pinning, ironing, and sewing, it's easy for anyone to create beautiful garments that look professional on the inside and out.