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Fri, Apr 4 2008

Fab Finish for Knits: Bound Edges

I love the ease of sewing with knits. And one of my favorite finishes for knit garments, especially necklines and armholes, is a self- or contrast-fabric binding. It produces a clean, elegant look, and it is really easy to do!

Ready, set, go!
First, measure the edges you want to bind. In this example, I'm binding the neck edge of a wrap-top. Use a flexible measuring tape for greater accuracy. I don't worry too much about getting the exact length of the edge. I usually make extra long strips of binding and trim off the excess when I'm done.



Cut your binding strips.
I cut strips of knit fabric on the crosswise grain, which has the most stretch. To figure out how wide my strip should be, I first decide how wide my binding will be on the outside of the garment. I multiply that number by 3 and add a scant 1/4 inch. For example, if I want my visible bound edge to be 1/2 inch wide, I use the following equation to figure out how wide my strip needs to be:
3 X 1/2 = 1 1/2 inches. 1 1/2 inches + 1/4 inch = 1 3/4 inch total width.
This will give me enough width to bind the edge with a little extra on the inside. If you prefer, you can make your binding even wider, and trim the excess when you are finished.



Prep your garment.
Once your binding is cut, you need to do a little prep work on your garment fabric. First, trim off the seam allowance from the edge that you will be binding. Placing right sides together, sew the binding to your garment, keeping the raw edges even. Press the seam toward the binding, as shown.


 
Next, fold your binding over your garment edge to the wrong side and pin, as shown:



Working from the right side of the garment, sew very close to the binding:



This will catch the folded binding on the inside of your garment, enclosing the edge and making a clean finish, as shown:





That's all it takes for a beautiful finish. One of the fun things about this is that you can use any contrast knit you would like to create a great garment with a designer touch!




Photos by: Ann Steeves
Posted by: Ann Steeves

 
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Comments (2)

  • 4/22/08 - Joyce Ward — If you use fusible thread in the bobbin on the first stitching, you can press the binding to the...  Show Full Comment
  • 4/5/08 - sheila — Ironic... I just finish making bias strips using the clover bias tape maker. Thanks for the...  Show Full Comment
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