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Hanging Sleeve
  
  Below are two methods for creating a hanging sleeve for your quilt!  
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Method #1

Before binding the quilt:

  • Measure the width of quilt
  • Cut a strip of muslin or other sleeve fabric 1" narrower than the finished width of the quilt.
  • The length of the muslin strip is determined by the size of the rod or dowel you'll use, but most exhibitions require at least a 4" sleeve.
  • Use this formula: sleeve measurement x 2 + 1=length of fabric ( 4" x 2 + 1 = 9" of fabric for sleeve.

For a 4" sleeve:

  • Cut 1 strip of fabric 9 " long and 1" less that the width across the top of your quilt. You may need to piece this if you have a bed sized quilt.
  • Press the short ends 1/4" to the wrong side, turn under a second time and edge stitch to finish them.
  • After you've completed your quilting, but before binding, lay the strip wrong side down along the top of the quilt back having raw edges aligned. Pin it in place, as shown below.

  • Now prepare and stitch the binding to your quilt in the usual way
  • You will stitch through five layers along the top edge (binding, quilt top, batting, backing and sleeve).
  • Be sure that you do not catch the sleeve fabric as you sew the binding along the sides of the quilt.
  • Turn the binding to the back and blindstitch.
  • The top edge of the hanging sleeve is now stitched securely to the quilt.

  • Lift the hanging sleeve and fold it back down keeping the folded edge even with the quilt top. Finger press along the folded edge and pin, as shown below.

  • Fold the bottom edge of the sleeve under 1/2" and blindstitch to the backing fabric. (You may wish to clean finish the raw edge before you blindstitch.) Your quilt is now ready to hang for display and the sleeve will never show from the front side!

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 Method #2

For a quilt that was previously bound:

  • Cut a 9" strip of washed muslin or cotton fabric, making it 1 - 2" shorter than the top edge of quilt.
  • Turn under and press 1/4" at each short end, then turn and press again. Topstitch each end.
  • With wrong sides together, stitch long edges using a 1/4" seam. Press seam open and center it in the tube you've created.

  • Lay the muslin tube along the top of your quilt, about 1" below the top edge. Slipstitch the top edge of the tube to the quilt back.
  • Pull the tube up to just below the top of the quilt. Pin in place, smoothing the tube down, and slipstitch the bottom of the sleeve. This gives slack and but ensures that the sleeve never shows when hung.
  • Remove pins from top edge of hanging sleeve.
  • Slip a rod or strip of lath through the sleeve and hang.
 
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