Finishing a Quilt with a Facing with Susan Brubaker Knapp

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When it comes to finishing a quilt with a facing, Susan Brubaker Knapp knows what she’s doing! Of all the ways of finishing a quilt, creating a facing will give an art quilt the most contemporary, clean look, she says. Susan, who admits to actually enjoying the quilt finishing process, also thinks facing-rather than binding-a quilt makes it look less like a quilt and more like a piece of art.

Facing is certainly no more work than attaching a binding. Susan shows you how to do it and offers tricks for getting a polished finish in her video, Fabulous Finishes: Seven Techniques for Binding, Facing, Framing, & Hanging a Quilt.

Finish a Quilt with a Facing with Susan Brubaker Knapp

Below are Susan’s basic steps to finish a quilt with a facing.

1

Measure the top and bottom of your quilt and cut 2 pieces of fabric the length of that measurement plus 2″.

2

Place the top and bottom facing pieces on the front of your quilt and measure the distance between the facing pieces, plus 2″. Cut 2 side facing pieces to this length.

Measure your side facing strips so they overlap the top and bottom strips by about 1″ on each end.

3

Turn over the strips ¼” and press.

4

With right sides together and the raw edge flush with the edge of the quilt, place your top strip. Start from one 2″ side of the facing, backstitch, and then stitch down to ¼” from the end of the quilt. Pivot, stitch along the length of the top ¼” from the other end, pivot, and stitch down the other 2″ side, and backstitch. Use a ¼” seam allowance and a walking foot to keep the fabric from slipping. Stitch the opposite end of the quilt facing the same way.

5

Place your first side strip along one side of the quilt, allowing the ends to overlap the top and bottom facing by the same amount on each end. Using a ¼” seam allowance and the walking foot, back stitch and then stitch down the entire length of the side facing, backstitching at the end. Repeat on the other side.

Pin the facing, then sew a running stitch around the outer perimeter, making sure not to stitch into the front of the quilt.

6

Staystitch along the sides of the facing fabric, 1/8″ from the seam, backstitching at each end. This will help keep the finished edge clean and lying flat. Repeat with the top and bottom facings, nudging your presser foot into the corner as far as you can (you will not be able to get all the way into the corner).

7

Trim the corners and turn the piece, using a blunt tool to poke out the corners.

8

Press, making sure the front edges of the quilt roll slightly to the back, so that none of the facing shows on the front. Pin the facing in place to keep it flat for the next step.

The the back side, showing the completed quilt finishing technique.

9

With a needle and thread that matches your facing fabric, make a running stitch about ¼” from the edge of the quilt. Make sure you stitch through the facing and backing fabrics, but not through to the front of the quilt. When you have finished, hand stitch the turned-under edges of the facing to the back of the quilt with a fell stitch.

10

Finish it off with a quilt label and quilt sleeve.

Five Free Quilt Binding & Finishing Methods

Susan makes it so easy to follow her directions for finishing a quilt, whether you want to learn quilt binding techniques, how to make a quilt hanging sleeve, or how to frame a quilt. Plus, her hints and tips are invaluable. Fabulous Finishes is, truly, fabulous. But don’t just take our word for it — check out the preview below!

If you aren’t quite ready to dive into Susan’s finishes, but still want some free tips and techniques, then you’re in luck. We’re giving you 5 Methods for Perfect Quilt Binding and Finishing for FREE! Binding is an essential stage in the quilt making process, and with the help of this free eBook, you’ll start approaching binding quilts in a whole new way.

Get your FREE copy of **5 Methods for Perfect Quilt Binding and Finishing**!

How Do You Like to Bind & Finish?

We hope these tips and tricks on finishing a quilt with a facing will help inspire you to create amazing quilts! Do you have a preferred method for finishing a quilt? Or perhaps you’ve already tried one (or all) of these options? No matter the case, we want to see your quilts and hear about your top tips! Share with us on Instagram, Facebook, or the comments below.

Best,