Adding A Hanging Sleeve to Your Quilt Project

I've made a few quilt projects that were meant to be hung on a wall and I've used squares of fabric folded in half and sewn into the top corners during the binding process, which works if the piece is small, but the centre can buckle if it's too wide. I've also just pinned minis to my wall....

This also works great as a label for your quilts when you want to include more than just your name!
I draw lines using a frixion pen and then write what I want in a permeant marker and press with an iron to remove the lines.

Well, this time I was writing a new quilt pattern and I thought it was time to up my game and look into how you go about adding a hanging sleeve....

I found a lot of great information on adding a sleeve for quilt exhibits, which all seamed a little excessive for my small wall project for home use...

Then I came across this little PDF sheet from Martingale and it was exactly what I was looking for!!

Instructions:

1. Cut your fabric for the sleeve 6"(to 8") wide by 1" shorter then the width of your quilt.
2. Make a hem on the 6" wide edges by turning the raw edge under 1/2" and pressing, then turn under another 1/2" and press.
3. Topstitch.

     

    4.) Fold your fabric in half, wrong sides together along the long edge, and base stitch 1/8th" from  

         raw edge.

     5.) Centre and pin the sleeve to the top edge of your quilt.

     6.) Proceed with binding your quilt. Stitching through all layers when you sew along the top edge,
          securing your sleeve in place.

     7.) Stitch your binding down on the backside of your quilt. I hand stitch mine with a blind stitch.
 

I found this great YouTube video that shows the blind stitch if you are no familiar with it.

     8.) To secure the sides and the folded edge of your sleeve you need to hand stitch with a blind
           stitch, but before you do that, push the folded edge of your tube up about a 1/4" to create a D
           shape. Pin in place and stitch down the short side, across the long edge and up the other short
           side to secure your sleeve to the back of your quilt! Be careful to only stitch through
           the backing layer of your quilt. You don't want your stitches to show on the front of your quilt.

That's it, easy, peasy!! And from now on my hanging projects will not only look more polished, but will hang properly....😀