Hanging sleeve how to

[Barbara C.]

I have seen hanging sleeves on quilts, but I can't figure out how to make one. Instructions say to make a pleat somewhere, but does the pleat go on the side next to the quilt or the side that is open. Or perhaps it goes at the fold? Help. I need to make one yesterday.

[Beth A.]

I always add a hanging sleeve to the backs of my quilts and sew them right on as I am sewing on the binding. Here's how I do it.

I make mine by cutting a strip 10" high x the full width of the quilt . This means you usually have to cut 2 cross-wise strips of fabric 10" wide, so this method takes almost 2/3 yard of fabric. This makes a 5" hanging sleeve which is large enough to accommodate the PVC tubing which many guilds around here use to hang quilts in quilt shows.

I try to make my hanging sleeve of the same fabric as my backing, so I have to add 2/3 yard to my backing fabric yardage.

Cut the 2 strips, then trim off the selvage edges and join them in the middle to make a stip ALMOST as long as the quilt is wide. Press that seam open.

To eliminate bulk as I sew the hanging sleeve into the top of the quilt, I often trim each short end at an angle so one long side of the sleeve fabric is 1/2"shorter at each end than the other long side.

Hem the short sides by pressing under 1/4" inch, then 1/4" inch again. Sew that hem by machine.

Then lay the sleeve fabric on the ironing board, wrong side up, with the short side nearest you. Fold the cut edge of the long side nearest you up ALMOST to the other cut edge -- so it is about 1/3" to 1/2" down from the top edge. Press that REALLY well. You want a nice, crisp fold.

After the sleeve has cooled, pick it up and move the cut edges together. They will want to separate again to go back to the pressed and folded position, BUT DON'T LET'EM! I often run a quick machine basting stitch in there to make sure it doesn't shift out of position.

You will end up with a long, skinny 5" wide hanging sleeve, one side with the fold on it and one side without.

Lay the fold side of the hanging sleeve positioned against the top edge of the back of the quilt, centering it on the quilt. Pin in place, keeping your pins out of the outer 1" of the quilt.

OPTION: You might want to baste the sleeve onto the quilt by stitching 2/16" inch from the top edge of the quilt.

Then, just apply your binding in the usual way.

After your binding is all on, remove your pins, if necessary. Re-pin the sleeve so that the fold is flat against the quilt, and hand stitch that down using applique stitches.

What you will have is a hanging sleeve with a "bubble" built into it which will accommodate a PVC pipe without distorting the quilt. This is probably the "pleat" you were referring to.)

If you like, you can make that bubble less noticeable by pressing the sleeve down flat onto the back of the quilt. It should blend in beautifully and be scarcely noticeable. But if you enter your quilt in a show, it will hang very nicely with no distortion at all.

BethMI