How to finish an art quilt with a facing

Written By Russ Little

I can’t claim that there is universal agreement about this, but I’m fairly confident in saying that the majority of folks agree that art quilts—quilts of any size that are created especially for the wall and not intended to be used as a functional quilt on a bed—look neat and professionally presented when the edges are finished with a facing rather than a typical wrapped binding. I’ve tried many finishing techniques over the years: binding, raw edge, overcast, and facing. They all take time and effort, but facing is definitely well worth the effort for the refined look that it produces on the finished product.

There are many step-by-step guides to quilt facing on the internet. I think that the folks at Bernina have created one of the better posts on the subject (https://weallsew.com/make-quilt-facing). My method is a mashup of the content on this site with bits and pieces collected from others over the years, plus some of my own ideas.

I’ve created a short video that explains the process and includes the tips and tricks that help me get good and satisfying results. When I say it’s short I mean about 35 minutes or so. If this doesn’t seem short to you, then consider that this is version 3. Version 1 was over an hour of rambling and editorializing!

In the video I show several tools that are either helpful or essential. I hope that the video and the links below are helpful to you in your own studio.

Russ Little
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How to create a top sleeve for hanging art cloth