Make A Quick Hanging Sleeve for a Quilt or Wall Hanging

Often you will want to display your quilt - or wall hanging(!) - in a show or on a wall in your house. The question, then, is how to accomplish that.

Obviously, you don't want to pound a nail through the quilt to attach it to the wall (although non-quilters may not understand why not).

There are several different types of quilting hangers available - some fairly plain, others fairly elaborate and expensive.

Frequently, though, you will want to display the quilt or wall hanging without the distraction of a wooden hanger or clamping device.

In addition, the clamping devices generally do not distribute pressure on the quilt evenly. Many of them are held together with knobs that you screw to tighten.

That will create pressure where the knob is and for a few inches on either side, but the presure lessens the further away from the knob you go. If there is too much distance between the knobs, your quilt or wall hanging may sag and hang unevenly.

In addition, you may want to have the flexibility of hanging different size quilts.

One solution is to sew a hanging sleeve onto the back of your quilt and insert something inside that will act as a hanger - such as a stick of wood or piece of palstic tube.

Sewing the Hanging Sleeve Inside the Binding

Step 1 - Measure the fabric to make your hanging sleeve

It helps to know how wide the piece of wood or plastic is that you will be using in the sleeve. If you don't know, make your sleeve fairly wide to acommodate most any piece.

I generally place the stick inside a length of fabric and fold the fabric loosely over the wood. Then I add a seam allowance.

How much of a seam allowance I add depends on how much of the binding will be showing on the back of the quilt. If there is 1/2 inch of binding, I add 1 inch of seam allowance to the width of the hanging sleeve - 1/2 on each side of the sleeve.

You will want to fold the fabric loosely around the stick so it is easy to get the stick in and out of the sleeve.

Step 2 - Turn over the raw edges on the ends

Turn over 1/4 inch folds on each of the ends of the hanging sleeve and stitch, so that none of the raw edges are showing. Although this step is optional, it does make the hanging sleeve look nicer and more finished.

Step 3 - Fold the hanging sleeve in half and attach it to the back of the quilt

Pin the hanging sleeve onto the backing of your quilt or wall hanging, matching the edge of the quilt to the raw edges of the hanging sleeve.

Stitch the binding and hanging sleeve onto the quilt.

Step 4 - Fold the binding onto the back of the quilt

Fold the binding to the back of the quilt and attach it. I generally hand stitch the binding on the back of my quilt or wall hanging using a blind stitch.

Step 5 - Attach the bottom edge of the hanging sleeve onto the back of your quilt or wall hanging

Stitch the bottom edge of the hanging sleeve onto the back of the quilt using an overhand stitch that is fairly long and loose.

The theory here is that if the quilt turns out to be heavy and causes strain on the fabric by hanging, the threads holding the sleeve will break and the sleeve will come loose, instead of the back fabric of your quilt ripping.

As an alternative, y ou can sew the hanging sleeve on top of the binding. See this article for more information.

Happy Quilting!

Penny is the author of 7 books for beginner quilters and a self-taught quilter of more than 25 years who seeks to interest new quilters and provide them with the resources necessary to create beautiful quilts.

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©2007, Penny Halgren

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