A Quilt Sleeve lets you hang your Quilts

Learn how to make a quilt sleeve

You will need to add a quilt sleeve on the back if you intend to hang your quilt or wallhanging.

You can slide a rod or dowel through the sleeve and hang it on two nails.

Most quilt shows also require a sleeve on the back of your quilt to facilitate hanging the quilts.

Here's how to make a 4” sleeve.

Measure the width of your quilt, then

• cut a strip of fabric 8 ½” wide, by that length.  
• For a large quilt, you may have to sew two strips together to get the length required.
• For a small wallhanging which is not going into a show, you can make your sleeve narrower.

• Fold your strip of fabric in half and press.
• Fold the end in ½” and then again ½” and sew.
• Repeat at the other end.

If you have not yet sewn on the binding,  pin the sleeve to the upper edge of your quilt, flush with the edge.

As you are sewing your binding on to your quilt, you will sew through the sleeve and secure it.

In order to secure the lower edge of your sleeve, you must hand stitch it through the back of the quilt only.  

In order to accommodate the dowel or rod, push the outer layer of your sleeve up about ¼” and pin in place.

• Hand sew the side next to the backing.

Viola!

How to Add A Sleeve to a Bound Quilt

If you want to add a sleeve to a quilt which has already been bound:,

• cut as above, and with right sides together,
• sew a ¼” seam along the long edge to make a tube.
• Finish the ends as above.  
• Pin the tube to the top of the back of your quilt just below the binding, and
• hand stitch along the top edge.
• Finish the bottom edge as above.

Once you have finished adding your sleeve, you need to  "show off" your creation. To get ideas on how to display your quilt Click Here

Finished with Quilt Sleeve"? Go to "Lesson 9 - Binding"

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